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For many, an Eyewitness Palestine delegation is a catalyst for activism. For others, the delegation provides the grounding on which to hinge a deeper understanding or renewed commitment to Palestinian freedom.
Most Eyewitness Palestine delegates remain active in the movement for Palestinian rights, extending the impact of each delegation far beyond the trip itself.
When you join an Eyewitness Palestine delegation, you meet Palestinian and Israeli peace-builders, learn from community leaders, investigate current topics, and experience the reality of life in Palestine/Israel.
Each Eyewitness Palestine delegation itinerary is unique; however, many topics are regular features. Approximately 25% of every trip relates directly to the delegation theme; the rest is made up of meetings on a range of engaging and important topics.
HISTORIC AND RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
We know that an Eyewitness Palestine delegation may be your only opportunity to visit the Holy Land. That’s why all delegations visit historically and religiously significant sites. We include official tours of many of the most significant sites and make free time available to visit others on your own.
Eyewitness Palestine delegates come from diverse backgrounds and we work hard to ensure that everyone is able to take advantage of the delegation to visit sites that are important to everyone.
Your visit will probably include many of the following sites:
- The Via Dolorosa
- The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
- The Haram Al Sharif (Dome of the Rock) and Al Aqsa Mosque
- The Western Wall
- The Nativity Church
- The Basilica of the Annunciation
- The Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of Machpelah)
ANALYSIS AND ENGAGEMENT
Understanding the realities on the ground is essential for every Eyewitness Palestine delegate. That’s why we give you a chance to hear expert analysis from leading Palestinian and Israeli human, civil, and political rights organizations.
Community leaders, lawyers, researchers, and analysts provide unparalleled insight into the situation facing Palestinians and Israelis. Meet with organizations that are directly engaging in changing the status quo, from legal aid, to farming, to political actions, and beyond.
Your delegation will probably include some of the following organizations
- B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
- Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
- Al Haq
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- Addameer: Prisoner Support and Solidarity Association
- Defense for Children International - Palestine
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS
The only way to understand the significance of infrastructure and freedom of movement in Palestine/Israel is to experience it yourself. Organizers and analysts will provide insight and local people will share stories of how they are impacted.
See the ways in which military and civilian infrastructure creates an intentional system of control; experience the restrictions on movement that are everyday realities for Palestinians; and learn how resources are allocated differently in Jewish and non-Jewish areas.
Your delegation will probably include some of the following facets:
- Grassroots Tour of Jerusalem
- The Wall and Military Checkpoints
- The Complex System of ID Cards
- The Role of US Corporations
- Access to Water
- Food Security
- Discrimination in Urban Planning and Development
DISPLACEMENT AND THE NAKBA
Your journey for justice would not be complete without understanding the roots and origins of the current impasse. The Palestinian refugee community is a key constituency for any just resolution.
Meet refugees, spend time in the camps, and hear from key organizations dealing with the ongoing implications of the Nakba (Catastrophe) and advocating for the rights of Palestinian refugees and the internally displaced. Visit sites of displacement and communities struggling to remain in the face of state repression.
Your delegation will include visits to some of the following:
- Rural Communities Facing Displacement
- Depopulated Palestinian Villages
- Palestinian Refugee Camps
- Zochrot
- Badil: Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights
- The Tent of Nations
RACIAL EQUITY
A system of racial inequality characterizes many of the most significant issues in Palestine/Israel. As an Eyewitness Palestine delegate, you will investigate racial dynamics between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as internally within Israeli society itself.
Meet with organizations and individuals advocating for the rights of African refugees, the Mizrahi community, and other Israelis educating their own communities. Gain a broader understanding of the racialized system of control and the ways Israelis are working to change it.
Your delegation will probably include meeting with some of the following:
- African Refugees in Israel
- Former Members of the Israeli Black Panther Party
- The African Community Society
MILITARIZATION AND ALTERNATIVES
Palestine/Israel is one of the most militarized places on earth. As the primary exporter of weapons and other military technology, the United States plays a particularly important role. Gain a fuller understanding of where US tax aid to Israel goes and which US corporations are implicated.
Join Eyewitness Palestine to meet with organizations exposing the effects of militarism. Connect with individuals and organizations working to build alternatives.
Your delegation is likely to include some of the following meetings:
- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
- Israeli Military Refusers
- Mesarvot
- Palestinian Survivors of Military Violence
- New Profile
LEARN MORE: https://eyewitnesspalestine.org
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Your Eyewitness Palestine experience is rooted in the life stories of activists and organizers - not politicians or public relations experts. We connect you to peace-builders, resisters to oppression, and nonviolent activists. There’s only one way to truly understand the realities of Palestine/Israel – through the eyes of those who live there.
See upcoming in-person delegations:
https://eyewitnesspalestine.org/delegations
Eyewitness Palestine Trips
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