MILWAUKEE — Walter Love, a resident of Milwaukee, is set to travel to Tel Aviv on July 10 for a pilgrimage with his church, but he is now hesitant about the trip due to the ongoing conflict in the region.
"I jumped at the chance because I wanted to go and see where the Last Supper was, go to the River Jordan, do Israel, do Tel Aviv, do Mt. Calvary - all of those things are in this trip," Love said.
However, the escalating tensions have made him reconsider leaving Milwaukee behind for what he had anticipated would be a trip of a lifetime.
Despite the nearly $4,000 non-refundable price tag for the journey, Love is uncertain.
"They have not pulled the plug on it yet," he said, adding that the trip has been a longstanding goal for his group, which has already canceled the pilgrimage once due to COVID-19.
With recent U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities and Iran's retaliatory strikes on U.S. military bases, Love is increasingly worried.
"There's even more of a reason to cancel it," he said.
The situation in Israel has become dire, with major airports closed and the U.S. Department of State issuing a "Do Not Travel" advisory for the country.
American citizens currently in Israel are being urged to take the first available option out, regardless of their preferred destination. The advisory also cautions U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution due to the ongoing conflict.
Watch: Milwaukee man 'apprehensive' over Israel pilgrimage plans amid escalating conflict and travel advisory risks
When asked if the U.S. involvement in the current conflict contributes to his hesitation about traveling as an American, Love replied, "It multiplies it. Multiples it so much."
He expressed concern about the safety of his group.
"We would be like low-hanging fruit basically, because we're there, we're American, there are two bus loads of us."
As he awaits news on whether the trip will be canceled, Love continues to pray for peace.
“I hope that everyone else that's over there - please get out. Try to get out. Because in the next few days, with what happened over the weekend, we don't know what's going to transpire," he said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
