Some 950 dancers from 30 countries – including Turkey, Egypt and Jordan – to participate in world’s biggest belly dancing festival taking place in southern Israeli city
Itamar Eichner

Belly dancers from Turkey, Egypt and Jordan will participate in the annual International Belly Dance Festival taking place in Eilat’s Club Hotel next week.

The festival, which is the world’s biggest belly dancing event, will feature some 950 dancers from Israel and 30 other countries across the world.

Orit Maftsir, one of the festival’s organizers and a world-renowned belly dancer, said there had been no cancelations on the part of foreign participants in spite of the recent Israeli operation in Gaza.

The highlight of the event is the arrival of belly dancers and teachers from Arab countries, who are not afraid to come to Israel and vibrate their hips for peace.

“Beyond the cultural relations the festival creates between the region’s countries, it also helps strengthen relations between the people,” says Roni Pivko, the managing director of the Club Hotel chain.