1

32

This

We

ek

in P

ale

stin

e

The TWiP Collective

MES

SAG

E Fr

OM

THE

ED

ITOR

M e s s a g e f r o m t h e E d i t o r

The more issues we put out, the more we, ourselves, learn about and appreciate the beauty and wealth of Palestine. In fact, this is one of the main reasons we keep going. There’s simply so much to be proud of in Palestine.

The rich content of this August 2019 issue of This Week in Palestine is merely a snapshot of Palestinian cities and towns as viewed from their respective municipalities. Whole books could be written on each and every Palestinian city and town, but we bring to you in this issue an amuse-gueule, an appetizer, if you will, of the cities and towns featured. It’s worth mentioning that Palestine boasts the oldest and the newest inhabited cities in the world – Jericho and Rawabi, respectively.

We would like to thank Rawabi Municipality for sponsoring the current August 2019 issue of This Week in Palestine themed A Municipality and a City. Our gratitude is extended also to every author and municipality that has contributed to this rich edition. Our In the Limelight and features sections are as usual filled with captivating content. Ahmad Battaah, mayor of the town of Ajja, not too far from Jenin, is our personality of the month. Among his many achievements, Battaah created a National Observatory for Sustainable Development in the town of Ajja to advance Ajja’s services, infrastructure projects, and sustainable development. Samer Rashed, a Palestinian composer and viola player from Jerusalem, is this month’s featured artist. Our book of the month is Keeping Faith with Hope: The Challenge of Israel-Palestine by Dr. Harry Hagopian. Bassam Almohor suggests that we visit The Hidden Paradise of Ein Dara. Two exhibitions are featured in this issue: The Moon Is a Sun Returning as a Ghost – Noor Abuarafeh’s Solo Show, curated by Lara Khaldi and held at Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, and Contemplative Contrasts, curated by Bahaa Abudaya and held at Gaza ART in Gaza City. Finally, our Newly Released section also has two features: Doroob, a must-have, locally produced navigational application and a video entitled Stallions of Palestine, which is about Abdel Naser, a young Palestinian horse breeder.

We wish you all a pleasant end of summer.

WiP Team

Publisher: Sani P. Meo

Art Director: Taisir Masrieh

Graphic Design: Tamer Hasbun

Telefax: +970/2 2-295 1262info@turbo-design.comwww.thisweekinpalestine.comwww.facebook.com/ThisWeekInPalestine

T

Cover: Design by Taisir Masrieh.Photos from PIB, Iyas Yaseen, Rawabi, MoTA

dvisory Board

orthcoming Issues

Minister Ziad BandakAdviser to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Nativity Church

Sliman MansourArtist

Amid MasriAgriculturist

Mahmoud MunaThe Bookseller of Jerusalem

Carol SansourPoet, Communication Specialist

Fida ToumaDirector General of A.M. Qattan Foundation

Printed by Studio Alpha,Al-Ram, Jerusalem.

f

a

September 2019Palestinian Diaries and Memoirs

October 2019Cultural Heritage Is Our Identity

November 2019For Every Child in Palestine

This issue of This Week in Palestine themed “Palestinian Municipalities and Cities” is sponsored by Rawabi Municipality.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Rawabi Municipality.

The views presented in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.Maps herein have been prepared solely for the convenience of the reader; the designations and presentation of material do not imply any expression of opinion of This Week in Palestine, its publisher, editor, or its advisory board as to the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or the authorities thereof, or as to the delimitation of boundaries or national affiliation.

54

The MunicipalDevelopment andLending Fund

The OttomanJerusalemMunicipality

Rawabi Municipality

The East JerusalemMunicipality(Amanat al-Quds)

Ramallah at a Glance

Beit Jala, The City ofCarved Palaces

Jericho

26

28

32

16

22

12

6

CO

NT

EN

TS

70 Personality of the Month72 Book of the Month74 Artist of the Month76 Exhibition of the Month I78 Exhibition of the Month II80 Where to Go82 Newly Released I84 Newly Released II

Palestinian Municipalities and Cities

Issue 256 August 2019Nation/CityBranding in Palestine

Nablus City

Bethlehem MunicipalityLeads SustainableCultural Development

A City’s High-EndTourism Adventure

RamallahAn Inclusive City

Welcometo Palestine

86 Events88 Cultural Centers90 Accommodations92 Restaurants95 Attractions97 Travel Agencies97 Tour Operators98 The Last Word

42

50

54

60

46

34

76

he Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF) is a Palestinian semi-governmental institution that works on translating local government policies into implementable programs and projects that contribute to the empowerment of local government units. Its vision is to have effective local government units that are able to deliver a better life for their citizens. Since the inception of MDLF in 2005, the purpose has been to enhance municipal performance capacities in order to

improve the provision of municipal services. MDLF seeks to contribute to building the Palestinian state through improving the vital services of local governments.

For many years, MDLF has been supporting municipalities within the guidelines stated in its bylaws. However, after President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed the MDLF law in 2016, the fund started to develop additional programs that support various local government units’ structures, such as village councils and joint service councils. Since its establishment, MDLF has never stopped working with any Palestinian municipality. The division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2007 did not affect its work, and MDLF continues to serve all the 150 municipalities regardless of their location or political affiliation. This policy was clearly guided by the prime minister and the president, and agreed upon with the donors. MDLF is a highly professional organization, on both the regional and national levels, as regularly emphasized by the international donors

The MunicipalDevelopment andLending Fund

By Hazem Kawasmi

In Focus

MDLF

THE

MUNI

CIPA

L D

EVEL

OP-

MENT

AND

LEN

DIN

G F

UND

that support the local government sector in Palestine. The MDLF board of directors is headed by the minister of local government, with members from governmental and nongovernmental institutions. MDLF reports regularly to the prime minister’s office and coordinates with all line ministries and government authorities. MDLF headquarters is located in Al-Bireh and has an important branch in Gaza city to attentively serve all 25 municipalities in the Gaza Strip. Its highly qualified and committed management and specialized teams of engineers work continuously to upgrade their capacities and remain linked to the most up-to-date technologies and world trends in the local government sector.

A number of international donors have offered generous support to MDLF during the past years and continue to do so, namely, The World Bank, Germany, France, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, the EU, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Each donor regularly sends missions to Palestine to audit the technical and financial situation of the programs for which it provides funding and receives regular annual and semi-annual reports from MDLF.

Complying with donor requirements and documentation needs is always challenging, and everything has to be accomplished according to predetermined technical and financial plans and agreed-upon budgets. MDLF has implemented thousands of donor-funded

Aboud city center.

Al-Khansaa school- Tuqu’, Bethlehem Governorate.

MDLF meeting with donors.

Multipurpose buildings, Rafah.

Public park, Area C.

98

projects with hundreds of millions of dollars in municipal infrastructure services, capacity development, and innovative initiatives at the municipal level. In the last few years, MDLF has paved hundreds of kilometers in every city in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, supplied municipalities with thousands of lighting units and prepaid meters, and rehabilitated many kilometers of electrical networks. It has built tens of retaining walls and sidewalks, rehabilitated tens of water and wastewater networks, and installed thousands of water pipes and water meters. In addition, MDLF constructed tens of thousands of meters of public buildings and more than a hundred thousand meters of gardens and public parks. It has provided municipalities with needed equipment such as tractors, trailers, solid-waste containers, and garbage trucks, but bringing such equipment to the Gaza Strip has always been a challenge.

One of the cornerstones of MDLF is the Municipal Development Program

(MDP). This national program is a pioneer approach in the local government sector where policies such as strategic planning, financial reforms, social accountability, transparency, and good-governance concepts are all integrated. It is the most important local government program in Palestine, and thus the Palestinian Authority supports it with 10 percent of donor contributions. Accordingly, when donors inject € 100 million into this national program, the PA puts an additional € 10 million from the Palestinian Ministry of Finance, creating a program budget totaling € 110 million. This money is distributed to the 150 municipalities in the form of municipal infrastructure and capacity-building packages. However, MDLF does not give cash to municipalities. The municipalities submit their priorities regarding the infrastructure projects needed by their communities, as stated in their strategic plans, and MDLF directly pays the contractors who implement the infrastructure projects. The

money given to the municipalities is based on three criteria: performance, needs, and population.

MDP is an incentive-based program that encourages municipalities to perform better since enhanced performance leads to increased funding. Performance is linked to 21 key performance indicators (KPIs), and all that the municipalities need to do in order to improve their performance is to achieve more of these KPIs to be upgraded in the allocation grading ladder. Some of these KPIs are linked to transparency, meaning that MDLF encourages municipalities to be more transparent and disclose their budgets, plans, and projects on their websites and on social media. MDLF believes that the more informed citizens are, the more involved they become and cooperate positively with their local governments by paying their fees and assisting the municipalities in whatever ways they can.

MDLF has many other programs in addition to the MDP, such as the program for the Regeneration of Historical Centers, which focuses on strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of urban areas in order to increase their involvement in planning their future. Another program is the Solid Waste Management Program that established a landfill in the southern Gaza Strip. The landfill was launched this June with a budget of around US$ 35 million. More than 46 percent of Gaza Strip inhabitants will benefit from the project. There is another program in the West Bank, jointly implemented with the Ministry of Local Government, targeting only joint service councils and village councils to support them in improving services offered to their citizens. Most importantly, four years ago, MDLF started to implement infrastructure projects in

Area C, based on recommendations from the government and approval from the EU, a number of EU states, and the United Kingdom. Until now, around 60 infrastructure projects in 45 localities totaling € 20 million have been implemented in Area C, including kindergartens, roads, premises for village councils, basic water networks, solar panels, health clinics, and schools. This is a great achievement, especially since Palestinian citizens living in those areas have for decades been denied any infrastructure projects by the Israeli army. The Israeli Civil Administration prohibits Palestinian construction in Area C, citing various rationales, such as defining these areas as state land, survey land, firing zones, nature reserves, or natural parks, or by incorporating lands into the jurisdiction of settlements and regional councils. MDLF is one of the few organizations that has been able to work in Area C despite the high risk affiliated with that region, which constitutes 64 percent of the West Bank, with approximately 300,000 Palestinian inhabitants. MDLF has initiated a number of emergency programs specifically directed at Gaza Strip municipalities to assist them in restoring municipal services and to alleviate the dire situation of Gaza municipalities after continuous wars have resulted in both direct and indirect damages to the municipal sector. It is worth noting that MDLF pays a lot of attention to social and environmental safeguards, helping to ensure that municipalities not implement any infrastructure project at the expense of the citizens or the environment. Recently, MDLF has created strict guidelines and safeguards and trained all the municipalities to comply with them.

In addition to supporting infrastructure projects, MDLF puts a lot of effort

Hosh Ajwe, Al-Samu’, Hebron Governorate.

Entrance to the city of Yatta, Hebron Governorate. Garden, Al-Nabi Elias Village, Qalqilya Governorate.

9

1110

into building the institutional capacity of all the municipalities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This includes establishing information systems for financial management, operation and maintenance, and citizen service centers. In addition, MDLF works on modernizing Palestinian municipalities by using the most updated technologies in the world, with plans that all municipalities eventually become electronic municipalities, where people can access municipal services from home 24 hours a day. Now, with the support of MDLF, all municipalities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have their own strategic plans that are updated on a yearly basis. These plans, which identify the needs of the community and their priorities, have been proposed with the involvement and participation of all constituents of the local community, including women, youth, and disadvantaged people. At present, there are more than 80 citizen service centers in Palestine, efficiently providing quality services. Citizens no longer need to visit the mayor to obtain a service. Automation of services led by MDLF has helped create equal access to better services for citizens, and decreased, to a large extent, any possibility for corruption and nepotism. The operation and maintenance-capacity package that MDLF provides to municipalities helps them to improve operation of their public buildings and streets and become more prepared to plan maintenance strategies within assigned budgets. MDLF also works to implement the government policy adopted by the Ministry of Local Government in promoting local economic government (LED). For years, municipalities have been working hard mostly on infrastructure development. Now it is time that municipalities assume their leading

role in local development with a focus on economic advancement and employment generation for their youth. MDLF has helped a number of municipalities establish a special unit for LED and prepare economic plans that encourage public-private partnerships, since the private sector plays a key role in pursuing economic development in partnership with local authorities. It is time to work together in a coordinated, systematic manner – whether between municipalities in the same geographic area or with the line ministries in order to optimize the quality of services provided to citizens and to offer a better life. Our citizens continue to suffer under military occupation and thus need the Palestinian Authority, with all its institutions on the local and central levels, to serve them through the most advanced technologies in order to strengthen their resilience and empower them towards freedom.

All images courtesy of MDLF.

Hazem Kawasmi is currently the director of operations of the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF). An MBA graduate from Birmingham University, he participated in establishing the Palestinian Ministry of Economy. He is a founding board member of a number of civil society organizations and has been the chairman of the Young Entrepreneurs Association and the Palestine Freedom Forum. He is the founder of the Campaign for the Freedom of Movement of Palestinians (Karama), a board member of the Arab Observatory for Election Democracy (Al-Marsad), and a board member of ACT for alternative dispute resolution and studies in East Jerusalem.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUTWHERE TO GO IN JERUSALEM

FOLLOW US

1312

alestine, home of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city of Jericho, proudly stands today on the global stage as the home of one of the newest inhabited cities in the world – the city of Rawabi. As a concept courageously unfolding before our eyes, Rawabi is first identified by its key characteristic as a planned city established in 2009 by Palestinian visionary Bashar Masri. The reality of planned cities is not new for Palestine. While many Palestinian cities have grown and expanded on their

own, Rawabi, in its design, has continued a legacy of Palestinian planned cities that started with the ancient cities of Jericho and Jerusalem. With a modern and environmentally sustainable twist, Rawabi reveals a tangible continuity with the planning and design of previous Palestinian planned cities. Residential neighborhoods emulate traditional Palestinian neighborhoods, allowing residents to carry on the heritage of the Palestinian lifestyle. These neighborhoods are planned to remain residential, giving their inhabitants a space to retreat from the cacophony of the streets and the masses in the market. The QCenter, however, which is located in the heart of Rawabi, is reminiscent of the old cities of Jerusalem and Nablus as a pedestrian-only, one-stop-shopping and leisure experience open to everyone visiting the city.

Rawabi MunicipalityCourtesy of Rawabi Municipality

Rawabi Municipality has a clear vision for the city as a “pioneering city that is economically, socially, and technologically both attractive and sustainable. The city will continue to build on a foundation of renovation and innovation, with a focus on quality of life and service.” This slogan, articulated as part of a development plan that extends to the year 2030, represents not only a vision for the future of the city but also a cornerstone that guides the municipality’s everyday practices.

Rawabi Municipal Council was established in 2013 with the appointment of eleven members from the Palestinian public and private sectors, civil society, academia, and legal and regulatory agencies. In 2017, Rawabi’s Homeowners Association elected 11 municipal council members led by Rawabi Mayor Ibrahim Natour, an engineer involved in the construction of the city since its inception. This municipal council, the first in Palestine to govern a planned city, has a vision to develop a happy, sustainable city through maintaining complete transparency with its residents. The municipality seeks to promote a democratic lifestyle in the city and plays an active role in ensuring that its citizens are heard directly by both the municipality and the city’s Homeowners Association. In addition, the municipality plays a key role in creating a positive city culture that will foster a healthy and vibrant lifestyle among citizens.

A walk through the city’s residential neighborhoods reveals Rawabi’s pride – the absence of any litter whatsoever. A key factor in this remarkable achievement, as identified by Mayor Natour, is the Rawabi English Academy. The proximity of the school to the residential neighborhoods as well as to the municipality itself creates a sense of shared responsibility as well as a crucial link between the city and students residing in neighboring Palestinian villages and cities. In addition, the municipality offers a unique perspective

Rawabi City, aerial view.

1514

on the lifestyle it is attempting to create in Rawabi – a lifestyle founded on the interaction between the personal element created by residents and the surrounding environment. Rawabi Municipality considers this a priority, which is evident in the quality of services and spaces available to its residents. Between neighborhoods, we see playgrounds for children, park benches, and sporting equipment publicly available for everyone. These small amenities create a strong sense of belonging and a unique community lifestyle. Most importantly, the municipality views its role in promoting environmental sustainability in the city and within the wider Palestinian community as a crucial element in both its planning and everyday practice.

Rawabi prides itself on being a modern, intelligent city where the vision of environmental sustainability is not only practiced every day but also engrained into the design of the city itself. Rawabi Park is a prime example of the city’s efforts to curb its environmental impact while upholding its vision of providing residents and visitors with exceptional services and quality of life. When faced with the question of where to dump the one million cubic meters of material excavation waste that resulted from the development of the city, its architects and engineers saw an opportunity to challenge the norm and go beyond traditional solutions. Construction residue and excavated material were transferred and laid as a base 90 meters beneath Rawabi’s amphitheater

and its surrounding park – a resourceful solution that curtailed the environmental impact of construction on the city and its residents, as well as on the rest of Palestine. This approach transformed potentially harmful waste into an environmentally responsible solution that created a space for leisure and recreation for all visitors to the city. Rawabi’s position as a planned Palestinian city allowed its vision of environmental sustainability to be embedded into the planning and implementation of the city’s modern infrastructure. Smart fiber optics

built in beneath the city provide its residents with a fast and reliable telecommunication and internet network without compromising the aesthetic of residential neighborhoods. In addition, the city is equipped with a closed water network, a solar water heating system that uses solar panels, and a drip irrigation system that delivers recycled water from Rawabi’s own wastewater treatment center to every plant in the city. Such unique solutions signify Rawabi’s resolve not only to play an active role in the global effort to address environmental challenges but also to promote and nurture a culture of green practices in Palestinian society.

