 | |||
| In the centre of the upper courtyard shimmers the Golden Dome that enshrines the Holy Rock (al-Qudus), the locus of Prophet Mohammed’s transfiguration in the Night Journey (Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj). |
| THIS WEEK IN PALESTINE | ||||||
|
[AS
ALWAYS
PLEASE GO TO THE LINK
TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN
FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and
conversations) THAT EMPOWER
DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE &
PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
| Message from the Editor
In
Palestine we have no physical control over our borders, and therefore
have no say in how anyone could be treated at any given moment in time.
But what we do have control of is the Palestine we write about,
describe, and photograph in the folds of this issue’s pages.
Seasonality:
Is It the Ultimate Fate of Tourism in Jerusalem?We invite you to read this edition and be changed forever; then we invite you to bite the bullet (no pun intended) and book your next vacation here. A pilgrimage to Palestine is not limited to a religious trip where the pilgrim visits religious sites, prays, and listens to an abbreviated version of what Palestine is all about. There are people who live and work here, who are waiting to talk to you, the tourist (our guest). There are trails to be walked, birds to be watched, bread to be eaten, and honey to be tasted. There are misconceptions and stereotypes to be changed, and friends to be made. But Palestine is still much more than that. Palestine is a spiritual, virtual place that lives within every one of us Palestinians. It is the destroyed villages we long for and journey to as we search for remnants of our parents and grandparents. It is the memories we hear our grandparents recount and which prompt us to embark on a search for the “very spot” they played in or the very tree they hid under. Our writers are a diverse group - tourists, activists, tour guides, academics, and much more. What brings them together in one publication is their love for this country and their mission to change misconceptions. From the very spiritual “Pilgrimage to Jerusalem” by Ali Qleibo, to Sami Khoury’s methodical piece that gnaws at misconceptions of Palestine, to Diana Buttu’s very personal “Pilgrimage to Palestine,” these few pages are a virtual visit with no checkpoints, visa delays, or endless interrogations. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the visit. Bon Voyage and Welcome to Palestine!
Riyam Kafri AbuLaban
Content Editor
By Raed Saadeh Jerusalem’s classical tourism has always depended on Christian heritage, and this will no doubt continue. Regardless of the benefits that this tourism has brought to Jerusalem in the past, however, its seasonal character and the increasing overhead costs to maintain a tourist establishment in the city are raising the toll on the potential sustainability of this type of business.The Israeli separation Wall has deprived Jerusalem of its suburbs. It has choked every possibility to develop and improve its domestic tourism and business potential. The Wall’s impact on the city has not been only to deter people from entering the city and using its services, it has contributed to shifting the centre of Palestinian life to neighbouring cities, particularly Ramallah. This factor has negatively affected both Palestinian local tourism and foreign expat business potential in the city....READ MORE |
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