Murray Kahl Israeli News, March 17, 1998 Seven FRENCH CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT CLERICS ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO ISRAEL (Communicated by the Tourism Ministry Spokeswoman). Seven Archbishops and senior clerics from France arrived yesterday (Monday) 16.3.98 to Israel for an official visit at the invitation of the Ministry of Tourism. The visit was arranged under the auspices of Cardinal Lustiger, who stands at the head of the Catholic hierarchy in France, with the cooperation of the Foreign Ministry and participation of the Vice President of the French Organisation of Clerics and bishops responsible for developing relations between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The visit is part of the preparations for the year 2000. The visitors will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Moshe Katzav, senior officials in the Ministry of Tourism and tourism sector, as well as heads of churches in Israel and senior figures from Bethlehem. The Archbishops, accompanied by 5 journalists representing the Catholic press in France, who arrived especially to cover the visit, will, in the course of their visit, tour Christian holy sites, including Nazareth, holy places around the Sea of Galilee, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The Director of the Tourism Ministry's office in France, Uri Yoshea, stressed that this is an important visit, which will lead to positive reports in France on the question of Christian tourism to Israel. "The visit of these leading church figures", said Yoshea, "will be seen by the broad public as a call to believers to follow in their footsteps and make pilgrimages." Following the visit of the Archbishops, the Tourism Ministry will commence a series of activities throughout France to promote French pilgrimage tourism to Israel in the build up to the year 2000. Among the activities are special seminars involving 500 clerics and decision makers in the field of Christian tourism and study tours in order to develop a program to aid pilgrimage; advertising campaigns in magazines and the Catholic press throughout France and 50 pilgrimage evenings to take place throughout France which involving thousands of participants. THE "JUBILEE CHIMES" EVENT MAIN DETAILS (Communicated by GPO) Approximately 5,000 people are expected to participate in "Jubilee Chimes", the main event of Israel's 50th anniversary celebrations on 30 April, at 2030 hours, at Givat Ram Stadium, Jerusalem. "Jubilee Chimes" will open with a state ceremony under the aegis of President Ezer Weizman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Dan Tichon. The artistic show will begin at the end of the ceremony. The entire event is planned as a television show, effectively making the Givat Ram stadium a giant television studio, in which the audience shall form an integral part of the television show. The events producer is Shuki Weiss. The emcee will be Israeli television personality Haim Yavin. The show is composed of excerpts and pictures dealing with different aspects of Israel's history and the Jewish experience during the past 50 years. The stage will be provided by Stage Co., and as is the custom with the giant shows done abroad, multimedia, giant screens, laser shows, special effects and recorded television segments will be combined in the event. The event will be filmed in multi camera, 11 cameras directed by Chris Sven in partnership with the Israeli director Benny Carmeli. Chris Sven has directed Pavarotti in Hyde Park, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo in Vienna, Paul McCarthy in London as well as other giant shows throughout the world. Benny Carmeli is a permanent director of the Dan Shilon television show in Israel. The event will be broadcast live through satellite and optic cable to television stations in Israel, Europe and the United States and to dozens of Jewish communities throughout the world. The complex television production and broadcasts will be produced by Omri Meron of April Com Company. Hundreds of media people, print, radio and television journalists from all over the world will cover the event. A communications center will be established at the stadium which will enable journalists to broadcast directly via satellite in real time, as well as to tape selections from the event. The Foreign Ministry will send a list of VIPs attending the event in the next few days. US Vice President Al Gore, who will head a 100 member delegation of visitors and senior American journalists, has already confirmed his attendance. Tickets for the event will be available for purchase by the public at ticket agencies starting from 1 April, 1998.