The city’s municipal boundaries encompass 6,300,000 square meters of land. Within its 22 planned neighborhoods, 4 are fully functional today, with expedited construction of the fifth neighborhood, Ikshaf, due to the high demand for housing in Rawabi. The city contains more than 6,000 housing units for 25,000 residents. In the municipal council’s development plan, the city aims to reach a population of 40,000 as well as provide around 12,000 employment opportunities both for residents and the greater Palestinian community.

As the largest private-sector project in Palestinian history, the city aims not only to be a model for modern and sustainable economic growth in Palestine but also to promote a culture of democracy and transparency between Palestinian municipalities and their citizens.

Rawabi, led by its municipal council, is both a planned and a planning city. It has raised municipal standards and undertaken a responsibility towards its citizens and the larger Palestinian society to create an alternative lifestyle that remains authentically Palestinian – by its citizens and for its citizens.

Playground in Warwar neighborhood.

QCenter.

Rawabi Extreme.

Rawabi English Academy.

Rawabi amphitheater.

Rawabi amphitheater.

1716

erusalem has always been the political, administrative, and spiritual heart of Palestine due to its history, geographic centrality, commercial vitality, and wealth of religious and cultural sites. The Ottomans considered Jerusalem to be of great religious significance as the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. In the nineteenth century, Jerusalem experienced two periods of administrative, political, social, economic, and military reforms. The first being under the rule of

Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, and the second, during the Tanzimat era. Numerous advancements and activities during this period changed life in the city in many ways.

These activities, combined with Ottoman reforms that were taking place throughout the Empire, fashioned Jerusalem into a very different city at the end of the Ottoman reign in terms of population, physical layout,

buildings, and infrastructure. Jerusalem was the site of a very important reform in Ottoman administration, and in 1863, a special firman given by Sultan Abdul Aziz Ibn Mahmoud II created a municipal council (majlis baladi).

Founded in the spirit of the centralizing reforms known as the Tanzimat, evaluated as a process of change and reorganization, the municipal council was established as a means of connecting the municipal administration to imperial dependence. The council did not actually commence its work until 1867 (some attribute this to the lack of a regulating law), but when the Districts’ Administration Law was enacted in 1871, the council began to engage in some actions.

Mustafa Murad ed-Dabbagh described the first municipal council in his Our Country Palestine: “… it was a small entity, with limited authorities, minimum revenues that did not exceed 500 gold liras and no bylaw.” Following the enactment of the Municipalities’ Administration Law

The Ottoman Jerusalem Municipality

By Najla M. Shahwan

in 1877, however, the actions of the municipal council were more prominent.

The council was seen as a body that represented various social and sectarian groups, and it regulated the local government’s relations with community, managing daily affairs. The municipality had to undertake tasks in coordination with other bodies of the government. It took powers from the porte’ in Istanbul and the wali who represented the Ottoman Sultan in Jerusalem, called the mutasarrif.

The powers and missions of the municipality, as well as the mode of formation, became clearer following enactment of the Municipalities Law of 1877, which stated that municipal councils had to include six to twelve members elected for a term of four years.

Jerusalem Municipality building (Celebrating the Sultan’s Birthday, 1917), American Colony photo/public domain.

American Colony (Jerusalem). Photo department, Library of Congress.

jErU

SALE

MOT

TOMA

N

1918

The right to vote was limited to male Turks over the age of 24, who had to pay a certain property tax. The right to nominate was limited to males who spoke Turkish fluently, were over the age of 29, and who paid property taxes that amounted to no less than that specified in the law and more than the amount paid by voters.

The Municipalities Law detailed the municipality’s duties and responsibilities, which included maintaining public buildings, roads, and markets, supplying water to residents, planning/supervising construction projects,

It should be mentioned that despite what the Municipalities Law of 1877 stated concerning the election of the municipal council, during the Ottoman period, the members were always appointed, except for once, in 1908, when residents of Jerusalem elected council members without the intervention of the local government.

From the 1880s onward, the municipal council was composed of nine to twelve members elected for a renewable mandate of four years: there were generally six Muslims, two Christians, and one or two Jews on the council (depending on the period), in addition to a maximum of four ex officio members. These were drawn from the city’s professional ranks, including such tradespeople as engineers, doctors, and veterinarians, as well as the head of the police force.

The Ottoman government chose the council president from among the elected members, who mostly included leaders and educated members of the grand clans of Jerusalem and highly qualified persons who had been educated in institutes of higher education in Istanbul and European universities and who were well-informed about the evolution of Western civilization. This reality enabled the successive councils to play effective and influential roles in the development of the city’s infrastructure.

During the period 1863 to 1917, Jerusalem affairs were administered by sixteen mayors, among whom were Abdelrahman al-Dajani, Musa al-Alami, Yusuf Dia’a Pasha al-Khalidi, Faidi al-Alami, Salim

al-Husseini, Hussein Salim Pasha al-Husseini, and other clans of Jerusalem.

The municipal minutes provide a clear perspective on Jerusalem’s development during this crucial period. Most items are standardized short texts that indicate routine administrative procedures, such as announcements of store-lease agreements, public bids for civil administration and army needs (munaqasa), public sales of tax-farming rights according to the iltizam system (muzayada), and nominations of municipal staff.

The activities of the municipality were related to the cleanliness of the town and the streets: maintaining the roads and water system, supervising public health, cafés, and restaurants, commercial activities, and so forth.

conditions of the city since preparations for the visit included extensive cleaning operations inside and outside the walls. Linked to the sanitation of the city was street maintenance which, since the 1880s, began to improve due to the pavement of the main roads. In the period preceding the beginning of the World War I, many roads were paved and widened for military purposes.

The municipality improved the sanitary conditions of the city mainly with the support of taxes collected from foreigners. Later in 1911, when a cholera epidemic struck the city, the municipality intensified its efforts to clean the streets and provide other public services. Although Jerusalem had several hospitals, the municipality established a municipal hospital in 1891 that was

registering births/deaths, supervising restaurants/leisure places, and providing security. Municipality returns came from endowments sent by the central government and from various municipal taxes.

The aforementioned law stipulated that the mayor must be chosen from among the members of the elected council and paid by the municipality, whereas members were unpaid.

The municipality also controlled a local police force that supervised urban communities and city sanitation.

The visit of German Emperor Wilhelm ll in 1898 resulted in some improvement in the sanitary

open to all the inhabitants without distinction of religion or nationality. The municipality was also active in guaranteeing water supplies; foreign companies were called upon in order to try to improve the city’s water supply. In January 1914, the French

Yusuf Dia’a Pasha al-Khalidi, mayor of Jerusalem.

Kaiser Wilhelm ll passing through the gate, Jerusalem, 1888.

19

2120

company Perrier was awarded three concessions in order to develop and manage the electric tramway, electric lights, and water-supply services for the Jerusalem municipality.

In 1886, the municipality established Palestine’s first professional police force, which was highly respected by local and foreign residents. Reputed as honest, it was often compared favorably to the detachments of the Ottoman army camped outside the city, particularly because municipal policemen were recruited

from among the urban population. Eventually some engineers, physicians, and veterinarians became municipality advisers, and there was also a specific municipal office in charge of registering street names and house numbers as well as births and deaths.

The mayor headed the municipality under the supervision of the mutasarrif (governor). The office of mayor was considered very influential, and therefore the most important families of Jerusalem

regarded it as a source of power and competed in order to be appointed to this office. Until 1908, the municipal council was composed of only Arab Muslim and Christian members. Later on, in 1908, Jews also took part in the elections and eventually the first Jewish councilor was elected.

Income-generation was one of the main activities of the municipality, which owned a large number of stores and several hotels in the city that were rented out on a yearly basis.

In 1870, the municipality installed a sewage system, and in the 1890s, regular garbage collection was introduced, kerosene lamps were installed, and during certain times of the year, the streets were sprinkled with water to control the dust. A city park was opened to the public in the new city on Jaffa Street in 1892, in front of the Russian compound where a military band performed on Fridays and Sundays.

Just before World War I, trees were planted along some streets, and plans were made to bring tram lines and a telephone system to the city. In 1914, an order was granted by the Jerusalem municipality to provide electricity to the city. The municipality began to issue building permits, and a register of these was kept from the late-nineteenth century onwards, and in 1907, a law was passed that required inhabitants to obtain a permit to build or enlarge their homes.

The last council that was formed during the Ottoman era included ten members: six Muslims, two Christians, and two Jews. Hussein Salim al-Husseini was the last mayor of Jerusalem (1909–1917) during the Ottoman period, and his very last mission was handing the city to the British forces.

When it came to the actors involved in municipal life, we can assert that Muslims, Christians, and Jews of various origins appeared at all levels on the council: in the administration, in public-service positions, and as beneficiaries of public service. We find many members of notable Jerusalem families (‘ayan) at all levels of the municipal staff, not only at the top. But there are also many council members and high-ranking municipal officers who are neither Muslim nor members of those families.

As for the functioning of this administration, the municipal council reacted to the citizens’ needs as well as to orders given by the imperial administration. The council was in direct contact with the administrative council in Jerusalem and with various imperial ministries and directorates in Istanbul. It led important infrastructure projects in and around Jerusalem, such as the building of roads and the railway and the modernization of the water-supply system. It was very active in the area of food safety, hygiene, and public health issues (including slaughter practices, food preservation, and vaccination campaigns). It applied the rules of urban planning and enforced them. It also appealed to legal bodies in case of conflicts.

Najla M. Shahwan is a Palestinian author, researcher, and freelance journalist from Jerusalem. She has published 13 books in literature, poetry, and children’s stories and has won two literature prizes from the Palestinian Union of Writers. She is the president and CEO of Mazaya Investment Group (media and PR).

The mayor of Jerusalem, Hussein Salim al-Husseini, with his party under a truce flag, 1917. Public domain.

2322

he Jerusalem municipality was established by the Ottomans in 1863. At that time, it was composed of five members: three Muslims, one Christian, and one Jew. The British Mandatory Period began in 1917, and in 1918, the British appointed the members of the municipal council to include equal numbers of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. In 1929, the British decided to establish a “consultative municipal council” that included ten British officials, four Muslims, three Christians, and three Jews. This composition was later changed when

council elections were conducted in 1927, leading to the election of twelve members – five of whom were Muslims, four Jews, and three Christians. In the following years, the number of Jews on the council jumped to six, representing 50 percent of its membership. In 1945, the British dissolved the council because the Palestinians rejected the system of rotation between them and the Jews for the position of mayor.

The East JerusalemMunicipality (Amanat al-Quds)

By Walid Salem

History and Horizons

After 1948, Jordanian officials held four elections for the Jerusalem municipality (Amanat al-Quds) in 1951, 1955, 1959, and 1963. The Israeli occupying authorities dissolved this council on June 21, 1967, and began to enforce Israeli law in East Jerusalem whilst extending the responsibilities of the Israeli municipality to include East Jerusalem. Nevertheless, the 1963 elected city council continued operating and still represents East Jerusalem in Arab, Islamic, and international federations of capitals and cities today. On the other hand, the elections within the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem were boycotted by Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, which led to a drop in voter turnout. According to data published by Haaretz newspaper, municipal elections in the years 1969, 1978, and 1983 witnessed a decline in voter participation from 20 to 15 percent. Voter turnout continued to drop, with a significantly low participation of Arab voters at 2.75 percent in 1989, 7 percent in 1993, and dropping to 1 percent in the years to follow.

The Oslo restrictions did not prevent the Palestine Liberation Organization from dealing with the issue of Jerusalem and its municipality, both legally and practically. In this context, the following events took place during the terms of President Arafat and President Abbas.

During the term of President Arafat in 1998, an 11-member Jerusalem Municipality Council was appointed to include the surviving members of the elected municipality prior to 1967, as well as new members. Zaki al-Ghul, a member elected before 1967, was appointed as mayor of Jerusalem (Amin al-Quds) in order to continue to represent the municipality in Arab, Islamic, and international capitals and cities.

Arafat also issued Capital Law No. 4 of 2002, which included six articles asserting that Jerusalem is “the capital of the Palestinian state, the main and permanent headquarters of the three legislative, executive and judicial authorities”; “The Palestinian state has sovereignty over Al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) and the holy sites, and is responsible for their preservation and for ensuring freedom of worship and the exercise of religious rites.” The law also allows for the allocation of a share of the general budget for the city of Jerusalem, and programs and plans were initiated to promote public and private investment in Jerusalem, which is considered a development zone (A) area of special priority (www.muqtafi.birzeit.edu).

In addition to the Capital Law, the Committee on the Interior, Security, and Local Government of the Legislative Council proposed the draft law of Amanat al-Quds on June 10, 2001. The Legislative Council’s website states that this project was referred to the Legislative Council Committees on June 24, 2001, to the council on January 5, 2002, then for the first

jErU

SALE

M

2322

2524

reading by the council on July 21, 2003, and finally, for the second reading on May 5, 2004. It was delivered to the president on May 30, 2004, but failed to be ratified. The ten-item draft stipulated the election of the municipality and its appointment in accordance with a proposal by the Minister of Local Government and by a decision of the Council of Ministers for approval by the president (Article 6). It also stipulated that the boundaries of the municipality should be defined as the borders of June 4, 1967, and that the Council of Ministers has the power to extend the boundaries of the municipality (Article 2). Concerning the powers of the municipality, it included, inter alia, the competence of the Organizing Committee for the zoning and construction of cities and villages (Article 9). (www.pal-plc.org).

During President Mahmoud Abbas’s term, an amended Law No. 10 of 2005 was passed regarding the election of local authorities. Article 69 of the law stipulates that “members of the Municipal Council shall be selected in accordance with the Law of the Municipality of the Capital (Amanat al-Quds Law).”

In January 2012, President Mahmoud Abbas issued a second decree appointing a new municipality for Jerusalem that comprised 17 members, including the remaining members of the secretariat elected before 1967, in addition to new

members. (The decree can be found at www.muqtafi@birzeit.edu.) The decree included the subordination of the municipality to the Palestine Liberation Organization, provided that the National Popular Congress carry out its executive follow-up missions.

The options to regain the Palestinian right to the city of Jerusalem and to the Palestinian municipality include first, keeping the current municipality with add-ons. Second, appointing a new municipality. Third, electing a new municipality; and fourth, selecting a new municipality. These options were verified in depth by the author of this article in a policy report published by the Jerusalem Quarterly journal (see references below).

This review of the options might lead one to recommend the course of holding new elections as a first choice. If this were not possible and if the means could not be provided, the recommendation would be to use the bottom-up selection of geographical locality councils to be followed by the formation of the municipal council from representatives of these localities councils. This would be done in order to ensure the strengthening of Jerusalem’s link to the Palestinian national, political, social, and economic structure.

This recommendation would lead to the implementation of the resolution of the Palestinian Central Council of the PLO in its session held on January 15, 2018, and repeated by the Palestinian National Council’s adoption of the same resolution in May 2018. The resolution called for “the re-composition of the Palestinian Jerusalem municipality in accordance with the best democratic and representative ways possible.”

Walid Salem holds a PhD in international relations from the Near East University of Northern Cyprus. He is the director of the Center for Democracy and Community Development in East Jerusalem.

Resources

The electronic resources mentioned in the text.

“Minutes of Workshops about Amanat al-Quds Elections,” The PLO Planning Center, 2016.

The Jordanian local elections law, 2015, www.mma.gov.jo.

The text of the Palestinian Central Council resolution (January 15, 2018), www.paltoday.ps.

Usama Halabi, “Arab Jerusalem Municipality,” PASSIA, 2nd edition (in Arabic), 2000.

Walid Salem, “Jerusalem and the local elections,” Al-Ayyam Newspaper, August 15, 2016.

Walid Salem, “On the need for a new decree for Amanat al-Quds,” Al Ayyam newspaper, September 5, 2016.

Walid Salem, “Policy Report: The East Jerusalem Municipality,” Jerusalem Quarterly, Summer 2018, no 74., pp. 120–137.

2524

2726

rAMA

LLA

Herched in the center of historical Palestine at 880 meters above sea level, Ramallah is famous for the gentle summer breeze that runs through its hills to bring respite from treacherous heat waves. Located 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem, Ramallah is cradled between its twin sister cities, Al-Bireh in the east and Betonia in the west.

Rama, an Aramaic word that means “a high hill,” combined with Allah signifies God’s High Hill, and it must be God’s gentle hands that

send those wafts of coolness on hot summer nights.

Rashid Haddadin, of the Christian Haddadin family from Karak and Shobak in Jordan, founded modern Ramallah in the sixteenth century. He arrived in the area only to fall in love with its bountiful hills and generous roaring springs. Today, native Ramallah families carry the names of

Ramallah at a Glance

Haddadin’s sons. The famous lion statues in Al-Manara Square honor the city’s founders and the main families who originated from them.

In 1908 Ramallah’s municipality was founded, and a small village turned into a city that would continue to grow and evolve till today. In 1923, Al-Manara Square (then known as Al-Manara Circle) was built in the city center and became one of the city’s first landmarks. This is the figurative and literal heart of Ramallah where major religious, cultural, and political events take place. It is the point of origin for the main Ramallah roads that branch in several directions. Al-Manara has stood witness to the city’s growth, to the Israeli occupation, to the first and second intifadas. It has mourned and celebrated with its city residents. Al-Manara is where the Holy Fire is received from Jerusalem during the Holy Saturday celebrations that precede Easter, and where Christmas lights illuminate the streets and Ramadan decorations usher in the holy month.

