Back in 2005, before I opened Fauzi Azar Inn in Nazareth, I gathered my family to share a simple 10-slide presentation. It showcased my vision—how a guesthouse could unlock business potential while strengthening the local community. One slide featured a photo of an old Arab mansion I’d found online, an image of what the dream could one day look like.

When I finished, the room was silent. My parents exchanged a look and then said the words that changed everything: “Maoz, if you’re going for this—we’re with you.”

They became my first partners, my first supporters, and together we turned the dream into reality.

That same spirit still drives me today. As many of you know, my beloved parents, Yaccovi and Bilha, were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7th. Since that tragic day, I have taken on a new mission: to do everything I can to help achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians—so that others will not suffer the same fate as my family.

This week is the second anniversary of October 7th. War has continued to rage, the suffering in Gaza is unimaginable, and the extremist government in Israel pursues policies that harm both Palestinians and Israelis, including the remaining hostages. It has been easy to feel hopeless. But now, more than ever, and on the cusp of a potential peace plan, our work as peace-builders is urgent. Hope is not something we wait to find—it is something we create through action.

As my good friend and partner Aziz Abu Sarah says: “If you must divide us, don’t divide us between Israelis and Palestinians. The only division is between those who believe in justice, peace, and equality—and those who don’t, yet.”

To advance this vision, Aziz and I have launched InterAct, a nonprofit organization with a bold mission: to achieve peace by 2030. InterAct builds trust, fosters dialogue, and creates shared spaces where Israelis and Palestinians can meet as equals. Over the past two years, we have come to realize that our message is like water for those in the desert—vital, life-giving, and desperately needed. We aspire to share this sustenance with all those seeking hope and change.

Last year, Aziz and I opened the 2024 TED Convention with our healing conversation. Since then, we have shared our message with millions through the media and with thousands in person—including world leaders such as the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV. These milestones remind us that the world is listening, and that change is within reach.

As part of this journey, I plan to send updates on our efforts every few weeks. You can also visit the InterAct website to see upcoming events. If I’m in your neighborhood, I’d love to meet you.

When I first shared my dream of opening a guesthouse, my parents stood beside me and gave me the courage to begin. Today, as I pursue the even greater dream of peace, I ask you to stand beside me in the same way. Help me amplify our message—share our story with your friends, your communities, and your networks. The more voices join, the stronger and more unstoppable our call for peace becomes.

Here’s how you can help:

Forward this article to those you know. Forward this email to those you know and ask them to join the mailing list Invite us to speak with the media, in webinars or at public events. Share our TED talk on social media

With love and peace—by 2030,
Maoz Inon

::Interact

::Abraham Hostels

More about Maoz Inon

Born on a kibbutz in the Negev Desert, Maoz spent a year backpacking around the world when he was 22, and it was then that he discovered the power of the hostel to bring all kinds of people together and stimulate an area’s local economy.  At 28, he embarked on the Israel Trail and was inspired to bring this world of the independent backpacker to his home country.

In 2005 Maoz opened his first hostel and the first guest house in Nazareth, Fauzi Azar Inn.  He received international praise for bringing a new model for travel to Israel and sparking Nazareth’s resurgence as a destination for travelers.  In 2000 the Lonely Planet called Nazareth a city to “avoid,” while in 2011 former British Prime Minister Tony Blair came to visit Nazareth and the Fauzi Azar while in Israel, a sign of the city’s much-improved status among foreigners.

Following Fauzi, Maoz and his American friend David Landis went on to develop the Jesus Trail, a walking trail through the northern region of Israel.  The project was intended to stimulate and support the local economy in smaller, out-of-the-way Israeli towns and also bridge cultural gaps by trekking through currently and historically significant sites for Christians, Jews & Muslims.  This project was also noted by international media as a positive development for Israeli tourism.

In 2006 Maoz met Yaron Burgin, who was staying as a guest at Fauzi Azar.  After talking and brainstorming, the two proceeded to create ILH – Israel Hostels, a network of Israeli hostels with high standards of cleanliness, true backpackers’ vibes, affordable prices and “more than a bed to sleep in.”

