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Malta, Israel's new gateway to Europe

Malta, one of Israeli tourists' prime destinations, stands out for its exceptional Maltese-European citizenship sale for rich immigrants and for having the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in Europe.
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY JEAN-FRANCOIS LE MOUNIER - (FILES) - A Cruise liner enters the Grand Harbour in Valletta, the capital city of Malta, 05 October 2002. Malta enters the EU's border-free Schengen zone, 21 December 2007, a change many hope will boost tourism to the tiny Mediterranean state. Joining the Schengen zone along with eight other countries, Malta will become the first independent island state of Europe without border controls of the 22 Schengen zone countries. AFP PHOTO / BEN BORG CARDONA (Phot

As is the case every Tuesday, last week, as well, on Feb. 4, the Malta Air charter flight that took off from Ben-Gurion Airport was jam-packed. Some three or four years ago, Israeli tourists discovered that the small island is a gem, offering magical landscapes and four lavish casinos.

Seven couples of merry retirees took their seats at the front of the plane, just ahead of us. They exchanged impressions about hotels and exhibited impressive familiarity with the island’s restaurants. Five days later, we met them again at the airport in Valletta, the capital. This time, the conversation centered on their gambling experiences.

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