• -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