Can the debate about Palestine become just a contrast among supporters?

One week ago, I was in Tel Aviv. I have decided to visit Israel for tourism. Even if I am not a religious person, I think that Middle East can offer extraordinary places, a thousand-year old culture and beautiful natural sites.

In the last days of my stay, I started to hear and to see the rockets from Gaza. 

Even when the sirens stroke in the streets or on the beach, it seemed the none was scared, except for few tourists. Life in Tel Aviv was going on normally. Of course, we know that in the Gaza Strip the situation was the opposite. People were diyng and a huge part of population was moving to the south of the Strip (or trying to do that) to avoid the missiles from the Israeli Army.

When you see a place with your eyes, it can happen that you become more involved in the problems of that place. Probably because it doesn't seem so far anymore, I am constantly following the news from Middle East. I am also reading many articles to understand better the situation and the history of the last century on negotiations and wars in the area.

Yitzhak Rabin (Israel Prime Minister), Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat (Leader of PLO)
during the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993

But trying to understand is very hard, because it seems that to analyze the contrasts between Israel and Palestinians, first you have to become supporter of one of the two parts. If you don't want or you cannot take a sharp position, you can just issue many questions, without any answer.

How is it possible that people who suffered the Holocaust can kill so many persons, especially children? Can it be possible supporting people who launches rockets to civilians, cities and airports without any scope, except killing other people? How can 1.6 million of people living in the Gaza Strip with constant limitations to their freedom? Have a Country the right to defend its citizens from kamikaze attacks? Can be a permanent peace if Hamas doesn't recognize the right of Israel to exist? Can be a permanent peace if Israel continues to colonize the West Bank? Is the creation of two States or the maintenance of a permanent conflict the real aim of the political leaderships of both the parts?

I have just questions. No answer.

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Tourism in Israel: yes we can

When hearing names like Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, many people imagine dangerous places in a semi-permanent state of war. This is not true, at all.

The history of Israel is very complex and has crossed many conflicts. In the last ten years the political situation has become more stable, especially after the Second Intifada (2000-2004). But there are still delicate zones, like in the north of the Country, at the borders with Lebanon and Syria and in the Palestinian territories, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Western Wall - Jerusalem

In such a difficult context, it is interesting to notice a huge development of the tourism in Israel in the last years, with a record of 3,5 millions tourists in 2013.  From the Tourism Minister data, the biggest number of them came from United States, Russia, France, Germany and UK. 53% were Christians, half of them Catholics, and the 23% Jewish. The city most visited is Jerusalem, and the Western Wall the most visited site.

It seems that Israel could increase also non-religious tourism. The positive feedback from tourists regarding accommodation, transport and also the nightlife and the quality of the beaches, can attract more people who want to spend a holiday in a Mediterranean Country.

In the future, the low costs and the facility to get to Israel could contribute to the development of the sector. Apart from the flag carrier of Israel, EI AI, for example, also other companies have decided to create a route to this Country. One of them is the low-cost Wizzair, that links Tel Aviv with many cities of the Eastern Europe with few Euros.

I want to add one more consideration. The last year tourism contributed with around 11 billions dollars  to the national economy (around 4% of GDP). In order to maintain such a high level of income, the support to peace is fundamental. Hopefully, tourism could play an important role in the stabilization of the area.

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