(AP) Matti Friedman - Israel opened the traditional baptism site of Jesus at Qasr el-Yahud to daily visits Tuesday, a move that required the removal of mines along the border with Jordan. The site, in a heavily mined no-man's land, had been opened several times a year in coordination with the Israeli military, but was not regularly open to the public. Of the 3.45 million tourists who arrived in Israel in 2010, 69% were Christian, and 38% defined their visit as a religious pilgrimage, according to the Tourism Ministry. Palestinians reject any Israeli moves to develop the West Bank. "Whatever Israeli authorities are doing on Palestinian sites we consider illegal," said Khouloud Daibes, the Palestinian tourism minister.
2011-07-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive