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

28. Helmut Kohl
A group of German tourists in Jerusalem were pretty startled when former German chancellor Helmut Kohl came over to say hello and snap a picture. This was Kohl's first trip to Israel since his election defeat in Germany. He got a warm welcome as a result of his work building close relations between Germany and Israel during his 16 years as chancellor, and trying to help heal the wounds of the past. He collected honors during his November visit: laying the cornerstone for the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center at Mishkenot Sha'ananim, receiving the Teddy Kollek Award of the Knesset, and picking up an honorary doctorate at the Weizmann Institute.