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

22. Dalai Lama
Who else would have the moral authority and the hutzpa to stand in front of Israel's richest business leaders and urge them to give their money to the poor? None other than the Dalai Lama, who came in November, and spoke to businessmen on "Global Responsibility and the World of Economy." His visit, to attend an interreligious conference here, was also aimed at raising awareness of Tibet's occupation by China. A mini-controversy arose when Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg and Education Minister Yossi Sarid met with the Dalai Lama in the Knesset, a meeting the Chinese government pressed to cancel. Sarid and Burg refused.