It became clear that Jerusalem needed an ILH-style hostel, and Maoz teamed up with Gal, Dror, Nitzan, and Yaron, to create it.  The five opened their dream hostel in the city center of Jerusalem, and Maoz saw his dream for Israel and the Middle East realized one step further.

The post My parents were killed on October 7. I am not giving up on peace for the Middle East appeared first on Green Prophet.

Thankfully you can still find pasta that doesn’t piss off gay people. And if you are a bit of contrarian and want to piss off straight Arabs in Israel then just say the words Al Arz. It’s a brand of tahini paste. Nazareth is mainly a Muslim and Christian town, and yes it’s the one from the Bible and today it’s home to the country’s only Arab-owned tahini paste company. Al Arz has come under fire and is facing a boycott for supporting a LGBTQ organization creating a hotline for LGBTQ Arab youth.

Let’s just say tahini (also known as tehina, tehini, techina) is a big deal in Israel. It may even be bigger your sexuality. It’s the glue that holds hummus together and it’s like salt and pepper to every Levantini table. But when this brand decided to help support an Arab LGBTQ group, its straight patrons called for a boycott of Al Arz.

Responding to the boycott calls, Al Arz promised to give even more support to the LGBTQ community.

On a local Whatsapp community group in Jaffa, which is a mixed group of Arabic, Hebrew and English speakers, one member Moti White encouraged his friends to buy more, not boycott the tehina, citing it as “the first Arab-owned business in Israel to actively and openly support the LGBTQ population by giving funds towards creating an Arabic-language phone hotline for struggling LGBTQ youths.” he says.

“LGBTQ people in Israel are now posting pictures of themselves with this brand in order to spread awareness,” says White 31, editor and singer, claiming the movement is being led by Muhammad Zoabi, a local gay Arab activist and vegetarian, vocal in leading the way against the boycott.

Zoabi’s statements in both Hebrew and Arabic:

Here is a previous video featuring Zoabi, who defines himself as gay and vegetarian:

“We in the Al Arz Tahini family love people without differentiation between religion, sex, gender or color. Food connects people. And so do we. We will continue to be an open house and empower disadvantaged sectors whatever they may be,” the statement from the company stressed.

While many Arab Israelis are socially very conservative, especially the Muslim population, LGBTQ Arab Israelis have slowly been taking a more front-facing role. This past May Ayman Safiya, a renowned Arab Israeli dancer drowned in the sea and his funeral brought out thousands of mourners, despite his queer identity.

The Middle East is not always kind to gay people, men especially. You can go to jail for being gay in Iran – or worse be hung like this 31-year-old Iranian man last year. Sharia law does not permit gay sex. In Israel, on the other hand, you might have a better social life if you are part of the gay community.

I was just walking my kid home from his friend’s playdate and two gay guys in front of me were commenting in Hebrew on the quality of the local men in Jaffa. It’s tough now that tourism is cancelled because of Covid-19. The Pride Parade was cancelled. That sucks. Tel Aviv-Jaffa is one of the lesbian and gay capitals of the world, but when those borders expand to Nazareth, a predominantly Muslim and Christian community, the rulebook isn’t so clear. Or better put, you might be walking a slippery slope.

And yes people we are talking about food. We cared about Barilla and its anti-gay statements; likewise the heteros can’t mess with our tahina. We like it in so many ways and it belongs to all of the Middle East (as does hummus – see hummus wars), in all its tasty varieties.

The post Proud Tahini company gets boycotted for being gay appeared first on Green Prophet.

A new research paper proves it. 

Until the Fauzi Azar Inn opened in Nazareth in 2005, there were no real attractive options for staying in the predominantly Muslim city with a rich Christian background and legacy which continues to modern times.

The Old City and Arab market (read about Green Prophet’s visit here), once an attractive market and home for many became decrepit and unvisited by the early 2000s. Nazareth’s once glorious Old City, not unlike the cobblestone paths in the Old City of Jerusalem, Akko (Acre) and Jaffa, was dangerous and avoided at all cost.

