Pope Benedict XVI is visiting the Holy Land for a week long tour, the first since Pope John Paul II came in 2000 and only the third visit in recent papal history.

Bringing and escorting the Pope around Israel is not a simple matter.  In fact, much of Jerusalem is coming close to shutting down this week to make way for an enormous security detail.  Dubbed “Operation White Cloak”, His Holiness will have over 80,000 security personnel in his retinue, including over 60,000 policemen.

Hashmira Security Technologies LTD. has set up a command and control center to supervise secuirty during the Pope’s visit to Israel.

According to an article in Globes:

Hashmira’s command and control center will provide remote monitoring solutions of the sites being visited by the Pope to Israel’s police and security forces.

The system that Hashmira has set up is estimated to have cost millions of shekels and will link to the Pope entire itinerary while he’s in Israel, including Jerusalem’s Old City, Yad Vashem, Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem, the Notre Dame Hospice in Jerusalem, the residence of the Vatican Ambassador to Israel, and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

Photo credit: Associated Press

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The record breaking numbers of tourists that visited Israel in 2008 are incredible when you consider the economic crisis that has gripped the world the last few months. The numbers look set to continue in 2009 despite the recent war in Gaza, although some tourist officials in Israel do have doubts because of the media headlines that did cause some damage to the tourist industry.

So, what will tourists coming to Israel get to see in 2009? Apart from the obvious appeal of places like Jerusalem (including the amazing Old City), the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Eilat and all the other delights that make up the Holy Land, there are another three things that we’ve singled out which are set to take place in 2009:

• Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit in May. Quite possibly wearing his little papal red shoes, this should keep Israel in the news headlines, and for the right reasons.
• Tel Aviv celebrates its centenary. The City That Never Sleeps is 100 and is set to party throughout the year. We’ll keep you updated with the best of the events.
• Depeche Mode are scheduled to perform in May. After their last minute cancellation in 2006, thanks to the Second Lebanon War, the lads from Basildon are set to open their world tour in the Holy Land. This show has already sold out - some 50,000 tickets!

So, 2009 has a lot to offer. I’m sure as the year rolls along, there’ll be plenty of other great events scheduled, including some other great musicians/bands. We hope you make it over here to enjoy some of it too!

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