Posted on 03/31/2004 1:03:47 AM PST by IsraelBeach
Madonna Defies US Warnings, Will Perform in Israel
By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Jerusalem----March 31...Madonna, one of the world's most famous performers, is about to teach the U.S. State Department a lesson in counter-terrorism. Madonna, who will be performing twice at Israel's Tel Aviv Bloomfield Stadium in September, is saying: don't give into terrorism's greatest weapon - fear.
"We are pleased to confirm the rumors. Madonna will be touring during the coming summer and fall," Caresse Henry, the singer's longtime manager, said yesterday. This would be Madonna's second appearance in Israel. Her first was in October 1993.
"The Re-Invention Tour" is slated to kick off in Los Angeles on May 24 and will include shows in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. Madonna will then head to London for an August 18 performance followed by shows in Paris, Israel and Ireland.
Israel is asking the U.S. to remove its travel warning for tourists planning trips to the country, Israel's tourism ministry said on Tuesday. A U.S. travel warning to Israel would have a direct and damaging impact on Israel's economy. Israel is presently hosting two global High Tech events this week in Tel Aviv with many participants coming from Europe. Many U.S. Hi Tech executives were forced to cancel their plans to the Israeli VC Tech events as they were refused travel insurance - a direct effect of the U.S. State Department travel warnings. But it appears that with or without travel insurance Madonna will be bringing many smiles to her fans in Israel.
"We are quite pleased that Madonna, one of the world's leading entertainers will visit Israel this year," Ronn Torossian, spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Tourism told the Israel News Agency. "We hope and expect that millions of others will follow her lead to visit the religious, spiritual and cultural capital of the world."
The State Department, which was already warning against travel to the region, updated its travel advisory to Israel last week in light of the targeted killing of Hamas master terrorist Ahmed Yassin.
The advisory urged all Americans to leave the Gaza Strip "as early as it is safe to do so" and advised Americans to defer travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel's Tourism Minister Benny Elon met with Doug Baker, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Tourism, in Washington to discuss the U.S. travel warning to Israel.
"I traveled to Washington to encourage the U.S. to amend their warning regarding travel to Israel of American citizens," Elon said in a statement following the meeting.
"Tourism to Israel continues to increase, and we look forward to working with Mr. Baker's office to encourage even more Americans to visit the Holy Land," Elon said.
Israel Tourism Ministry spokesperson Ronn Torossian said Israel would continue to fight the travel warnings.
"In these days of terrorism, where [terrorism] strikes New York, Madrid and Jerusalem, the American government should soften its warning on travel to Israel," Torossian said by telephone.
"We feel Israel is a very safe place to visit," he said.
Although Americans have died in suicide bombings and other terror attacks during the last three and a half years of Palestinian intifadah, Americans were never specifically targeted until last October. Three American security personnel were killed when a U.S. diplomatic convoy was targeted in a roadside bomb attack in the Gaza Strip.
No group has seriously claimed responsibility for that attack.
Hamas initially threatened to target Americans in retaliation for the Israel's killing of Yassin last week, apparently prompting the increased warning but the terrorist organization's leaders reversed the threat the following day.
Nevertheless, on Sunday, newly appointed Hamas leader in Gaza Abdul Aziz Rantisi said God himself had "declared war against America."
But Torossian said that terrorism should not deter Americans from visiting the country and having a "great life-changing experience." "The State of Israel clearly has terrorist attacks," Torossian said. "But that is a fact of life anywhere in the world today."
In his meeting with Baker, Elon also discussed the possibility of the U.S. federal government entering into a bilateral tourism agreement with Israel, which would encourage tourism.
More than three years of Palestinian violence and terrorism severely crimped Israel's tourism industry and virtually destroyed any tourism to Palestinian Authority areas such as Bethlehem.
But a serious public relations campaign on the part of Israel's Tourism Ministry brought about an increase of some 31 percent in tourists in 2003 over 2002. There were more than one million tourists visiting Israel in 2003 and Israel is expecting 1.5 million this year, Torossian said. Tourism nets Israel some $4 billion a year.
The legendary Madonna preferred the grass at the Tel Aviv soccer stadium to that at Hayarkon Park, and has decided to hold her Israeli concerts at the stadium.
Guy Ritchie, Madonna's husband and manager, was supposed to land in Israel this week to check out the stadium and confirm it as the location for the concerts. For personal reasons, Ritchie has delayed his visit until next week. Madonna's Israeli producer, Shuki Weiss, has already hammered out the details with the managers of the Sports Center which manages Bloomfield Stadium. Weiss has already toured the facilities at Bloomfield a number of times and is perfectly satisfied that the stadium fulfills all the necessary requirements.
The huge stage the singer uses in her concerts will be set up between gates 7 and 8. Most of the audience will stand on the grass, but there will be seating up in the balcony. Some 16,000 tickets will be sold for each performance.
The Sports Center management has confirmed that Madonna will perform at Bloomfield Stadium. They say it's a dream come true that Madonna will perform there.
Madonna is expected to perform in Israel in August or September as part of her world tour.
Shuki Weiss, who will produce Madonna's performances in Israel, said that the exact dates have not yet been determined.
"The artist has promised to perform in Israel and this is certainly going to be a bigger show than she has ever done," Weiss said. "The performance will be set for August or September," Weiss said.
Madonna may very well be planning a surprise performance for U.S. troops in Iraq, but her visit to Israel is now certain.
"Madonna will be most welcomed in Israel," said another Israeli official. "Her presence here is a clear statement to every citizen in the free and democratic world not to give into terrorism, to maintain your normal routine and to keep our economies functioning."
ISRAEL NEWS AGENCY
BUMP
; )
It's just a small thing, but keep an eye out for agricultural products. My local Korean greengrocer had a big sign on an outside display of Israeli oranges. A little more tart than most Florida oranges, but very good.
Given her CD sales the last few years, I dunno about that.
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