Columbus Direct will refuse cover to holidaymakers travelling to Israel "until the situation changes" in the country.
A Columbus Direct spokesman said the decision was taken by the travel specialis …
Columbus Direct will refuse cover to holidaymakers travelling to Israel "until the situation changes" in the country.
A Columbus Direct spokesman said the decision was taken by the travel specialist's underwriters, Professional Travel Insurance.
"[The decision] was our underwriter's principally. They control where we sell to," said the spokesman.
"The view is that the underwriter can choose to exclude certain countries."
The Foreign and Common-wealth Office (FCO) this week warned travellers against "all but essential travel" to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"The risk of terrorist attacks within Israel remains high," said the FCO.
Columbus Direct's ban is understood to have shocked the UK's Jewish community, many of whom were planning to visit the country for the Passover holiday.
The Columbus Direct spokesman said the company would not be reversing its decision "until the situation changes" in Israel.
"I'm sorry, but that's what we have to do," he said.
In December 2001, Columbus Direct, along with Insure & Go, withdrew cover for travellers to Israel following suicide bomb attacks in Tel Aviv. On that occasion, Columbus Direct was criticised by the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta), which described the company's decision as "harsh".
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