Ramallah has always been a vacation destination for Arab and international tourists. In the past, visitors stayed in the Odeh Hotel, Qasr al-Hamra, or the Harb Hotel. Today visitors have a variety of hotel options, a thriving nightlife to enjoy, multiple cultural events to attend, and a diverse restaurant scene to try.

Ramallah is no stranger to occupation violence and pain, yet she rises every morning to face the new day with vitality fit only for the young and the hopeful. She has witnessed her fair share of repeated Israeli incursions. She has endured the Israeli army’s brutal siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s headquarters. She is a city of resilience and a city of resistance. Ramallah knows only too well the brutality of Israeli occupation.

Ramallah’s architecture is a mixture of historical buildings and contemporary edifices that symbolize creativity and urbanity. The old city’s history artfully collides with the city’s contemporary spirit in an infinite kaleidoscope of humanity. Ramallah lives only to resonate the words of Mahmoud Darwish.

Ramallah beats to the rhythm of an urban center with the interconnectedness of a small town. She wakes up every morning to live again, to thank the heavens for another day to resist, to exist.

Courtesy of Ramallah Municipality

Panoramic view of the city of Ramallah. Palestine Image Bank.

2726

2928

BEIT

jALA

eighboring Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the beautiful Palestinian city of Beit Jala is situated on the slope of a hill covered with olive trees, vineyards, and apricots. Beit Jala is characterized by its remarkable geographic location, moderate climate, fascinating architecture, rich cultural heritage, and the existence of a variety of touristic resources that transform it into a competitive candidate for being an important tourist destination at both the local and international levels.

Beit Jala, the City of Carved Palaces

The name Beit Jala comes from Aramaic and means “Grass Carpet,” a carpet that historically extended over an area of 14,000 dunums (14 km2), but the present municipal area covers only about 4,422 dunums as a result of the political situation. The historical center of Beit Jala embraces its original families within five harat (old neighborhoods) that are based on a clear social hierarchy. The social fabric has grown in the center and around St. George Monastery and St. Nicolas Church, considered to be the city’s most important site since it marks the cave in which the city’s main patron, St. Nicholas, had lived during his stay in the Holy Land (around 312–315 AD), and whose pious deeds and miracles gave rise to the modern legend of Santa Claus. In 1925, the inhabitants of Beit Jala completed the building of the Church of St. Nicolas, which shows off much of the work of Beit Jala’s famous stone masons. In fact, these masons left an extraordinary carving legacy that can be seen even today on the decorative facades of the existing buildings and palaces in the Bethlehem area.

Courtesy of Beit Jala Municipality

A view from the old city of Beit Jala.

St. Nicholas Church. Photo by Elias Halabi © 2018.

http://www.beitjala-city.org

3130

Beit Jala is a vibrant city that offers high-quality services to nearby communities, providing schools, civil and cultural associations, two main hospitals, hotels, and two theater companies, along with many restaurants and commercial stores. In addition, visitors can enjoy various attractions that include Bir Onah historic

well, Cremisan Monastery and Winery, Al-Makhrour natural area (UNESCO world heritage site), and the old town.

Beit Jala Municipality (established in 1912) is a civil and independent organization that aims to provide all necessary services to the city’s citizens. Led by the motto “Beit Jala – a city of cultural heritage, a touristic city, safe and green,” the municipality launched its current strategic development plan (2018–2021), which is centered on boosting the economic status of the city via investing in tourism-development projects and initiatives as well as fostering the cultural heritage of the city through community engagement. Within this context, the municipality has worked tirelessly on tourism development, including the establishment of the Beit Jala Local Committee for Tourism Development and Promotion, the development of the St. Nicolas Trail, the creation of a comprehensive tourism plan, and the preparation of various proposed projects that will enhance the tourism infrastructure.

The aforementioned municipal efforts are also crucial in building bridges with thousands of Beit Jala expatriates in the diaspora through using cultural heritage as a tool to enable them to connect to their roots. The expatriates are considered to be important partners in reviving their heritage. Their support of and dedication to their hometown will genuinely assist in creating a prosperous Beit Jala that remains connected to its past, engaged in the present, and sustainable for the future!

Article photos courtesy of Enjoy Bethlehem.

A view from Al-Makhrour Valley.

Cremisan Monastery and Winery.

https://www.facebook.com/StNicolasTrail/

A view from St.Nicolas Trail showing an old mashrabiya.

We are happy to announce our newest brand addition to the

Ambassador Collection, Ambassador City Hotel in Bethlehem

(former Grand Park Bethlehem)

3332

ave you ever seen the moon in Jericho?

When the moon rises among the swinging palm trees and the unique fragrance of the lowest point on earth is in the air, Jericho’s magic is revealed. Attracting lovers from around the world, romantic Jericho possesses an irresistible charm. It has been known as the city of the moon since Canaanite times, and is equally known as the city of palm trees, the oldest city in the world, and the most beautiful oasis. Jericho’s

sunshine, lush, green foliage, and sparkling water create the perfect paradise for families relaxing on their balconies or in their gardens.

Jericho is a brand city that needs no marketing. Simply utter the name and wait to hear from people about their experience in the city. But few people know that Jericho is the most ancient city in the world, a unique city, with 10,000 years of civilization and more than 100 archaeological sites. The lowest inhabited point in the world boasts such sites as the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, various canals, and the place where tradition says that Jesus was baptized. It is the city that was chosen by Antony to be a gift for Cleopatra. It is the holy city where, on the Mount of Temptation, Jesus fasted for 40 days, was tempted by Satan, and affirmed: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” This sentence holds true even today, when we live not only on bread alone but also on Jericho’s natural beauty – the colorful varieties of birds and the majestic mountains that are filled with the memories of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem; the natural carpet of rare trees and

JerichoCourtesy of Jericho Municipality

A Never-Ending Gift

JEr

icho

flowers, such as the Jericho rose that symbolizes the ability to adapt to a challenging situation. The rose looks dry and parched in the desert sun, but when it is watered, a yellow blossom miraculously appears.

Visitors enjoy the rare products of this “agritouristic” city and take delight in the bananas, dates, papayas, and oranges that are bursting with flavor. Jericho tea is famous as well, and people from all over Palestine come to enjoy this specialty. Wild herbs and other greens, such as khobezeh, baqleh, and hweirneh, have also become part of the Jericho menu and are staples in the sacred ritual of generous hospitality that Jericho inhabitants are known for.

Even hikers and bikers choose Jericho over other Palestinian cities for its flat terrain and exceptional beauty. Horseback-riding is yet another of Jericho’s exciting attractions.

Simply stated, Jericho is the city of gifts – nature, agricultural wonders, sunshine, and hospitable people. From all the nooks and crannies of the city, first-time visitors will hear a sincere “WELCOME TO JERICHO!”

Saisban plants.

Children riding their bicycles in the streets of Jericho.

Pillars of Hisham’s Palace.

Jericho palm trees with the Mount of Temptation in the background. Photo courtesy of MoTA.Tel al-Sultan, panoramic view of Jericho City.

3332

3534

he term “branding” is still contested when linked to nations; colleagues in Palestine would argue that the term “promotion” could have a more positive impact; in fact, this article will promote nation-branding in Palestinian cities. Scholars automatically link branding to products, business, and trade. It is not easy to imagine the nation as a brand. A nation cannot remake itself in the same way as a company that launches a new product.

Branding a nation is inspired by its national identity, which started to emerge with the evolution of the nation-states. It relies heavily on people’s attachment to shared land, shared history, shared language, shared culture, religion, clothing, behaviors, values, and attitudes or positions in dealing with internal and external variables. It is crucial to distinguish the identity of a nation, which is usually done through studying the elements on which a nation promotes itself using public diplomacy. Public diplomacy is a soft power’s key instrument which cannot be ignored. In soft power, the narrative and the reality have to reflect each other. A nation’s identity is partly inherited from history and partly a continuing construction. There are aspects of national reputation that can be altered. Even the inherited parts of national reputation are open to revision as time goes by.

States have come a long way in their nation-branding, and Palestine cannot remain indifferent. This piece aims to address the importance of Palestinian city branding and to further shed light on how this could be done. Based on case studies of other successful cities in introducing a number of elements that shape a national identity, this article aims also to inspire scholars, policy makers, ministers, governors, and mayors in determining what is worth promoting in Palestine that would lead to successful branding of Palestinian cities locally and internationally. Given that very little effort has gone into nation branding in Palestine, this

Nation/City Branding in Palestine

By Dalal Iriqat

BrA

NDIN

G

article will highlight its importance in serving the national cause and the strategic national goals through responding to two questions: What is nation/city branding? What is the Palestine that we aspire to promote?

Nation/city branding

The concept consists of two words: nation – the people (citizens, outsiders, refugees, etc.) and branding – a purely business term that was later introduced into the area of politics and diplomacy and that attempts to answer two questions: What do we want to promote? and What do nations promote? The theoretical framework relies heavily on the work of the pioneers of nation brandingi: Simon Anholt, Wally Olins, Tom Fletcher, and Joseph Nye.

Branding a nation is inspired by its national identity which is largely a matter of stereotypes, familiar images, and associations. Most national identities are static. Simon Anholt, who is often referred to as the originator of nation branding, lists six channels of influence as the main elements of national identity, or as he calls it, competitive identity: people, culture, investments, policy, brands, and tourism. Anholt’s list leaves out at least one important element of national reputation – history, especially political history, the big things that the nation has done or failed to do, the things it has stood for or perhaps betrayed.ii

The above-mentioned list explains why Italian cities, for example, rank high in nation-branding surveys, given Italy’s strengths in culture, tourism, brands, and the bright image of its people. However, nation branding is controversial. British marketing guru Wally Olins was one of the first to use the term “branding” to promote a national identity and believed it wise to adapt business

Artwork by Nabil Anani.

3736

terms to politics and diplomacy. Nevertheless, there are those who prefer to refer to it as public diplomacy instead – the people who were offended by the term since it implied that the nation was a PRODUCT!

When I first talked about branding the Palestinian nation and the nation as a brand, a number of my colleagues suggested the use of other political terms. The term is still contested among scholars in Palestine, and resistance to the term is huge because of its business dimension. Despite the differences, we can’t deny that the term is catchy, attractive, and accommodates today’s needs and trends. Palestine cannot remain indifferent!

In a process of nation branding, it is wise to go back to the manageable elements on which we can rely and which are subject to change: leadership, culture, cuisine, individual accomplishments, fashion and design à embroidery, agriculture, and products.

Nations are already de facto brands, Olins argues, as they reflect their assets, attributes, and liabilities to a public at large, whether intentionally or not. Nation branding is largely perceived as a rhetorical equivalent to national identity, hence there is nothing particularly novel about the concept of branding the nation; only the word “brand” is new. National image, national identity, and national reputations are all terms traditionally used in this arena, and they don’t seem to provoke the same hostility as “brand.” Nye’s understanding of soft power is the general attitude, perception, or image that a country’s citizens have with regard to a foreign country, mainly favorable conceptions towards a foreign country.

To better understand branding, let us look at different examples. In branding for Lisbon/Portugal, the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo was determined to be a national brand, and the Portuguese chose to brand themselves with his initials CR7. Today, if you read, hear about, or visit Lisbon, you will find a lot related to CR7: clothing, hotels, restaurants, cafés, toys, and games, all under his initials. Whether or not we like soccer, CR has become an attractive brand for his country. For Portuguese nation branding, the people chose tourism, cuisine, culture, and sports rather than their history of conquering the world.

Let’s take Italy as another example. What comes to mind at the mention of Italy? Well, most of us would think of certain cities, islands, and products, for example, pasta, Juventus and AC Milan, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, Venice, Vivaldi and Verdi, pizza and parmesan cheese, basil and tomatoes and mozzarella, Julius Caesar, the Coliseum, gelato, the Mafia, Rome, and Lamborghini. Some might think of Italian clothing brands, depending on personal interests, but it is not likely that any of us would think of Italian politics, for example! Italy has a wonderful national reputation for its culture – from Renaissance painting to modern cuisine – but a very poor political reputation.

Tom Fletcher puts the national story at the heart of what he describes as magnetic power, which is close in meaning to Joseph Nye’s attractive power. So how do nation-states use their magnetic power in the digital age? Three ideas should be considered here: having a strong national story; knowing how to tell it; and knowing how and when to mix the tools. To have soft power, a nation needs an attractive national story, a narrative that encourages others to support, or not to obstruct, its strategic objectives. There is a difference between, on one hand, national inventions that are used and admired, and which are elements of national reputation, and on the other, soft power, the ability of a nation to set the agenda and achieve its objectives without using force. The national reputation of the United States as the source of Apple, Facebook, Google, and other Silicon Valley-style modern miracles, and the slogan “I have a dream,” reflects America’s cultural influence, exercised through products that almost define modern living. This is what matters for a successful American nation branding, the cultural and commercial aspects of national reputation must be kept in perspective.

The astonishing success of Harry Potter, or the Royal Shakespeare Company, make Britain a soft power superpower. Like Italy, the United Kingdom has many national assets: the Premier League and the Monarchy, which are important elements in shaping the nation brand of Britain and how it is perceived by others.

3938

Germany’s national reputation may be static year by year, but the transformation of Germany over the decades has been

heroic. This change has been founded on

a self-aware national decision by millions of

individuals acting to break with the past by accepting guilt, the

“moral burden” of the barbarity of the Nazi era. It is remarkable that after WWII the guilt was internalized and became part of the German national identity. Germany is now the second-most admired country in the world after Canada, according to a BBC “country ratings” poll conducted by Globescan.iii The elements in

building that reputation include the success of Germany’s

national brands, especially the cars that give Germany a strong association with positive qualities,

such as engineering excellence, reliability, and style. There was a turning point in Germany’s reputation when Audi used

a German language slogan that raises the “German-ness.”

In other words, German-ness was negative, but they decided to put the

German-ness back into the brand. It worked – the German-ness

of Audi helped to sell the car.

It can’t be contested nowadays that Audi as a German company is indeed the national identity of Germany, the whole idea and image of Germany became positive.

How Palestine is seen vs. how Palestinians want to be seen: victims vs. heroes

The role of Arab, regional, and international players in shaping Palestinian identity has led to introducing the Palestinians as refugees, victims, guerrilla fighters, stone throwers, poor people, and beggars to the international world. Whether we like it or not, the image of a Palestinian abroad is that of one who is stateless, ID-less, jobless.

If we look at Anholt’s six elements, we will easily discover that identity for Palestinians is not only about the nation’s image but about the political image of its leader and the human capital of its heroes. For Palestine, it is important to study the personality of Yasser Arafat as an icon and a symbol that presents a positive image of the Palestinian national narrative that symbolized resistance and perseverance. Arafat’s name became linked to the Palestinian struggle worldwide. Leaders or personalities are human capital for Palestine and include poets, artists, and the figures who managed to penetrate the international borders with their soft-skill gifts. In order

to counter the image of a victim, why not introduce the heroes? Palestinians are perceived poorly and with sympathy. In Palestine’s nation branding, there exist a number of already-established brands, including the Trio Joubran, three musicians – brothers – who have taken the oud to world-class music; DAM, young Palestinian brothers who focus on conflict and poverty using Rap music; the late singer Reem Banna, another Palestinian music icon that went worldwide and managed to gather the love of millions around the globe; athletes such as The Speed Sisters, the first ladies-only speed-racing group not only in the Arab world but also in the entire Middle East. Poets such as Mahmoud Darwish, Ghassan Kanafani, and others had already brought Palestine to the world in various languages. And Palestine is rich in cartoon-art celebrities: Naji Ali, Mohamed Sabaaneh, and many others gained the attention and inspiration of the world through their cartoons and posters; artists such as Nabil Anani, Bashar Hroub, Tayseer Barakat, Laila Shawa, etc. who participate in famous world exhibits and galleries; journals and publications such as This Week in Palestine or Al-Quds newspaper, where identity is deeply engraved in their pages; scholars such as Edward Said; imprisoned child heroes such as Ahed Tamimi or Shadi Ahmad and the photographer Arine Rinawi, a young

4140

woman who managed to reshape the field of photography in Palestine and elsewhere; and many others. These are humble examples of personalities that make Palestine unique, and they are established brands that Palestine can utilize in its nation branding by introducing the talents and skills that Palestine can put on the international scene, things that other nations can’t duplicate. Palestinian human capital is a major investment in building a national brand for Palestine in every city.

Tourism is another aspect of national branding, especially if focus is put on the old Palestinian cities, those listed on the UNESCO world heritage list. Jerusalem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus, Battir, and Bethlehem have great significance for tourism, culture, history, and religion, and highlighting what makes them unique can attract attention and show the Palestine that we wish to promote.

Palestinian culture is a treasure – the traditional dress (thobe) that is hand embroidered, the dabka dance, the cuisine, and the amazing hospitality, among other things, make Palestinian culture very attractive. For a nation to change its image, it needs first to change its behavior. Then, equally important, it needs to tell others throughout the world about the changes. Images of a nation will not automatically change after the reality changes; thus the way for a nation to gain a better reputation is to communicate to the international audience how good it is. This practice is called nation branding.

The office of the prime minister should form a strategy group to envision what each city council could adopt and apply in the various cities to create monuments, museums, theaters, statues, and shops that carry various names or stories that make Palestine unique. The government needs to

focus on the treasures of talented Palestinians and communicate their stories in order to have a positive impact on the image of Palestine. This form of nation branding is of crucial importance in identifying the uniqueness of Palestine – its people, culture, and landscape.

