Sad story of the Dead Sea
As Israel urges web surfers to vote for Dead Sea in competition for New Seven Wonders of the World, Danny Sadeh says site has bigger things to worry about, like how much longer it has to exist if current neglect continues
Recent weeks have seen a global campaign urging web surfers to vote on the New Seven Wonders of the World – sites that will be the most talked about in the coming years, the campaign says.
Among those competing for the coveted title are the Amazon River, the Black Forest, the Cliffs of Moher, the Grand Canyon, the Maldives, the Halong Bay, the Galapagos Islands, the Dead Sea and many more.
A total of 28 sites have made it to the final round, out of which seven will be named the world's new wonders.
The Dead Sea made the prestigious list only after receiving the consent of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority where it is located.
Ever since the site entered the list, a massive campaign has been led in Israel calling on web surfers to make a difference and vote in order to help the Dead Sea make the list of the new Seven Wonders of the World some time in 2011 and get both the Dead Sea, and Israel on the map.
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, who heads the support committee for the Dead Sea's election, said that Israel must not be smug - the contest has only just begun and there are still two years to go.
"We will work to increase the voting rate for the Dead Sea with all the bodies taking part in this important project," the minister has said.
But the Dead Sea's problem runs deeper than whether or not it will win this contest in two years' time. The problem with this natural site is the years of neglect it has suffered and the lack of any plans to develop it.
The Dead Sea's hotel area looks more like a construction site, its waters continue to recede, and sinkholes in the area continue to grow and endanger the many tourists.
If this neglect continues, the Dead Sea may win some sort of international title, but there will only be one thing left to say about it: The Sea is no more.
