"Those who control the past, control the future" - Agency and Narrative in Palestine/Israel’s Conflict/Political Tourism Industry

In the case of societies that are currently enduring conflict or have recently begun to transition towards a post-conflict society, conflict/political tourism has become a very popular niche within the industry that has the potency to impact upon larger issues of memory and narrative. Conflict/political tourism in the context of this paper is understood as conflict related tourism practices within a society experiencing conflict or one that has experienced conflict in living memory. Once formed within a society, the control of this industry is left to key agents, stakeholders, organisations, and state institutions with their own objectives who direct the industry towards certain ends. This paper will consider who these agents are and how they mobilise this industry when looking at Palestine/Israel, a society experiencing ongoing violence, occupation, apartheid, and settler colonialism. In this context, the Israeli state holds the most agency in controlling access to heritage sites, development of sites and tourist attractions, and providing mandatory pro-Israel education and licensing for tour guides. In contrast to this, there is a movement among Palestinian Civil society organisations, communities, and independent individuals to mobilise tourism within a wider strategy of advocacy and resistance against the occupation. An additional layer of complexity is the agency of the tourist(s) themselves who come with their own preconceived notions and choose to support specific tours with one side or the other for their own reasons. This paper will be based on data from 2022/23 comprising 25 interviews with people involved in this industry in Palestine/Israel and observations from over 40 tours.