Dalal Iriqat has a PhD in public administration from Paris I Sorbonne (2011) and a master’s degree in diplomatic studies from Westminster University in London (2004). Since

2015, she has been assistant professor of conflict resolution, diplomacy, and strategic planning at the Arab American University in Palestine, and since 2018, she has been serving as Vice President for International Relations – AAUP. Dalal has published on diplomacy, Palestinian state building, coercive diplomacy, public diplomacy, nation branding, soft power, and mediation and conflict resolution.

i Szondi, Gyorgy, Discussion Papers in Diplomacy, Public Diplomacy and Nation Branding: Conceptual Similarities and Difference, Clingendael: Netherlands Institute of International Relations, 2009.ii Anholt, S., Competitive Identity: The new brand management for nations, cities and regions, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2007. iii A total of 17,910 citizens across 19 countries were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone between December 26, 2016 and April 27, 2017. Polling was conducted for BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan and its research partners in each country, together with the Program for Public Consultation (PPC) at the University of Maryland www.globescan.com.

Hisham’s Palace, Jericho.Photo from Palestine Image Bank.

4140

4342

he city of Nablus, located in the northern West Bank, lies amidst a long valley between the Gerizim (south) and Ebal (north) mountains. The Nablus valley extends to the Jordan River in the east and from Wadi al-Tuffah to the Alexander River in the west.

A very ancient city, Nablus was founded by Canaanite tribes in 2500 BC and named Shechem. It was built over a hill named Tel Balata, located at the eastern entrance of Nablus near Balata village. Since the thirteenth

century BC, Nablus was subject to a series of invasions by various foreign nations until the city was conquered by the Romans in 63 BC. Later, in 67–69 BC, Emperor Vespasian rebuilt a new city to the west and called it Neapolis – a Latin word that means “new city,” thereafter named Nablus. The Persians invaded Nablus in 615 AD, then the Romans were defeated by Arab Muslims in 636 AD. The population therefore became a mixture of a Muslim majority and a Christian and Samaritan minority.

Nablus City Courtesy of Nablus Municipality

naBL

USHistory and Civilization

During that period, Nablus referred to Damascus, the Umayyad Caliphate capital, and then to Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Later, in 968 AD, Nablus was ruled by Fatimids, Sunni Seljuk Turks, and Ayyubids until 1197 AD, when the Mamluks ruled the city. Following the Mamluk regime, the city was ruled by the Ottomans in 1516, incorporated into Greater Syria, and governed by a number of Ottoman Turk rulers in the seventeenth century. At the same time, Nablus witnessed a wide movement of construction and restoration measures for its historic buildings, and Nablus Municipality was established in 1869.

Nablus came under the British Mandate on September 1, 1918. Following the 1948 Nakba, the West Bank, including Nablus, was under Jordanian rule until the 1967 War, when all Palestinian cities were subject to Israeli occupation. The eruption of the first Intifada in 1987, followed by the signing of the Oslo Accords led to the inception of the Palestinian National Authority. When the Israeli government breached the terms of the Oslo Accords, the second Intifada out broke in 2000, when the Israeli army swept through the city, causing political turbulence with its security siege that was imposed for more than eight years.

The old city…the vivid heart of Nablus

The old city of Nablus is known for its magic, charm, and architectural characteristics, and is regarded as an open museum that contains a number of archeological and historic landmarks. The Islamic and Mamluk patterns and ornaments are demonstrated in a number of buildings and old mosques, such as the northern gate of the Great Salahi Mosque, Alsatoon Mosque, and other historical buildings and houses. The Turkish baths (hammams), part of which were constructed during the Ottoman Era (1516–1918), are among the most important features of the architectural heritage of the old city. These Turkish baths include

General view of the city of Nablus.

Qaryoun Square in the old city.

Khan al-Wakala.

The Church of Jacob’s Well.

Al-Nasr Mosque and Manara Clock Tower.

42

4544

Al-Shifa and Sumara, which continue to operate even today. Moreover, palaces and castles enrich the features of the city’s history, noting most importantly the Touqan, Abdel Hadi, and Al-Agha Nimer palaces. Roads and alleyways are crowded with small-scale industries such as traditional sweets (halawa, zalabya, sesame paste, and kanafeh), blacksmithing, and carpentry.

The old city counts approximately 20,000 inhabitants distributed among six major quarters and alleyways: Habaleh, Aqabeh, Qisariyyeh, Qaryoun, Yasmineh, and Al-Gharb. Nablus natives who live outside the old city are apparently keen to keep its dynamic and vibrant spirit through intensive roaming and shopping there, especially during the month of Ramadan.

The prosperous old city is considered a significant residential and commercial center and an important destination for local, national, and international visitors. Despite periods of turbulence and political instability, the old city represents the unique cultural heritage of Nablus.

Services

Nablus Municipality delivers a wide range of services to the local inhabitants, including provision of drinkable water, which covers the city, 4 refugee camps, and 18 villages. The water-network length is 500 km, and average daily production of water is 32,000 m3. Average consumption

is 67.7 liters/individual per day. Wastewater services are provided through a wastewater network that is 230 km in length, covering 96 percent of the total population. Solid-waste management services cover the city and 4 refugee camps, with a daily total of 220–250 tons. Building of public utilities includes commercial centers, parking lots, public schools, public parks, and recreation facilities. Preserving cultural heritage includes restoration measures for historic buildings, palaces, mosques, arches, and squares located in the old city. Social and cultural services are offered through five cultural centers as part of Nablus Municipality. Other

services include zoning and building regulations, fire-brigade services, meat-slaughtering, and a central vegetable market.

Touristic sites include the old city, including Manara Square, hammams, khans, soap factories, and palaces; Khan Wakala; Jacob’s Well; and Sama Nablus Resort. Among the archeological sites are Canaanite Shechem, East and West Roman Cemetery, the Roman Hippodrome, the Roman Amphitheater, and Sebastia Village. Religious sites include the Great Mosque, the mosques of Al-Satoon, Al-Hanbali, and Al-Khader, and St. Jacob’s Church.

Some general statistics

• The total population of Nablus Governorate including the four refugee camps and surrounding localities is 392,407.

• The total area of Nablus District is 605 km2, whereas the land area of Nablus city is 29 km2.

• There are 258 schools – private, public, and UNRWA-run in Nablus Governorate.

• There are seven hospitals – three private, two public, and two charity/private.

Ongoing Nablus Municipality projects include West Water Treatment Plant, East Water Treatment Plant, Water Loss Reduction, Reuse of Treated Water for Irrigation of 3,000 dunums, Building Six Public Schools, the Restoration of the Old City, Land Registration Project, Water Life Vein (extending water pipeline from Al-Badan to Al-Masaken), Rehabilitation of Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Park, Rehabilitation of the Public Library, Pavement and Rehabilitation of local streets, Nablus Boulevard Project, E-Municipality project, and Rehabilitation of City Main Entrances, West Emergency Unit.

Future projects include Completion of Ring Road Street, Beautification of the city, City Street and Public Space Lighting, Restoration of Toukan Palace, New Central Vegetable Market in the East Part of the city, Professions and Crafts Zone in the Eastern Part of the City, Cultural Palace, Renewable Energy Project, Development of Public Parks of Nablus, and Establishing a Soccer Field in the Eastern Part of the City.

All images are courtesy of Nablus Municipality.

• Regarding tourism facilities, there are seven hotels, 389 restaurants and coffee shops, and ten tourism offices.

• There are seven archeological sites, 11 historic mosques, 8 Islamic shrines, 4 churches, 25 historic palaces, 8 Turkish baths, 23 soap factories, 5 souks and Khans, and 7 public places.

Turkish bath located in the old city.Photo from Palestine Image Bank.

Nabulsi knafeh.

Water Life Vein Project. Water treatment plant.

Nabulsi soap. Photo from Palestine Image Bank.

44

4746

espite its relatively restricted area that constitutes 7.5 km2, with a population of 28,500 inhabitants, the city of Bethlehem is considered the region’s cultural, commercial, and touristic hub. It is frequented daily by hundreds of merchants and shoppers from the surrounding villages, in addition to hosting more than 1.2 million tourists annually. This has made Bethlehem a cosmopolitan city that embraces a plethora of people from various backgrounds and cultures, in spite of the daily challenges encountered.

Bethlehem MunicipalityLeads SustainableCultural Development

By Carmen Ghattas

Aiming for BethlehemCapital of Arab Culture 2020

In preparation for the flagship Capital of Arab Culture in March 2020, Bethlehem Municipality has invested in the city’s cultural sustainability through a variety of means consistent with its commitment to a “clean and green” environment as a component of national identity and unity based on the proper management and conservation of the city’s cultural heritage. Several projects are thus being conducted through the interplay between cultural heritage and environment as a major contributor in sustaining Bethlehem’s identity and authenticity.

New Urban Resources is the municipality’s first project to be implemented as part of its agenda to achieve the seventh and eleventh United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that aim to reduce energy consumption. Renewable energy would be produced through installing 300 kWp photovoltaic solar panels on the rooftop of Bethlehem’s central bus station, and hence its cost would be deducted from the public street-lighting bills paid by Bethlehem citizens. Funded by the Italian Agency for Development

BETH

LEHE

MStar Street during Bethlehem Live Festival.Photo courtesy of MoTA.

4746

4948

through the Municipality of Turin, the three-year project started in 2018 and includes awareness-raising activities among youth and the local community.

Bethlehem Clean, Bethlehem Green is an environmental awareness campaign that addresses children through a series of animated videos. Implemented by Bethlehem Municipality, the series is grounded in Palestinian culture and aims to educate children on how to protect the environment of their city and maintain a clean and green area.

Thinking green: Bethlehem Municipality is drafting the final phase

of its Mobility Plan funded by the French Agency for Development-AFD through the Municipality of Paris, which promotes Bethlehem as a place of many opportunities. Through implementing green solutions for mobility, such as encouraging people to walk and use public transportation, Bethlehem hopes that by 2030 it will have achieved its goals to be efficient and accessible, green and sustainable, attractive and enjoyable, authentic and collaborative, and safe and healthy.

Due to limited physical public spaces, one of the mobility plan’s recommendations resulted in the

Reinventing Public Spaces Project to redesign and consolidate an efficient and effective use of public spaces, in particular Manger Square, in a manner that complies with green and adaptive standards. The project continues to be funded by AFD through the Municipality of Paris to reflect the urban fringe of Bethlehem and provide a place for locals to socialize within the old city of Bethlehem.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Church of the Nativity and Pilgrimage Route. Bethlehem Municipality has started a project to revitalize the Pilgrimage Route through a fund provided by the Russian Federation. The project to Revitalize and Restore the Historical and Religious Center of Bethlehem encompasses various infrastructure activities that aim to transform the route into a green pedestrian area to eliminate pollution in the area and to revive the tourism flow by giving tourists the opportunity to walk through the old city and admire its architectural heritage, and to elevate local economic development through encouraging shop owners along the route to invest in their properties. The municipality still seeks funds to provide electric buses to facilitate the movement of people with disabilities and the elderly, local inhabitants and tourists alike, along the route.

Bethlehem is home to a vast treasure of cultural heritage attractions associated with archaeological and religious sites. In order to ensure the sustainability of these attractions, environmentalism and greening have become the pillars on which cultural-heritage management and restoration can build in order to bequeath this national wealth to future generations.

Carmen J. Ghattas, director of public relations at Bethlehem Municipality, has a demonstrated history of working in management, strategic public relations planning, international relations, and brand management. She holds a master’s degree in tourism studies from Bethlehem University and another in management of development from the University of Turin.

Children of Bethlehem cleaning a public street, as part of Bethlehem Clean, Bethlehem Green awareness campaign. Photo by Fadi Ghattas (Public Relations Department, Bethlehem Municipality)..

The personalities of the animated series “The heroes of the Neighbourhood”, Bethlehem Municipality.

5150

HOSH

AL-

SYrIA

N When the Bethlehem

Municipality renovated the Hosh Al-Syrian complex, the

goal was to set an example of how to turn a historic building

into a guesthouse and attract tourism to the heart of the Old City.

The rehabilitation was supported by the Italian government-run Palestinian

Municipality Support Project, and the Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation

carried out the work.

At first, the aim of the project was simply to invite people visiting Bethlehem to stay in an old, traditional hosh and share an alternative experience of the city. The initial plan was to cater to lower-budget tourists, but this soon transformed into something quite different: a high-end, cozy guesthouse with a gastronomic restaurant.

We very quickly identified the need in Bethlehem for medium-to-high-end accommodation that could cater to all visitors, but in particular to cultural tourists, who have higher expectations than traditional pilgrims in terms of service, heritage, and historic settings, and who demand a personalized service with attention to detail.

My vision for the kitchen, which gained full backing from Bethlehem Municipality, was to promote Palestinian cuisine, reinterpret its classics, defend the origin of produce and recipes from Palestine, and raise awareness of the beauty of our culinary heritage. This takes full advantage of our location – just steps away from the Old City souk and close to local artisans.

A City’s High-EndTourism Adventure

Bethlehem Municipality, under the leadership of Mayor Adv. Anton Salman with his hard-working team, has provided us with constant support that has taken many different forms.

First, we have an arrangement with the city by which we sponsor many of their key events and in return they host some of their most prominent guests at Hosh al-Syrian. This allows for some of the visiting dignitaries, diplomats, and key cultural figures to discover the heritage of the city while enjoying a purely Palestinian meal with a modern twist.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, as we endeavor to create more public awareness of our work in the hospitality and food industries, Bethlehem Municipality is always present. In some cases, this has meant welcoming journalists who desire to write about Hosh al-Syrian and Fawda Restaurant, giving them a valuable, wider insight into the city. In others, the municipality PR department has helped share our successes, for example, when we were selected by TripAdvisor as the first Palestinian property to obtain its Traveler’s Choice Award or to be highlighted in the world-renowned Truth, Love and Clean Cutlery guidebook.

The third way the municipality has helped us can be adapted by any local authority that tries to promote tourism in an old-city setting. Many social and environmental challenges arose because we are located in an area that is of cultural, historical, and spiritual importance but that had been abandoned before the Bethlehem Municipality started to renovate Hosh

Al-Syrian. For example, there were many reasons that our surroundings were not ready to welcome a high-end guesthouse, but throughout our partnership, the city of Bethlehem really helped us engage our immediate neighbors. This has worked out to the advantage of all – so that when we or the municipality provide new services – for example, in terms of lighting or festive decorations – the whole area has been embellished.

When a City Council Supportsthe Quiet Revolution of Palestinian Food

By Fadi Kattan

Chef Fadi Kattan. Photos courtesy of Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse.

5352

The main environmental challenge was at the level of waste management: how to preserve the cleanliness and neat appearance of the vicinity of the guesthouse and so forth. Bethlehem Municipality has arranged for its teams to take good care of this in terms of rubbish collection and pest control, while from our side, we have tried to support these efforts. By providing bins and staff training, as well as implementing our own strict procedures, we have worked together to help create a clean and safe environment for local inhabitants and visitors who stay or dine at the Hosh Al-Syrian. Some of our neighbors have made their own efforts too, which further adds to the beauty of our historic location.

A final benefit of our relationship with the municipality is our cooperation for the purpose of mutual campaigning: our common interest in showing the world a positive image of our city’s riches, including our culinary culture. In today’s world, a social-media presence, press reviews, and guest-rating systems such as TripAdvisor are fundamental to the development of a food and hospitality business as well as a tourism destination.

At Hosh Al-Syrian we have invested in creating a positive presence on all social-media sites, we frequently welcome and help journalists writing about Palestinian food and travel, and we interact with guests commenting on platforms such as TripAdvisor. During the past two years, we have also been honored to introduce famous chefs, holidaying celebrities, and VIPs – many of them

social-media influencers – to our guesthouse, to our Palestinian terroir, and to Bethlehem.

Through our partnership with Bethlehem Municipality, we strive to create a model that can inspire others. We firmly encourage other private-sector entrepreneurs and local government authorities to invest together in joint initiatives – whether in tourism with more guesthouses and restaurants or in other sectors altogether. When we team up, we are more successful in serving our own communities and innovating and showcasing our cultural heritage to the world.

Fadi Kattan, a tourism analyst, chef, and hotelier at the Hosh Al-Syrian in Bethlehem, has worked in Paris, London, and Palestine on tourism development, marketing, sustainability and strategy, food and gastronomy promotion, and international tourism relations.

5352

5554

he city of Ramallah is positioned ten miles away from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The fact that Ramallah is in the center of the West Bank qualifies the city to be the departure point for roaming between other Palestinian cities.

Ramallah is and will remain one of my favorite cities. When I was a kid, we used to get on a big red bus to travel from Jerusalem to Ramallah (things always seemed bigger than they actually were when I was a kid).

Ramallah

By Feletcia Adeeb

An Inclusive City

rama

lla

hSometimes, we used a taxi – at that time there was only one type, the seven-passenger Mercedes limousine that came in different colors. The adventure was not simply reaching our destination but experiencing the trip itself. I knew that we were close to our destination when my mom would proudly say: “Look to your left and you will see Qalandia Airport; look carefully and you might see a plane,” which in fact we never saw while traveling on the big red bus. Another sign that we were close was when someone on the bus said: “We have reached Al-Khammarah,” which meant that we were very close to Ramallah City. Hopping on and

off the bus was very easy and fun. But one day, a man in a wheelchair tried to get on the bus, and it was not easy at all. Although he received a lot of help from many people, it took them a while to get the man seated. After that incident, I started to notice that old people with disabilities had difficulty using the bus. It was also difficult for blind people and women carrying babies to use our beloved big red bus. At that time, Ramallah was relatively small and could easily accommodate all its residents, citizens, and visitors with their common and special needs.

During the past two decades, the Ramallah area has witnessed a considerable transformation, marked particularly by its rapid urbanization. With the establishment of the

Renovating old houses in Ramallah.

