The Minister of Tourism, Ruchama Avraham-Belila, visited Eilat during the jazz festival and even picked up a saxophone to show that music is one of her strong points. 

The Minister, who was visiting Eilat as part of the jazz festival events, got up onto the floating stage along with Eilat mayor Meir Itzhak Halevy (pictured) and the Port's chairman of the board, Adv. Yair Hazan, where the three were photographed with musical instruments.

Tzipi Livni, the Minister for Foreign Affairs who also serves as Substitute Prime Minister, visited Eilat for the first time since receiving the appointment.  As a candidate to head the Kadima political party during the upcoming elections, she visited Eilat as part of her local election campaign. 

During the early evening she met with Eilatis in the framework of a local political party running for mayoral elections.  Later she went to the Port to see some of the performances at the Jazz Festival, meeting with some Eilatis who approached her and even raising a toast.  Afterwards she went to a local pub-restaurant together with a delegation of notables and friends, including the Minister of Absorption, Eli Aflalo.  There she met the Eilati Olympic medalist, Shachar Tsoberi, and was photographed with him for a souvenir.

The Jazz Festival was also attended by the Minister of Welfare, Itzhak ‘Bozy' Hertzog, who was visiting in Eilat with his wife on a personal holiday.  They were joined at the festival by Alex Shtendel (at right), Absorption Coordinator of the Jewish Agency in Eilat as well as youth division leader for the Labour party's Eilat branch. 

(Photos courtesy of Ronit Zilberstein)