Israel hit where it hurts the most, in the wallet.--Jana

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,3-2001195800,00.html

WEDNESDAY JUNE 13 2001

American Jews under attack for cutting trips to Holy Land
BY SAM KILEY

AMERICAN Jews have been bitterly criticised by leading Israeli officials for cancelling tours to the Holy Land and undermining a tourist industry already badly hit by eight months of violence. The American Reform Judaism movement decided this week to cancel its annual summer camps in Israel.

The move comes after the killing of 20 young people outside a Tel Aviv night club by a Palestinian suicide bomber two weeks ago. Officials of the Maccabiah Games, dubbed the Jewish Olympics, are likely to vote on Friday to postpone the sporting event indefinitely after it signed up only 2,500 athletes out of 5,000 expected to participate. Efraim Sneh, the Transport Minister who served as Minister of Defence when the conflict between Israel and Palestinians began eight months ago, condemned the cancellations as a “disgraceful” act by people who “for years have talked to us of unity of the Jewish people over bagel and lox (smoked salmon)”. Matan Vilnai, the Israeli Sports Minister, said Jewish athletes should understand that the games were not just a sports event but part of “world Jewry’s support of the state of Israel at this difficult time”. An Israeli insurance company has offered to insure all Jewish athletes against death or injury in a terror attack during the games, but there have been few takers. The sense of isolation felt by Jews cut off from their Diaspora brethren was last week further compounded by Air France, Lufthansa and Alitalia ending night lay-overs in Israel because air crews feared terrorist attacks.

Few areas of Jewish life in Israel have been untouched by the collapse of tourism and study programmes. Hebrew University, for example, has reported a 50 per cent drop in the number of students from abroad.

However, Rabbi Michael Melchior, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, has cautioned other Israeli officials against alienating Jewish supporters abroad.

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