room and board ah, the american colony also began to attract visiting writers. ah, one was sell malott the loaf. now today is the author of the wonderful adventures of niels, wholesome, ah, a similar electric yellow, shall i embrace selma la la, visited jerusalem with her friend, sophie elko in march, 1900 amy hovel. multiple. some say they were a lesbian couple. so less be in the spirit, a evey selma had heard about the story of the swedish immigration and thought that it might be a good subject for a novel. sheila, a and the she, me knows v sleep di has russia lives in effect of land. and she spent 2 weeks interviewing the swedes in jerusalem. be able to langley lane out on your should buy them back from swine m u v. i a not hard to question one year after returning

to sweden was she published the novel to jerusalem? taylor all base from it yoshi 9 jerusalem. it was a best seller in 19 o 9. so monotonous became the 1st woman to be awarded the nobel prize for literature. the american colony hotel welcomed many prominent guests. john steinbeck and graham green stayed there for weeks at a time. oh, till was also popular with hollywood celebrities. amazed at the mar thurman, and now when, oh, my thurman came. it was all last minute. there was no suitable room left for her because she was travelling with her nanny and child alia. when we sent the hotel manager to a friend's place. and she got his apartments level 118 would year the history of the hotel is closely into woven with the history of jerusalem. it's comp

competing interests and claims to power. jerusalem is wholly to muslims, christians and jews. ah, the city has long been both covetous and contested. ah, in the 19th century, jerusalem was a walled city in the middle of the ottoman empire and a turkish royal. ah . during world war one, palestine also became a battlefield. the british wanted to put an end to turkish rule in the middle east . jerusalem descended into chaos. many people were injured or lost their lives. ah, the american colonies warden it off. the american colony was assign tasks by jama pasha, who was supposed to defeat the british in egypt. iowa likable sullenly. both taught,

he came to jerusalem and ordered the establishment of the red crescent to care for wounded soldiers. the wound at warden or a sang and the center of the organisation was out. the american colony had the american colony. ah, the commune, provided humanitarian aid to the red crescent, took his largest relief organisation. members of the religious community cared for the wounded. they also organized soup kitchens for the population. after feminine epidemics began to sweep through the city, the american colony avoided all political engagement and insisted on remaining neutral, especially amidst the war. the community followed the lead of anna spafford and her daughter, bertha, who later wrote, was a tense moment in which i asked for guidance. my answer was that we had offered to

nurse neither friends nor fellows, but humanity. and that our offer held good. mm . mm. in late 1917, the push to control of garza jerusalem was surrounded. the ottoman troops surrendered without a fight. the turkish governor, he was passing, the american colony was told to put out white flat, which is very nice except he didn't have a white flag. so he went into the american calling, i took sheet from one of the beds, tore it, and 2, and walked out to find some british men to surrender to which he did. and the british who took it had no idea what to do with it, because they've never been in a position of accepting a surrender. and bearing in mind that one was a cook, a push officer, accepted the surrender. the historic moment was recorded by an american colony

photographer dispos growth is the only surviving document of the moment that spelled, the end of 400 years of ottoman rule was captured before the booty should have fishy announced victory. ah, the mission now is miasma. the, in the end, it was mayor who seine, who informed the residents of jerusalem that the turks had surrendered shields, and it was larson, of the american colony who documented it was amy valasics with everything which is general. edmond allenby and to jerusalem was to liberate understatement. dismounting and walking through the jaffa gate on foot, on april 25th 1920, the victorious allied palace transferred administration of palestine to britain. under the british mandate, jerusalem developed into a modern city,

attracting evermore tourists and business people, as well as our the jewish immigrants. edmond alan b, who'd been promoted to field marshal, became one of anna spots. welcome guests. business at the american colony hotel was booming. the colony had, by that time more or less victim hotel. you could imagine coming him from england. you defeated the germans in the turks and you find, oh, these people are living a slightly westernize style life at the american colony, the cities cultural classes rub, shoulders ah, one of the most famous guests was thomas edward laurence, best known as lawrence of arabia and astute observer, brilliant writer, an ever tele of tales. blue 1923 and

especially died. oh, good. at all. she carried on her spirit through his work and faith, bringing people together and creating places of refuge for her biggest concern. went to the cities disadvantage children. in 1925, she opened an orphanage more yoga. the orphanage would later become spafford children's center, a charitable institution that still occupies the original location in the old city, where the foundation provides health, social, and educational support to palestinian children and families in east jerusalem. the seats of the char she would planted on christmas eve in 1925. when beth spafford, vesta encountered a bedouin, his sick wife and their baby hospitals were closed and the family had no place to

stay. ah, as beth alicia rose in her memoirs, he before me stood a rustic madonna and bab and metaphorically speaking, no room for then in even better arrange for the family to receive medical attention. but the next morning, the father came this his baby and said my wife died. and i don't know how i can take care of this baby because i live in a cave. and so and gone to take to baby and barrett devils said he moved. of course she took the baby golden ears, but all did he had in this building in one or 2 weeks high more babies for coming because a story like this gets around fatty fast. mm

