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-48 Friday, May 12, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH JEWS
Tourism of the Holy Land Burgeoning Growth Over 30 Years
By GEOFFREY WEILL
Israel Government
Tourist Office
JERUSALEM — The
story of the last 30 years of
tourism to Israel portrays
the climax of a centuries
. long epic. For Israel is the
world's oldest tourist desti-
nation.
For thousands of years,
visitors have walked, rid-
den and sailed to Israel. It
wasn't unusual for a million
pilgrims to converge on
- Jerusalem for Passover
2,500 years ago. Romans
spent vacations at Caesarea
and Tiberias. And after the
destruction of the Second
Temple in the year 70, it be-
came the dream of Jews dis-
persed around the world to in visiting the Holy Land. up to promote travel to the
return to their homeland, if
By the end of the First country, as well as coordi-
only for a visit.
World War, Palestine had nate tourist facilities within
In the mid-19th Century, been conquered by the the new state. A national
the travel industry, in its in- British, and was no longer airline, El Al, and steam-
fancy, looked to the Holy part of the Turkish Otto- ship company, Zim, were
Land as one of its first des- man Empire. In 1920 the formed, and despite very
tinations. So it was, in 1869, first Palestinian-run travel modest beginnings soon de-
that Thomas Cook led his agency opened and the Bay veloped into efficient, pro-
first 'Cook's Tour' to the of Haifa became a regular fessional companies.
Holy Land.
Roads were improved and
port of call for passenger
new highways constructed.
Those first travelers shipping.
Palestine,
the
cross-roads
And
hotels were built.
rode on horseback and
slept in tents (complete of the Middle East, could be Hotels of all categories,
reached
by
train
from
Cairo
some
modest,
and some
with carpets and iron
bedsteads)! As Jewish and the Suez Canal, Beirut luxurious, were opened in
pioneers returned to Is- and Damascus. - the mid-50's.
European and American
In 1931 the famous King
rael to turn the barren
wilderness and malarial David Hotel in Jerusalem airlines made Tel Aviv a
opened
its
doors.
An
aerod-
regular
stop. The first in-
swamps into lush farm-
land, there grew around rome was opened in 1936 ternational hotel-chain
near
the
town
of
Lydda
opened
a
hotel
in Israel in
them a growing interest
(Lod) midway between Tel 1960. That year annual
Aviv and Jerusalem — and tourism to the country top-
by the end of the decade, had ped 100,000 for the first
become a major stop on the time.
In the 130s, tourism in-
various French, Dutch and
creased dramatically.
British air-routes to the Far
East.
Nearly 350,000 visitors
L'Clif IM
The Republican Party
is honored to congratulate
the brave people of
ISRAEL
on the 30th anniversary
of its founding
Three Decades Of
Freedom
After The Holocaust
The Republican Party is proud to join
with the people of Israel in celebrating this
important and significant anniversary of
one of America's truest allies.
As Republicans, we solemnly pledge our
continued support in the battle for a secure
and free Israel — militarily strong with
clearly defensible borders, determined by
the states in the area themselves. Israel and
_ her children must survive and prosper. Is-
rael's fight is our fight.
We pray with our whole hearts, as the
people of Israel pray, that the one God who
makes peace in Heaven shall bring peace to
us and to the children of Israel.
mit:4 dit ty ivy
Y74:*;1 ' 17trItr. 5; 5111 x',11?
CIL7t;; ri'4711 1_ rtli
At the establishment of came in 1968 — flown to
the state of Israel, 30 Israel in the new jets and
years ago, attracting staying at a multitude of
tourists to Israel was no t good new hotels. The
an end to itself. There Ministry of Tourism set
was only one hotel in the hotel standards, trained
country of international and licensed tour-guides
repute. Land travel to Is. and travel agents, and
rael had been cut off by encouraged the de-
the hostility of the new velopment of a number of
country's neighbors. "new" resorts such as
Thus, a government
EMU on the Red Sea;
tourist department was set Herzliya and Natanya on
By SAM YURMAN
through Hebrew classes,
trips to explore their new
country and social func-
tions.
Those interested in
pioneering are encouraged
to form settlement groups
for the purpose of establish-
ing their own kibutzim in
strategic locations.
World Zionist
Press Service
JERUSALEM — Israel's
first Prime Minister, David
Ben-Gurion, envisaged the
Israel Defense Forces, or
ZAHAL in its Hebrew ac-
ronym, as a force which will
protect the country and take
an active part in building
the nation at the same
time. It was he who estab-
lished the rule that no
soldier leaves the army
without completing a basic
education.
