The latest eruption of fighting between Israel and Palestine has prompted Royal Caribbean International to cancel its much ballyhooed and first-ever cruises from Israel this summer – sailings that were expected to boost the post-pandemic cruise industry and reward Israel for its highly successful vaccination program for the COVID-19 virus.

The intended cruises to Cyprus and Greece, enabled by a travel corridor between the three countries, were also to feature the debut of RCI’s much-anticipated “Odyssey of the Seas” on June 2, which will now, according to the cruise line, be moved to Florida for its inaugural sailings.

In a statement released on Saturday, Royal Caribbean said, “Due to the unrest in Israel and the region, Odyssey has not been able to complete the preparations required to operate from Haifa as planned.”

It said that though cancelling the program was disappointing, the company was committed to ensuring the safety of its passengers and crew and added that it would monitor the situation in Israel and was hopeful of a return in the future.

The three- to seven-night itineraries, roundtrip from Haifa, were to include visits to idyllic isles and destinations in the Mediterranean, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus.

When announced in March, RCI president and CEO Michael Bayley said, “Sailing from Israel is an opportunity we have had our sights on for quite some time. We greatly appreciate the government of Israel for their collaboration and confidence in us…”

Israel saw the opportunity to tout its, at the time, world-leading vaccination roll-out, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enthusing: “Thanks to the millions of vaccines we have brought, I am proud that Israel will be the first country in the world to launch Royal Caribbean’s new flagship. Royal Caribbean’s decision to come to Israel is a significant expression of confidence in our policy. This is an important economic, touristic moment for the State of Israel.”

He added, “Israel is a global model of success. We will continue our program – the ‘green passport’ – so that we can get out of the COVID-19 virus in peace. Just as we made Israel the world champion in vaccines, we will make it the world champion in economics and tourism in the post-Corona era.”

Instead, Israel is now embroiled in another bout of fighting with Palestine.

The latest outbreak of violence began in east Jerusalem last month when Palestinian protests and clashes with police broke out in response to Israeli police tactics during Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers. A focal point of clashes was the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a frequent flashpoint that is located on a hilltop compound that is revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas fired rockets toward Jerusalem early last week, triggering the Israeli assault on Gaza.

The turmoil has also spilled over elsewhere, fueling protests in the occupied West Bank and stoking violence within Israel between its Jewish and Arab citizens, with clashes and vigilante attacks on people and property.