5554

Photo by Nayef Hammouri.

5756

Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1994, various realities emerged that led to internal migration to new urban areas.

In terms of its economy, Ramallah reflects the image of a prosperous city with feverish business activity and a real estate flurry that has filled its hills with buildings, making it such an exception in the economic landscape that some consider it the economic capital of the Palestinian state.

Ramallah hosts the headquarters of the Palestinian telecommunications companies (Jawwal and Al-Wataniya mobile companies). The Palestinian Telecommunication Group was established in 1995 in Ramallah and was the first telecommunications company owned by the private sector in the Arab world. It began its operations in January 1997 as an operator and provider for all types

of telecommunications services in Palestine.

Today, Ramallah is characterized by a culture of intellectual and religious pluralism: the city of arts and theater, the city of interaction and dialogue, the city of domestic tourism, parks, gardens, cafés, fine restaurants, and vibrant nightlife. The city of youth, clubs, and sports. Ramallah is rich in cultural activities, seasonal and annual festivals, celebrations, and artistic activity. The city has an open, beautiful life and lovely weather where the breeze of the Mediterranean Sea reaches you wherever you sit.

It boasts a number of sports centers and active youth clubs, some of which were established at the beginning of the twentieth century. Others are new, such as the Ramallah recreational complex, which is owned by Ramallah Municipality

and designed to be accessible and useable by people with disability.

Ramallah also has several charities, mostly women’s, and includes some that were founded in the 1940s. These charities, which have multiplied several times over the last two decades, aim to provide support for many societal segments, including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, orphans, and others.

Ramallah is considered a political and diplomatic center – a veritable hub for political parties and groups, youth activism, and intellectual activity. It is the preferred location of most human rights’ and children’s organizations, institutions, and companies. Ramallah is characterized by a plurality of faith communities, churches, and mosques; it is indeed the city of tolerance, inclusion, and innovation.

A study found that the arrival of the PA accelerated the process of urbanization in the Ramallah area, mainly due to urban-urban and rural-urban internal migration. In fact, this process has been shown to be more prevalent in Ramallah area than in other Palestinian cities.i

As the world becomes increasingly urban,ii there is a demand to better understand how the benefits of

urbanization can be shared more equitably among city residents, particularly in developing inclusive cities where everyone, including the most marginalized, have access to basic services and the opportunity to build a prosperous future. It goes without saying that once local governments (municipalities) are unable to provide services for all people living in the city, intensive urban growth can lead to poverty and inequality; large volumes of uncollected waste, which leads to health hazards; elevated levels of CO2 emissions from cars; loss of trees, which causes more pollution; and pollution from toxic substances and vehicles that can endanger animals and threaten their habitats and food sources.iii

According to the World Bank, to ensure that tomorrow’s cities provide better living conditions and equal opportunities for all, it is essential to understand that the concept of inclusive cities encompasses a complex web of multiple spatial, social, and economic factorsiv.

Spatial inclusion requires providing affordable necessities such as housing, water, and sanitation. Lack of access to essential infrastructure and services is a daily struggle for many disadvantaged households. Ramallah Municipality aims to improve not only the essential infrastructure and services it provides, but also the way of doing business through employing new and creative approaches such as the Ramallah Smart City project, clean energy, and other initiatives.

Social inclusion is a way to guarantee equal rights and the participation of all, including the most marginalized. Recently, the lack of opportunities for the urban poor and greater demand for representation by the socially excluded have exacerbated incidents of social upheaval in cities. More development should be initiated as

Wein A Ramallah Summer Festival.

Children’s Marathon, Ramallah City. 2019.

Cultural Activities in Ramallah.

5958

part of a common vision of social inclusion. Ramallah Municipality has strongly increased and strengthened its members’ participation through the assistance of community-led advisory committees for all its sectors (infrastructure, IT, health and sanitation, cultural activities, and economic development) that contribute significantly to the decision-making process. Traditionally, Ramallah Municipality has created many social and cultural activities for children, youth, and families, such as the Children and Family Marching Marathons, Nawar Nisan for children, and Wein a-Ramallah Festival. These activities are more than an annual celebration ritual and deeper than just a spring and summer tradition. For example, this year’s main theme of Wein a-Ramallah was “Diversification and Difference,” designed to promote the spirit of the city – the belief in plurality and dialogue among various ideological, cultural, political, and social groups. It also reflects the diversified areas of the city and the variety of arts performances presented in the festival. Ramallah displays well-preserved social, cultural, and historical heritage that has become a focal point of attention in recent years. Ramallah Municipality recently established a community center called the Forum of Expertise, which aims to focus on the social and cultural needs of the elderly in the city as part of Ramallah Municipality’s vision of inclusivity.

Economic inclusion aims to create jobs and give urban residents the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of economic growth as a critical component of overall urban inclusion.

What distinguishes the city of Ramallah is its harmony, variety, and diversity in a context of unity. For this reason, during the past ten years, Ramallah has become a place that attracts people from various regions, environments, and

religions, especially those who seek the security and safety that the city offers. This has created a culturally diverse city, in which residents are offered the best of urban living. Ramallah is widely considered to be the most open and liberal city in Palestine, prompting some to call it “the soul of Palestinian culture” – in other words, a truly inclusive city.

Dr. Feletcia Adeeb is a Palestinian physician with long years of experience managing humanitarian and development projects in the West Bank and Gaza. She was the deputy chief of party of the Gaza Health Matters Project and vice president of operations of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. She has successfully managed health-related projects implemented by national and international organizations. Currently, she is the director of the Forum of Expertise – Ramallah Municipality.

i “Urban Transformations in the West Bank of Palestine, Drivers and Consequences: a case of Ramallah Area,” by Mohammad Muhsen, article available at https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01586147.ii “Advantages and Disadvantages of Rural – Urban Migration,” by Ocean Malandra, updated June 27, 2018, article available at h t tp: / /www.ehow.com/info_8220843_problems-created-due-urbanization.html.iii “5 Major Problems of Urbanization,” by Jasmine Reese, updated June 27, 2018, article available at http://www.ehow.com/info_10056161_5-major-problems-urbanization.html.iv “Inclusive Cities,” World Bank Group, article available ath t tps : / /www.wor ldbank .o rg /en/ top ic /inclusive-cities.

PROUDLYG R E E N

Celebrate life and its beautiful moments with us in* JERICHO RESORT VILLAGE *

Jericho Resort Village celebratesthe environment by going Solar!

Jericho’s sun is power

6160

PALE

STIN

Eith a history that envelops

more than one million years, Palestine has played

an important role in human civilization. The crucible of

prehistoric cultures, it is where settled society, the alphabet, religion,

and literature developed, and would become a meeting place for diverse

cultures and ideas that shaped the world we know today. Its rich and diverse past,

abundant cultural heritage, and the archaeological and religious sites of the three monotheistic faiths, including the birthplace of Jesus Christ, make Palestine a unique center of world history.

Visitors to Palestine will encounter on their journey myriad religious, historical, and archaeological sites. Beyond the historical, Palestine offers walks and hikes in its extensive valleys, along coasts and desert hills, in towns, and ancient marketplaces, at the center of cities and villages nestled in the heart of breathtaking landscapes. They will enjoy Palestine’s sumptuous cuisine and, most important, feel the warmth and hospitality of the Palestinian people, Christians and Muslims alike, who will share with them the hopes and aspirations of a nation that is in the process of rebuilding. With its million years of human history and a welcoming people offering rich hospitality, visitors are left with the warm feeling of being at home.

Welcometo Palestine

Jerusalem (Al-Quds)Jerusalem, as a holy city for Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Archaeological excavations show that the history of the city began over 5,000 years ago. Among its 220 historic monuments are the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, which represents the third holiest shrine for Muslims, after the Kaaba in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. They were built in the seventh century and stand as magnificent pieces of architecture. Jerusalem has always been significant to Christians because it houses many holy places associated with the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus Christ, and most important, with his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Among these sites are the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which houses Christ’s tomb; the Garden Tomb; the Via Dolorosa; the Mount of Olives; the Garden of Gethsemane; the Kidron Valley; the Tomb of the Virgin Mary; and other holy sites.

The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls is one of the best-preserved medieval Islamic cities in the world. It is divided into four main quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Jewish Quarter. The Old City has been home to many diverse cultures, which are reflected in the architecture and planning of the city and its sacred buildings, streets, markets, and residential quarters. Today, Jerusalem’s living traditions continue, making the city the heart of human history. In 1981, Old City of Jerusalem and its walls were inscribed on the list of the cities of World Heritage in Danger by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

6160

6362

Bethlehem The city of Bethlehem is holy to both Christians and Muslims. It is acknowledged as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The Church of the Nativity, a Byzantine basilica, was built by Helena (the mother of Emperor Constantine), to commemorate Jesus’ birth. It is built on top of a cave where, according to a tradition first documented in the second century AD, Jesus was born. It was first dedicated in 339 AD.

The church is the central feature of Bethlehem and is surrounded by other important sites related to Christ’s birth. Among these is the Milk Grotto, an irregular cave hewn in the soft limestone, located southeast of the basilica, where according to Christian traditions, Mother Mary nursed baby Jesus while hiding there from Herod’s soldiers. The shepherds’ fields, where the angel of the Lord is believed to have appeared before the shepherds to bring them the good tidings of the birth of Jesus, are roughly two kilometers east of Bethlehem. Bethlehem’s old town is the place where a wide range of religious and traditional activities take place. The Patriarch’s Route, which runs along Star Street, is the route of an annual religious procession that takes place during Christmas celebrations. Nativity Square hosts a grand celebration each year, marking the anniversary of the birth of Christ.

In 2012, the Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route were inscribed on the World Heritage List. In 2014, the Cultural Landscape of Battir Village was also inscribed on the World Heritage List as a pilot site of Palestine, Land of Olives and Vines.

Hebron (Khalil ar-Rahman)Hebron is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. Its Arabic name, Khalil ar-Rahman, means “Friend of God.” Ancient Hebron was situated on Jebel ar-Rumeideh (Rumeideh hill), located southwest of the current historic town.

The city has always been known as the burial place of the prophets Ibrahim/Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives. During the Roman period, Herod the Great (73–74 BC) built a massive wall to enclose the cave of the prophets’ tombs. After the conquest of Hebron by the Crusaders (1099), this enclosure was turned into a church, and subsequently, after Saladin’s retaking of the city in 1187, became a mosque.

With the Arab-Muslim conquest, Hebron became the fourth sacred city of Islam after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, and was visited by Muslim pilgrims from all over the world. The town and the mosque were honored and sanctified by the rulers of successive Muslim states, the Islamic leaders, and by the public. The city flourished during Mamluk rule (1250–1516 AD), and during Ottoman rule (1517–1918), the town witnessed a period of expansion, giving the old city its present-day shape and boundaries. Still dominated by Mamluk-style architecture, the old town of Hebron is one of the few Islamic cities that has preserved its authentic setup, visible in its urban fabric and prestigious architecture, corroborated by its particular craftsmanship. Its market, (souq) has striking arched roofs and a maze of alleys that are definitely worth exploring. The shops and stalls sell everything from pottery, olivewood, and blown glass to a wide array of aromatic spices and dried fruits.

In 2017, UNESCO declared the old city of Hebron a Palestinian World Heritage Site of unique and extraordinary value.

6362

6564

JerichoLocated 36 kilometers east of Jerusalem, Jericho is on the road to Amman and at the junction of the highway to the Galilee. Tell as-Sultan, the ancient city of Jericho, is the lowest (258 meters below sea level) and the oldest town on earth, dating back more than 10,000 years. It grew up around a perennial spring, Ain as-Sultan, in an area of fertile alluvial soil that attracted hunter-gatherer groups to settle and start the process of plant and animal domestication. Ain as-Sultan is known as Elisha’s Spring, where the prophet Elisha cleansed the water of Jericho.

Jericho’s moderate climate makes it a favorite winter resort, as it is always a number of degrees warmer than other parts of Palestine, owing to its low elevation and the height of the surrounding mountains. It is an important agricultural area, producing fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Jericho dates, bananas, and citrus fruits are especially famous.

Among the main touristic and archaeological sites in Jericho are the Monastery of Temptation (Deir Quruntel), the Umayyad Hisham’s Palace, the Sycamore tree and Russian museum, Qumran, Wadi Qelt and the Monastery of Saint George, Maqam an-Nabi Musa, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea.

RamallahLocated 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem, at an elevation of 900 meters above sea level at the crest of the hills, Ramallah is known as the “Bride of Palestine” because of its general geographical beauty. Ramallah has a pleasant, cool climate and has long been a popular summer resort. During the twelfth century, French Crusaders built a stronghold in Ramallah, and the remains of a Crusader tower, known as At-Tira, can still be seen in the old part of town.

With its lively town center, museums, art galleries, theaters, parks, booming restaurant scene, and bustling nightlife, modern Ramallah is a fast-growing cosmopolitan town. It is also very welcoming towards visitors, with comfortable places to stay, some of Palestine’s best restaurants, good transport, other tourism-related services, and hospitable, friendly people.

Ramallah’s twin city, Al-Bireh, is located on the central ridge running through the mountains of central Palestine. Its location served as a cross-border trade route

between the north and south, along the caravan route between Jerusalem and Nablus.

The city of Ramallah is surrounded by several major historical, cultural, and natural sites, such as Beitin, Taybeh, Abud, Tell an-Nasbah, Birzeit, Jifna, and Ein Kenya Nature Reserve.

6564

6766

NablusNeapolis, the new city, was founded by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD. It was built on the northern slope of Mount Gerizim; around two kilometers west of Tel Balata (the Canaanite town of Shechem). Mount Gerizim, or Jebel at-Tor, is the sacred mountain of the Samaritans, now a small Palestinian community of only a few hundred people.

Over the years, the original Greek name, Neapolis, was Arabicised into the city’s modern name, Nablus. The city developed into a major center in the second century AD. Major building projects were launched, including the hippodrome, the theater, and other public buildings. During the Roman period, a temple dedicated to Zeus was erected on Mount Gerizim, and the city was raised to the status of a Roman colony. Neapolis flourished during the Byzantine and the Islamic Arab periods. From the tenth century, it was known as little Damascus.

The seven quarters of the old city represent a distinctive example of traditional urban architecture in Palestine. The city center features a bustling market, or souq, with impressive mosques, Turkish baths, and traditional soap factories. At the end of the eighteenth century, the city began to expand outside its original walls.

Today, Nablus is considered the major commercial, industrial, and agricultural center in the northern region of Palestine. It is known for its olive oil soap, talented goldsmiths, and traditional sweets. Nablus is considered to be the best place in Palestine to eat knafeh, a beloved Palestinian dessert made from cheese and semolina flour, and dripping with sweet rosewater syrup.

Touring the old city of Nablus is highly recommended to admire the unique architecture, and later to visit Jacob’s Well at the Greek Orthodox Monastery, in addition to visiting Sebastia, located 12 kilometers northwest of Nablus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Palestine, which flourished during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The present town of Sebastia, including the archaeological remains, the historical town, and the cultural landscape, is a major tourist attraction, represented by the shrine of Nabi Yahyia, the Cathedral of John the Baptist, the Roman mausoleum, the olive press, Kayed Palace, and the traditional buildings, along with a hiking trail.

JeninJenin is located about 43 kilometers north of Nablus, on the ancient trade road from Nablus through Wadi Bal’ama and across the plain of Marj Ibn Amer and Lajjun to Haifa , with an altitude of about 100–250 meters above sea level. The name was derived from Ein Ganim meaning the spring of Ganim and referring to the region’s plentiful spring. Jenin, known as Gina in the Amarna letters in the fourteenth century BC, and Gina in the Roman period, the city was named Grand Grin during the Crusader period.

Today, Jenin is a picturesque town built on the slopes of a hill and surrounded with gardens of carob, fig, and palm trees. It is distinguished by its agriculture, producing an abundance of fruits and vegetables. The main attractions in Jenin and the surrounding area are Khirbet Bal’ama and its water tunnel, the Church of the Ten Lepers at Burqin, Tell Taannek, Tell Dothan, Arraba and the Abdulhadi Palaces, Sanur Citadel, Zababdeh, Fatima Khatoon Mosque (The Grand Mosque), and the Forest of Umm Al-Rihan.

Tulkarem The prosperous town of Tulkarem is located 12 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, and about 15 kilometres west of Nablus. Its location between the coastal plain and mountains of central Palestine has made it an important stop along both trade and conquest routes over the course of history. Originally inhabited by the Canaanites, its ancient name was Tur Karm, meaning the Mountain of Vineyards, because of its fertile land.

During the Ayyubid period and later the Mamluk period (1260–1516), most of Tulkarem’s lands were made part of a waqf (religious trust) to support Al-Madrasa al-Farisiyya in Jerusalem. The mainstay of the Tulkarem economy was agriculture, and fertile land produced grain, citrus, fruits, and olives.

Qalqilya Situated 12 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast, Qalqilya was once a Canaanite city. Its name was derived from a Roman castle known as Qala’alia. This small town has the only zoo in Palestine, which was established in 1986.

6766

6968

Gaza The city of Gaza is located on the Mediterranean seashore, 32 kilometers north of the Egyptian border. It is considered one of the most ancient towns in the world. Strategically placed on the Mediterranean coastal route, ancient Gaza was a prosperous trade center and a stop on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria.

Today, Gaza City is the economic center for a region where citrus fruits and other crops are grown. The city is famous for its handwoven carpets, wicker furniture, and pottery. Famous also for its fresh seafood, Gaza has numerous restaurants along the beach as well as public parks where visitors can enjoy the pleasant Mediterranean breeze.

