On the other hand…writes Michael Kuttner
Amazing as it seems there is never a shortage of good news about Israel. Here are three of this week’s which may have escaped the attention of your local media.
New Airport will make a big difference:
The new Ramon airport is due to open next spring near Eilat and it is already being touted as a “game changer” for Israel’s southern tourist scene. This ultra modern airport will from 2018 be bringing tens of thousands of visitors not just to Eilat but also Timna Park, a 15,000 acre nature reserve with its awesome desert vistas. The existing airports at Eilat and Ovda will be closed and at full capacity Ramon airport will be able to handle up to two million passengers a year.
Airlines already signed up include RyanAir, Monarch, Finnair, SAS and Wizz.
Iris Danieli, the Israeli Tourism Ministry’s tourism manager for the Arava region and a member of Kibbutz Yotvata, is hoping that many of the tourists arriving on the expected 50 weekly flights arriving from Europe, the U.K. and several destinations in Eastern Europe will take the opportunity to discover places like Timna Park as well as some of the many other destinations and activities in the area.
“The Arava Valley is an incredible place to see a unique eco-system, bike and hike through terrain that’s historic and beautiful, and meet the special kind of people who choose to live in the desert,” Danieli says.
Red Sea Coral Reefs hold out hope for world’s endangered reefs:
Coral reefs are dying on a massive scale around the world because of climate changes. The planet’s largest reef, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, has only a third of its 2,300-kilometer ecosystem left unscathed by bleaching, which happens when colored algae are ejected by the coral and their normal symbiosis breaks down. However, corals in the Gulf of Aqaba in the northern Red Sea are particularly resistant to the effects of global warming and ocean acidification.
Because the Gulf of Aqaba is a unique coral refuge, its corals may provide the key to understanding the biological mechanism that leads to thermal resistance, or the weakness that underlies wide-scale bleaching. It is also hoped that the Gulf of Aqaba reefs could be used to re-seed deteriorated reefs in the Red Sea and perhaps even around the world.
Medical Clowns bringing cheer to young patients:
Medical clowning is now a major part of most Israeli hospitals. Watch how these dedicated professionals bring hope and optimism to youngsters of all ethnicities. Israel is the only place in the region which offers world class medical care to Jews, Christians, Moslems and other ethnic groups in a non discriminatory environment.
Much nicer to read this type of thing. Makes one feel that the world is not altogether
meshuggeh.