California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Israel’s Minister of Tourism, Isaac Herzog, signed an agreement in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 14th, establishing the California-Israel Tourism Commission. The commission’s goal is to foster an increase in tourism to Israel by Californians, at the same time as it encourages more Israelis to visit California.
“I first visited Israel in 1978 in connection with bodybuilding,” said Governor Schwarzenegger at the signing ceremony in the Los Angeles Convention Center, “and then I visited Israel again for the opening of Planet Hollywood in Tel Aviv.” The Governor’s most recent to Israel was for the ground- breaking of the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem. “It was my first overseas trip after becoming Governor,” Schwarzenegger observed.
Minister of Tourism, Isaac Herzog, in thanking the Governor declared, “We respect your friendship for Israel and are grateful for your support, and this agreement will do much to encourage Californians of all religions to visit Israel. The United States is the largest single source of tourism to Israel, says Arie Sommer, Israel Commissioner for Tourism for North and South America. Herzog concluded his remarks by stressing that “Californians will be our dearest guests.”
“The California-Israel tourism agreement was the brainchild of Israeli-born California media-mogul, Haim Saban,” says Rami Levi, incoming Director of the Israel Government Tourist Office in the Western United States and Emissary to the Evangelical Communities, “and it underscores how important is tourism to both Israel and California.”
“Haim Saban wants to help tourism and it was he who brought us together,” Governor Schwarzenegger added, “because there is a great affinity between our nations.”
To know more about visiting Israel, visit www.goisrael.com
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Ruth Mekel at the Israel Ministry of Tourism
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Phone: (212) 499 5647