The Race Against Time to Save the Tourism Capital of the North: 'They Asked if It's Allowed to Walk Here in a Swimsuit'
Tiberias is already looking toward 2030 and preparing for the possibility of a papal visit and millions of pilgrims, but Mayor Yossi Naveh knows that before the great vision, a city awaits him that is…
Assessment
Tiberias is running a two-track race. One track is the grand vision: preparing for a potential papal visit and millions of pilgrims by 2030. The other track is the immediate, gritty reality of a city still struggling to reclaim its tourism footing after years of decline. Mayor Yossi Naba's challenge is that the gap between those two tracks is wide, and the clock is ticking. The question residents are asking about wearing swimsuits in public hints at deeper tensions between restoring a secular vacation hub and gearing up for religious tourism.