A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, per the AP. For celebrities, politicians, influencers, and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Musk , Michael Douglas, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are a few who have visited, at times posing for photos in front of burned-out homes. Many Israelis, including soldiers and security officials, are also visiting on organized trips. "It's our personal story, but it's also the story of all of the state of Israel," said Irit Lahav, spokeswoman for Kibbutz Nir Oz, who gives many of the tours.
A quarter of the approximately 400 Nir Oz residents fell victim to the attack. Hamas militants killed more than 20 and kidnapped over 80. In the dining hall, a wall of post office boxes is plastered with stickers—red for killed, black for kidnapped, blue for released. Lahav said it's important for people to "come here and smell the burned smell of death, to imagine your friends or parents here." Lahav ran a tourism company prior to Oct. 7, and she has turned those itinerary-building skills to the kibbutz where she grew up. Her tour includes the spot in the fence where Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz, along with small details that humanize the scale of destruction, like the candy eggs that melted when the general store was torched.
Many of the kibbutzim and towns that experienced the worst destruction are closed to the public, accessible only via organized tours like those for dignitaries or celebrities, or by invitation from a resident. Rena Bazar, a Nir Oz resident who lives with most of the community in temporary housing elsewhere, is among those giving tours. On a recent one, she pointed out the safe room where she spent hours hiding on Oct. 7. Her home was mostly spared. Others were burned. She doesn't want the destruction to remain inside Nir Oz and hopes any future memorial will be elsewhere. "I don't want any child to be impacted by the ruins," she said. "Our cemetery is full. Isn't that memorial enough?" Read the full story.
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