Israeli tour guides conspire to damage tourism business in Palestine

The British "Independent" reported recently that Israeli tour guides who escort foreign tourists to the city of Bethlehem have been trying to scare them. The paper's correspondent in Jerusalem, Patrick Cockburn wrote that he joined such a bus tour from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

"Although the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem is very short, the Israeli guide was able to repeat the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" more than 32 times during the very short trip." The Israeli guide also told tourists that he cannot stand walking in the streets of Bethlehem, he wrote.

Palestinians have always complained of this hostile attitude that Israeli tour guides try to transmit to foreign tourists who come to the Holy Land, sometimes without any preconceptions.

Shop owners in Bethlehem, as well as in the city of Jerusalem itself, have complained that in most cases, Israeli tour guides take their tourists to West Jerusalem for shopping, mainly souvenir items, before they bring them to the Arab Palestinian shops. Such a move, they say, had decreased their business, since most of the tourists already buy their needs before they show up in the Arab shops.