Go travel to Israel and get to know the place where Christianity was said to be born.

It’s the ‘ber months’ once again. The time for gift giving is fast approaching. However, before you go spending your money crossing off things on your Christmas list, why not take my friendly advice—that is to travel to Israel and get to know the place where Christianity was said to be born.

Many may not know but Israel and the Philippines have always had a deeper relationship. This long-term camaraderie has been proven in two significant events. The first was in 1939 when former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon declared an open door policy for the Jews escaping Europe from the Nazi regime.

Another one was in 1947 when the Philippines once again extended its helping hands by being the only Asian nation that signed the UN Resolution 181. This granted the partition of Palestine and the declaration of Israel as a state. Israel, in return, put up the Open Doors Monument in Rishon Lezion Memorial Park as a sign of gratitude as well as giving the privilege of travelling to the country without a visa.

Discover the country of Israel and join the throng of tourists as they hop from one landmark to another. Enter the Church of the Nativity, famous for being the place where Jesus Christ was born.

Take photos in the Golden Gate known as the place where the Messiah will once again fulfil His prophecy. Have fun learning history in the Tower of David Museum, the first museum to utilize technology in presenting the edifice’s rich antiquity. Slip your prayers in the Western Wall, most commonly known as the Wailing Wall.

Visit the Dome of the Rock sacred among the Muslims as the site where Muhammad ascended to heaven. And lastly, take your time strolling around the country’s many local businesses. The most popular sites are in the cities of Safed, Jaffa, and Tel Aviv.

Travelling is one of best pleasures in life and one must explore the world while we still can. And with that my dear reader and travellers, I will leave you with these words by St. Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

A Note from the Ambassador:

To the PAL family and patrons,

Israel and the Philippines are tied in a number of ways, the most obvious being the Holy Land.

However there are two other events that created the special bond between two countries— the Philippines’ role in saving Jewish lives from the holocaust prior to World War II and the Philippines’ vote in the UN in November 1947 that led to the creation of the State of Israel. Ever since then, we can define this relation as: “Friends in need are friends indeed.”

Today we are bounded by nurturing this cooperation to the benefit of our nations. While the Philippines is home to the growing Israeli business community, Israel is a country for tens of thousands of OFWs and a growing number of citizens. It even produced the first winner of Israel’s X Factor music competition, Rose Fostanes, a Filipino caregiver.

Moreover, the Philippines is rediscovered as a tourist destination and a location for Israeli productions. While many people know that Israel is the Holy Land open to pilgrims seeking spiritual enlightenment, the country is also a center of innovation and creativity for a better world.

Thank you, Professor Timmy Tan and PAL family for choosing Israel as your feature. I look forward to the first PAL direct flight to Tel-Aviv.

Shalom, Salamat po and Mabuhay!

Amb. Effie Ben Matityau
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines