A British man stranded in Israel has criticised the UK Government for not arranging flights to get him home. Zak Wagman, 26, is unable to fly home following the closure of Israel’s airspace amid the conflict with Iran.
He said he has had to take cover in a bomb shelter most nights and said there has been frequent sirens and empty streets around his hotel in Herzliya, in the district of Tel Aviv. The Conservative councillor for Stanmore, who works in PR and communications, arrived in Israel last Wednesday to attend a family member’s wedding.
He was due to fly back to London last Monday but says his flight with Israeli airline El Al was cancelled. He remains with his father, father’s partner and brother and says he is waiting for advice from the Government.
Mr Wagman told the PA news agency: “There was always a level of apprehension given the ongoing situation since October 7 but nothing that caused me to think anything other than coming.
“I have been here before and all the guidance indicated it was safe and acceptable to come here.” He said the bomb sirens heard through the night sounded “crazy”.
Mr Wagman added: “Being someone that’s lived in London, I have never until last week experienced bomb sirens or rockets going off and having to get down quickly to bomb shelters.
“Since Friday, the sirens have gone off a lot, three times a night. It sounds crazy. You have a routine and know what you need to put next to your bed so you can jump up when the siren comes. It’s a constant reminder that there is that threat because there is a war.”
Mr Wagman said he was not venturing very far from his hotel in case a siren went off and he needed to get to the hotel’s shelter quickly. He said outside was quiet and likened it to the Covid lockdowns. He says he knows people who have attempted to leave Israel via land border, but says because he sees some of those borders as “quite volatile”, he is going to stay put until he receives further guidance from the Government.
Mr Wagman said he was frustrated at what he sees as a lack of response from the Foreign Office. He said: “At first, I was more than willing to give the Government the benefit of doubt for not knowing what to do or having a plan in place.
“I don’t think they saw this coming. But more and more countries have evacuated their citizens whereas we have virtually nothing from the Foreign Office.
“They said yesterday that the Government was chartering flights then that that message was an error and they’re not. I would like the Foreign Office to tell me how they’re going to get me home. I’m a British citizen in a place they recognise as dangerous.”
On June 13, a nationwide state of emergency was declared in Israel and its airspace was closed. The Foreign Office has now updated its travel advice to advise against “all but essential travel” to Israel.
It says British citizens “are encouraged to follow the advice of local authorities, for example on which routes are open or when to take shelter”. International land border crossings to Jordan and Egypt remain open.
The Government has said that family members of staff at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and the British Consulate in Jerusalem have been temporarily withdrawn as a precautionary measure. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority.
“The Foreign Office is working around the clock to respond to the crisis and support British nationals affected.
“We have launched register your presence for British nationals in Israel and the OPTs so that we can share important information on the situation, and we are sending rapid deployment teams to Egypt and Jordan to assist British nationals who are crossing the border.
“We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning. That is why we are encouraging British nationals to register their presence and pay close attention to travel advice.”
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