Some Ministry officials claim that the number of pilgrims expected to arrive in Israel will reach 8 million. Others, more realistic in their outlook, place the figure between 4 and 4.5 million. There are even rumors that the Pope himself will take the opportunity of the Millennium to make his first visit to Israel. Honestly, tourism is one of Israel1s greatest natural resources. And Israel caters to tourists.
Tourists are exempt.
Almost every Israeli student learns English in school, and practices on all the tourists who come to visit. And if they don1t know English, they speak French. The two most important Christian sites in Israel are the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity. The traditional site of Jesus1 death, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located in the Christian quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. The Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus1 birth is in Bethlehem.