Paper short abstract:

This research contributes to the ethnography of tourism in sacred spaces with a portrait of Jewish, Christian and Muslim suppliers to souvenir shops in Jerusalem. There is currently no academic literature on suppliers. The theoretical background is 'the theory of middlemen minorities'.

Paper long abstract:

This research contributes to the ethnography of tourism in sacred / conflicted spaces with a portrait of Jewish, Christian and Muslim suppliers to souvenir shops in Jerusalem. Academic research on the host gaze in general and on souvenir shopkeepers in particular is scarce and totally non-existent on souvenir suppliers. In this research we consider the challenges and dynamics of Jerusalem's religious souvenirs market in the context of regional politics, fluctuations in tourism, and global market competition. The handful of suppliers portrayed here embody flexibility vis-à-vis changing circumstances and openness in dealing with various clients, qualities that help them meet the challenges of this multi-cultural yet politically fraught city.

The main theoretical context is Bonacich's Theory of Middlemen Minorities (1973). Originally the term was coined in relation to ethnic minority groups such as the Chinese in Southeast Asia, Jews in Europe, and Indians in East Africa. According to this theory, one role that an ethnic group can play is that of a middleman minority.

The findings concentrate on the life stories of three suppliers: Shlomo (Jewish-Israeli), Patrick (American Catholic) and Jafar (Palestinian Muslim). The main conclusion is that what the suppliers that we met have in common is their multilayered complex identities. Apparently, such people - with chameleon like characteristics - are attracted to such middlemen professions, but in the case of Israel, possibly there are more such cases because it is a land of immigrants and because of the ongoing contestation between various religious / political / ethnic groups.