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Last update - 11:27 15/10/2007 PM Olmert pushing for casino in Red Sea resort town of Eilat By Guy Leshem Tags: casino, Israel, Eilat  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is pushing for a casino in Eilat, after three years of freezing the matter. Two teams are currently studying the possibility of establishing a gambling resort, TheMarker has learned. A month ago Olmert ordered the establishment of a group, led by the treasury's director general, Yarom Ariav, to study the issue and to prepare a master plan. At the same time, the outgoing head of the Mifal Hapayis national lottery, Shimon Katznelson, has been discussing the possibility of the lottery running a casino with Raanan Dinur, the director general of the Prime Minister's Office. The committee studying the matter includes representatives of the police and from the justice, interior, tourism and welfare ministries. The committee has been asked to discuss the location of a casino and whether such an establishment would be run by a private franchisee or the state. Advertisement The Finance Ministry said it had yet to formulate a stance on the matter. The committee has met a few times and will present its conclusions to Olmert in a few weeks. According to Ariav, a treasury committee has been meeting over the matter since August. At the same time, Dinur asked Katznelson a month ago to submit a detailed plan for a Payis-run casino, according to sources inside the lottery. He then established a professional team to formulate such a plan, which will be presented to Olmert at the beginning of November. Katznelson has already met with the mayor of Eilat and they have agreed to cooperate. The city wants to build a casino next to the yet unbuilt convention center, city hall sources told TheMarker. Dinur's office responded: "No one in the office is dealing with the matter of a casino. The entire matter is in the hands of an intra-ministerial committee headed by Yarom Ariav. When the committee finishes its work, the conclusions will be presented to the Prime Minister's Office, which will decide how to proceed." In the past, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged building a casino in the South, in Eilat or Mitzpeh Ramon. The initiative was torpedoed, partly as a result of pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties. Moti Bassok contributed to this article. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'British Oskar Schindler' Nicholas Winton, who saved 669 Jewish children during the Holocaust, is up for the Nobel. Pride of Israel Tennis: Shahar Peer beats Russia's Dinara Safina to give Israel 1-0 lead in the Fed Cup.   1.   CASNO IN JERCHO WAS OWNED BY ARAFAT-SHARON;NOW CORRUPT PM OLMERT? 06:23  |  VOICE))) 15/10/07   2.   Just do it! 06:34  |  Meir Weinstein 15/10/07   3.   ARE THEY MOVING THE KNESSET TO EILAT ? 06:38  |  L.Ucky 15/10/07   4.   Israelis will gamble anyways.. somewhere else if not in Israel 07:09  |  Shmuel 15/10/07   5.   Now it`s a casino..... 07:17  |  Esther 15/10/07   6.   Gazans 07:30  |  Yosemite 15/10/07   7.   with Olmert and some otheir mafiosi, THE whole country is becomi 07:42  |  michel 15/10/07   8.   Casino in Israel 07:45  |  Ruth Broch 15/10/07   9.   To #4, it`s really West Asia now 08:22  |  Mark 15/10/07   10.   Pulling the strings 08:33  |  Colin 15/10/07   11.   Good plan, keep the money in the country instead of Turkey 08:43  |  Aaron 15/10/07   12.   casinos, brothels, corruption, where does it end? 09:15  |  Sam (UK) 15/10/07   13.   Criminal Investigation No. 4 - Next! 09:22  |  Zvi 15/10/07   14.   Anouther Olmert investigation in a year or so 09:47  |  Michael Ben Raphael 15/10/07   15.   to L.Ucky 09:58  |  dovale 15/10/07   16.   why eilat??? 10:01  |  judith 15/10/07   17.   We`re not iran! let there be casinos, say no to religious nuts 10:01  |  shaul 15/10/07   18.   Olmert wants casino 10:31  |  Not Surprised 15/10/07   19.   Casino? 10:41  |  David Nigel Braham 15/10/07   20.   To judith 10:53  |  dovale 15/10/07   21.   There are many ways for zionists to insult Islam... 11:33  |  Hannah 15/10/07   22.   "We`ve got what it takes to take what you`ve got" 11:37  |  Philip 15/10/07   23.   environmental casino 13:00  |  yoav 15/10/07   24.   TRYING TO DO THE LAST "CLEAN OUT"? 13:29  |  Robert 15/10/07   25.   Casino gambling to total social posion 13:52  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 15/10/07   26.   THIS IS WHAT ZIONIST BROUGH TO THE HOLY LAND !!! 14:35  |  TrippleJump 15/10/07   27.   Olmert`s Casino 14:51  |  Rich 15/10/07   28.   OLMERT`S GAMBLE 14:53  |  Chester 15/10/07   29.   TRIPLEW JUMP Arafat the Egyptian bought a Casino to Jericho 15:00  |  PETER SM 15/10/07   30.   PETER SM.... you are pathetic (and racist I think) 16:01  |  TrippleJump 15/10/07   31.   Casinos + Legal Whorehouses = Bliss 16:03  |  Fish 15/10/07   32.   #21 20:05  |  B 15/10/07   33.   Gaming In Israel 23:01  |  Cristian Munteanu 16/10/07   34.   666 01:04  |  Eva 03/02/08

Today Online Report: Mauritania arrests three in Israel embassy shooting Responses: 361 Colette Avital: Evangelical donations to Israel are disturbing Responses: 191 U.K. Jewish group slams Gaza blocakde, sparks controversy Responses: 267 Gadi BenMark: Israel needs an Arabic version of 'Hatikva' Responses: 133 Amnesty Int'l: Israel's war crimes ignored by Winograd report Responses: 195 Rosner's Domain Not despite Iraq - because of Iraq Super Tuesday: Counting the Jewish votes (WTR) Poll: Is there a "constant virulent campaign" against Obama? The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one Rosner's Guest: Anti-Israel activities often turn anti-Semitic More Headlines 03:20 Terror alert high as Gaza border remains breached 01:38 Egypt arrests 17 Palestinian militants in Sinai over weekend 03:48 IDF commander gets 15 months in prison for W. Bank rampage 19:20 Four Qassam rockets fired from Gaza strike the western Negev 16:00 'British Oskar Schindler' in running for Nobel Peace Prize 01:43 Palestinian tries to sneak lion, monkey into Gaza from Sinai 03:33 Lebanon seeks arrest of 17 soldiers, civilians after deadly clashes 02:15 Former Meretz chair Sarid to address Winograd protest on Monday 02:54 Blair: Middle East peace agreement is possible by end of 2008 18:05 MK Zahalka: PFLP's George Habash should be buried in Lod 21:01 Hadash petition calls for 'neutral' panel to probe Oct. 2000 riots 02:16 Tennis: Russia, Israel drawing in Fed Cup after Peer wins, Obziler loses Previous Editions Select Day 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan

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