Major historical, archaeological, and touristic attractions in Gaza include Anthedon Port, Tell Um Amer, the Great Mosque, Napoleon’s Fort, St. Porphyrus Church, Al-Zaytun and Al-Daraj Quarters, Sayyed Hashem Mosque, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Deir al-Balah and Wadi Gaza.

68

7170

Ahmad M. Battaah

P e r s o n a l i t y o f t h e M o n t h

regarding planning policies and programs for local development. In coordination with them, he created a National Observatory for Sustainable Development in the town of Ajja, which advanced Ajja’s services, infrastructure projects, and sustainable development. In addition to creating a new image for local governance of a village, and the part it could play in contributing to sustainable development, he worked to break away from stereotypical evaluations of local-council service provision. This was made clear during the many activities and innovative projects held in Ajja this year which affected various work sectors such as energy, infrastructure, investment, and administrative development. This was combined with development and investment projects and the creation of solar power fields, one of which produces 1 mega. Funding countries were contacted, and two municipality projects have been implemented. These projects aim to nurture economic and local independence, as well as empower sustainability and durability regarding a safe, green environment, which is already planned as part of an overall project to empower and encourage ecotourism in Ajja. This plan includes creating Ajja’s green forest and a six-kilometer nature walk, restoring historical artifacts and sites, building Ajja’s public park, organizing workshops and seminars,

and training the local community and the council/municipality’s staff locally and internationally, all of which aims to take tourism to the next level.

Encouraging an ecotourism culture is already in the works as a few municipalities have been contacted and a number of workshops have been held, the first of which was held in Jordan, with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. Other workshops have been offered across Palestine that aim to help and encourage local municipalities to promote ecotourism and spread an understanding of its value for the environment and for local communities, as well as its important role in empowering the economy. These workshops have resulted in the creation of the Palestinian Society for Ecotourism in Jerusalem. Through the efforts of Ahmad Battaah, president of the society, plans are in place regarding funding and investment, encouraging ecotourism, and attracting tourists. Work has begun on a new project to create energy from domestic waste, and international parties have been contacted regarding the matter. The aim is to facilitate economic independence for families in Palestine.

Ahmad Battaah was born in 1969 in Ajja, Jenin, Palestine. He graduated in 1990 from Al-Rawda College, where he received a diploma in business administration and architectural drawing. He worked for 15 years in union work and as a member of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and assisted in the establishment of several unions. He was later appointed president of the Timber and Construction Association and contributed to the drafting of the Palestinian Labor Law. Furthermore, he has participated in several international and local workshops, such as the art of negotiation at the Workers University in Cairo in 1996.

Ahmad first worked in the private sector but was later appointed mayor of Ajja in 2011 and was subsequently elected mayor for two electoral cycles, remaining in office till today. He was also elected twice as president of the Charitable Cooperative Society in the town of Ajja. Furthermore, Ahmad was part of a training program organized by the Arab Planning Institute

70

7372Boo

kKEEPING FAITH WITH HOPE:

So let us get down to brass tacks: what is my new book all about?

In its essence, it is an anthology of my articles over the past twenty years that strives to mirror my decades-long hands-on involvement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There are, of course, new additions and updates as well as a glossary that attempts to define those sensitive and oft-controversial terms associated with this conflict. Add to this a foreword by Rami G. Khouri, who is, in my mind, one of the compasses of the MENA and Gulf regions, as well as a preface by the editor Simon Barrow, who is also the director of the Ekklesia think tank.

This 140-page short read, quintessentially a vessel for my own thoughts on this fraught topic, does not pretend to offer a magic bullet – dare I add here a deus ex machina – to a conflict between two peoples and three faiths that has been festering for at least 52 years. Far from it! What my book does offer though is a cluster of five different themes that have colored my observations and impacted my analyses over twenty years. It also gauges how my thoughts have seesawed between moments of optimism and pessimism as the vision for an independent Palestine was challenged – whether by omission or commission, brutality or subtlety – by a perilous state of inertia.

Over the years, I have witnessed how the sanguine dream of the 1990s morphed into a nightmare that worked hard to spoliate Palestinian lands. I have seen an ugly separation wall come up that eats away more Palestinian lands and separates Palestinians from their dream for a state on the internationally recognized borders of 1967. I have seen the number of settlers and settlements on Palestinian lands metastasizing so deliberately that both the demography and geography of the country are now under co-equal threat. I have seen roadblocks and checkpoints that are reminiscent of South Africa’s hated pass laws that criminalized black South Africans if they ever stepped into a white city, or else when black people were relocated from areas zoned for white people.

Take these visible signs of policy-fed humiliation, brutality, or even victimization, and simply substitute “black South African” for “Palestinian.” Indeed, Public International Law defines apartheid as a state-sanctioned regime of institutionalized and legalized racial discrimination. And that is occurring today in Palestine for a proud people who continue to struggle against colossal challenges and mighty powers or principalities. Just look at the “Great March of Return” protests across the border in Gaza. Or the defunding of Palestinian and international institutions and the withholding of tax returns. Consider the verbiage surrounding the “ultimate deal”

By Dr. Harry Hagopian, edited by Simon Barrow

Ekklesia Publishing (United Kingdom)

June 2019, 140 pages, paperback, £11.99

Available in all bookstores and online

B o o k o f t h e M o n t h

by the triumvirate of Messrs. Jared Kushner, Jason D. Greenblatt, and David M. Friedman alongside their acolytes or complicit allies that hovers over Palestinian heads. And ask yourself: what will this deal do?

It is an undeniable fact today that the rulers of some countries – from the Gulf to North Africa – are so concerned about defending their own interests and prerogatives that the masks have slipped and they are far less willing to pay even lip service to Palestinian hopes. And whilst the Arab masses still broadly support the Palestinian struggle, they are themselves too weary with their own internecine fights to be vocal about Palestine. Hence, the “deal of the century” that willfully tried (and I use the past tense purposely) to buy the Palestinian political acquiescence with lush but nonetheless spurious economic incentives. Throw some money at Palestinians, given how desperately they need it in Gaza and the West Bank, and they will forfeit the legitimacy of their political rights. Or so argue those who have no understanding of the Palestinian mettle or dream.

The five themes of my book explore the metamorphosis in the challenges and onslaughts facing Israel-Palestine. However, let me add that its focus also reflects my background in that the book is not only about hard-core politics. It also grazes ecumenical politics. In fact, one of my challenges is directed at the churches and mosques, as well as at other faith-based or nongovernmental organizations across Europe and elsewhere, to stop sitting coyly on the fence with a convenient “on the one hand, and on the other hand” attitude and to speak out instead with prophetic courage even if such standpoints prove at times costly to them. Does giving a voice to the voiceless no longer constitute a component of faith or morality – or even ethics?

As I was penning this article for TWiP, a thought rudely colonized my mind. Perhaps I should have suggested to my editor that we change the main title from Keeping Faith with Hope to Keeping Faith in Hope! After all, the cover of the book boldly challenges us with the Via Dolorosa that is willy-nilly a two-millennia imbedded reality of the Old City of Jerusalem.

So my hope today, as TWiP generously offers me this space for condensing my thoughts, is that readers will discover (or re-discover perhaps) that Israel-Palestine is not a rights-based story about Israeli rights alone but one about Palestinian historical and contemporary rights too. Sadly, the latter reality is often drowned out by the cacophony of loud politicians and fake news.

Mind you though, my more modest – and perhaps even achievable – hope is to have one of my book launches at the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem! After all, Banksy makes for terrific company – even for an Armenian like myself!

The Challenge of Israel-Palestine

7574Art

ist

Samer Rashed

A r t i s t o f t h e M o n t h

Samer Rashed is a Palestinian composer and viola player from Jerusalem. He graduated from the National Conservatory of Music in Jerusalem and began a challenging journey to pursue his passion in music composition, particularly for the viola. This journey led him to Istanbul, where he studied with world-renowned musicians and violinists, and was influenced by Turkish gypsy and jazz music. In 2016, Samer launched his first album, Gypsy Rhapsodies, in Jerusalem, which contained five of his music compositions and two covers in gypsy swing/jazz music.

With this album, Samer became the first Palestinian musician to

compose a music album of this genre for the viola, which was distinguished by its upbeat rhythm and harmony, showcasing the beauty of

simple yet sophisticated melodies that bring joy to listeners – a key trait of gypsy swing music.

The album launch was followed by a number of successful concerts in

Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Haifa, and

the Golan Heights, asserting on

one hand the a u d i e n c e

demand for u n i q u e gen res

that incorporate Arabic music and, on the other hand, setting a great example for young Palestinian musicians through showing them what can be accomplished with minimal resources and maximum ambition.

The success of his first album led Samer to launch his second album in 2019, Tales of the Gypsy Jazz, which includes seven of his compositions in gypsy jazz music and incorporates unique instruments such as the buzuq and the accordion. This album reflects Samer’s progress as a composer and as a viola player by introducing pieces that require challenging techniques and performance skills. Tales of the Gypsy Jazz includes a diverse range of upbeat and slow music that takes listeners on a variety of journeys and presents yet again an unprecedented employment of the viola as the key instrument in this genre.

Samer remains strongly influenced by Eastern music and jazz techniques, and continues to be inspired by the gypsy and swing traditions. In addition, the quality of his music productions is a result of the collaboration with highly talented local musicians as part of his vision to compose, arrange, and produce music that is inclusive and impactful. His music offers various local musicians a platform to showcase their performance techniques and interact with Palestinian audiences. His selection of supporting instruments enriches the album and also sends a strong message that music composition is as important as the values and the messages associated with it, particularly for a Palestinian artist.

7574

7776

E x h i b i t i o n o f t h e M o n t h I

The Moon Is a Sun Returning as a GhostNoor Abuarafeh Solo Show

e x

h i b

i t i o

n i

Curated by Lara KhaldiAl Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary ArtAugust 5, 2019 – October 2, 2019

This exhibition is the first solo show for Jerusalemite artist Noor Abuarafeh. The exhibition includes seven artworks that span the last five years of the artist’s career. Two are newly created and presented for the first time in the exhibition.

Abuarafeh has been concerned with the construction of canons and histories – whether institutional, art historical, or discursive. For the last few years her work has focused on the deconstruction of contemporary institutionalization that has been taking place in Palestine since the Oslo Accords. Her work is critical yet affirmative. She creates intimate, small histories around those who were pushed to the outskirts of canons. This exhibition showcases old and newly produced works that question Palestinian art history and recent museumification through telling stories, giving voice to rumors, and pointing out what has been removed from memory. Her work takes various forms, including videos, novels, publications, and installations, as well as photographs.

The exhibition starts with the novel “The Earth Doesn’t Tell Its Secrets”– His Father Once Said, which chronicles the obsession of the protagonist in rumors around the many creations of Palestine’s first museum and subsequently other small museums in homes, cookie jars, and anecdotes about objects. Some of the objects and images from the novel will be presented on newly designed display plinths and shelves in a living-room-like environment, where visitors are enticed to read the novel. On the

second floor, one finds When They Get Out They Lose Their Magic, a

video that addresses a disappeared collection of Palestinian artworks from the 1990s, installed in Al Ma’mal’s archive and kitchen space. The project also includes a publication, Paintings that Didn’t Find Their Way Back, which narrates the journey that these works went through until they settled at their last destination in London. In the adjacent corridor, the video installation As If I Have Never Been in This Place before “On Sunday Seven pm” is installed along with jars filled with dust from various Palestinian exhibition spaces. The installation explores – among other issues – questions about what happens to personal memories of trauma at the museum, namely at a Palestinian museum. Opposite this video installation is another artwork that takes the form of a publication: “Rumors Started Some Time Ago” is an investigative research journey into a photograph found at the Imperial War Museum in London, leading the artist to information about the different

Palestinian museum

that was founded under the Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate. The publication includes historical documents and chronicles the findings in a manner close to the process of inquiry itself, asking the reader to consider the story within today’s context of archive and museum fever in Palestine.

In the main hall, two videos are presented alongside each other in one display structure. Observational Desire on a Memory that Remains and The Magic of the Photograph that Remembers How to Forget, are the result of another long inquiry which started from an archival photograph. Both videos attend to the formation of art-historical canons and their subsequent overshadowing of other artists and artistic practices. At the end of the hall, the video installation Am I the Ageless Object at the Museum? is screened along sculptural objects, forming a dreamlike museum of living and dead creatures (i.e., a zoo).

The exhibition addresses what is outside and beyond hegemonic narratives that pertain to art history and institutions. It is full of generative questions about form, representation, memory, and desire, among many other issues.

7978

E x h i b i t i o n o f t h e M o n t h I I

Contemplative Contrasts e

x h

i b i t

i o n

I I

Curator: Dr. Bahaa AbudayaGaza ART

This exhibition is the product of the “Contemporary Linkages” project that seeks to respond to the needs of artists in the Gaza Strip through a series of training courses and collaborations with Arab and international expertise to implement art residencies and provide production grants for Gazan artists. The project also aims to present the experiences of several local artists and the works of eight prominent artists and founders of the art movement in the Gaza Strip. Contemplative Contrasts provides visitors with their own space to contemplate the art experiences and contrast the creative development in all its types – between the conventional and the unconventional in the local art scene.

This commitment, at a later stage, pushed the language of expression and its instruments into a space of experimentation and contemporalities from the style to the production of works of art – works that not only keep up with the pace of modern-day language with its techniques and tools but that also address nonpolitical issues, thus providing visitors with a space that allows them to judge, compare, and contemplate. A space that was at all times delimited with the domination of the political context and the direct effect of a disastrous event and the proximity of daily catastrophes in the Gaza Strip. This has literally transformed the viewer into a recipient, without providing a means of interaction with the artistic language and the ability to compare between different experiences.

Stemming from this contrast, the exhibition aims to provide an open space and a white space that presents everything to viewers so that they can offer an opinion on what they consider conventional and unconventional. And as a parting challenge, they are asked: Is this art? What is art?

The exhibition demonstrates the overall art experiences in the Gaza Strip, whether inspired by classical and traditional expression instruments and styles or associated more with mixed media and the worlds of artistic experimentation. Since the early stages of the Palestinian art movement following 1948, political discourse with its theorization dominated visual creativity in Palestine. This became inaccurately associated with the term “Palestinian Art” and was reflected in many mediums from painting to sculpture to printing. The influence of the direct politically theorized narrative continued for generations as a result of the suffering imposed on Palestinians by the occupation. It spawned a distinctive identity of Palestinian art production that necessitated its politicization and, to a great extent, came at the expense of the artwork and its concept.

8180whe

re to

go

W h e r e t o G o

Ein Dara (32.014583°N, 35.173535°E) is around 20 kilometers north of Ramallah and belongs to Ajjul Village. It is a beautiful spring located at the bottom of Ein Dara Valley, a lush evergreen habitat where water flows all year round, offering a sense of freedom to all who roam around the patchwork pieces of cultivated land.

Ein Dara is a picturesque, peaceful, natural, and clean spring. Farmers here plant only organic vegetables: beans, lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, pepper, tomato, cabbage, and cauliflower. Citrus trees are also plentiful: lemon, orange, clementine, grapefruit, even pomelo, and lots of pomegranates and grapes.

The valley teaches you to appreciate colors, thorns, leaves, and the smell of the surrounding beauty: the holy thistle with its purple flowers, or the cyclamen – that lovely flower that endlessly and shyly looks down, living inside pockets of soil in rocks or in the trunks of olive trees. Everywhere you can detect the smell of sage, with its light green color; and the orchids, a variety of them, are short-lived, blooming only between the months of February and April.

The buzzing of insects is like music. It is the symphony of nature, never-ending sounds of grasshoppers scratching their legs, the buzzing of bees, wasps, beetles, and butterflies. Birds, and lots of them. Hear a jay scream, spot a tiny flycatcher, notice the lovely song of a goldfinch, and in the distance, hear a spectacled bulbul.

Ein Dara is located at the end of the dirt road down in the valley. On the weekend, it is quiet – no dust, and no trucks coming down to pump the water for the busy construction site uphill. Farmers plant zucchini, potatoes, and beans; no fertilizers, no hormones, no pesticides, no

For more information and guidance, contact Durar Bawatneh: 059 792 5166. Bassam Almohor can be reached at almohor@gmail.com, 059 753 4681,or through Facebook: @palestinestreetlife.

By Bassam Almohor

The Hidden Paradise of Ein Dara

On the left side of the valley, there is a spectacular farmer’s cottage perched on telephone poles and sided to the rock of the cliff. A tiny swimming pool, coated with billboard advertisement canvas, has been dug underneath to cool kids down in the hot summer. The scene is indescribable.

Ajjul Village is an ancient site that goes back some 3,000 years. Ceramic pieces have been found that date back to the Iron Age and to the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Ayyubid, and Mamluk periods, and finally to the Ottoman era. Visit the old town mosque and take a look at the inscription on the south wall which dates the mosque to 1196 AD. The inscription is in Ayyubid naskhi script.

genetically modified food here. The seeds left over from last year’s crops are saved by the farmers for the next season. Contact one of the farmers and you might get a chance to pick the veggies yourself.

81

8382

N e w l y R e l e a s e d INe

wly

re

lea

sed

IThe development of the Doroob Navigator app started in October 2018. In April 2019, the team began to conduct closed beta testing in some areas, and the application was officially launched in June 2019, acquiring approximately 15,000 users within the first month and a half.

Doroob

By Doroob Technologies

Doroob Navigator is on a serious mission to help its users save time and better plan their travels safely and efficiently.

