Every day, buses filled with tourists from around the world make a stop here for a few hours between visits to the biblical relics that the region boasts. On April 5, at the start of the Easter holidays, Americans, Brazilians, Japanese, Swiss and Tanzanians arrived in successive waves at Kalia Beach, on the shores of the Dead Sea. Around them, Israelis and Palestinians sat side by side.

They share this space because Kalia Beach is located in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967 following the Six-Day War. It is situated in Area C, under the exclusive control of Israel since the Oslo II Accords of 1995 – like 60% of the West Bank − and in contrast to Areas A and B, where the Palestinian Authority holds some power. The Kalia settlement, established a short distance from the coast and considered illegal under international law, manages its operations.

Uninformed visitors might not realize they are in the West Bank. The information on the signposts is written in Hebrew, English, and, in smaller letters below, Arabic. The souvenir shop sells beach towels, keychains and mugs depicting the map of Israel, where the outlines of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have disappeared. Even the "glamping" Instagram account (a portmanteau of "glamour" and "camping") promotes the charm of the dome tents overlooking "the most beautiful view in Israel."

Roads lined with checkpoints

For many Israelis and foreign tourists, Kalia Beach is an Israeli beach. The road leading there reinforces this belief. Along this 40-kilometer route connecting Jerusalem to the Dead Sea (an axis located in Area C), Israeli flags flutter, while gas stations with signs in Hebrew sell mugs and bath towels printed with the same simplified maps as at Kalia Beach. Israeli bus stops punctuate the route to serve the settlements perched on the hills.

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