In the past few years, something interesting has started happening in Arab communities in Israel, mainly Christian ones or those with links to Christians and Christianity. Ahead of Christmas and New Year's, one after the other has started hosting Christmas festivals and markets, with music, dancing, exhibits, food stalls, and organized activities – like the ones in Europe.
This is taking place not only in Haifa and Nazareth, which are already used to welcoming visitors from all over the world in the Christmas season. Local festivals are being put on every year in Fassuta, Mi'ilya, Kafr Yasif, and Shfaram that attract young people who volunteer their time to make the events a success. A lot of families and businesses make their livings during the festivals. Local authorities receive fees, and the festive sites draw in hundreds of thousands of local tourists – Jewish and Arab alike.
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The Christmas festivals are an expression of economic and social development that, among other things, is influencing the leisure culture of Israel's Arab population. Slowly but surely, after the echoes of the violence of October 2000 died down, Arab communities are starting to fill up – some for the first time – with bustling restaurants, shopping centers, and leisure spots. Large retail chains want to open branches in Arab towns. Not only fast food, but also fashion brands and other purveyors of consumer products. What's more, new modern shopping centers have started to pop up in various villages, and the economic movement they generate has created tens of thousands of jobs for young people looking for sources of income close to home.
The potential exists, both for the holidays and the rest of the year. We cannot ignore the investments the Culture and Sport Ministry or various other public institutions, such as the Israel National Lottery, have made in events produced specially for Arab and Druze communities with the goal of spurring local tourism. The holidays and events unique to Arab society can also contribute to that economic expansion, especially if the various local authorities and government ministries work together on a coherent plan to make that happen.
To keep Arab communities "awake" year-round for the sake of their residents, and to avoid missing the social and economic potential that has proven itself in recent years, we should think seriously about government investment to turn Arab communities into tourism magnets. The wealth of archaeological, historical, and religious sites; the atmosphere; the charm; and their special multiculturalism can make many Arab villages and towns into attractive destinations for Israeli and foreign visitors.
Aside from the immense contribution to the local economies in general and the Israeli Arab economy in particular, think about how bolstering this trend could help strengthen relations between the Arab and Jewish populations in Israel. The day isn't far off when tourists from France and families from Rishon Lezion will be able to reserve a luxurious country cottage in Kafr Yasif, eat at good restaurants in Fassuta, and shop in Nazareth – and at a reasonable cost.