Doroob Technologies is a Palestinian technology startup that specializes in navigation and location-based solutions. Its main mission is to develop accurate and up-to-date maps for overlooked local regions and communities. Simultaneous with the release of Doroob Navigator, Doroob Technologies is working on developing innovative location-based tools to address constraints in supply-chain and fleet-management routing operations, transportation, and logistics.

A Palestinian project designed to cater to the needs of the Palestinian driver on the road, Doroob is distinguished by its capacity to enhance the safety of drivers – whether by reflecting the politically divided road system in the application’s settings or by navigating drivers to avoid roads that lead to settlements or checkpoints.

A Navigation Application

With Doroob Navigator, users are able to find locations as well as receive optimized navigation routing with built-in instructions. The Doroob Navigation app was designed to be interactive: users can report traffic and road information immediately, and other users can confirm the events on a live map. Such functions aim to provide users with accurate and updated road information.

8584

N e w l y R e l e a s e d I INe

wly

re

lea

sed

I I

Stallions of Palestine

The day I began this film and met Abdel Naser Musleh in the spring of 2018 was the day his Arabian mare gave birth to a colt, Mawal al-Nahar, four weeks before the due date. The colt was born with serious health complications that required immediate medical care, and that evening, he almost died.

Abdel Naser, a young Palestinian horse breeder, lives in Kafr Aqab, an area that is part of the Jerusalem municipality but decisively in the West Bank, behind the separation barrier. That night, his colt was rescued by an Israeli veterinarian who crossed the border into the West Bank to treat the baby horse, despite the restrictions that bar such an entry.

This scenario hit home to me how the community around Arabian horses straddles the country’s conflict in a way that starkly reveals how it affects

every aspect of life, including mundane daily activities and passionate pursuits alike.

It’s clear where Palestinian horse breeders are limited. They have less access to medical care for their animals. They are limited with regard to which shows their horses can compete in and where they can train. And when the options are there, the horses have to deal with being transported through checkpoints in order to compete on a national level. And for horse breeders in East Jerusalem, it is nearly impossible to obtain permits to build stables.

But another important way in which Palestine’s horse community stands apart is that, unlike in other countries and parts of the world, it’s not just extremely wealthy people with fancy stables who own champion Arabian horses. It’s everyday Palestinians who keep the horses in their own houses and yards. And through their love and passion alone, these breeders are able to compete on an international level. The fact that horses are kept in people’s homes directly lends itself to the connection that horse breeding fosters between

people who might otherwise never interact. When breeders want to see each other’s horses, they must visit each other in their homes. This creates an intimate connection that genuinely transcends politics and the conflict in ways that other sports and hobbies are not able to achieve.

This film is more about colts than about actual stallions. It is a film about potential: the potential for a country to find freedom, the potential for a boy to become a man, and the potential for a colt to grow into a champion stallion.

The film follows Abdel Naser and his family as they navigate the difficulties of raising these delicate animals in the West Bank. I saw this project as an opportunity to examine the greater issues of the region via the lens of this unique community and Abdel Naser’s love of Arabian horses.

Finally, here’s a link to the video: https://www.topic.com/stallions-of-palestine. Hope you’ll enjoy watching it.

Director Elise Coker

Elise Coker’s documentary about a Palestinian family that raises Arabian horses in the West Bank.

8786

E V E N T S

JERUSALEMLECTURES Monday 2618:30–20:30 Object-in-Focus: David Ohannessian: From Jerusalem to the World is a discussion organized by the Palestinian Museum in par tnership with the Educational Bookshop and presented by Sato Moughalian, who will be speaking about David Ohannessian’s artworks that are featured at the American Colony Hotel, highlighting the unsettled relationship between home, uprooting, and the continued migration. The American Colony Hotel.

TOURS Monday 2616:00–18:00 A Tour through History: Exploring the History of Artisanal Ceramics in Jerusalem. Organized by the Palestinian Museum, the tour traces the works of David Ohannessian while taking par ticipants to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to explore the roots of artisanal ceramics in Jerusalem, and then to the British Mandate and Ottoman Jerusalem, where the art of ceramics flourished through many artists, but most prominently through David Ohannessian himself. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ThePalestinianMuseum/.

BETHLEHEMCONCERTS Saturday 1718:00 Cantando musical per formance, conducted by Rober ta Paraninfo and organized by Amwaj Choir under the patronage of the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem, is the first collaboration between the director of the Accademia Vocale di Genova and Amwaj Choir to explore centuries of Italian vocal repertoire, from the Renaissance to our days. Bethlehem Peace Center.Saturday 2419:00 Early Music across Continents and Traditions is a musical performance organized as part of Beit Jala International Festival for Peace and presented by Amwaj Choir from Palestine and Ensemble Fortuna Canta from Germany, combining European medieval music with songs from the classical Arabic reper toire. Annunciation (Latin) Church, Beit Jala.

SPECIAL EVENTSThursday 1 – Saturday 319:00–22:30 The 6th Annual Bet Lahem Live Festival organized by Holy Land Trust, presenting a variety of cultural, social, and enter taining shows, in addition to a local market. Next to The Walled Off Hotel. For more information about the program, please visit www.facebook.com/Betlahemliveofficial/.

Friday 16 – Saturday 17 17:00–23:30 The 4th Annual Shepherds Beer Festival organized by Birzeit Brewing Company. Celebrate the premium product of Birzeit beer and promote a better taste of Palestine while you enjoy a variety of musical performances. Osh Ghrab, Beit Sahour. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/438698743400371/.SYMPOSIAThursday 112:00–14:00 The Israeli Strategy to Erase Palestinian Identity from 1948 till today: Challenges and Future Vision is a session organized as part of the 6th Annual Bet Lahem Live Festival and features Dr. Hanan Ashrawi. Bethlehem Peace Center. Saturday 312:00–14:00 The Role of Culture and Ar ts in Consolidating the Palestinian Identity is a roundtable session organized as part of the 6th Annual Bet Lahem Live Festival, featuring Dr. Ehab Bseiso, director of the National Library and former minister of culture; George Al Ama, researcher and collector; and Khaled Al Masou, director of Inad Theatre. Bethlehem Peace Center.Wednesday 21 – Saturday 249:00–18:00 Bethlehem: A Socio-Cultural History is an international conference organized by Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, Bethlehem Municipality, and Konrad Adenauer Foundation, in preparation for Bethlehem Capital of Arab Culture 2020, to promote and celebrate Arab culture and encourage cultural exchange and cooperation in the region. Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture.

THEATERTuesday 619:30–20:30 Chronicles of a Single Day. Time: Beirut; Place: A day in August 1982 is a live audio-visual interpretation by artist Dirar Kalash of poet Mahmoud Darwish’s Memory for Forgetfulness, a visceral prose account of the 1982 Israeli invasion and shelling of Beirut. The visual component of this performance includes images of 1982 wartime in Lebanon, drawn from the Palestinian Museum archive. The Palestinian Museum.

BIRZEITBOOK LAUNCHES Sunday 2518:30–20:30 Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian, a book launch and discussion with the American-Armenian researcher and flutist, Sato Moughalian, presenting the ar t of her grandfather, the owner of Palestine Ceramics Workshop in Jerusalem. The Palestinian Museum.

EXHIBITIONSFriday 214:00–19:00 Visual Art Critique is a one-day writing workshop led by writer and critic Adania Shibli that explores visual art and cultural criticism. Followed by the submission of written critiques of the works on view at the Intimate Terrains exhibition. The Palestinian Museum.

EVEN

TSWednesday 2116:30–17:30 Guest Curator’s Tour organized by the Palestinian Museum, with Intimate Terrains exhibition’s curator, Dr. Tina Sherwell, guiding visitors through the exhibition and sharing with them her extensive knowledge of contemporary Palestinian art history and its relationship to land and location. The Palestinian Museum.Wednesday 2117:30–18:30 Objects-in-Focus: The Temporary Ruin, with ar tist Benji Boyadgian presenting his project that documents the [Wad al-Shami] valley before it vanishes, as the ruins of its layered history turn to dust and are archived in the ideological vacuum of Israeli antiquities. The Palestinian Museum.

LECTURES Monday 511:00–14:00 Archive Conservation and Preservation workshop led by Museum Registrar Baha Jubeh, providing an overview of the Museum’s Conservation for Digitization project, in addition to raising awareness of the importance of archive conservation in Palestine. It also includes practical training on the handling and preservation of archive materials. The Palestinian Museum.

SPECIAL EVENTS Saturday 319:30–11:00 Ar t workshop led by ar tist Morgan Cooper, providing an introduction to scientific botanical drawing, and teaching participants to sketch detailed scientific drawings of plants through guided observation and interaction with the landscape. The Palestinian Museum.

RAMALLAHBOOK LAUNCHES Monday 518:00 Justice for Some, a book by Noura Erakat that offers a new approach to understanding the Palestinian struggle for freedom told through the power and control of international law and focusing on key junctures – from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to present-day wars in Gaza. The author shows how the strategic deployment of law has shaped current conditions, especially when the law has done more to advance Israel’s interests than that of the Palestinians over the past century. A.M. Qattan Foundation.

CHILDREN’S EVENTSThursday 1, 22, 2917:00–19:00 Quiz Night organized by Goethe-Institut Ramallah offers an enter tainment program that includes a team competition on a variety of educational questions. Goethe-Institut Ramallah.

CONCERTS Sunday 2518:00–21:00 Open Microphone project is a platform for talented people interested in music, poetry, literature, dance, acting, and stand-up comedy, or for those who are part of a band, to demonstrate their talent in a cheerful atmosphere. For more information about the venue and for registration, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/258163971331839/.

EXHIBITIONSSunday 419:00 Opening of El Funoun – from the Archives, an exhibition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. The exhibition will present an extensive and in-depth exploration of El-Funoun’s archive from 1979 until today, encompassing a large number of members, old and new – their experience and stories, as well as research on the formation of the troupe’s archive and their message that developed within an occupied, imprisoned, and dispossessed community. A.M. Qattan Foundation.

FILM SCREENINGS Thursday 119:00–21:00 Towards New Palestinian Heritage Practices is a documentary about architectonical heritage, conservation, re-uses of spaces, urbanization, and transformation in connection to memory and identity that will be screened after a choreography presentation by Farah Saleh and Mirjam Sogner. Organized by Goethe-Institut Ramallah and the French-German Cultural Centre. Goethe-Institut Ramallah.Saturday 718:00 Career Girls, produced in 1997 and directed by Mike Leigh, is an 83-minute American film that is a memorable portrayal of friendship between two women over the course of a decade. Annie and Hanna, who forged a strong bond as roommates during their university days in London in the mid-1980s, meet again six years after graduation. A.M. Qattan Foundation.Wednesday 2118:00 Topsy-Turvy, produced in 1999 and directed by Mike Leigh, is a 154-minute American film that tells the story of how during a creative dry spell, the partnership of the legendary musical and theatrical writers Gilbert and Sullivan almost dissolves, before they turn it all around and write The Mikado. A.M. Qattan Foundation.Wednesday 2818:00 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, produced in 1970 and directed by Jaromil Jires, is a 77-minute Czechoslovakian film about the surreal fantasy of a girl on the verge of womanhood, who finds herself in a sensual fantasyland of vampires, witchcraft, and other threats in this eerie and mystical movie daydream. A nonlinear, grown-up version of a fairy tale, this simultaneously enticing and macabre work provides a decidedly creepy look at “growing up.” A.M. Qattan Foundation.

SPECIAL EVENTS Monday 2618:00 Artist Talk features Mateusz Sapija, a PhD student in the history of ar t at the University of Edinburgh and an associate curator in Asakusa, Japan, will talk about his work that is mainly focused on the interdisciplinary dialogues between contemporary art and academia, operating within the fields of exhibition practices, public programming, and adult education, while relating to socio-political and historical matters. A.M. Qattan Foundation.

8988

Al-Jawalida St.#8, New Gate, P.O.Box 14644, Jerusalem 91146

Email: info@almamalfoundation.org, www.almamalfoundation.orgTel: 02-6283457, Fax: 02-6272312

Al Mamal Foundation for Contemporary Art

Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art

Tel: 009722 6261045, Fax: 009722 6261372 Email: officemanager@yabous.org, Website: Yabous.org

Jerusalem, Palestine10 Al Zahra St, P.O.Box 54874

Yabous Cultural Centre

Birzeit University,

Tchaikovsky Musical School Tel & Fax: 022778606

Tel:+972(0)2-626-3230, Fax: +972 (0)2-627-1711

Email: info@ncm.birzeit.edu, http://ncm.birzeit.edu

Beit Sahour Tel & Fax: 02-2748704

Nablus Tel & Fax: 09-2387773

Gaza Tel & Fax: 08-2628903

Jerusalem 11 Azzahra St, Shihabi Building

PO Box 66676, Jerusalem, 91666

https://www.facebook.com/esncm/

Ramallah Tel: 02-2959070-1, Fax: 02-2959071

Old Girl’s Hostel, Birzeit, Tel 02-281-9155/6

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM)

Photo courtesy of ESNCM

Abu Obaida St., P.O.Box 19377, Jerusalem.Tel: +972 2 6272531, Fax: +972 2 6272341Email: info@dta-museum.orgwebsite: www.dta-museum.org

Palestinian Heritage Museum

CULTURAL CENTERS

27 An-Nahda Women Association Street, Al-Tira,

Telephone: +970 2 296 0544/+970 2 296 3280, Fax: +970 2 296 0544Ramallah – Palestine, P.O. Box 2276, Postal Code 90606

Email: info@qattanfoundation.org, www.qattanfoundation.org

A.M. Qattan Foundation

Museum Street, PO Box 48, Birzeit, Palestine

The Palestinian Museum المتحف الفلسطیني

Tel: +970 2 294 1948, Fax: +970 2 294 1936, Email: info@palmuseum.org

@palmuseum palmuseum

Email: daralsabagh@cchp.ps daralsabagh

Star Street, Bethlehem, Tel and Fax: +970-2-2742225,

Dar Al Sabagh Diaspora Studies and Research Centre

Dar Al-Sabagh Centre for Diaspora Studies and Research

Sareyyet Ramallah- First Ramallah Group

Tel: + 970 2 295 27 06 / + 970 2 295 26 90Al-Tireh Street, P.O Box: 2017, Ramallah- West Bank, Palestine

SareyyetRamallah

E-mail: sareyyet@sareyyet.ps / art@sareyyet.ps, www.sareyyet.psJawwal: + 970 597 777 096, Fax: + 970 2 298 05 83

Email: Info@palcircus.ps, www.palcircus.psTelefax: +970-2-2812000, Mobile: +972-59 2812001Al Manzel Street, Birzeit

The Palestinian Circus School

The Palestinian Circus School

The Palestinian Museum

CULTURAL CENTERS

Popular Art CentreAl -Ain Street, Box 3627, EI- Bireh, Palestine Tel: +970 2 240389, Fax: +97 0 2 2402851, Mob: +97 0 598947907Email: info@popularartcentre.org, www.popularartcentre.org

facebook.com/PopularArtCentre http://twitter.com/PAC_ArtCentre

http://instagram.com/pac.artcentre

www.palestinenature.org/visit

Mar Andrea, Antonya Street, BethlehemTel. 979-22773553 info@palestinenature.org

Palestine Museum of Natural History

Palestine Museum of Natural History

9190

Via Dolorosa 37, P.O.Box 19600, Jerusalem 91194Tel: +972 2 6265800, Fax: +972 2 6265816Email: office@austrianhospice.com, Website:www.austrianhospice.com

Austrian Hospice of the Holy Family

Latin Patriarch St. 33, JerusalemTel 628 2431, Fax: 628 2401 gloriahl@netvision.net.

Gloria Hotel

(104 rooms; mr; res)

Freres Street, New Gate, JerusalemTel 628 2537, Fax: 627 5390 kp@actcom.co.il

(50 rooms; mr; res)

Knights Palace Hotel

Ali Ben Abi Taleb Street, Jerusalem Tel: 02-6282588, Fax: 02-6264417 christmashotel@bezeqint.net

Christmas Boutique Hotel

Ambassador Hotel Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, 91196, Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202 reservation@jerusalemambassador.com, www.jerusalemambassador.com

(118 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)/amb.jerusalem

Jerusalem Hotel15 Antara Ben Shadad St., Jerusalem Tel: 628 3282, Fax: 6283282, raed@jrshotel.com, www.jrshotel.com

Jerusalem Hotel

3 Paratroopers Road, P.O. Box 20531, Jerusalem, 91204 Tel: 627 9111, Fax: 627 1995, www.notredamecenter.org

Pontifical Institute

Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

Pontificial Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, 91190Tel: 626 7777, Fax: 627 1319svnarch@bezeqint.net, www.7arches.com

Seven Arches Hotel

8 Ibn Khaldoun Street, P.O.Box 19186, Jerusalem Tel: +972 (0)2 626 9900, Fax: +972 (0)2 626 9910 Email: reservations@jerusalemritz.com, www.jerusalemritz.com www.facebook.com/RitzHotelJerusalem

Ritz Hotel Jerusalem

ACCOMMODATIONS

P.O.Box 1321 Jerusalem 9101301 IsraelTel: 02 627 1441, 02 626 2974, Fax: 02 626 4370Email: casanovaj@custodia.org, https://casanovaj.custodia.org/

Casanova Street, New Gate

Casa Nova - Jerusalem Hospice Guesthouse

Carmel Hotel Al-Masyoun, Ramallah, Palestine Tel: 2972222 Fax: 2966966, www.carmelhotel.ps

74 rooms & suites, 20 hotel apartment, Spa, Gym, 2 Bars, 6 conference rooms, 2 restaurants, and indoor parking.

