RAMALLAH, April 26, 2017 (WAFA) – Israel went back on an earlier decision that would compel tourism offices to sign a pledge not to allow tourists to visit the Palestinian territories, including Bethlehem, as a requirement to receive an entry visa, the Civil Affairs commission said on Wednesday.
It said this decision was supposed to go into effect on May 15, but following intervention from the Civil Affairs, Israel retracted it.
It said this decision, if enforced, would have seriously hurt the Palestinian economy, which relies heavily on the visit of hundreds of thousands of tourism.
The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism said around two million tourists annually visit Bethlehem, the site of the Nativity Church where Jesus Christ was born and considered one of the most visited Christian sites in the world.
In addition to Bethlehem, tourists visit Jericho, the oldest city in the world build 10,000 years ago, as well as Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority.
Entry into the Palestinian areas is done only through Israeli-controlled ports and often Israel denies entry to visitors seeking to go to the Palestinian-ruled areas of the West Bank or Gaza Strip.
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