The New York Times has a dispatch from the Gaza border, where a tense quiet has reigned since Israeli gunships went quiet after the conflict earlier this year.
Guesthouses in local villages and kibbutzim enjoyed 80 percent occupancy during the recent New Year holiday, according to the tourism manager for the regional councils. In August, the villages and farms put on a week-long South American festival with concerts, salsa dancing and workshops, attracting thousands of visitors. Now the regional councils are promoting the tour of artists and galleries in the area.
But in some respects for the people here, the war is not over. Occasional rockets and mortar shells still puncture the calm, causing the population to relive the moments of panic. The international outcry over Israel’s military conduct, meanwhile, has left many here feeling that the world is out of touch with their plight.
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