Since the latest
intifarla began in late
September, American
Jews in droves have
been canceling their
trips to Israel. Are
their fears justified?
officials estimate bookings have dropped at
least
40 percent in the last two months; tourist
Associate Editor
industry sources say the cut may be as high as
70 percent.
Jerusalem
In briefing sessions for our group of 19
t the first major intersection
reporters and editors, officials stressed their
on the outskirts of Jerusalem,
belief that the country is a safe destination but
our tourist bus encountered a
that it is losing tourists whose fears are fed by a
massive demonstration.
media preoccupation with shooting and vio-
Pedestrians lined both sides of the
lence. Those incidents, officials
road, waving homemade banners
stress, are almost exclusively limited
and flags, and chanting slogans.
`Am-akzia" at
to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Passing cars began honking their
Qalia Water
and affect a relative handful of
horns in unison.
Park near the
small, geographically separated set-
Another Palestinian protest?
Dead Sea.
tlements that would not be on the
No, it was the prelude to a
itinerary of most tourists.
Sunday-night showdown
While
a
riot in the north cost the lives of 12
between the Jerusalem and Haifa teams
Israeli
Arabs
in October and a bus bombing in
in the Israel professional soccer league.
Hadera
took
Israeli
Jewish lives, the only ongo-
The normalcy of the moment was a
ing violence in Israel proper is the evening
soothing reminder of the central fact that
sniping in the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo. Even
our Israel government-sponsored tour had
that is confined to the two streets facing the
been arranged to emphasize the Palestinian
intifiukt (riots) have not made the country a Arab village of Beit Jalla and has dwindled in
recent days. "Everybody knows to be away
violent, dangerous place for tourists.
from those streets by evening," said our bus
The perception of danger has had a mas-
driver,
Dudu (David), who lives in Gilo.
sive impact on the country's multi-billion-
Israeli
officials and American Jewish leaders
dollar-a-year tourist industry. Government
ALAN H ITS KY
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