Sources inform “Globes” that Israel Ports Authority director general Amos Ron yesterday ordered the Eilat Port to immediately halt all activities of the casino ships in the harbor. The casino ships are one of Eilat's main tourist attractions.
Ron gave the order after the Ports Authority was unable to find any agreement for harbor pilots for the casino ships. The Ports Authority recently applied to the Ministry of Transport for an exemption for pilot services for the ships, but has not yet received a reply.
Until now, the Ports Authority had an arrangement to provide partial pilot services for the casino ships. The Ports Authority concluded it could not allocate manpower for this purpose and that the activities of the casino ships should therefore be suspended.
The casino ships have been a central activity at the Eilat port in recent years. The ships operate around the clock, leaving every two hours to locations outside Israel's territorial waters.
Ron told "Globes" that the casino ships did not need pilots, but because there was no official approval from the Ministry of Transport, it was not possible to operate the ships without pilots.
Ron said there was no link between his decision and the State Comptroller report criticizing the activities of the casino ships in Eilat. A team appointed by Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein recently concluded that gambling was taking place in the territorial waters of Israel and Egypt, both of which forbid gambling.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on November 17, 2003