Nablus 2008
The old part of Nablus is exceedingly appealing to any Westerner searching for the "unspoiled" and "authentic" Middle East. Circled by mountains, its narrow, winding streets and buildings from the Ottoman era make Nablus into one of the more picturesque Middle Eastern cities (of which many are surprisingly ugly). There are no tourists here to take pictures or buy souvenirs. To some, this might be one of Nablus' great attractions. It may be a tragedy for some locals. Since the Second Intifada, Nablus has experienced long periods of curfews, army crackdowns and endless lines to get out of the city's checkpoint. Throughout the city one can observe the inhabitants' response: the walls and gates of Nablus are filled with posters honoring various martyrs/suicide bombers. Caught in a seemingly endless circle of action-reaction between Israelis and Palestinians, the result is a town where a decent livelihood is difficult to sustain.
The Lonely Planet guide recommends the Selim Affendi restaurant. Hungry and hopeful, we set out in search of this Selim Affendi. As it turns out, the restaurant was built, but never opened. The owner shows us the exotic interior of low tables and pillows, Moroccan style, which was never to see any customers. What happened? The Intifada happened, with the subsequent Israeli reaction. And Nablus has seen a lot of action in this regard. Few dare to risk any business ventures, for fear of new curfews and further isolation of the town. Because the obstacles put in place by Israel are hard to get around, export of olive oil is near impossible. When driving into Nablus, one passes miles and miles of olive orchards. Inside Nablus, the oil from these orchards is sold in old cola bottles from small stands in the local bazaar.
The situation in Nablus is endemic in the entire West Bank (except maybe Ramallah). Despite the downsides associated with excessive tourism (Egypt being the case in point), there is no doubt that the Palestinian economy would benefit from even a moderate trickle of tourists. The political situation scares away everyone but the most devoted traveler, and even these are hard to come by in places such as Nablus, Jenin or Jericho. Palestine has a lot to offer a tourist. It has the natural beauty, the historical sites, the food and the culture to satisfy everyone from backpackers and middle class couples to the biblical tour groups, all of whom are even now flocking to Israel and Jordan. As such, I would encourage everyone to travel to Palestine. See for yourself what’s going on. And make sure to spend some money while you’re there.
