Minister of Tourism Abraham Hirchson: I don’t consider a casino as solely a place for gambling, but as an entertainment and convention center.
Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” reports that Minister of Tourism Abraham Hirchson supports the establishment of a casino in Eilat, provided that it is part of a tourism complex with attractions and a convention center, similar to other gambling centers such as Las Vegas.
"I don’t consider a casino as only a place for gambling, but as an entertainment and convention center that can attract many people for more than just games of chance," said Hirchson during a visit to Eilat.
Hirchson also commented on the Ministry of Finance's plan to cancel Eilat's VAT exemption. He reiterated his position that the issue of the town's VAT status should be separated from the 2005 economics arrangements bill. He added that the new law for the encouragement of capital investments should also be separated from the economics arrangements bill.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 26, 2005