JOHN PAUL II GAMES 2010 WILL OPEN WITH 500 ITALIANS, PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS PARTICIPATING IN THE

BETHLEHEM RUN - JERUSALEM- ON SUNDAY, 4.25.10

FOR THE FIRST TIME – THE ISRAELI RUNNERS WILL ALSO BEGIN THE RUN AT THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY PLAZA IN BETHLEHEM

The John Paul II Games 2010 are about to begin: about 1000 Catholic pilgrims will arrive in Israel at the end of this week to take part in the various sporting activities planned, including the Bethlehem-Jerusalem run from the Church of the Nativity Plaza in Bethlehem to the Davidson Center in Jerusalem, a swimming competition and a cycling event to inaugurate the Gospel Trail, a pilgrims’ path that runs from Nazareth to Capernaum and the beaches of the Sea of Galilee.

The sports events that will take place for the seventh time and which fall two weeks after the Easter festivities in Jerusalem which drew thousands of Christian pilgrims are an initiative led by the official Vatican pilgrimage organization Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, in cooperation with the Italian Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Tourism, the Civil Administration, the Jerusalem Municipality, Jerusalem Police, KKL and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The sports events will open on Sunday 25.4.10 with the Bethlehem-Jerusalem Run in which some 500 Italians, Palestinians from Bethlehem and Israelis who, for the first time within the framework of the run, have been given permission to enter Bethlehem and join the other runners from the starting point. The runners will continue to Rachel’s Crossing where a festive ceremony will take place to mark the opening of the games. During the ceremony, both the official representatives and participants will sign a joint proclamation calling for peace and brotherhood in the Holy Land.

After the ceremony, a symbolic volleyball match will take place at the crossing, with two women’s teams made up of Italians, Palestinians and Israelis. The runners will then continue to the Davidson Center in the Old City where the final ceremony will take place, together with a press conference.

On Monday, 26.4.10, dozens of Italian and Israeli cyclists will inaugurate the Gospel Trail by riding a section of the trail from Migdal to Capernaum (the Gospel Trail begins in Nazareth).  Following the cycling event, hundreds of Italian pilgrims will celebrate Mass in five boats, anchored on the waters of the Sea of Galilee.

These sporting events, which constitute a fascinating encounter between pilgrims from Italy, Israelis and Palestinians, aim to continue the legacy of Pope John Paul II by promoting pilgrimage to the Holy Land, peace, brotherhood and inter-faith cooperation.

(Courtesy o fIsrael Ministry of Tourism)
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April 15, 2010

Carmel mountains: A refuge for prophets, people and wildlife

One of the world's 500 UNESCO bioreserves, inhabited by rare flora, fauna and people, is in northern Israel's Carmel Mountain range, on the outskirts of Haifa.

It may measure only 77 square miles, but it contains a unique forest of Aleppo pine found nowhere else on earth. That's one of the reasons why The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the Carmel Mountain range on the outskirts of Haifa, Israel, an international bioreserve.

To protect and preserve the rare forest and wildlife in the Carmel Mountain region, known biblically as the place of refuge for the Prophet Elijah, and in ancient history as an archeological hotspot for human settlement, the University of Haifa has set up the Center for the Study of the Carmel in cooperation with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

More than 20 researchers from the disciplines of biology, ecology, political science, archeology and law will be using the center's state-of-the-art research facilities and laboratories to supervise educational and preservation projects related to the unique topography, rock distribution and flora and fauna of the bioreserve, 10 percent of which is inhabited by people, mainly from the indigenous Druze population.

The site is an important one for animals and plants, agrees Prof. Ido Izhaki who heads the newly inaugurated center, but he says that he will make human education a focal point for protecting the reserve.

The only bioreserve with a university inside

"UNESCO declared more than 10 years ago that the region will be a bioreserve," Izhaki, a biologist and ecologist, tells ISRAEl21c. "In Israel there is only one, from about 500 bioreserves around the world. They recommended that there be a research institute to investigate and research this biosphere. And ours is now the only example in the world where you have a university inside the reserve itself."

The University of Haifa is located in the reserve, but on the outskirts of Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, which is technically not part of the UNESCO designation. "All these reserves found all around the world are meant to protect biodiversity," explains Izhaki. "There are many problems and solutions as to how to do this. The big question is how to keep sustainable development, nature, and the wild plants and animals."

The bioreserve is an excellent place for exploring archeology, biblical heritage, cultural diversity in Israel, and of course, plants and wildlife. According to Izhaki, it has three major distinctions: First, it's the only bioreserve in the eastern Mediterranean to contain a woodland pine forest of Aleppo pine. You won't find a whole stand of trees like it anywhere in the world, he says, and the main stand of this Aleppo pine is on Mount Carmel.

