It’s not the prices at a shoe shop in Ramallah that will keep tourists out — it’s the demand for an official apology before entering.
A sign recently posted outside the shop, shared on Twitter by COGAT, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, said any British or American citizens who wish to enter must apologize first.
“To all British and American citizens,” the sign reads. “Before entering, you should offer your apologies and hold responsibility for the Balfour’s [sic] Declaration and Trump’s dirty decision which has caused all the pain and suffering for the Palestinians since its declaration till this very moment.” The sign ended with the oddly friendly: “You are most welcome.”
חנות נעליים ברמאללה
מזמינה לקוחות בריטים ואמריקנים להיכנס
אך לא לפני שיתנצלו על הצהרת בלפור והכרזת טראמפ pic.twitter.com/3dbTKupeU9— Gal Berger גל ברגר (@galberger) January 1, 2018
It has been almost a month since US President Donald Trump gave an official speech recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and pledging to move the US Embassy there. And it has been just over 100 years since the Balfour Declaration, the British government’s statement of support for establishing a Jewish state.
COGAT called the sign “disgraceful” and lamented it being posted “during the busiest month of tourism.”
“Aside from being offensive,” the government body wrote on Twitter, “such signs, which mix politics and tourism, can hurt the local Palestinian economy.”
According to Kan reporter Gal Berger, the shop is called Rahalah, and sells shoes “handmade in Palestine.” According to the store’s website, it was established in 1985 in Nablus and then moved to Ramallah in 1991.
Article source: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Shin-Bet-arrests-large-W-Bank-Hamas-cell-planning-attacks-against-Israel-522539
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