Kobi Cohen-Hattab

Urban hotel development patterns in the face of political shifts

Abstract This paper discusses changes in the spatial pattern of tourism accommodation in Jerusalem in the past 150 years. This is done with particular reference to urban development and political shifts during this period and in respect to various theoretical models relating to the location of hotels in urban areas. The time frame of the paper is divided into four chronological periods according to the main geopolitical changes in the city: the end of the Ottoman period; the period of the British Mandate; the city divided between Israel and Jordan; and the city unified under Israeli sovereignty.

Tourism development and cultural conflict: the case of ‘Nazareth 2000’

In areas that are characterized by political, national, cultural and religious conflicts, issues concerning conservation and development become particularly complex. One prominent example of this tension can be seen in events that have taken place over the last decade in the city of Nazareth, which hosts some of Christianitys holiest sites. Until the mid-twentieth century most of the citys residents were Christian. In the past several decades however, Muslims have come to form the majority of the population. Against this backdrop, Nazareth began to prepare for the millennium year, including the formulation of the ‘Nazareth 2000’ plan for tourism development in the city. Unfortunately, the citys numerous complexities rapidly surfaced, with one of the most prominent examples being the bitter struggle around the citys newly planned main square. This paper examines tourism development for the city in conditions of such cultural conflict.

Struggles at holy sites and their outcomes: the evolution of the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem is the holiest of sites to Jews, a historical landmark, an archeological paradise, and a popular tourist attraction. After Israel gained control of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967, it needed to address the question of what would be the layout and character of the Western Wall and the area adjacent to it. Both Israeli Jews and visiting Diaspora Jews wanted to pray next to the wall, though there was no agreement on what type of prayer would be allowed. The strict Orthodox movement demanded separate sections for men and women, while non-Orthodox movements wanted a mixed prayer area. Archaeologists wanted to dig in the area adjacent to the wall. And furthermore, the State wanted to hold military ceremonies there while also encouraging tourism to the area. This study uses a historiosophic approach to analyze these contradictory needs and the resulting decisions about the Western Walls layout and character. It identifies the struggles between religion and state; the status of religious movements and denominations within the country; the status of women; and other social, cultural, religious, and economic issues.

Public involvement and tourism planning in a historic city: the case of the Old City of Jerusalem.

One of the most widely discussed parameters in the field of tourism management and development concerns the issue of the cooperation and involvement of the public in decision-making processes. In regions characterized by various types of conflicts, questions regarding tourism management and development and the role of the local populations in these processes are political and ethical issues of the highest degree for the society and culture of that location. The aim of this article is to present the tremendous political sensitivity regarding the status of the Old City of Jerusalem, since there is no consensus on its political status which is one of the major stumbling blocks to finding a solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The purpose of this article is not to propose a solution to the political conflict of which Jerusalem is part, but rather to argue for the central place that should be devoted to tourism in a future solution, and within that, to emphasize the involvement and cooperation of the public in the processes of tourism management and development and how in the case of Jerusalem it should be implemented in East Jerusalem and particularly in the Old City.

The Decline of Israel’s Mediterranean Resorts: Life Cycle Change Versus National Tourism Master Planning

In spite of the general increase in both incoming and domestic tourism in Israel during the last third of the twentieth century, there has been stagnation and decline in tourism to the country’s Mediterranean seaside resorts. At first glance, this situation seems to conform to Butler’s life cycle model. However, closer analysis reveals that Israel’s tourism policy, reflected in a sequence of national master plans, is largely responsible for this trend. This paper claims that one of the results of the discrepancy between stagnating tourist activity in the Mediterranean resorts and the master plans has been the intensive development of marinas by the private sector, with the active support and encouragement of municipalities, aimed at realizing real-estate potential while bypassing existing planning restrictions on non-tourist development along the shoreline.

Historical research and tourism analysis: the case of the tourist-historic city of Jerusalem.

