They came, they swam, they left
In Israel's 52nd year, the rich, famous, and obscure came to visit. Here are our 52 top distinguished tourists

5. Maeve Binchy
One would think that an Irishwoman would want to spend St. Patrick's Day among her own green hills, but happily, best-selling Irish author and Irish Times columnist Maeve Binchy chose to spend the holiday in Tel Aviv, greeting guests at a reception at the Irish ambassador's house. Binchy, a former schoolteacher, once taught several Irish expatriates who are now residents in Israel.