| FOR IMMEDIATERELEASE WIESENTHAL CENTER URGES SECRETARY RICE TO LIFT TRAVEL WARNING TO ISRAEL The Simon Wiesenthal Center, one of the nation's largest Jewish human rights groups, is urging the U.S. State Department to remove its 'travel warning' to Israel in wake of aseries of positive developments which has significantly lowered the number of successful terrorist attacks in Israel. In a letter to Condoleezza Rice, the new U.S. Secretary of State, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center, wrote in part, "We want to thank you foryour leadership on behalf of President Bush, in creating the necessary momentum and incentives in helping point the way to a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians." The letter went on to emphasize the positive aspects of increased American travel. "Now is the time to encourage Americans of all faiths and all walks of life to visit the holysites in Israel, for students to take advantage of schools of higher learning and for families and friends to reconnect after years of fear and frustration that severely limitedthese opportunities and contacts." In addition to dampening tourism to the Holy Land, the travel ban has been cited by various U.S. insurance companies who are currently refusing to insure Americans who travelfrequently or stay for extended periods in the Jewish state. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO atinternational agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe. For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, or visit www.wiesenthal.com. |