TAYBEH, West Bank (AP) – A tiny Christian enclave in the overwhelmingly Muslim West Bank has for years crafted the only Palestinian beer and brought thousands of visitors flocking to its annual beer fest. Now, it is adding wine to its list of libations, hoping a boutique winery will be another tourist draw and contribute to keeping the small village afloat.
While Christians around the Middle East have seen their numbers dwindle due to conflict and the lure of better economic opportunities abroad, Taybeh has remained an exclusively Christian village, the last in the West Bank.
The family behind the wine and beer says they are carrying out “peaceful resistance” by investing in their homeland and staying put.
“This is how we believe the state of Palestine can be built: by people like us to invest in the country and encourage other Palestinians to come and invest in their country,” said Nadim Khoury, who founded the brewery and winery.
Taybeh, home to some 1,400 people, has put itself on the map because of its eponymous beer, which is sold around the world. Israelis, far from the checkpoints that divide them from the West Bank, also can be found sipping the honey-hued Palestinian draught.