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Comments:  96
Last update - 12:08 08/01/2008
Security arrangements for Bush visit to cost Israel $25,000 an hour
By Irit Rosenblum, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: King David Hotel 

Don't even try looking for a hotel room in Jerusalem this week. There may be 7,000 hotel rooms in the capitol, but just about all will be occupied by U.S. President George W. Bush's delegation during his visit here Tuesday through Friday. A large number of rooms are booked for the 8,000 police and security officers coming to Jerusalem to guard the visit and keep order. About 450 rooms in the King David Hotel, where Bush is staying, and the Dan Panorama will be used by his entourage and as a press center.

The U.S. Embassy will move almost in its entirety from Tel Aviv to the King David for the visit, according to the hotel's general manager, Haim Shkedi. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also be staying there, as will U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones.

"The logistical preparations are very complicated," explained Shkedi. "All 237 rooms in the hotel are taken by the entourage."
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Guests who had booked rooms for the same period as Bush's stay were asked to change their plans, and the only guests in the King David Hotel will be Bush and his staff. "Most of them understood," said Shkedi. "Whoever was able to change their reservation dates did so, and whoever could not, we helped them to find alternative rooms." All hotels where Bush stays are emptied of all other guests since the September 11, 2001, attacks and the war in Iraq, said Shkedi.

One hotel that will not be hosting any of the Americans is the David Citadel Hotel, just down the street from the King David. Citadel owner Alfred Akirov was insulted that Bush is not staying in his hotel. The Inbal Hotel said that while it had provided a few rooms for the visit, it was mostly full with an international conference of a high tech firm.

The Mount Zion hotel, overlooking the Old City, is providing 60 rooms for the visit. In addition, many journalists will be staying there too. Security forces will be spread out all over the city's hotels. Birthright program participants are also filling Jerusalem hotels this week too.

As to the financial contribution of Bush's visit to Jerusalem, Shkedi feels that in the short run most Jerusalem businesses will actually be harmed, due to the closing of the roads and because security troops are not tourists. But, he says, the visit will improve the city's image around the world, when people see the president visiting the sites in the Old City and Yad Vashem.

All the preparations have certainly brought in millions of dollars. Yaakov Rubin of the Regency Hotel estimated that the Bush visit will net about $2.5 million in hotel revenues and another $1 million to $1.5 million for other businesses.

Israeli security personnel will include snipers, bomb-sniffing dogs and bodyguards, including reservists called up especially for the visit. The operation, dubbed "Clear Skies," will cost Israel $25,000 for every hour Bush is in the country.

White House staff, State Department officials, Secret Service agents, technicians and even marines have already arrived at the King David Hotel to prepare for the visit and secure the surrounding area. Security robots have been positioned in nearby street sewers to make sure there are no surprises underground. Snipers will be placed on nearby rooftops, and a balloon with camera and night-vision equipment will be on the lookout.

