Fred Schlomka

A new tour to the Taybeh Brewery will begin this coming week, and be conducted every Tuesday. The tour will be a combination of recreation and education, focusing on the Israeli settlements to the east of Jerusalem and ending up at the family run brewer in the Christian village of Taybeh, about 15 kilometers north-east of Ramallah.

At the brewers visitors will be given a tour of the facility and sample some fine beer. Beer can also be purchased by the bottle or by the case. However everyone is limited to one case each. On a pilot tour last month the group wanted to buy so many cases that there was some concern about the reaction of the Israeli authorities at the checkpoint back into Jerusalem. Technically, any products purchased in Palestinian areas and brought into Israel are subject to customs duties. So a limit of one case has been imposed by ToursInEnglish.com, and hopefully the authorities will view such purchases as for ‘personal use’ and not impose taxes.

The village of Taybeh is in Area ‘B’, which under the Oslo agreements is under the civil control of the Palestinian Authority and the security control of Israel. This is a great tour, incorporating the unique character of Taybeh as a Christian village surrounded by Israeli settlements and Muslim villages and towns. The people are friendly, the beer is excellent, and the guide is well informed. Hope to see you on the tour.