Position paper
The Fine Line between Tourism and Activism
By: PalThink for strategic studies
Gaza is the most visited place on Earth. After Israel's unilateral, full out war, against the people of the Gaza strip the international community has had its eyes on Gaza. As a result of this peak in interest— newfound for some, and renewed for others—the people of Gaza have graciously hosted a wealth of politico's, activists, journalists, etc., the real "who's who" of political world affairs with special interests in the Middle East. The list of recent visitors includes the likes of US Senator John Kerry, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Princes of Qatar, Ambassadors, Diplomats and Peace delegations the world over, Code Pink, and most recently around 40 European Delegates of MPs from EU national parliaments, including Luisa Morgantini.
Despite all of the new, renewed, interest in Gaza there are still over 5,000 families with demolished homes in Gaza, there are unparalleled sewage quagmires, there is no cement to rebuild Gaza, the situation of post-conflict destruction and despair remains, and tomato juice is not allowed across the borders. The quality of life in Gaza has not changed since war was waged on this small piece of land, yet people the world over insist on visiting, seeing, touring, knowing Gaza. They come and they go, some with difficulty, others with ease, all with more freedom than the people of Gaza. What are the motives of the diplomatic envoys' political interest in Gaza, and why has the status quo continued unchanged with so much international interest?
Why are they visiting Gaza? The schedule of events is nearly identical for all of the internationals who visit Gaza. Day one: a visit to the American International school in Gaza, where activists can see what F-16s are really capable of. Day two: a visit to the hospitals, Mustajfa Al-Quds: a hospital which was partially destroyed by the war, and in the following months was used as an art gallery displaying the artistic culmination of a war lost. Day three: Rafah and a glimpse of the tunnels. All the time the foreign visitors are hosted and guided by extremely welcoming Palestinians, who are happy to share their experiences of the injustice, in hopes that the story will get passed along, and the world will bring change to Gaza: real change. Five months since January, the same tour is given, different people visit, nothing changes.
Why hasn't anything changed? Should Palestinians change the tour, or realistically change their expectations of these visitors. Judging by the track record of these visitors, the people of Gaza should be more critical of these diplomatic tours of Gaza. So long as these foreigners, diplomats, politicians do not actively attempt to affect change, their tours are nothing more than tourism, and will continue to be tourism—until something changes. Why do they visit Gaza—is it to feel good, and not feel guilty?
A few days ago, Luisa Morgantini was in Gaza, along with a convoy of European Parliamentarians. She was evaluating the humanitarian regime and assessing the way service providers are spending their money, and promoting peace. It was not her first visit to Gaza, as an interested European politician and activist, she has made her plight for peace quite clear. Despite her interest and clear commitment to peace, what has she done to affect change, on the ground? Palestinians are left wondering, what is happening behind closed doors when the Europeans, Americans, International diplomats, etc. return to their various corners of the Earth—what is happening there, because nothing is changing here. Do we, Palestinians, have the right to ask them…how they are spending their money and what they are doing for peace? The answer is not clear, the mechanisms of accountability are not present.
So many foreigners have visited the Gaza strip recently, one would think it’s the new hot spot of the Mediterranean. If the siege were lifted and people were able to come and go, as international human rights law affirms, Gaza would be an ideal tourist destination; with its beautiful sandy beaches, and posh dining spots, Gaza has the potential to be the pearl of the Mediterranean, if only it was not under occupation. Truly, before Gaza can be a tourist destination the people of Gaza need peace. Until we have peace, we should not have tourists. Activism is welcome, you people who have a plan for peace or a program for spreading awareness, come and we will show you the destruction and the despair, but you who come with your empty promises and false smiles stop feeding us fake hope. What kind of destruction does Israel need to inflict, that the world will respond with more than a mere inclination to visit and stand in solidarity, but so that the world will respond with nothing short of action, and real lasting peace.
