As head of Palestinian tourism...
a Lutheran woman hopes to improve life for Palestinians
By Judith Sudilovsky W
hen Raja Freij, owner of the new 75-room Mount David Hotel on Bethlehem’s main strip, mentions difficulties with municipal permits,
Khouloud Daibes Abu Dayyeh promises to try to set up a meeting with the mayor. As the Palestinian minister of tourism, Daibes Abu Dayyeh makes a point of visiting, inspecting and assisting with the opening of every new hotel in the city. The only female and only Christian member of the Palestinian cabinet, Daibes Abu Dayyeh grew up Roman Catholic, attended Lutheran schools and eventually mar- ried a Lutheran. She, her husband and their three chil- dren are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. It was not “a big change for me because I [was] very familiar with the Lutheran church and the community,” she said.
Sudilovsky is a freelance journalist based in Jerusalem who writes for Catholic News Service.
Khouloud Daibes Abu Dayyeh, a Lutheran, uses her doctorate in archi- tectural conservation to help restore Palestinian cultural sites.
DEBBIE HILL
“This very small [Lutheran] community plays a very significant role, not only today but [has] for more than 100 years. This is a basis of pride for us,” she added. She hadn’t planned on entering politics. When she was appointed tourism minister in March 2007 it was more as a “technocrat,” said the still politically unaffili- ated Daibes Abu Dayyeh. She took the position to make a “positive change” and “enable and empower the Pal- estinians to have a better life” through job growth in the tourism industry, she said. With a doctorate in architectural conservation from the University of Hannover in Germany, she’s also well- positioned to work toward restoration of Palestinian his- torical structures—her responsiblity from 2001 to 2007 as director general of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Bethlehem. Daibes Abu Dayyeh also helps with the restoration and renovation plans for the King Solomon Pools. The site includes the archaeological remains of a Turkish fort, an ancient aqueduct system and three large water reservoirs that archaeologists date back to the second century (if not to Solomon himself). There is a conven- tion hall and a theater that opened in 2000, which was left largely unused after the second intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation began in September of that year. The owners—who haven’t made a profit on their
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