hm. so this became a baby and especially baby home. ah . and also supported mothers offering help wherever it was needed most regardless of the recipient's background or faith. me with the help of american donations best a soon expand to the orphanage into a children's hospital. busy ah 900 cities tensions began to rise. the british had promised support for national

home for jewish people and also promised the arabs independence. both sides felt betrayed. ah, the escalating violence put the american hotel which did not want to take sides to the test? the situation became increasingly tense. in 1936, the arab revolt began palestine was on the brink of civil war, caught a false exit, isaac this 9 from 1936 to 1939 during the arab revolt. the american colony, which was right on the border, was very anxious to maintain strict neutrality and avoid conflict or trouble with any party. and young conflicts got over the aca to become in 1933 jews began to flee germany for palestine by 1969. some 200000 had

arrived. arab nationalists began to carry out attacks against the jewish immigrants in the british administration. the american colony hotel found itself in a precarious position. during the 2nd world war, there was fighting here in the courtyard, hand to hand fighting between the arab legion and the israelis. i was and there was more to us, blew up part of the lobby, the entrance lobby and rigid the old palm tree that we had in the in the summer. barstow had bullet holmes on it. at the same time, i mean the bertha was still going to bridge parties to left a staff at vista was widowed in 1942 by then she was well known as a hotel manager. but the hotels hopes for revival after the war would dashed. the conflicts in the city remained unresolved,

and visitors stayed away. ah, on may 14th, 1948. the british mandate expired. that same day doth had been goody, and proclaimed to state of israel. i am the next i am military coalition of arab states attacks jerusalem again became a battlefield. the american colony hotel was turned into a field hospital, situated directly the frontline ah bat us baffled cut in standish, the adopt bertha spafford bag the arab army not to occupy the house. they didn't

want the house to be considered arab territory because of course they never knew what would happen next gate when the fact that their request was complied with. must have been due to their good relations with the arabs in court of appeals. if it hadn't been for those good relations, neither side would have granted any consideration to the request as fixed can on venice, which is equal to potemkin meta ha. in 1949, a truce was reached between israel and the arab states. the holy city was divided. israel received the wisdom pers, jordan, the east border controls, became commonplace in the city. the in colony hotel see it for its future. as a night, the hotel was cutoff from israel, it was in the, our part of town. and the wall made things very difficult for it because it was a war zone on the american economy was on the edge of the was it?

so all of a sudden it became a rather economy, bad thing for the american economy. the fact that this a new border, how to rotate, plus, of course it lost all its contact with these weighty site, which was probably at the time the site was doing more business with by now the american colony was a business lost a lot of its clients so out of its suppliers, so it was a big show shock and also a culture show. the face of the sea, he anti tell when linked in the coming years. the hotel was on the brink. oh, the problem was that we weren't surviving. and that reached ahead in a dot 1960 and that's when my father had to come out when the hotel was faced with bankruptcy. ah, beth his son horatio vesta was living in london. he decided to return to help site

. the hotel horatio had grown up in jerusalem, but left to london at 17, he became a lawyer and married a high spirited axis. when he returned to jerusalem, horatio promised his wife valentine, that he would stay only 6 months. he reorganized the whole structure of the hotel and he started to try and build it up as a, as a hotel with more commercialized um facilities. and he convinced my grandmother that we should have somewhere to have drinks a kind of bah. because before that you were, you could, we were allowed alcohol, but on if you had it in your room. when the sunsets and jerusalem, the hotel turns on its lights. in the summer, the garden bar is a favorite gathering place. it welcomes israelis and palestinians,

locals and tourists from all over the world at the hotel, the mood is one of hospitality to all a crash, a vest managed to avert bankruptcy. but he felt he was still needed at the hotel. his wife joined him with a heavy heart, leaving the living out. here was great for horatio as a native arabic speaker and just felt and was coming home. and it was not such fun for vow who didn't really like it here and was very fond of england. so it was tough. valentine refused to give up. eventually she found a new passion. the hotel's garden. oh, she plunged into her project with enthusiasm, designing the landscaping, composing the flower beds

if it's paid off, day the grounds are known as one of the most lovely of the world's hotel gardens. and he bought the maggie now in war shall geena blew her, but i knew nothing about gardening. when i started here go over, they were only olive trees here. telemachus reversed very, but val was very tough. she explained everything to me or she gathered all the seats herself behind him. she loved flowers and collected them from all over the world. couple vance on about told me to use light a colors so you could see them at night time. amongst them seemed to behold white pink and bright red in your casino lin. mccormack of rainbow lama mccomb was a mix of both boys in 1967 at the situation again. great. hence the arab states began to mobilize steering an

