Analysis: Israel will not let Palestine promote tourism

The Palestine Chronicle - Stuart Littlewood- The Israel lobby here in the UK is creating a storm in an advertising teacup in a bid to throw a spanner in the works of Palestinian tourism

The Jerusalem Post reports that Britain's advertising watchdog has launched an investigation into "a barrage of complaints" over a ‘Travel Palestine’ advert in the National Geographic magazine because it "appears to blot out the existence of the State of Israel".

The Palestinians’ modest attempt to attract tourists to their country was promptly met by the Israel lobby’s ‘usual suspects’ squealing their indignation and making fatuous territorial claims.

The advert was published by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received 60 complaints. The Zionist Federation of the UK, for example, grumbled that the advert was misleading as it gave the “false impression” that Palestine is a country; that Jerusalem is part of Palestine; and that Palestine extends from the Mediterranean to the River Jordan.

“The ad would mislead tourists, since on traveling to territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority, they would not find the sites and facilities which the advertisement promotes,” said the ZF.

One London lawyer wrote to the ASA that the claim that Palestine lay between the Mediterranean the Jordan “implies that ‘Palestine’ has a Mediterranean coastline; but while this is true as regards to Gaza, that territory is not within the de facto jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. More seriously, it implies that Palestine occupies the whole or the bulk of the territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan, ignoring the existence of Israel”.

Another complainant said the notion that Palestine lies between the Mediterranean and the Jordan was racist. “This echoes the racist chant of ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free’ sung by anti-Israel activists. It is a racist statement.”

Yet another lawyer said the ad refers to Jerusalem in the same context as other cities in the West Bank. “It implies that Jerusalem is in Palestine. In fact, Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel. East Jerusalem is also under Israeli governance; while East Jerusalem may presently be disputed territory, it cannot be said to be part of ‘Palestine’.”

And still another insisted that "the ad promotes the city of Gaza, but fails to mention that the Palestinian territories comprise two non-contiguous areas, one the West Bank and the other Gaza, and that it would be very difficult if not impossible for a tourist to travel between the two areas, or to get into Gaza either via Israel or Egypt”.

...Here’s what he advertisement actually said:

"Palestine is a land rich in history with a tradition of hospitality. From the famous cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus and Gaza, the Palestinian people welcome you to visit this Holy Land. Important to the three major religions around the world, Palestine has been a meeting point for diverse cultures since prehistoric times. Starting from the earliest religious pilgrims, the country has seen famous visitors come and go.

"Palestine lies between the Mediterranean coast and Jordan River, at the crossroads between Africa and Middle East. The individual faces in any Palestinian town remind you of this rich history of cross-cultural influences.

"Today Palestine is proud to offer comfortable, stylish accommodation, fabulous restaurants, refined artists, and galleries, exquisite handicrafts, innumerable archaeological and religious sites, and antiquities from all ages.

"It takes a visit to this wonderful country to appreciate the most palpable facet of its culture: the warmth and humour of the Palestinian people. Join a long list of visitors over the centuries who have seen the beauty of the land."

What is wrong with that? It could have said a great deal that was detrimental to Israel, without breaching the guidelines, but it didn’t. It is substantially honest and truthful, and quite harmless. Read more

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Palestinian holiday ad 'ignored existence of Israel'

The Guardian- Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomes ASA investigation into advert that ran in National Geographic's Traveler magazine. The Board of Deputies of British Jews today welcomed the launch of an official investigation into a Palestinian holiday advert, after complaining that it ignored the existence of Israel.

According to the advert from the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, appearing in this month's edition of National Geographic's Traveller magazine, "Palestine is a land rich in history with a tradition of hospitality. From the famous cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus and Gaza, the Palestinian people welcome you to visit this Holy Land." Read more