RESULTS OF RECENT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN TOURISM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002849 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2019 TAGS: ECON KWBG IS SUBJECT: RESULTS OF RECENT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN TOURISM COOPERATION Classified By: Acting Econ Counselor Julie Adams, for reasons 1.4 b/d - - - - Summary - - - - ¶1. (SBU) Rafi Ben-Hur, Senior Deputy Director-General at the Ministry of Tourism, briefed Econoff on the recent Israeli-Palestinian Joint Tourism Committee (JTC) meeting and on plans for coordinated Israeli-Palestinian tourism initiatives. Ben-Hur stressed the importance of joint efforts to market ISRAEL and the Palestinian territories as the "Holy Land," to re-brand the region in a positive light. GOI tourism cooperation plans focus on "fighting terrorism with tourism," by building relationships and improving economic conditions. Ben-Hur hopes that a ministerial-level meeting between the GOI and the PA can promote further government-to-government dialog and cooperation. End Summary. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Christmas in Bethlehem a success - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) Ben-Hur said that preparations for the Christmas festivities in Bethlehem were a key point discussed at the JTC. He was happy to report to Econoff that the preparations were adequate and that the festivities had been a success, boasting that there is "no border when it comes to Bethlehem." According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, more than 70,000 people attended the Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem, and over 100,000 visited the town over Christmas weekend. Ben-Hur said that all relevant checkpoints had been opened, and that there wasn't a free bed in Bethlehem's hotels during the Christmas season. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The "Holy Land" campaign begins - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Ben-Hur described a new Israeli-led tourism effort to promote visits to the "Holy Land" instead of ISRAEL or the Palestinian territories separately. The GOI believes that this inclusive marketing will help to counteract "talking against the product" by both Israelis and Palestinians (i.e., Israelis claiming Palestinian cities are too dangerous to visit, and Palestinians publicizing crossing point hassles --both of which dissuade potential tourists from visiting the region). To launch this campaign, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism invited the heads of the Christian communities in Israel and the Palestinian territories to a December 17th reception. Also in attendance were various representatives from the Israeli and Palestinian private tourism sector, including the chairman of hoteliers in Bethlehem. Ben-Hur said that the PA was not invited to this event, because he had learned during "unofficial" meetings that no senior PA tourism representative would attend due to the lack of progress on the PA list of deliverables raised at the JTC. The Israeli Tourism Ministry hosted a similar reception in Nazareth on December 24th. (Note: We have seen similar independent initiatives around the country to promote joint visits to ISRAEL and the Palestinian territories that are not being coordinated through the ministries. For instance, Daniel Atar, Mayor of the Gilboa Regional Council, described to Econoffs on December 29 collaborative regional efforts to launch a tourism campaign to market multiple-day tours of the Gilboa region, Nazareth, and Jenin. End Note). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Politicking impedes progress at JTC - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) Despite this good news, Ben-Hur was discouraged that the Palestinian Authority representatives used the December 15 JTC as a political forum instead of focusing on concrete action items to promote future success. He said, for instance, that the PA officials opened the East Jerusalem meeting by making a point that they were happy to be meeting "in the capital of the Palestinian people." Ben-Hur perceived these and similar comments as counterproductive and as justifying why the GOI Tourism Ministry focuses its efforts with the Palestinian private sector. According to Ben-Hur, the Palestinian private sector expresses many of the same demands as the PA, but is more willing to work on problem-solving. Overall, though, Ben-Hur characterized the meeting -- which he co-chaired -- as having good atmospherics and being useful, since the bilateral government-to-government dialogue is also critical to progress on tourism issues. Further, Ben-Hur noted complaints he received from other GOI officials after the meeting regarding the presence of an OQR observer at what they viewed to be a bilateral meeting; OQR might not be invited to observe the next JTC meeting. TEL AVIV 00002849 002 OF 002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A tourism ministerial: the next step? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) Ben-Hur sees a GOI-PA tourism ministerial meeting as the next step in the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian government dialogue and as an opportunity to announce progress on JTC discussion points. The GOI proposed this ministerial at the JTC, but the Palestinians said they would be unwilling to participate until there is further progress. For example, Ben-Hur said the Palestinians demanded more licenses for Palestinian tour operators to guide in Jerusalem/Israel. Ben-Hur pointed out that the current 42 permits grandfathered to Palestinian tour guides have drawn severe criticism by non-Arab Israeli tour operators and drivers who are not allowed to operate in the Palestinian territories for security reasons. Ben-Hur told EconOffs in a previous meeting that the ethnic-based discrimination (Israeli Arabs vs. "Jews and Druze") which allows some Israeli tour guides to enter the West Bank to work, but not others, was causing a rift within the profession, which is highly regarded and well-regulated in Israel. To move forward on this issue, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has submitted a proposal to COGAT requesting permission for non-Arab Israeli tour guides and drivers to operate in Bethlehem and Jericho (according to Ben-Hur this plan has Palestinian support). If this plan is approved, Ben-Hur said that he would have the political cover needed to issue more Palestinian tour-guide permits for Green-line ISRAEL (since there would be a quid-pro-quo), which, in turn, would satisfy the condition needed for a ministerial meeting. Ben-Hur provided no time-frame for a COGAT decision. Separately, COGAT has told Econoffs that, because the GOI is unable to provide security for Israeli citizens in the West Bank, it is extremely unlikely that the GOI will approve this proposal. CUNNINGHAM