Israeli tour guides will be able to travel to Jericho and Bethlehem with groups of tourists and guide them in the Palestinian Authority territories, as recently approved by the Central Command chief and head of the Civil Administration at the Tourism Ministry's request. About 50 Jewish and Druze tour guides are expected to take part in a pilot tour.
The guides will be invited to a conference in which all the procedures and guidelines about entering Area A will be explained to them, and they'll sign a commitment to abide by all the rules of movement in the area.
According to the Tourism Ministry, some 400 guides have asked to take part in the program. Ministry officials noted that it was important for tourists to receive professional guidance even when they move into the PA territories.
Yaakov Miterani, head of the Israel Tour Guides Association, expressed his reservations over the decision: "The military order against entering the PA applies to all Israeli citizens. It’s strange that the guides' safety and wellbeing is being put at risk. Does a scenario in which a tour guide is hurt or kidnapped appear imaginary? We demand to hear the defense officials and minister's stand on this matter."
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