This is what Souraida (pictured left), the granddaughter of Fauzi Azar told me when I stayed at the Fauzi Azar Inn with my parents and small family. She gives free talks about the inn on a regular basis. She talks about her family, and their dreams for peace. The 200 year old home belonged to her family and grandfather Fauzi Azar.

An Israeli Jew named Maoz Inon had an idea –– to turn the old crumbling property once belonging to her grandfather into a stunning hostel, one that was affordable for backpackers and mid-range travellers.

After some convincing the idea came into being and against all odds, including pressures from her family and friends. The Fauzi Azar Inn is now a beacon that points the way as to how sustainable tourism, between partners however unlikely, can change a neighborhood and create peace.

New research on the Inn shows how one small idea can transform the peace process in a big way.

In the study, researchers from Israel and Sweden argue they argue that bottom up tourism, like the approach being offered at the Fauzi Azar Inn is a good model for uniting people with shared cultural interests.

A shop in the Old Market today: Fahoum Coffee, for the best coffee in Israel:

The study is being presented by Prof. Daniel Laven, Department of Tourism Studies and Geography, Mid Sweden University, Sweden and  Alon Gelbman from the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel.

“One hostel drove a change in a city recovering from conflicts,” the paper explains. The paper will be presented next week at an academic conference in Tiberias.

Courtyard of Fauzi Azar Inn at night, in winter

As for staying at the Fauzi Azar Inn: even in winter the facilities provide ample heating to keep you cozy at night. The beds aren’t fancy and there is even a dorm option for the budget traveller but the company and food is magnificent. We also highly recommend the free market tour, usually occurring every day, and eating at the local restaurants made into stars thanks to the Inn.

Nazareth plays a starring role around this time of the year, at Christmas, when there are religious events and festivities put on by the local Christians and Catholics. Nazareth was the boyhood home of Jesus, according to the New Testament.

It is the largest Arab city in Israel, with 80,000 people. And its heritage is unmatched by few. Archeological excavations show the city is very important for Christians.

Up top in the morning:

Before the hostel turned things around ongoing conflict, crises and lack of planning killed the Old City.

Nazareth’s heritage sites remained in neglect. Seeing its potential, in 2005 the Israeli Jew Inon decided to turn one property around and since it has transformed the city in many ways.

Lonely Planet lists it as a highlights of the Galilee region.

I love the constantly cooking cookies in the stove, the tea on the burner and the feeling that I’d come to meet some old friends during my stay at the Fauzi Azar Inn. I also got to learn the narrative of some Israeli Arabs who are often misunderstood as waves of gentrification flow over Israel’s ancient cities.

Want to support the peace process in the Middle East? Get out of your comfort zone this holiday season and escape commercialism and visit Nazareth, the ancestral home to the Christian religion. It will probably go down in history books for the place that started Middle East peace. Just maybe. Backpacker Becki is doing it, why not you?

::Fauzi Azar Inn

The post Nazareth Fauzi Azar Inn creates harmony between Arabs and Jews appeared first on Green Prophet.

It’s easy to look down on the lowly backpackers when you are a country looking to earn lots of income from tourism. Many Middle Eastern countries rely seriously on tourism for bolstering the local economies, like Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and even Israel. When tourism drops, people feel it. So popular is tourism to iconic sites like the Nile River and the pyramids, or the Old City of Jerusalem that luxury vacations and hotels spring up all around these markets to reel in the Big Fish: you know the rich tourists who spend a week and $300 and per night on a hotel room. Bargain travellers, you know who they are: they look for deals on last minute flights, search online sites like Agoda religiously looking for the best hotel deal, and when they arrive at their destination tend to stay at cheaper hotels and hostels, sometimes working in reception, even washing dishes to subsidize their “rent”.

Tourism ministries haven’t been too keen to focus on these kinds of travelling “parasites” who try to live on dollars a day. Because, you  know, the Big Fish bring in more money –– or so it would seem. Our friends over at the Fauzi Azar Inn in Nazareth just sent us an illuminating article based on research that will surprise you about the economic impact of budget travellers.