However, Izhaki remarks that, "It's not only trees and wildlife that are important. There are also significant archeological findings there from ancient human settlements and of course, the local people who are there today." Izhaki believes that it is imperative to protect the biosphere, along with the Druze people who live within it. According to the terms set forth by UNESCO, communities living within a biosphere reserve must be committed to the limitations and norms that preserve the natural surroundings.

Living in a biosphere reserve

The Druze people in Israel, whose religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, live more or less in harmony with the rest of society. One of their major population centers is inside and borders the unique Carmel bioreserve. There are some problems related to encroaching on protected land for farming and some people even come to the forest to chop down old oaks for firewood, Izhaki relates.

"There is some conflict on Mount Carmel," he tells ISRAEL21c. "There are Druze villages inside the reserve. The conflict exists because they want to protect themselves against conservation efforts, and keep on managing their agriculture. One of the aims of the new center," he adds, "is to try and find solutions to this conflict - ways for the local people to understand that the bioreserve can be for their own benefit and ways to help them make money."

As part of the center's programming, "We are going to develop an education system where we will go to high schools and elementary schools to teach the young people about it," he says. "Working with the local people is an opportunity for us to manage the bioreserve with them," says Izhaki. This can start close to home at the university, where about 25% of the student body comes from minority groups, including Israeli Arabs and Israeli Druze.

Teaching pride in location

"Many of the Druze are at the university and through them we can make a change. They feel bad about their situation in Israel and feel as though they are second or third class citizens. Even though they serve in the Israeli army, they don't feel they have equal rights," says Izhaki.

He is hoping to help to educate the Druze in the bioreserve to be proud of their location and to be part of the effort to protect it, along with their unique cultural heritage. He hopes the two will go hand in hand.

Meanwhile, while as yet there are no opportunities for tourists or others to volunteer with the center and its activities, Izhaki says it's a great place to come for a hike, as the many Israelis who enjoy the area on weekends and holidays have clearly discovered. Just don't forget to pick up your litter.

(Courtesy of Karin Kloosterman - Israel 21c and the MFA Newsletter)
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April 13, 2010

A WORLD FIRST – THE TOURISM MINISTRY GOES LIVE WITH A VIRTUAL ONLINE TOURISM FAIR TO MARKET ISRAEL WORLDWIDE

TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: “The world’s first virtual online tourism fair is another innovative element in the Tourism Ministry’s comprehensive marketing framework and represents a breakthrough in the use of the Internet as a marketing tool

in the world of tourism.”

For the first time – the first virtual online tourism fair of its type will go live on Tuesday 13 April. The fair, an initiative of the Tourism Ministry, will operate in both Russian and English via an internet site designed to market Israel tourism to Russian-speaking audiences around the world. The virtual fair simulates a visit to a real fair in which the booths, audience, attractions and atmosphere all operate online. The visitor enters the main hall, which houses the exhibitors’ booths where he can obtain information, make business contacts, be exposed to new products and take part in panels with other travel trade professionals.

During the two month virtual tourism fair, special activities will take place on 13-15 April, including a speech by the Tourism Minister who will also chat with the visitors, and an address by the Head of the Russian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. The head of the Tourism Ministry in Russia, Netta Peleg, will lead an online seminar on the subject of Russian tourism to Israel. Even after the fair closes, visitors will still be able to enter the site and correspond with the exhibitors by email.

12 Israeli and Russian exhibitors have chosen to buy a virtual booth at the fair, including El Al, Ahava, Assaf Harofeh Hospital, Dan Hotels, Crown Plaza-Holiday Inn, Nazarene Tours, Haifa Municipality, Mini Israel, Russian Express and others. The fair, in Russian and English, is aimed at the trade and the wider public in Russia and other countries with a high concentration of Russian-speakers including Germany and USA and follows on from the tourism fair that took place in Moscow in March. Russia is now the second largest source country for incoming tourism to Israel (after the USA) and the choice of Russia is designed to ensure the continuation of the realization of the country’s tourism potential and to compete with other countries in the region.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: ““The world’s first virtual online tourism fair is another innovative element in the Tourism Ministry’s comprehensive marketing framework and represents a breakthrough in the use of the Internet as a marketing tool in the world of tourism. Utilizing the internet to create tourism fair is in line with international ecological and resource-saving trends and we are proud to be pioneers in the field of tourism.”

The virtual fair will be accessible online at www.goisrael.com from Tuesday, 4.13.10.

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)