In the months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, a new type of tourism has emerged in Israel, according to the Associated Press. For celebrities, politicians and influencers alike, no trip is complete without a solemn visit to the devastated south, which bore the brunt of the attacks near the Gaza border. Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Musk, Michael Douglas, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have all visited, sometimes posing for photos in front of the burned-out homes. Many Israelis, including soldiers and security officials, also visit on organized tours. “This is our personal story, but it’s also the story of the entire state of Israel,” said Irit Lahav, a spokeswoman for Kibbutz Nir Oz, which organizes many of the tours.
A quarter of Nir Oz’s roughly 400 residents fell victim to the attack. Hamas fighters killed more than 20 and kidnapped more than 80. Stickers on the walls of the cafeteria read red for killed, black for kidnapped, and blue for liberated. Lahav said it was important for people to “come here, smell the burning death, and imagine their friends and parents here.” Lahav ran a tour company before Oct. 7, and she’s bringing her itinerary-making skills to the kibbutz where she grew up. Her tours include small details that humanize the scale of the destruction, like the spot on the fence where Hamas fighters stormed the kibbutz and the melted candy eggs that melted when the general store was set on fire.
Many of the kibbutzim and towns that suffered the worst destruction are closed to the public, accessible only by tour for dignitaries and celebrities or by invitation from residents. Lena Bazar, a Nir Oz resident who, along with most of her community, lives in temporary housing elsewhere, is one of those giving tours. On a recent tour, she showed us the shelter where she hid for hours on October 7. Her house was largely spared, but others were burned. She doesn’t want the destruction to stop in Nir Oz, and hopes that future memorials will be built elsewhere. “I don’t want my children to suffer the effects of ruins,” she says. “Our cemeteries are full. Isn’t that memorial enough?” Read the full story.
(More stories on the Israel-Hamas war.)
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