Books: Tourism; The Politics of Tourism


Scroll down to see the books in this category.

These collections of books have been assembled from many sources of recommended reading on Israel/Palestine, including: the United Church of Christ (UCC) and UCC PIN, Sabeel, Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JFJFP) and others.

Presented in the following categories on individual pages:
About/By Palestinian Christians
Religion; The Bible; Christian Zionism
History
Personal Histories: Memoirs, Autobiographies
Political Analysis; Diplomatic History
The Current Situation
• Activism; Resistance; Solidarity; Intersectional Justice
Novels; Short Stories; Poetry

About Palestinians inside Israel
Zionism; Jewish Identity
Faith Relations; Anti-Semitism
Visual Arts; Crafts  (poetry moved to new list)
Tourism; The Politics of Tourism
Children’s Books
Please note: some books are listed in more than one category.
The order of the books within each category is random and is not related to the importance of the work.

Please send us your suggestions for additions to these lists; contact us at [email protected].

Itineraries in Conflict: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Political Lives of Tourists, by Rebecca L. Stein
Two quotes stand out from the last pages of this book: “The Palestinians have emptied our cafés. We Israelis have emptied their nation.” And “The foreigners will fill the streets of our cities in masses, until it is no longer clear who lives here and who is a tourist.” Both of these refer to the dynamics and directionality of tourism and pleasure in the Middle East. This book is an important study of Israeli tourism before, during, and after the Oslo process, both throughout the Middle East and within Israel/Palestine. It is clear that that the main actors, and indeed the marketing audience, are Ashkenazim, and not Sephardim or Mizrahim, let alone Palestinian Israelis, West Bank and Gaza Palestinians, or other Arabs. The stratification is important and the paradigm is natural in Stein’s post-colonial reading of tourism.


Palestine & Palestinians, from the Alternative Travel Group (ATG) of Beit Sahour, Bethlehem
Palestine & Palestinians provides an in-depth, updated journey through the entire range of Palestinian culture: ancient and modern history, archaeology, religion, architecture and politics, including the daily realities of Israeli Occupation. It describes places rooted in Palestinian memory: sites which bear witness to a history and identity created from contact with civilisations of the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe and Arab Peninsula. It also presents the contemporary tragedy and struggle of a people seeking recognition of their rights and details of their ongoing search for an end to injustice through a viable peace and statehood.

A great variety of documentary material, biographies of culturally significant personalities, poems, popular songs and recommended reading list provide readers with opportunities to broaden their horizons, while many contacts provide a range of possibilities for talks or tours with specialists, or meetings with local people in their homes. The book offers practical information (transport, hotels, cafes, restaurants, museums, hiking routes, cultural centres, etc.) so you may plan your own multifaceted visit, or join one of ATG’s organised group activities such as the annual Olive Harvest. As a guidebook, “Palestine & Palestinians” is a comprehensive guide to Palestine, including those parts of Israel where Palestinian culture and traditional hospitality still thrive.

Palestine and Palestinians presents a version of justice tourism to enhance the world’s increasing interest in the cause of the Palestinian people while providing tools to go beyond misleading stereotypes. The book sets out to facilitate visits to Palestine for tourists who wish to increase their understanding and even work with Palestinians and Israelis towards a just, viable peace. At the same time, it provides enough material for those readers who prefer to travel far and wide in the comfort of their own armchairs. Or it can simply be used as a reliable guidebook for regular visitors.