attack on 3 fronts. israel decided to launch a preemptive strike. on june 5th, 1967. israel began an air attack against its neighbors, egypt, jordan and syria. ah. during what became known as the 6 day war. israel also captured east jerusalem the man know who are the hut the defer? i low that the, the hotels right on the front line is lit. a few rockets hit the square in front of the hotel. i mean that there were no casualties. who i'm, let's read them as you, as my country a drop. well, but when the israelis captured east jerusalem study and there were no problems for the hotel, any man, everything went on as normal,

a muscular ladder to little more lip of it. oh israel security tree. it now rolled over a 1000000 palestinians in the west bank garza and east jerusalem. the american colony hotel remain neutral. ooh oh, there's the spattered. vista died in 1968 hospitality in warmth, had succeeded in transforming the american colony into the american colony hotel. ready his son horatio and his wife valentine, took over the helm slowly, transforming the hotel into a luxury establishment. they installed

a swimming pool and fitness for him to accommodate the wishes of a new generation of tourists. ah, we started to get a reputation for food. and so they both started to come juice started coming out from tel aviv to non cursor food. we were the only place that we were, we were importing lobsters. so it's readily could come in a lobster. the american i ought to and she asked my father, i cuz they used to keep the last is in the fraser. and i asked my cigar does nobody, it's a lobster. i knew his i said, how did you deal with the loves? he said, we get it out of the freezer. we got to out of the fraser every day. and i said, well, what if nobody, it's a lobster, though we put it back in the freezer these

days, there's no re frozen lobster on the menu. but you won't find hoard cuisine and 5 star shifts in the kitchen. he either the menu is unpretentious in international featuring fresh fish and vegetables. med sir, and club sandwiches. the now planning to admiral gannet products to the menu. the hotel news with the times and the wishes of the guests. in the 1980s, the swiss hotelier became general manager, perhaps yet another not to the principle of neutrality. don't go to external geopolitics volcano your a, to spit and see during the geopolitical context. especially here in jerusalem, so i think it was very wise to turn to switch management because switzerland plays a neutral role all over the world and none of holiday aquarella morning ursula bell, many events were held in the hotel book, including many meetings of diplomat will in ovalo dealt with arkansas gl model,

delegate more big the leather glasses. as chris i tell group took, the management of the american colony hotel for the staff is who remain involved in all major decisions. many of the hotel staff, a palestinians. they work prospects in jerusalem a limited and anyone lucky enough to find a job he intends to stay? ah, ah, the hotel exists amidst a state of uncertainty. israeli military road blocks and violent unrest, unknown uncommon when egon done for follow that this bank up get eagle food when there was any sort of incident and the west bank was sealed off held in jerusalem in room 16 at the american colony hotel. he's as tim of this were to give to

us citizens. this room was booked as a meeting room. the ominous but i cashed out of the we noticed when the cars pulled up that it was a mixed delegation commission, delegates, yama israeli, palestinian and international into not to now. one of the journalists is a norwegian cast. invite. a car came over and spoke to me, come down to me on south and you know what's happening was, had no clue. ah, it's historical blue negotiations in room 16 continued for days would began to get out. ah knocked him by the ugly humidity for after that we became the local meeting point

to fall to warner. i made my private apartment available for board meetings and when we became very close unconscious as in our son, it was an incredibly exciting time when it's a time of hopes and dreams for your health. toppled the gland deft and madeline. i opened the back door of my shop and made my carpet storage room available. every feller, fuel camry is to me or. and i sat all the negotiators gathered there for 2 to 3 hours that it was happening right before my eyes. and i live in america darlin for you. and you have many secret things about tyler the and we had the strong feeling that the results would be good for both people up the law can assess how we enroll. cooler their unit day baby. the shabby ah, on september 13th, 1993. the eyes of the world we're watching is really prime minister,

yitzhak rabin and yasser arafat head of the palestinian liberation organization, met in washington dc. ah, yes. arafat and shimon peres than israeli foreign minister, signed the interim agreement of the ost level codes. the 2 sides had come together, piece seemed within reach. anybody that does it during the oslo accords we palestinians were very happy because we thought the piece would happen and conditions would improve. ro, ross salem at the hot club. those hopes have yet to come to fruition. the dream, everlasting pace is still but a vision. the political situation remains fragile, changing from one day to the next. for the american colony hotel, a hotel spanning to wills. there is only one choice to remain a place of hospitality and welcome open to every one. the environment we

live in is changing all the time and other was the outside can change and if people don't trust each other on either side, we can help. we can only hope that people continue to trust us and people will continue to come to the hotel knowing that we're above it. ah ah ah ah, ah, a beginning of

a story that moves us and takes us along for the ride. it's about to perspective culture information. this is dw and d, w made from mines tax hikes for millionaires. one millionaire is demanding just that her wealth could help others, especially during the pandemic. but that doesn't mean that the rest of the super rich are ready to pay their different views as to who should profit the most from their money. germany's wealthy elite after corona close up 90 minutes on d w. oh, hello guys. this is the 77 percent the platform with issues and share

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