The Walled Off Hotel

Coordinates: 31°43′09″N 35°12′12″E / 31.7193°N 35.2033°E / 31.7193; 35.2033
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Walled Off Hotel
The building's exterior in 2017
Map
General information
TypeBoutique hotel
Location182 Caritas Street
Bethlehem, Palestine
Coordinates31°43′09″N 35°12′12″E / 31.7193°N 35.2033°E / 31.7193; 35.2033
OpenedMarch 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)
Website
walledoffhotel.com
Close up of entrance in January 2023

The Walled Off Hotel is a boutique hotel in

Israeli West Bank Barrier separating Bethlehem from the holy site of Rachel's Tomb.[3]

Established on 3 March 2017, the hotel is generally considered to be a follow-up to Banksy's 2015

Weston-Super-Mare in the South-West of England, making a commentary on life in coastal towns in 21st-century Britain.[citation needed] The reaction to the hotel as a work of art and social intervention has been mixed, especially given its location and subject matter. Critics have argued that such a building profits off tragedy, and is a case of war tourism.[4] On the topic of Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, Palestinian artist and activist Rana Bishara criticized the initiative for commodifying the Israeli separation wall while the real wall remains a source of oppression for Palestinians. Bishara also expressed concern over the potential dehumanization of socially disadvantaged areas like the West Bank due to "dark tourism" or "tourism of suffering."[5] Nonetheless, evidence has suggested that the hotel has brought more tourism to areas of the West Bank, in turn raising awareness of the realities of the Palestinians affected by the conflict.[6]

Jesus Christ with a sniper’s red dot sight on his head as in support of the antisemitic belief of Jewish deicide.[7]

Following the

2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the Walled Off Hotel announced its closure "for the time being", "due to major developments in the region" [8]

References

  1. ^ "Banksy opens Walled Off Hotel in West Bank town of Bethlehem to highlight Palestinian-Israel divide - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  2. ^ Fisher, Ian (16 April 2017). "Banksy Hotel in the West Bank: Small, but Plenty of Wall Space". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. ^ Worrall, Simon (December 3, 2017). "The Little Town of Bethlehem Has a Surprising History". National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  4. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (7 September 2017). "'Worst view in the world': Banksy opens hotel overlooking Bethlehem wall". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. S2CID 251943368
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  6. ^ Cook, Johnathan (22 December 2018). "Inside Banksy's The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem". The National. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. CAMERA UK
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  8. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/CyGGCXVsSTO/?hl=en