New immigrants are not
required to serve a full con-
scription term in order to
give them an opportunity to
catch up with the veteran
Israelis. Their backgrounds
range from medical Yemen,
white-supremacy South Af-
rica, Communist Russia,
revolution-prone South
America and free-
enterprise North America.
In the army, a special de-
partment of the adjutant
general welds these diver-
gent elements into cohesion
By law, any army in-
ductee must possess an
elementary school edu-
cation. In practice, any-
one able to effect a signa-
ture is accepted. Those
who need it spend the last
six months of their serv-
ice getting their primary
education.
•
Religious boys and girls
are offered a chance to pur-
sue religious studies within
the army framework. While
the latter can receive an
exemption on the grounds of
conscience, the boys join a
scheme involving study at
one of 11 rabbinical semi-
nars combined with ar-
mored corps training.
ZAHAL works in con-
junction with the civilian
Bill Brock
Chairman
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
310 First Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
pia for by oho IlsookIlloom Madera Cammksee,
WNW. J. Maillaws. Tremmur•
Israel welcomed more
than one million visitors in
1977 — an all time record
for this country with a popu-
lation of just 3.5 million.
El Al, plus 15 interna-
tional airlines have regular
flights to and from Israel. In
addition to the hundreds of
Israeli-managed hotels,
seven major international
hotel-chains have proper-
ties in Israel.
3
•
...
•
;
" 1..
p
Tel Aviv's beachfront has grown from two hotels in
1950 that now are no longer in existence, the Kaete
Dan (top photograph - A) and the Gat Rimon (top
photograph - B). Now the beachfront includes, bottom
photograph, (A) the Hilton, (B) Diplomat, (C) Plaza, (D)
Ramada Continental, (E) Sheraton, (F) Astor and (G)
the present Dan Hotel on the site of the old Kaete Dan.
• •
•
•
Basic Education a Goal of Israel Military
Training
Am Yisroel chai!
A ftimerbed
the Mediterranean; and
the health resorts of the
Dead Sea.
Sgt. Bracha, center, teaches geometry at the Marcus
Military School of Education on Haifa's Mount Car-
mel. Israel Prime Minster David Ben-Gurion estab-
lished the rule that no soldier leaves the military
without a basic education.
authorities in filling posi- areas as part of their serv-
tions which do not attract ice. Others work as nurses'
enough workers. Army girls aides in hospitals while
teach school in outlying training as practical nurses.
Medical Convoy's Ambush
Hurt Plan to Save Scopus
By BURT KEIMACH
the hospital would be a step
closer to dominating all
Jerusalem.
Under their commander,
Abdul Kadi Husseini, plans
were hatched for the seizure
of Mount Scopus. Husseini's
own death during the battle
for the Qastel, the strategic
hill controlling the ap-
proach road to the Holy
City, preceded the attack:
gangs of irregulars now
began their work.
The actual JeOish convoy
consisted of nine vehicles,
four of which never left
Sheikh Jarrah under their
own power. We know that
more than 100 people
started out at 8 that morn-
ing from the clinics on Ha-
the hospital.
Solel Street. Although no
In the violent, bitter, and
lists were kept of those who
impassioned days just be-
rode in the vehicles, the
fore the formal proclama-
hospital tally sheet of the
tion of the state of Israel, the
dead and wounded has 102
Scopus university complex
names.
formed the heart of medical
activities in Palestine.
Dr. Yassky was cut down
With mounting Arab
by a bullet in his liver. With
attacks, three fully him went the hope of hold-
supplied convoys a day
ing on to Mount Scopus. He
were deemed the bare had organized the biggest
minimum just to keep the
convoy ever as an effort to
hospital in bandages. stave off fate. He- and the
Doctors and nurses were
nascent Jewish state paid
lucky to see that many in dearly for their forlorn
a week, but they deter- hopes, for it was not until
minedly resisted the Red
1967 that the hospital and
Cross offer to put Scopus the university were re-
under the international gained by the Jews, during
flag — a move the Jews the Six-Day War, enabling
considered tantamount the rebuilding of the Hadas-
to surrender.
sah Hospital and Hebrew
The Arabs realized that a University campus on
drive severing the lifeline to Scopus.
World Zionist
Press Service
JERUSALEM — There
are 76 names on the memo-
rial near the Nashishibi
bend of the Sheikh Jarrah
Road in Jerusalem. But no
one will ever really know
exactly how many lives —
Arab and Jewish — were
snuffed out that Tuesday,
April 13, 1948.
The memorial attests to a
bloody battle. Some call it a
pre-planned ambush of the
most callous and dastardly
kind — an attack on a civi-
lian medical convoy, in this
instance the Hadassah
transports led by Dr. Chaim
Yassky, then the director of