Post by Daniel on Jun 3, 2015 9:48:16 GMT -5
Experience Judea and Samaria as You've Never Seen It
Not a conflict zone, but a tourist's paradise; find out why, despite the negative headlines, tourism is booming the 'the West Bank.'
By Ari Soffer
6/3/2015
Award-winning wines; delicious cuisine; breathtaking nature; thrilling family adventures; endless, rich history.
These aren't the first things which come to mind for most people when the words "West Bank" or even "Judea and Samaria" come up in conversation.
As someone who moved from London's concrete jungle to the hills of Samaria myself, the gap between perception and the reality of what life here is really like hits me almost every day. It's always most pronounced when friends and relatives - of all political and religious persuasions - come to visit: "Wow, I didn't realize it was so nice here!" is usually one of the first (so very British) things to pass their lips.
One even expressed genuine amazement that we don't live surrounded by barbed wire and barricades.
When my wife set up a tour company specifically providing trips to Samaria (aptly-named SoulWalk Tours) some people thought she must have gone mad. What kind of business model is that? Who wants to visit a war zone? And yet, as the steadily growing number of foreign and Israeli visitors are learning for themselves, such a perception is so incredibly far from the reality.
So what is Judea and Samaria really like, beyond the headlines?
If you don't have the courage to simply "take the plunge" and find out for yourself firsthand, the best place to start is "Yesha is Fun" - a stunning compendium of just some of what Judea and Samaria has to offer, for you to peruse from the safety of your living room.
Like the book itself, its author, Karni Eldad, doesn't conform to the stereotypes usually associated with "settlers" or "settlements," as Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are often sweepingly (and misleadingly) referred to by many media outlets.
continue reading
www.israelnationalnews.com
Not a conflict zone, but a tourist's paradise; find out why, despite the negative headlines, tourism is booming the 'the West Bank.'
By Ari Soffer
6/3/2015
Award-winning wines; delicious cuisine; breathtaking nature; thrilling family adventures; endless, rich history.
These aren't the first things which come to mind for most people when the words "West Bank" or even "Judea and Samaria" come up in conversation.
As someone who moved from London's concrete jungle to the hills of Samaria myself, the gap between perception and the reality of what life here is really like hits me almost every day. It's always most pronounced when friends and relatives - of all political and religious persuasions - come to visit: "Wow, I didn't realize it was so nice here!" is usually one of the first (so very British) things to pass their lips.
One even expressed genuine amazement that we don't live surrounded by barbed wire and barricades.
When my wife set up a tour company specifically providing trips to Samaria (aptly-named SoulWalk Tours) some people thought she must have gone mad. What kind of business model is that? Who wants to visit a war zone? And yet, as the steadily growing number of foreign and Israeli visitors are learning for themselves, such a perception is so incredibly far from the reality.
So what is Judea and Samaria really like, beyond the headlines?
If you don't have the courage to simply "take the plunge" and find out for yourself firsthand, the best place to start is "Yesha is Fun" - a stunning compendium of just some of what Judea and Samaria has to offer, for you to peruse from the safety of your living room.
Like the book itself, its author, Karni Eldad, doesn't conform to the stereotypes usually associated with "settlers" or "settlements," as Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are often sweepingly (and misleadingly) referred to by many media outlets.
continue reading
www.israelnationalnews.com
!!