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      1.   The Wrong of a Palestinian state 03:25  |  Like it is 08/01/08
      2.   usa has funded the creation of israel 03:35  |  musa 08/01/08
      3.   Surely Israel`s event organizers... 03:38  |  Maureen Ann 08/01/08
      4.   More... Bush`s visit is expected to improve Jerusalem`s image. 03:43  |  Maureen Ann 08/01/08
      5.   Maybe Hamas can manage to kill him anyway. 04:12  |  Colin Wright 08/01/08
      6.   So what?! 05:39  |  Eric 08/01/08
      7.   LOL 05:41  |  C`est Moi 08/01/08
      8.   It will be a money maker cuz... 06:04  |  jc 08/01/08
      9.   Clear Skies! 06:48  |  Elan 08/01/08
      10.   How, why and how much but not when... 07:46  |  Zvi 08/01/08
      11.   Welcome 07:50  |  Benny 08/01/08
      12.   colin wright 08:25  |  danny 08/01/08
      13.   re: Eric 09:23  |  Efox 08/01/08
      14.   USA sponsors Israel, so what is the fuss, 25.000 p/hr, so what? 09:45  |  Aaron 08/01/08
      15.   colin wright 09:54  |  JL 08/01/08
      16.   How, why and how much but not when... 10:02  |  Davida 08/01/08
      17.   Valiant Bush.... 10:03  |  Esther 08/01/08
      18.   #2 mussa 10:10  |  DANNY 08/01/08
      19.   If so, then how much does a visit of Olmert cost EGYPT? 10:13  |  Sharif Hafez 08/01/08
      20.   #2 MUSSA 10:14  |  DANNY 08/01/08
      21.   # 4 M.URINE ANNE 10:18  |  DANNY 08/01/08
      22.   The anti-christ in Zion? 10:22  |  Joe 08/01/08
      23.   $25,000 an hour payback 10:28  |  Patrick Warner 08/01/08
      24.   Eric, # 6 in atlanta 10:31  |  Shlomo 08/01/08
      25.   Thank you, Bush 10:46  |  Miri 08/01/08
      26.   To all those of the `Israel deserves it`-party 10:54  |  Miri 08/01/08
      27.   WELCOME BROTHER 10:57  |  indrajaya 08/01/08
      28.   WELCOME BROTHER 10:57  |  indrajaya 08/01/08
      29.   unnecessary spending, I explain why 11:57  |  mehmet 08/01/08
      30.   Efox re: Eric 12:16  |  Traude 08/01/08
      31.   paid by the US taxpayer 12:33  |  taxpayer 08/01/08
      32.   security costs 13:08  |  ron 08/01/08
      33.   Big Deal...Look at What Iraq Costs U.S. 13:24  |  Moshe 08/01/08
      34.   $25000 an hour 8000 security officials 13:31  |  Chris Linthwaite 08/01/08
      35.   #5 Colin Wright 13:36  |  Chris Linthwaite 08/01/08
      36.   #13 Efox 13:43  |  kel 08/01/08
      37.   # 13 EFOX BRILLAINT ANSWER! 13:49  |  Petra 08/01/08
      38.   # 20 DANNY, EXCELLENT REPLY.!!!! 13:50  |  Petra 08/01/08
      39.   The Americans cant afford to pay for the security ? 14:26  |  zionist forever 08/01/08
      40.   EFOX Interesting points 14:51  |  Chris Linthwaite 08/01/08
      41.   #39 Zionist forever 15:00  |  Chris Linthwaite 08/01/08
      42.   Creative Accounting - Playing the Numbers Game 16:41  |  MIKE 08/01/08
      43.   Unfortunately they don`t know counting 16:41  |  Vladimir 08/01/08
      44.   #31 taxpayer re cost to US taxpayer. 18:04  |  Labhras 08/01/08
      45.   #12 danny and 15 JL re Colin Wright. 18:17  |  Labhras 08/01/08
      46.   Maureen Ann should turn her undivided attention 18:30  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      47.   not to worry US will be blackmailed 18:31  |  samos 08/01/08
      48.   # 6 Eric of Atlanta....don`t get so excited 18:33  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      49.   Sharif of Egypt...LOL!! funny! 18:44  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      50.   # 44 Labrhas and costs 18:51  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      51.   # 45 Labrhas...if you think the Israelis can kick ass 18:54  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      52.   Miri...when you "host" someone, you pay 18:56  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      53.   # 27 Indy ....jealousy is running at an all time high 18:58  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      54.   # 5 Colin Wright...so, assassination of a head of state 19:05  |  Lynn 08/01/08
      55.   Milking the Cow 19:07  |  El-Birawi 08/01/08
      56.   An expensive photo-op 19:14  |  Mark Lincoln 08/01/08
      57.   cost 19:28  |  Ralph 08/01/08
      58.   Enough Broken promises, Move US embassy to Jerusalem 20:14  |  Mark Hamil 08/01/08
      59.   Is this too much $$$? 20:30  |  Rudy 08/01/08
      60.   Mr Bush`s visit 20:31  |  bytheway 08/01/08
      61.   #51 Lynn 20:56  |  Labhras the Irishman 08/01/08
      62.   The snivelling 21:29  |  Goldberg 08/01/08
      63.   55 El Birawi,you forget that world jewry have a stake in this 22:19  |  lakshmi 08/01/08
      64.   #Lynn. Israel is the `democracy` practicing... 23:06  |  Maureen Ann 08/01/08
      65.   #61 labarse again proving what he knows! not 23:11  |  victor hardman 08/01/08
      66.   Best guffaw of the day... 23:21  |  BBSNews 08/01/08
      67.   #46 Lynn 23:29  |  Labhras 08/01/08
      68.   #25 Israelis are always looking for a handout... 01:42  |  Dutch 09/01/08
      69.   # 53, LYNN 02:04  |  indrajaya 09/01/08
      70.   Don`t Worry About the $25,000 Per Hour 02:28  |  Rob 09/01/08
      71.   We`re Pickin` Up the Tab 03:08  |  J Olson