According to a new book Tourism for Development by Regina Scheyvens, luxury-tourism actually relies on foreign rather than local products, foreign skills like language over local skills and knowledge. The overall effect is that budget travellers actually benefit more the local economies, and tend to interact with local services like public transportation. And contrary to the notion that luxury tourism will trickle down to the locals who need it, the income tends to stay focused in developed locations, and does not go “off the beaten path” as it were, writes Nicole, a regular guest at the Fauzi Azar Inn.

Nicole writes: “Instead of luxury tourism, countries might actually benefit more from budget tourism. As a consequence, many governments are turning to backpackers, budget travellers on an extended and/or work holiday, as an important engine of economic growth and pro-poor economic development. Although most of the research considering the economic benefits of backpacking and budget tourism is on Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa, the research also highlights some important facts for Israel.”

Plain and simple: budget and backpacking travellers tend to stay longer, and spend money taking care of their daily needs. They also tend to give back more to society by getting involved in volunteer programs.

As for tourism, the implications of this book could also be important for other Middle Eastern countries like Egypt trying to recover from the Arab Spring. It is more likely that the brave backpackers will venture back to seemingly dangerous tourist sites before the more skittish luxury travellers rush in.

In Scheyvens’ book she refers to an Australian survey which found that the average Aussie backpacker will spend $2,667 on a holiday compared to an average non-backpacking tourist. That’s twice as much money! And you thought budget travellers were not really giving back to the tourism industry.

This research, although dated, does need to be updated with current tourism expectations and models used by Levant and North African countries.

A third point summed up by Nicole is that those “cheap” budget travellers actually use less resources. They tread lighter on the planet. She writes: “For example, backpackers often swim in public beaches and take shorter water showers, while luxury tourist demand hot baths and large swimming pools within their hotel complex. The demands of luxury tourism can put significant strain on water resource management and cause other long-term environmental concerns. Budget tourism, by contrast, is much more likely to demand resources in ways that are sustainable.”

Read the full article here if you are in the tourism business. And if you are a luxury traveller, don’t snub those who’ll wash dishes for a night’s stay. These travellers not only tread lighter on the planet, they might just actually be having more fun.

I’ve often thought about the inverse relationship between the cost of a hotel/hostel versus my enjoyment level. The level of fun shoots up insanely high on the very low end of the cost axis. Some of the best travelling memories of my life were staying in the Arab market in the Old City of Jerusalem with my friend Cara. It cost us $3 a night to stay in one of the 50 beds on the roof. Okay, the bed bugs weren’t so much fun, but the friends and weirdos we met couldn’t be bought for $300 a night.

At the end of our stay there, Cara ended up with a Swedish boyfriend, and I a new country that would become my home for the better part of the year.

Image of cute backpacker from Shutterstock

The post Cheap Travellers and Surprising $ Stats for Tourism Industries appeared first on Green Prophet.

Nazareth, a Galilean City between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee is an important one for all major monotheistic religions. Most notably it has become a must-see pilgramage site for Catholics looking to see the Basilica of the Annunciation, and Mary’s Well. The city is believed to be the hometown of young Jesus. And it is there where faithful believed he attended synagogue and gave sermons. In a bold attempt to keep the busload of tourists in Nazareth for more than an hour or two in the crumbling city, the delightful Fauzi Azar Inn, in the Old City of Nazareth, has designed a must-see Old City Tour. The best part is that it’s free, the better part is that you’ll see nothing like it if you ventured around the Old City on your own, or even on an expensive historical and religious tour.

Touring Nazareth is a great way to learn how to support the local economy and learn more about the traditional ways of life in Nazareth, as they were then, and as they are today.

Given by volunteer Linda Hallel, explore Nazareth with her as she shows you the points of interests that most Israelis an tourists most certainly have never seen themselves. While she asked us not to expose all her secrets –– what fun would it be to take the tour then? — below we’ll show you some pictures of Hallel’s stops on the tour that won our hearts, and also convinced us that Hallel must be no less than an angel for her peace work and commitment to local charity.

On the tour we got a sneak peek into the White Mosque of Nazareth, a place where some amazing interfaith community work is going on in the form of a new school for Muslim, Jewish and Christian kids soon to be opened.

