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Millennium Fears

Israel prepares for an influx of tourists,
but worries about psychotics.

NECHEMIA MEYERS
Special to the Jewish News

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Carlos Bar-El — a Kfar Shaul psychia-
trist and author of a study on the
Jerusalem Syndrome — "visitors to
Jerusalem sometimes became psychot-
ic because of the city's special place in
the hearts of people across the globe.
It is not modern Jerusalem that is in
their minds, but the City of David, a
Gateway to Heaven, God's dwelling
place and/or the spot where Jesus was
resurrected and to which he will some
day- return.
"These emotions," he declares, "can
spark extreme psychotic reactions."
According to Bar-El, such people,
most of whom were disturbed before
they arrived in Jerusalem, are apt to

sraeli preparations for the influx
of millennium tourists include
not only the construction of
new hotels and the sprucing up
of religious and archeological sites, but
also the expansion of facilities at local
mental health centers.
A belief that the Second Coming is
imminent has brought some far-out
Christian groups to Jerusalem and will
undoubtedly bring more, says Prof.
Richard Landes, director of the Center
for Millennial Studies at Boston
University.
He says they
cannot be ignored
because "people
who believe that
the end is near,
especially a divine-
ly wrought end in
which they will
triumph over all
their foes, are
powerful actors
uninhibited, total-
ly committed,
capable of super-
human feats of
self-sacrifice and
destruction.
"Moreover,
what applies to
Israel expelled 26 Irish and Romanian tourists in October,
most apocalyptic
fearing
millennium violence.
believers applies
all the more
think they are biblical figures. If they
sharply to those who believe in a
are Jews, they generally see themselves
specific date."
as being characters from the Old
Such people, Israelis fear, might do
Testament, and in the case of
anything from blowing up the
Christians, as characters from the New
Mosque of Omer on the Temple
Testament.
Mount (to speed up a pre-redemption
One of the former, who didn't do
Gog and Magog world conflict) to
any
damage when he showed up sever-
committing mass suicide (if their
al years ago, was a Canadian who
hopes are not fulfilled).
imagined himself to be Samson.
However, elements of this sort are
Coming to the Western Wall, he tried
not new in Jerusalem. What is new is
to move a large stone he said was in
their likely number. Present estimates
the wrong place.
indicate that among the millions of
The police sent him to Kfar Shaul,
tourists and pilgrims who will be corn-
from
where, after being treated, he
ing to Israel next year, some 30,000
was quickly sent back to Canada.
will require some kind of psychologi-
In the year ahead, Kfar Shaul psy-
cal counseling and about 600 will
chiatrists expect to be inundated with
have to be hospitalized.
patients who are more difficult and, in
Bearing most of the burden will be
some cases, more dangerous to them-
the Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center
selves and others. Li
in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Yair