EVANGELICAL FEAST SERVES UP MANNA FOR ISRAELI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 004396

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2016
TAGS: ECON ETRD EIND PREL IS
SUBJECT: EVANGELICAL FEAST SERVES UP MANNA FOR ISRAELI
TOURISM INDUSTRY

REF: TEL AVIV 3503

Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein for reasons 1.4 (b,
d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) The anemic Israeli tourism industry recently received
an injection of USD 15-18 million from 5,000 Evangelical
Christian pilgrims who attended a week-long Feast of
Tabernacles celebration sponsored by the International
Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ). In its 27th year, the
convention brought pilgrims from 80 countries to celebrate
the Israeli holiday of Sukkot and demonstrate support for the
Jewish state. Tourism Minister Itzhak Herzog emphasized the
significance of the celebration as a symbolic, as well as
economic, turning point for the tourism industry's post-war
recovery. During the convention, the director of the Israeli
national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, announced the
establishment of a "Christian Desk," to be maintained by
ICEJ, at the prestigious memorial. On the same evening, the
pro-Zionist ICEJ also announced the successful relocation of
the 100,000th immigrant from the former Soviet Union whose
immigration ICEJ has facilitated. Regarding its relationship
with Israel's 120,000 Christian Arab citizens, an ICEJ
administrator explained that, "although the Christian Arabs
are our brothers and sisters in Christ...they don't share our
Biblical interpretation of the purpose of the land of Israel
as God's inheritance for the Jewish people." End summary.

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A GLIMMER OF HOPE AFTER A DIM SUMMER
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2. (SBU) During the first six months of 2006, Israel was on
pace to welcome a record 2.7 million tourists this year -- a
figure that would have signalled a complete recovery of the
tourism industry after a multi-year slump associated with the
second Intifadah. Not surprisingly, the 34-day war with
Hizballah during the peak summer tourism season dashed those
hopes. Since July, foreign tourism to Israel has dropped 40
per cent below pre-war expectations for 2006 and 25 per cent
below 2005, dealing a significant blow to the nearly three
billion dollar-a-year industry. Current Tourism Ministry
projections estimate the end-of-year total for 2006 will
reach 1.6 million visitors, a level comparable to 2004.


3. (SBU) Billed by the Israeli Tourism Ministry as "the
largest annual tourism event in Israel," the ICEJ's 27th
annual Christian celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles
brought 5,000 Christian pilgrims to Israel in October.
Representing some 80 nationalities, these tourists booked
16,000 hotel room nights in the Jerusalem area and pumped an
estimated 15-18 million dollars into the local economy.
Speaking to journalists covering the first night of the
convention, Tourism Minister Itzhak Herzog emphasized the
significance of the influx as a symbolic, as well as economic
turning point, saying, "This event is so important to us
because it shows a lot of strength. It's a major recovery
and taking into account (tourists) from 80 nations...(it's)
absolutely incredible."

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IDEOLOGY TRUMPS FEAR OF INSTABILITY
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4. (SBU) Due to the recent war with Hizballah and continued
political unrest in the occupied territories, expectations
for this year's Feast attendance were low. Consequently,
ICEJ administrators and GOI officials were surprised by the
high turnout. According to ICEJ spokesman David Parsons,
many pilgrims said they refused to cancel reservations
despite concerns over their safety "because they are
ideologically driven to stand with Israel."

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GOI EMBRACES EVANGELICAL SUPPORT
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5. (SBU) Several influential Israeli government officials
addressed the week-long convention, including Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert, who delivered an effusive opening-night welcome
via videotape. "We had the courage to face the adversaries
of the State of Israel," Olmert asserted, "largely because we
have friends like you." Tourism Minister Itzhak Herzog
delivered the keynote address the following night to a
capacity audience at the International Convention Center in
Jerusalem. Econoff attended "Israeli Night," an
Israeli-themed musical program with over 2500 Israeli guests,
including some 200 Holocaust survivors, or family members of
survivors. During the ceremony, Director of Yad Vashem
(national Holocaust memorial) Avner Shalev announced the
creation of a "Christian Desk" to be maintained by the ICEJ
on the premises of the Yad Vashem memorial and museum in
Jerusalem. Afterward, ICEJ Director Rev. Malcolm Hedding
announced the arrival of the 100,000th immigrant from the
former Soviet Union whose immigration to Israel the ICEJ has
facilitated.
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ICEJ'S ZIONIST IDEOLOGY AT ODDS WITH LOCAL CHRISTIAN ARABS
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6. (C) At a reception following the evening's official
ceremony, econoff met the sole American administrator on the
ICEJ staff, Comptroller Tim King (please protect). When
asked about ICEJ's relationship, if any, with Israel's
120,000 Christian Arab citizens, King replied that the
purpose of the ICEJ's ministry was to demonstrate Christian
love and support for the Jewish people after many years of
Christian anti-Semitism. King said that while the ICEJ
considers Israel's Christian Arabs to be "brothers and
sisters in Christ...they don't share our Biblical
interpretation of the purpose of the land of Israel as God's
inheritance for the Jewish people."

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BUT NOT NECESSARILY WELCOME BY ALL JEWS
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7. (C) Econoff observed that one Israeli attendee in his
mid-30s was conspicuously attired as a haredi
(ultra-Orthodox) Jew. (Comment: The haredi communities live
extremely insular lives, and many do not even recognize the
authority of the State of Israel. Thus, the presence of a
haredi at a Christian convention endorsed by the GOI seemed
unusual. End comment.) When asked about the haredi in the
audience, King replied that he did not know the man, but
surmised that he was possibly a member of an undergound
ultra-Orthodox organization known as Yad L'Achim (Hand to the
Brothers). He said that Yad L'Achim frequently monitors ICEJ
activities and has, in the past, "caused problems" for ICEJ
through its influence on the Jerusalem city council. King
said that ICEJ is careful not to actively proselytize in
Israel and thus become vulnerable to legal action.

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COMMENT
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8. (C) The GOI in general and Tourism Ministry in particular
view the international Evangelical community as a largely
untapped market of relatively wealthy consumers who meet
Israel's stringent security requirements for entry. In May
2006, the Tourism Ministry placed a director for Evangelical
marketing in Los Angeles, and a real estate contract to
provide land for the construction of a Christian Heritage
Park in the Galilee continues to work its way through the
Israeli court system. End comment.


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