Foundation Advises Israel on Religious Etiquette
TEL AVIV, Israel, JUNE 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Israeli Airport Security and the Ministry of Tourism have asked a private foundation to educate their personnel on the various religious practices of visitors arriving to the country.
The Pave the Way Foundation, dedicated to peacemaking through enhancing relations between religions with cultural, technological and intellectual gestures, is preparing a short book of religious etiquette in response to complaints made by some Christian leaders and pilgrims after stringent questioning by airport personnel.
The book, which will include illustrations of religious dress and appropriate greetings, will help security personnel to know how to properly address religious tourists at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, balancing security with the dignity of those traveling.
Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Oded Ben-Hur, has also held multiple training sessions with airport security personnel for the same purpose.
Raphael Ben-Hur, deputy director of the Ministry of Tourism, in an effort to increase Christian tourism to Israel, has been working with the Pave the Way Foundation to identify problems and complaints in order to eliminate traveling obstacles.