Summary
Celebrity chef and host of CNN’s Parts Unknown, whose episode on Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, aired September 15, 2013, functions in Invited to Witness — Solidarity Tourism across Occupied Palestine as a virtual solidarity trip — for internationals and, above all, for diaspora Palestinians denied entry (PDF p.205-208).
Details
- In Jerusalem, chef Yotam Ottolenghi conceded at the episode’s opening that falafel has “been done for generations here” rather than presenting it as Israeli; in Ramallah, Speed Sisters racer Betty Saadeh said, “When I drive, I speed. I feel free” (PDF p.205-206).
- Traveling along the Wall, Bourdain called Aida Refugee Camp from inside “a prison” — an analogy Kelly faults for eliding literal Palestinian prisoners and the difference between a cell and an occupied homeland, while crediting its reminder of Israeli control (PDF p.206-207).
- On Gaza he foregrounded the closure: “Getting in and out of Gaza from Israel is truly one of the most surreal travel experiences you could have on Earth”; “Over 1.5 million people live in Gaza, most of them considered refugees … Israel decides who comes and goes, what gets in and what stays out” (PDF p.207).
- In Gaza, Laila el-Haddad acted as his guide, describing cooking under siege and the Israeli Navy’s enforcement against fishermen beyond three to six nautical miles (PDF p.208).
Related pages
Invited to Witness — Solidarity Tourism across Occupied Palestine, Maysoon Zayid, Laila el-Haddad, Aida Camp, Solidarity Tourism