The article by Federico Berti, titled "War Tourism or Theaters of Memory? The Case of Sderot," strongly criticizes a media narrative that describes tours along the Gaza border, especially on the hills of Sderot, as a morbid "war tourism." The author dismantles this thesis, arguing that the guided visits offered by various agencies are predominantly cultural and memorial routes, often based on the Dual Narrative model, which involves both Jewish and Palestinian guides to provide balanced perspectives. These tours, which are not a novelty post-October 7, aim to promote understanding and empathy among international tourists by visiting massacre sites and memorials, and the author compares them to visits to Auschwitz or Marzabotto. Berti concludes that the "war tourism" narrative is a form of propaganda that distracts from political responsibilities, including those of Western governments that support the Netanyahu administration, and calls to focus on the goal of stopping the genocide in Gaza.
