Israel Developing “Jewish Tourist Sites” in West Bank

As Palestinian and Israeli delegations continue meeting for peace negotiations, Israel’s Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov has announced plans to designate NIS 9 million for the development and renovation of tourist sites in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Minister Misezhnikov sent a letter to West Bank council heads on Sunday (19 September) explaining the project's Jewish-Zionist necessity. "The Tourism Ministry sees great importance in the development of tourism in Judea and Samaria which is the basis for 'any Jew's story' and is at the heart of the State of Israel," he wrote. "The historic heritage is a significant source of attraction for both domestic and overseas tourism."


As part of the project, the Shomron Regional Council will receive NIS 300,000 (roughly $80,600) for various touristic ventures (including signposting in the Reihan and Shaked forests), the Binyamin Regional Council will get NIS 100,000 (roughly $26,900) for signposting of tourist sites, the South Mount Hebron Regional Council will receive NIS 100,000 to develop the Susya historical site, the Karnei Shomron Regional Council will get a budget of NIS 100,000 to create bike lanes in the Nahal Kane Reserve and the Kiryat Arba Council will get a budget of NIS 40,000 for touristic planning, according to Israel’s Ynet News.


The Gush Etzion settlement and the Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley and East Jerusalem will receive bigger budgets. The Tourism Ministry will allocate NIS 1.5 million ($400,000) for the renovation of the Herodium site in the Gush Etzion Regional Council; NIS 2 million ($ 540,000) for the Qasr al-Yahud baptism site in the Jordan Valley; and some NIS 5 million ($134,000) for project development in East Jerusalem, including NIS 2 million for the City of David, NIS 1.5 million for Zedekiah's Cave and NIS 1.5 million for infrastructure in the Old City, Ynet reported. 


These plans are in complete disregard for the current settlement building freeze and belie Israeli claims that such a freeze might continue as part of the present negotiations