Israel Active

Vibe Israel brings mega-bloggers to Israel to see how different the country is from that portrayed in the global media.  The latest tour brought four “healthy food” bloggers with over 4 million followers.  They were most impressed with Israelis, Israeli cooking ingredients and the Dead Sea.

Australian popstar Natalie Imbruglia is heading to the Mann Auditorium Tel Aviv for a concert on 1st March. Natalie became world-wide famous at the end of the ’90s with her hit “Torn”, followed by the album “Left of the middle” which sold over 7 million copies.

The City of Eilat had approved the building of a new 20-dunam water park on the site of the old Texas Ranch.  Luna Water Eilat is expected to have over 30 water attractions including a wave pool, 25-meter water slide and a shopping area. It will cater for around 3,500 people.

Israel’s Tourism ministry expects around 120,000 tourists to Israel in December, of whom half are Christian.  On Dec 24, the ministry will offer a free shuttle for pilgrims travelling between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Tourists and pilgrims at Rachel’s Crossing will be greeted with a small gift in the spirit of the holiday.

Tel Aviv municipality has restored the original marble seal of Sultan Abd al-Hamid II on the landmark 1903 Jaffa Clock Tower.  The seal was one of four on the structure and the only one that has survived the passage of time. In 2001, three glass replicas of the seal were installed to take the place of the three marble plaques that did not survive.

Travel & Leisure magazine has included Jerusalem in its list of top places to visit in 2017.  It writes “Jerusalem has now emerged as a culinary force to rival Tel Aviv”. It recommends the Mahane Yehuda Market and the new boutique Brown Jerusalem Hotel.

Israel has issued some beautiful, culturally-enhancing postage stamps depicting mosaics, King Solomon’s ships, tourism in Jerusalem and ex-President Yitzhak Navon.

Tel Aviv was the venue for a Bellator Mixed Martial Arts World Welterweight clash - the first time that an MMA world title has been fought in the Middle East.  Douglas Lima from Brazil beat Russia’s Andrey Koreshkov. The fight was broadcast to 140 countries. Great PR video!

Three Israelis won medals at the Ju-Jitsu World Championships in Poland.  Ron Cohen won silver in the men’s under-62 kg event; Nadav Mandil won bronze in the same event; Evyatar Paperni won bronze in the under-69kg category.

The Justin Bieber concert is now officially scheduled for May 3 at Tel Aviv’s HaYarkon Park. Bieber has sold some 100 million records, making him one of the world’s biggest selling artists.  The excitement can be too much for some, as this video of his 14/4/11 Tel Aviv entrance demonstrates.