Al Masyoun, RamallahTel: 022979400 Fax: 022979401info@caesar-hotel.ps, www.caesar-hotel.ps

Caesar Hotel

Al-Nuzha Street 24 , Ramallah Tel 297 7073reservation@lavenderboutiquehotel.com, www.lavenderboutiquehotel.com

Lavender Boutique Hotel

Taybeh Golden HotelMain Street 100 ,Taybeh (Ramallah District) Tel 289-9440info@taybehgoldenhotel.com, www.taybehgoldenhotel.com

reservations.mhra@millenniumhotels.com, www.millenniumhotels.com Tel: +970 2 2985888 Fax: +970 2 2985333P.O Box 1771, Palestine, Ramallah, Al Masyoun

Millennium Hotel Palestine Ramallah

Tantur Hills Hotel

P.O.Box 19250, Jerusalem 9119201Tel: +972 2 5658800 Fax: +972 2 5658801reservations@tanturhills.com, www.tanturhills.com

Hebron Road 303 (before Rachel's Tomb)

St. George Hotel6 Amr Ibn Al A'as Street – Jerusalem P.O.BOX 69272 Jerusalem 91544 Tel:+972 2 627 7232 , Fax: +972 2 627 7233 E-mail: info@stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com

Al-Bireh, Ramallah, P.O. Box 4101, Tel. 02-2409729, gemzo@palnet.com, www.gemzosuites.net

Gemzo Suites

Gemzo Suites Fully Furnished Executive Apartments

9392

Jericho ResortsBisan Street, Near Hisham Palace, 162 Jericho, Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189reservation@jerichoresorts.com, www.jerichoresorts.com

Jericho Resort Village

Rawabi Hotel Rental ApartmentsRawabi 666, PalestineMobile: 059 420 4378rent@rawabi.ps

Al Yasmeen Hotel

Tel: 09 233 3555 Fax: 09 233 3666

www.alyasmeen.com Info@alyasmeen.com,

Nablus

Nativity Bells Hotel

https://www.facebook.com/NativityBellsHotel/

City Center - Manger Street

Email: nativitybells@palnet.com, www.nativitybellshotel.ps Tel: 00 972 2 2748880, 2748808, Fax: 00 972 2 2748870

Dheisheh Refugee Camp, Bab al-Mohayem, BethlehemTel: +970 02 277 6444, info@ibdaa48.org www.ibdaa48.org

Ibda'a Cultural Center

Ibda'a Cultural Center Guesthouse

ACCOMMODATIONS

RESTAURANTS

Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Al Diwan Restaurant Ambassador Hotel Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, 91196, Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202reservation@jerusalemambassador.com, www.jerusalemambassador.com

/amb.jerusalem

Oasis Hotel – Jericho

Email : info@oasis-jericho.ps, website : http://www.oasis-jericho.psJerusalem Street, Tel : 022311200, Fax: 022311222

www.facebook.com/OasisJericho, Snapchat : oasis.hotel

360

Tel: 02 627 1441, 02 626 2974, Fax: 02 626 4370Email: casanovaj@custodia.org, https://casanovaj.custodia.org/

P.O.Box 1321 Jerusalem 9101301 IsraelCasanova Street, New Gate

Jericho ResortsBisan Street, Near Hisham Palace, 162 Jericho, Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189reservation@jerichoresorts.com, www.jerichoresorts.com

Jericho Resort Village

Rawabi Hotel Rental ApartmentsRawabi 666, PalestineMobile: 059 420 4378rent@rawabi.ps

Al Yasmeen Hotel

Tel: 09 233 3555 Fax: 09 233 3666Info@alyasmeen.com,

Nablus

www.alyasmeen.com

Nativity Bells Hotel

Tel: 00 972 2 2748880, 2748808, Fax: 00 972 2 2748870City Center - Manger Street

https://www.facebook.com/NativityBellsHotel/ Email: nativitybells@palnet.com, www.nativitybellshotel.ps

Tel: +970 02 277 6444, info@ibdaa48.org www.ibdaa48.orgDheisheh Refugee Camp, Bab al-Mohayem, Bethlehem

Ibda'a Cultural Center

Ibda'a Cultural Center Guesthouse

ACCOMMODATIONS

RESTAURANTS

Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Al Diwan Restaurant Ambassador Hotel

reservation@jerusalemambassador.com, www.jerusalemambassador.comSheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, 91196, Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202

/amb.jerusalem

Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem 97200Tel 532 8342, contact@shahwan.org

Borderline Restaurant Café

Italian Cuisine

Oasis Hotel – JerichoJerusalem Street, Tel : 022311200, Fax: 022311222

www.facebook.com/OasisJericho, Snapchat : oasis.hotel

Email : info@oasis-jericho.ps, website : http://www.oasis-jericho.ps

Tel 532 8342, contact@shahwan.orgSheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem 97200

Borderline Restaurant Café

Italian Cuisine

Tel: 627 9177, rooftop@notredamecenter.org, www.notredamecenter.org

Cheese & Wine Rooftop Restaurant(Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center)

Notre Dame Rooftop/Cheese & Wine Restaurant

Jerusalem Hotel Restaurant (Kan Zaman)

Tel: 628 3282, Fax: 6283282, raed@jrshotel.com, www.jrshotel.com15 Antara Ben Shadad St., Jerusalem

Mediterranean CuisineJerusalem Hotel

(at St. George Hotel)

La CollinaTantur Hills Hotel, Hebron Road 303Tel: +972 2 5658800 Fax: +972 2 5658801Email: reservations@tanturhills.com, www.tanturhills.com On Waze: Tantur Hills Hotel

Opening Hours:17:30 - 23:00

Bistro and Restaurant

Meejana Lounge6 Amr Ibn Al A'as Street – Jerusalem

Tel:+972 2 627 7232 , Fax: +972 2 627 7233 E-mail: info@stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com

P.O.BOX 69272 Jerusalem 91544

Tel 582 5162, 532 8342, contact@shahwan.orgSheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem 97200

Pasha's

Oriental Food

RESTAURANTS

9594

AlMasyoun, RamallahTel: 2979400

Martini Bar Martinibar_ramallah

Martini Bar

Rukab St., Ramallah(02) 295 4455, Email: zeitouzaater@gmail.com

Zeit ou Zaater

zeitouzaater

Azure Restaurant Our home is yours

www.facebook.com/Azure.restaurant

Mediterranean and SteaksTel and fax numbers +972-2-2957850, Email: Azure.rest@gmail.com

RESTAURANTS

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

Artoos The Art of Gelato

Tel: 02 282 5599Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

QburgerBurger

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

LilacPizza, Pasta, & Pastries

Deik Quarter - Manger square, BethlehemTel: 2769222

Bab idDeir Cafe & Bar

/BabidDeirCB/

Fawda Restaurant Chef's Table

Tel. 02-2747529, Email reservations@hoshalsyrian.com Bookings required at least a day in advance

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse, off Star Street, Bethlehem

Shams Al-Aseel Enjoy Palestine's nature and cuisine

Al Makhrour Valley, Beit Jala, Tel: 059-461-6011 / 052-744-2003

www.fb.com/shams.alaseel.palestine

A modern take on Palestinian cuisine

AlMasyoun, RamallahTel: 2979400

Martini Bar Martinibar_ramallah

Martini Bar

Rukab St., Ramallah(02) 295 4455, Email: zeitouzaater@gmail.com

Zeit ou Zaater

zeitouzaater

Azure Restaurant Our home is yours

www.facebook.com/Azure.restaurant

Mediterranean and SteaksTel and fax numbers +972-2-2957850, Email: Azure.rest@gmail.com

RESTAURANTS

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

Artoos The Art of Gelato

Tel: 02 282 5599Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

QburgerBurger

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

LilacPizza, Pasta, & Pastries

Deik Quarter - Manger square, BethlehemTel: 2769222

Bab idDeir Cafe & Bar

/BabidDeirCB/

Fawda Restaurant Chef's Table

Tel. 02-2747529, Email reservations@hoshalsyrian.com Bookings required at least a day in advance

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse, off Star Street, Bethlehem

Shams Al-Aseel Enjoy Palestine's nature and cuisine

Al Makhrour Valley, Beit Jala, Tel: 059-461-6011 / 052-744-2003

www.fb.com/shams.alaseel.palestine

A modern take on Palestinian cuisine

RESTAURANTS

Tel: 02 282 5599Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

SiroterFrench Café & Bakery

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

ShrakShawerma & Falafel

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

Quick Sandwiches Shop

Zeit ou Zaater

zeitouzaater

Tel: 09 233 3555 Fax: 09 233 3666Info@alyasmeen.com, www.alyasmeen.com

ATTRACTIONS

Poster Making Palestinian Art Accessible to Everyone. Get yours now!

7A President Square, behind Plaza Mall, Al-Balo', AlbirehMob: 0592847732 Tel: 022426486, anani.ziad@gmail.com,

poster.zawyeh, Online shop is now live at www.zawyeh.net/poster

Municipality street, Old town, BirzeitTel: +972 2 2819111, Mobile: +972 56 2776665Email: info@bbdc.ps, www.shepherds.ps

Birzeit Brewing Co. Shepherds Beer Brewing Beer of Palestine with passion for friends

Website:

Shepherds Beer Have you booked your tour !

16 Christian Quarter Road, Old City Jerusalem Tel: +972-2-970 7790 Mob: +972-52- 675 4276

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Affordable originals, top quality prints and Arabic calligraphy

Levantine Gallery

9796

Enjoy the panoramic view of Jericho

Info@jericho-cablecar.com, www.jericho-cablecar.comTel: + 972 (2) 2321590; Fax: + 972 (2) 2321598Elisha's Spring, P.O.Box 12, Jericho

Telepherique & Sultan Tourist Center

JerichoCableCar

Exciting outdoor games in the beautiful nature of Palestine.

WaDina, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 059 420 4377, https://www.facebook.com/RawabiExtreme

Spacious indoor amusement park that introduces fun, comfort, and happiness for all ages.

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 059 594 9026, https://www.facebook.com/funfactoryrawabi/

Rawabi Extreme

Fun Factory Rawabi

ATTRACTIONS

Zawyeh Gallery

7A President Square, behind Plaza Mall, Al-Balo', AlbirehMob: 0592847732 Tel: 022426486anani.ziad@gmail.com, www.zawyeh.net

Current exhibition: Affordable Art Fair | Collective | 5 - 30.11.2018

Tel: 02-289-9440, info@taybehwinery.com, www.taybehwinery.comMain Street, Taybeh Village, Ramallah District

Taybeh WineryMaking Boutique Palestinian Wines since 2013

https://www.facebook.com/Taybehwinery/

Opening Hours: Daily 9 AM-5 PM

Taybeh Brewery

Near the rotary, Taybeh Village, Ramallah District Tel: 02-289-8868, taybeh@palnet.com, www.taybehbeer.com

Proudly Brewing & Bottling Premium Palestinian Beer since 1994

Opening Hours: Monday- Saturday 8 AM-3:30 PM

https://www.facebook.com/taybehbeer/

Sa'adeh Science & Technology House- Alnayzak We bring joy and science together! and it's for everyone!

Location: Al Haq Street in The Old City of BirzeitTel: +970 2 281 9523 +970 2 281 9040Email: sciencehouse@alnayzak.org, www.sciencehouse.ps

Al Nayzak - Science and Technology House النیزك - بیت العلوم والتكنولوجیا

14 Azzahra St., P.O.Box 19055, Jerusalem Tel: +972 2 6283235, Fax: +972 2 627 1574Email:Dahert@netvision.net.il

Daher Travel, Ltd.

9 Azzahra St. Jerusalem, 9720952, P.O.B: 67197, Jerusalem, 9167002Tel: 972 2 6446279, Fax: 972 2 5787766Email:info@rajitours.com, Website:www.rajitours.com

Raji Tours & Travel

Raji Tours & Travel

19 Al-Rashid St., Jerusalem Tel: +972 2 6289260 / +972 2 6273687, Fax: +972 2 6264979 Email:os@os-tours.com, Web:http://www.os-tours.com

O.S Tours & Travel

George Garabedian & Co. L.T.D.

24 Saladin St., JerusalemTicketing: +972-2-6288354, Incoming: +972-2-6283398ggc@ggc-jer.com, www.ggc-jer.com

Tourist & Travel Bureau

Box 4181, El Bireh, Ramallah-Palestine

Email: info@gg-tours.ps, Web:www.gg-tours.ps

Ersal St, Ersal Center, Amaar Tower, 5th floor

Tel: +972 2 2421878, Fax: +972 2 2421879, Mbl: +972 56 2550031

Golden Globe Tours

SAMARA

1 Greek Orthodox Pat. Rd., P.O.Box 14058, Jerusalem 91140Tel: +972-2-6276133, Telefax: +972-2-6271956info@samaratours.com, www.samaratours.com

Tourist & Travel Agency

TRAVEL AGENCIES

TOUR OPERATORS

Laila Tours & Travel

Fraternum Tours Ltd.

Email: fraternum@bezeqint.net, Web: www.fraternumtours.comTel: +972 2 6767117 or +972 2 6767227, Fax: +972 2 6767266P.O.Box 21727, Jerusalem 9121701

Mobile: +972 528412911, Email: team@lailatours.com

www.lailatours.com, Laila Tours & Travel

Grand Park Hotel, Second Floor, Manger Street – Holy Land Phone: +970 2 2777997/+970 2 2764886, Fax: +970 2 2777996

RESTAURANTS

Tel: 02 282 5599Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

SiroterFrench Café & Bakery

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

ShrakShawerma & Falafel

Tel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

Quick Sandwiches Shop

Zeit ou Zaater

zeitouzaater

Info@alyasmeen.com, www.alyasmeen.com Tel: 09 233 3555 Fax: 09 233 3666

ATTRACTIONS

Poster Making Palestinian Art Accessible to Everyone. Get yours now!

Mob: 0592847732 Tel: 022426486, anani.ziad@gmail.com,

poster.zawyeh, Online shop is now live at www.zawyeh.net/poster

7A President Square, behind Plaza Mall, Al-Balo', Albireh

Municipality street, Old town, BirzeitTel: +972 2 2819111, Mobile: +972 56 2776665Email: info@bbdc.ps, www.shepherds.ps

Birzeit Brewing Co. Shepherds Beer Brewing Beer of Palestine with passion for friends

Website:

Shepherds Beer Have you booked your tour !

16 Christian Quarter Road, Old City Jerusalem Tel: +972-2-970 7790 Mob: +972-52- 675 4276

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Affordable originals, top quality prints and Arabic calligraphy

Levantine Gallery

9998

Sani MeoPublisher

T h e L a s t W o r dT

he

La

st

Wo

rd

The Rise of the East

An alternate title could be “The Fall of the West.” Some will find my column this month to be fantasy, even presumptuous; but time will tell whether in fact it is, or whether, as some analysts and I believe, what I describe is real and happening in front of our eyes.

Think of it: when was the last time you heard that a superpower’s plane flying 14 kilometers above earth was targeted by a missile and downed with no meaningful reaction or repercussion? And not just any plane – a flying Pentagon, as someone described it, worth a quarter of a billion dollars. When was the last time you heard that an oil tanker of a major Western power was captured with almost no significant response on the part of that Western power?

After eight years of war on Syria, the scheme to harness that country into submission to Western fiendish plans has failed. The scheme had every resource you can imagine, including insane, even sinful amounts of financing, and hundreds of thousands of mercenaries recruited from all over the world who were trained, regimented, armed, and ushered into Syria. But even with all that, the scheme failed. That failure, according to some analysts, will have major ramifications for every country that conspired against Syria and its allies. Some go as far as to predict the downfall of those countries.

In a speech on January 8, 1918, American President Woodrow Wilson outlined the principles of peace in order to end World War I. The fourteen points he mentioned included free trade, open agreements, democracy, and self-determination. The United States had it right then. By the end of World War II, with Western Europe exhausted and bleeding, the United States became the number one power, by far, in the world. It had essentially inherited all the empires of the Western world. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States consolidated its strength and was the world’s sole supreme power. But soon after, something went very wrong.

What went wrong is that the United States started to betray the very principles it held, particularly when it came to democracy and people’s self-determination. The terrible downfall on the moral level

climaxed when it sat in one trench together with avowed terrorists, a fact known to all today. In the Korean and the Vietnamese wars, the United States was powerful enough to send a total of one million troops to the battlefields. It was strong enough to withstand the loss of fifty thousand soldiers in each war. Today, the United States is certainly no longer in the same position, and the war on Iraq attests to that. One-tenth the number of troops was sent to Iraq, and the United States lost only 10 percent of what it had lost in its wars in the 1950s, yet society was not ready to accept the loss. Not long ago, Vladimir Putin clearly boasted Russian military superiority over that of the United States, and all economists agree that the Chinese economy is much more robust than the American economy. For one, its national debt is not twenty-some trillion dollars.

I could go on and on with clear signs of the decline of the United States (and its allies), but what I’ve written already is sufficient, along with an interesting observation noted by historians at the dawn of every empire’s downfall: As an empire starts to collapse, a controversial head of state emerges. Boris Yeltsin in the 1980s is a classic example. I believe that Trump and Britain’s Johnson also fit that category.

History has witnessed many downfalls of empires, but it does not mean that their people cannot restore their previous glory. It can be done if people go back to the moral principles upon which that empire was built. Russia is a classic example of that. At some point, the belief was: “If power doesn’t work, then more power will be used.” Then it became: “If power doesn’t work, then sanctions will be imposed.” Today, it’s “If power doesn’t work, then diplomacy is the solution.” You may replace “diplomacy” with “concessions.” If these are not signs of weakness, then I don’t know what is.

Long live Palestine.

100

rawabiextreme