EJP | News | Orthodox politicians hit back at Israel tourism campaign

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Orthodox politicians hit back at Israel tourism campaign

Updated: 03/Nov/2006 15:12

One of the pictures used by the Israeli tourism ministry in the UK.

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JERUSALEM (EJP)--- Ultra Orthodox politicians in Israel have called for an expensive tourism campaign spread throughout the UK featuring sexy women to be replaced by images of religious sites.

The advertising campaign, heavily featured on the London underground, promotes the holy land by with pictures of girls in bikinis, encouraging holidaymakers to visit Eilat, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea.

But following a special cabinet meeting on tourism where minister Isaac Herzog demanded a special USD 150 million budget to market Israel abroad, Shas MK Eli Yishai dismissed the campaign.

“If the Tourism Ministry shows things that are just like the rest of the world, no tourist will come here, but if the same films show things that are only in Israel, many tourists will come,” Yishai. Said.

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“Israel has motifs whose significance and uniqueness are amazing: the Western Wall, Rachel’s tomb, the Cave of the Patriarchs, the Western Wall tunnels, and many others that should be shown in the Diaspora. Tourists don’t come for what there is on the beach, but in spite of what there is on the beach.”

Israeli model in London

The situation arose just days after it was announced that Israeli model Bar Rafaeli will be travelling to London next week to attend a tourism fair and promote Israel.

The model, who is rumoured to be dating movie star Leo DiCaprio, has been featured on the front page of many leading fashion magazines.

A spokesman for the tourism ministry said: “There is no doubt that Bar Refaeli is a leading international brand name. In the London fair the ministry of tourism will attempt to display different Israeli face and it has nothing to do with anything else."