The potential for outbreaks of violence remains extremely high'

Foreign Office

But the Foreign Office has advised British tourists against visiting the Old City of Jerusalem which contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and raising from the dead, and the holiest site in Christianity.

The Mount of Olives, another popular site for Christian pilgrims, is also off-limits.

Bethlehem has been the site of some of the worst violence of the last few days, while Nazareth is a site of serious tension between Arabs and Jews.

On its website, the Foreign Office warned: "The potential for outbreaks of violence remains extremely high" and have advised visitors to avoid demonstrations where large crowds are gathering.

Millions of pilgrims will follow in the Pope's footsteps

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told BBC News Online they were not discouraging people from visiting the rest of Israel, which remains relatively peaceful.

A record 300,000 British tourists were expected to visit Israel this year. The country is not only a popular place of pilgrimage, but Eilat on the Red Sea coast is one of the most popular winter resorts for British tourists.

The Foreign Office stressed that major cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa were completely safe to visit.

The director of the Israeli Tourist Board in London, Amnon Lipzin, said he expects the holy sites to be open by the middle of the week.

Cautious line

He said: "I'm absolutely sure that things are returning to normal. There is a lot of tension still around, but the situation is under control. The Arabs have as much a stake in ensuring these places are reopened as soon as possible."

But the Foreign Office said they were taking a more cautious line and advised visitors to keep a close eye on developments before venturing into the trouble spots.

Bethlehem has seen some of the worst trouble

Jeremy Segel, the assistant director of West End Travel, one of the biggest tour operators to Israel, said the violence had not deterred potential visitors.

"We have not had any cancellations or inquiries. Most people know that the violence is localised and that it is advisable to stay out of certain parts of Jerusalem."

Adam Hubermann, of Worldwide Student Travel Holidays, said the violence had not deterred hundreds of Jewish people from travelling to Israel for the forthcoming Succot religious holiday.

"They know it is usually safe to avoid certain areas. Most parts of Israel are perfectly safe," he said.