Welcome to the wall: street artist Banksy opens hotel in Bethlehem neighbourhood controlled by Israel
Bethlehem tourism firms have long complained that the wall and Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank have crippled business
Secretive British street artist Banksy opened a hotel next to Israel’s controversial separation wall in Bethlehem on Friday, his latest artwork in the Palestinian territories.
The 10-room Walled Off Hotel fits in with the artist’s dystopian work, with rooms facing out onto the grim view of the wall, which cuts through the occupied West Bank.
Banksy’s spokespeople insisted the building was not merely an artistic statement but also an active hotel, with rooms to be rented out later.
While most Palestinian cities in the West Bank are forbidden for Israelis to visit, the part of Bethlehem where the hotel is located is under Israeli control, meaning Israeli tourists seeking to understand the reality of the occupation can also visit.
Bethlehem tourism firms have long complained that the wall and Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank have crippled business.
The artist has a long history in the Palestinian territories. In February 2015, he allegedly sneaked into the Gaza Strip through a smuggling tunnel and painted three works on the walls of Gaza homes destroyed in Israeli air strikes during the devastating conflict of the previous year.