Nazareth

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In 2005, a hostel in the Old City of Nazareth opened its doors in the midst of a swirl of rumors, gossip and accusations.

The 60-bed apartment in a 200 years old Arab mansion, was run by an odd couple: an Israeli Arab woman and an Israeli Jewish man.

But not only the partnership, against The Odds , Fauzi Azar Inn in a area that have been abandoned by even its own inhabitants. The winding, cobbled streets were home to the graffitied doors, shutters of shops, and drug dealers.

"When I first heard of this hostel is opening, I thought wow... this is unusual," says Alon Gelbman, a professor of Tourism Management at the Kinneret College, Galilee. "But it was a success story very quickly. "

Once The Family home of Azar, The Inn , the marble floors, hand painted ceilings and 19th-century arch-framed, farms that had been left to decay.

"After my grandmother died, The Family was never really there," said Suraida Shomar-Nasser, the co-founder of the youth hostel with Maoz Inon.

after returning from backpacking around The World , and to see how hostels could to the center of a community, Maoz had decided that he wanted his own. On a visit to Nazareth - Israel 's largest Arab city, with the Muslims its 77,000, up to 70%-strong population - it came about Fauzi Azar.

"I went into this small door and was really shocked," recalls Maoz. "I could see the potential. "

He approached Suraida, which was initially opposed to the idea. "I thought he was crazy," she says. "I said, Maoz, to forget it, looking for a new family. He asked me why and I said, 'because you are Jews, I can't work with you'. "

divisions are deep. Suraida grandfather, who has the hostel his name, fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. But Maoz passed, and finally, Suraida persuaded mother, who saw an opportunity.

"they knew they could not get any money from me," Maoz says, "but you saw something in me, I think. "

Nazareth 's old town attracts visitors to its large market and to be considered Christian sites

the Locals that the partnership with suspicion, and accused of Suraida and her family of "conspiracy" with Maoz to "Judaise" The City , in the North of Israel .

"It was not easy," said Suraida. "But we decided, OK, we'll give it a try. "

After the grueling and lengthy renovation, the hostel work opened its doors to The Public and The Tourists started to come.

"We had really Hard Times ," Maoz says. "But now we see the whole Old City has changed and there are so many shops and cafes and other Hostel that have opened since we have been here. I've worked hard to meet everyone in the community, so that you know that I help here as a friend, and. "

Despite, no longer living in Nazareth , Maoz know, most of the shopkeepers by name, and is attributed to help to heal tensions and bring Jewish visitors to The City .

"It's because Maoz is that we always do so much now," says Jarjoura Kanaza, who runs the Elbabour spice store with his brother. "He came to our old town, and he brought him back to Life . The people were so suspicious of him, but I saw something good. Really, he has done so much for us. "

A decade after The Inn opened, Prof Gelbman, decided to Fauzi Azar as a case study for his and split communities.

"The partnership was a symbol," says Prof Gelbman. "Because we don't see much cooperation between Jews and Arabs.

"And the question is not 'was, we wanted to answer peace to promote tourism?', but instead, tourism can promote peace?' We can promote tourism to a more peaceful and better relations in communities?

"we Can start with the fact that the people meeting each other, talking and getting more familiar with other municipalities, to change something, from the bottom to the top?"

crossing divides

to bring A season of stories about the people together in a fragmented world.

Prof Gelbman report he wrote with Daniel Laven, professor, Mid Sweden University, the conclusion that tourism could help, in fact, common interests between communities, the cross-cultural conflicts.

Now, after Suraida, Maoz, "one of Our Family ".

"He's like my brother," she says. "I'm proud of what we have achieved. This city will be desolate, not even the locals would come here. But now, there are 20 hostels and as many independent companies.

"And without Maoz, this house would not exist now. "

Maoz, who has since realized co-founded Abraham Hostels, which she now manages, the Fauzi Azar Inn, he says "warmed his heart" to see his dream.

"It is this down-to-earth, sustainable development-tourism-I'm talking back in 2005. No one understood it, no one believed it, but now it has been brought to Life . "

impacts of tourism, israel, israel & the palestinians

Source of news: bbc.com