A friend was reading a story about Israel in the New York Times, when an ad for Booking Israel appeared on the page. My friend points out that you can barely see the borders of the occupied territories in the map, and that the Golan Heights is fully integrated.
New York Times ad
If you go to that travel agency, Booking Israel describes Israel as part of the “western world,” including its capital, Jerusalem. No mention of East Jerusalem:
Israel, also known as the Holyland, has attracted tourists and pilgrims for more than 4 millennia. Israel is incredible and incorporates …. the unforgettable holy city of Jerusalem. Israel Hotels are similar to those found in other cities in the western world…. Jerusalem hotels are very popular amongst tourists who wish to visit the many tourist attractions and historical sites in the capital city of Israel. Many other cities also provide lodging opportunities for various purposes. Israel travel plans should be done with BookingIsrael.com, your one stop shop for all Israel travel products and services.
It’s high time we recognize that “occupation” is far too benign a term for Israel’s grand design. It should be retired and replaced with “colonization,” for starters. Even that, however, might not suffice.
Of course zionism’s little imperialist project is described as “western.” The goal of colonialism is to put a little piece of Europe in non-European places. Time to ship all the Europeans out of Palestine and let it be Middle Eastern again.
“Israel Hotels are similar to those found in other cities in the western world….”
I thought Israel was in the Middle East
The problem is much more than the knowingly deceitful ads the Times publishes. Just a few weeks ago a headline in the online edition referred to the Golan Heights as “disputed territory” rather than occupied. Are our school teachers aware that sending their pupils to the Times as a source could lead to their students’ miseducation?
Israel, also known as the Holyland, has attracted tourists and pilgrims for more than 4 millennia.
Oh, and I thought that Israel was founded in 1948.