Taste the best coffee in Nazareth (roasted, ground and prepared by shop owner above), quite possibly the best in the Middle East at this stop on the free Old City Nazareth Tour. We sampled Arab coffee, boiled for hours and served at weddings and funerals. It was a bit sour, but an interesting cultural experience.

See the 150-year-old spice mill (in top picture above, lower pics in the shop) which still works to this day, although it can be heard kilometers away when the steam engine fires up. Walking through this spice shop makes you feel like you have stepped into another century.

Tour some of the neglected an ancient Nazarene architecture, built over centuries and by different ruling societies. Hallel will show you some layers and ask you thought-provoking questions about culture, people and place.

There are loads of other “insider” stories and treats to be seen and tasted, but Hallel made me promise to only reveal a little. Stay at the Fauzi Azar Inn for the free tour, which happens daily on weekdays. For a nominal fee it is also possible to take the tour without staying at the inn. Book ahead because there might not be room at the inn if you don’t plan ahead.

One of the last real carpenters of Nazareth.

I won’t reveal much about Hallel here either, because I feel the personal stories she shared with us on the tour were personal. What I can say is that she is American, is living in Nazareth, and has a strong connection to the Holy Land and to this Old City. She will share with you the things about Nazareth that she loves, while sparing you the tours through history and churches that you can do on your own, tours I find achingly boring anyway.

She’s quite a character, and obviously much loved in this Arabian city, population 85,000. The imam of the White Mosque told us that he wishes Hallel would run for mayor of Nazareth one day. He helps her find needy people in the community who can benefit from donations made to the tour. In my eyes she is an angel.

::Fauzi Azar Inn

The post Tour Nazareth in the Arms of An Angel appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Middle East and North Africa region is slowly building a reputation as an exciting holiday location for those tourists with a green conscious. And nothing confirms this like a win and two high commendations from the recent Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2011.

Read on to find out who the three lucky winners are.

Sustainable tourism can be a tricky thing to achieve. Balancing out the luxury and leisure with the need to keep your carbon footprint low whilst maximizing your positive impact on the local community is no mean feat. Keeping the number of visitors within a manageable and sustainable range is another issue. We have written in the past about special eco-tourism destinations becoming victims of their own success. For example, the Siwa Oasis in Egypt is currently under threat as the growing tourism industry is putting pressure on the scarce water resources.

However, there are some hotels and organisations getting it right and it’s great to see them getting the recognition they deserve. The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards help supply that recognition.

1. The Fauzi Azar Inn in Nazareth won the Best Accommodation For Local Communities award for its efforts to boost local/tourist interaction and support the local economy. Located in a 200-year old Arab mansion, it runs free tours of the city, encourages hiking and is also currently offering a free nights stay in one of their dorms for backpackers who have travelled through Syria, Lebanon or Iraq. See their website for the full details.

2. The Feynan Eco-Lodge in Jordan was highly commended in the Best Poverty Reduction category. Developed by Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, the eco-lodge is located in the Dana Biospere reserve and helps raise funds to support local Bedouins through employment opportunities. Run on solar power, the lodge is lit at night by candles produced from local Bedouin women and they are also running a weaving project.

3. Last but not least is the Kasbah Du Toubkal in Morocco, which was highly commended in the Best Accommodation For The Environment category. Green Prophet editor Karin Kloosterman stayed there this summer, and Tafline Laylin was lucky enough to spend time (well hike up) Mount Toubkal where this very lodge is located. A mountain retreat, the hotel was originally a summer home of a local chief which was lovingly restored and the organisation retains very close link with the local Berber community.

::Virgin Awards

Top image via Feynan Eco-Lodge website and others from respective hotels
More going green sustainable tourism:
Middle East Destination Tops Ethical Tourism Sales
Morocco, Egypt Eye Eco-Tourism Markets
Romantic Desert Lodge In Egypt Offers Fresh Eggs & Sanity

The post 3 Sustainable Hotels In The Arab World Win Big Virgin Awa appeared first on Green Prophet.