Soccer Football – General view inside the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, a venue for the 2022 Qatar World Cup REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

i24 News – Israel’s counterterrorism office may advise its citizens against traveling to Qatar for the soccer World Cup in November, Israeli media reported Tuesday.

The Jewish state recommends avoiding non-essential travel to Qatar, as Iran continues to wield considerable influence in this Gulf state. Israel has not raised its alert level from 3 to 4, the highest rating.

Nearly 15,000 Israelis have already purchased tickets for the 2022 World Cup, scheduled for November due to of the country’s scorching summers, according to the Israel Hayom daily.

Agencies predict that 25,000 to 30,000 Israelis could travel there for the soccer tournament. However, officials fear they could become easy targets for the Islamic Republic or its proxies.

Nitzan Uriel, former head of the counterterrorism bureau, which issues travel warnings, told Israel’s Channel 12 that it is too early to issue warnings for the World Cup.

He said that with the exception of the 1972 Olympics, major international sports tournaments are not usually prime targets for terrorists.

“There are too many interests that want this to happen calmly and peacefully,” Uriel said. He suggested that a warning be issued closer to the event and those in charge agree to reimburse those who bought tickets.

The 2022 World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022.