Hoping to attract a million Christian evangelical tourists per year to northern Israel, the nation's finance minister spoke of plans for an Evangelical centre "mega project" to be built by the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

At a development conference on Thursday in Karmiel, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the project would be a major source of employment for the region, which could possibly generate thousands of jobs, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Netanyahu called it a "mega project of the Christian evangelical world centre on the shore of the Kinneret (Sea of galilee.)," according to Ynetnews.

Several US Evangelical leaders discussed tourism and the marketing of Israel abroad with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last month.

At the time, the Associated Press reported that the Israeli government would provide up to 35 acres of land by the seashore and improve a nearby airport, along with the provision of water and phone lines.

Funding for the centre itself has not been announced.

Netanyahu said there were millions of believers in across the world who would be interested in the centre.

"We're estimating a one million growth in the number of tourists a year," Netanyahu said.

The project would require that Israel's infrastructure be upgraded. Netanyahu said that two railway lines were planned, in addition to the extension of a highway across the nation into the north.






Francis Helguero
Christian Today Correspondent