Alwaght- The world-renowned elusive British graffiti artist has surprisingly opened a 10-room “The Walled Off Hotel” in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, drawing attention to the bitter realities of Palestinians' life within the illegal “apartheid wall.”
The anonymous artist, known by the pseudonym “Banksy,” opened the three-storey hotel on Friday, coinciding with the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, by which the then British government endorsed the illegal establishment of the Israeli regime on the Palestinian territory.
“It’s exactly one hundred years since Britain took control of Palestine and started re-arranging the furniture - with chaotic results,” Banksy said. “I don’t know why but it felt like a good time to reflect on what happens when the United Kingdom makes a huge political decision without fully comprehending the consequences.”
Built in the style of a colonial club, The Walled Off Hotel's first floor is designed in a way that all rooms overlook the wall’s unwelcoming and gloomy concrete slabs, and the upper rooms stand eye-to-eye with the Israeli watch towers that loom over parts of the city.
The artist was either not present at the opening ceremony or appeared in disguise to hide his identity. However, in a two-page press release, he said the hotel has the “worst view in the world.”
Banksy built the hotel in total secrecy over a 14-month period and said that it started accepting bookings from March 11, nine days before it begins as a functioning and genuine place, and not just a political statement.
The symbolic hotel also features a small museum on the history of the Israeli regime's apartheid wall and an art gallery showcasing the works of local Palestinian artists.
The hotel is built in Area C of the occupied West Bank, meaning that Israelis are able to come.
“I’m hoping that Israelis will come and visit us here,” hotel manager Wissam Salsah. It’s a great opportunity for them to see this wonderful art and see the impact of the wall on the Palestinians.”