Studies of tourist–historic cities often rely upon evolutionary models, which chart the development of tourism in historical towns. Prominent among these models are: Ashworth and Tunbridges model of the tourist–historic city; models outlining the development of the Central Tourist District; The Tourist Towns Functional Spaces Model; and the Accommodation Service Model. The article seeks to prove that using such models without, at the same time, examining the roots and evolution of tourism in these towns from an historical perspective, will provide only a partial and, occasionally, inaccurate picture of the birth, development and unique character the tourist–historic city. Moreover, given the fact that tourism is a widespread and dynamic phenomenon that touches upon many aspects of the human urban experience–social and political, environmental, economic and so on–probing into the roots and rise of tourism in historical towns may also shed light on various features which, idiosyncratic to historical towns, encouraged their eventual transformation into tourist–historic cities. The article will do all this by tracing the origins and flowering of tourism in Jerusalem–one of the worlds most famous tourist–historic cities–during the time of the British mandate (1917–1948).

The border as bridge: an Israeli perspective on the Mandelbaum Gate in divided Jerusalem (1948–1967)

ABSTRACT Between 1948 and 1967, Jerusalem was divided by a ‘city line’, dividing Jordan (East Jerusalem) from Israel (West Jerusalem). Between the two sections stood one border crossing called ‘Mandelbaum Gate’. While existing literature on the Gate tends to emphasize its military status – owing in particular to the military convoy that crossed the border on a regular basis – research using sources from that time paints a picture of a border with civilian activity run jointly by two ostensibly warring countries. Whether it was the return of civilians and bodies, tourism coordination, or medical passage, those manning the border worked together to make it bridge, rather than barrier – and may even have paved the way to a peace agreement years later.

Can the two go together? Archaeology and sanctity at the Western Wall and surrounding area, 1967–1977

ABSTRACT Archaeologists, politicians and religious figures competed for the right to dig in the area of the Western Wall, in places that would later be known as the “Western Wall Plaza,” “Western Wall Tunnels” and “Western Wall excavations.” A struggle would unfold during 1967–1977 between, on one side, the rabbis and religious politicians who received responsibility and exclusivity from the state for the area of the sacred wall, and on the other side, the scientists and archaeologists awarded the right to excavate there by the state. The dispute centred on the question of whether the Western Wall area is only a holy place or also an historic and national monument, and who has the right to operate there. This article, using archival documents and newspaper accounts, focuses on the interaction between sanctity, archaeology and the unique national context of the extensive activity conducted in the Western Wall area during that time. It aims to describe how this space developed during the decade following the Six-Day War, and to discuss the political forces that shaped it during that period.

Tourism posters in the Yishuv era: Between Zionist ideology and commercial language

This study examines the complex national messages conveyed, both verbally and visually, in Zionist commercial advertisement posters produced in the Yishuv during the 1930s and 1940s. It focuses on posters promoting tourism and vacationing in Palestine, representing the growing perception of the country as an attractive destination for modern tourism that is not only religiously motivated. The posters are examined as historical documents that shed light on the ways in which the foundations of tourism in the country were laid and imbued with ideological meaning through the verbal and visual language of the posters. The article seeks to contribute to the study of Zionist visual culture in the Yishuv era by employing an interdisciplinary approach that combines textual-linguistic and contextual-historical analysis.

From ideological space to recreational tourism: the Israeli forest

ABSTRACT The forest as a leisure, recreation, and tourist space is growing in significance as part of nature-based tourism. It contributes to social and economic development, particularly in light of the global trend for more recreation and tourism in developed and developing countries. The main aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the evolution of forest development policy and its implications for the function of the forest as a recreation and leisure space, using an Israeli case study. The methodology is based on historic-geographic research to analyze forest tourism over time and into the present. The study finds that the spatial processes that took place over nearly a century in Israel transformed its forests from expressions of an ideology to spaces dedicated to leisure, recreation, and tourism.