PALESTINE - ISRAEL - JORDAN - SINAI

Off the beaten track tours • Visit sites • Meet locals • Discuss Human Rights & Politics

And then there’s that Wall…

By Marianna Hillmer-Wiechmann – Marianna Hillmer-Wiechmann went on our Greater Jerusalem Tour and on our Hebron and Bethlehem Tour. In this article (for the German original see here) she puts her impressions into word and image. It does not take long to get from Jerusalem to the Wall. This huge wall, that Israel has built […]

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Tales of Masada

By Miri –  The ancient fortification of Masada in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea is the most popular tourist site in Israel.Apart from the breathtaking beauty of both the site and the area, it is especially the legend surrounding it, which continues to play a crucial role in discourses of national security and survival. […]

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Purim – Different Lessons to Be Learned

By Miri – Growing up in Germany mainly amongst non-Jewish friends, together we developed a pattern of translating Jewish holidays into Christian ones. “So when is your Jewish Christmas?” my friends would ask me, referring to Hanukka, which obviously has absolutely nothing to do with the Christian holiday except for its similar timing around December. […]

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الحرم القدسي الشريف‎ / הַר הַבַּיִת / The Temple Mount

By Miri – It is a common mistake to see the root of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis as grounded in the different belief systems. Obviously with the expansion and strengthening of fundamentalist movements on both sides during the last decades the conflict that is essentially about control over land is more and more […]

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Dance the Dabke!

By Miri – It is always a challenge to write about music or sound in general. Are there words at all to describe what you perceive through your ears, what vibrates through your body and frequently triggers strong emotional responses?In failing to truly put into words what we hear when talking about a sound event […]

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On the State of the State of Palestine

By Miri –  According to Benedict Anderson, one of the most influential scholars on nationalism, all nations are socially constructed communities, imagined by those who perceive themselves as part of that particular group. Following Anderson there are certain elements and dynamics which commonly aid the creation of this mental image of affinity among its members, […]

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Visit Sebastia!

By Miri –  When we think of the abundance of historical and religious sites in Palestine/Israel, we usually think of the majestic cities of Jerusalem or Bethlehem, while other places, especially the smaller ones in the West Bank (not to mention those in the basically inaccessible Gaza region) are by and large ignored. The lack […]

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The Beta Israel – Ethiopian Jews in Israel

By Miri –  Today, there are about 130,000 Ethiopians living in Israel, of which more than 38,000 are Israeli-born. In the following we shall briefly outline the origins of these communities, their journeys to Israel and their status within contemporary Israeli society.  Origin and History of the Beta Israel  Beta Israel community in Ethiopia, ca. […]

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Germans in the Holy Land – The Temple Society

By Miri –   Thinking Israel and Germany usually ends up with thinking Holocaust. However, Germany’s connection to historic Palestine precedes the Second World War by quite a few centuries. Like many other Christian leaders in Europe, Germany’s emperors also had an interest in “liberating” the Holy Land from “infidels” and at the same time in […]

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2012 Writing Competition Winners

From the judge, Sarah Irving – I have to emphasise how difficult it was to choose between the top three entries in this competition. All were terrific pieces of writing, and deeply evocative of different aspects of how visitors witness Palestine and life for its people. On a personal level, I was also happy to see quality writing […]

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The Nativity Trail 2012

By Miri – If Mary and Joseph were to embark on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in 2012 their experiences would obviously be very differently. Let’s trace their trail and see what they would discover today and which obstacles they would have to overcome in order to reach Bethlehem. The Separation Barrier around Jenin […]

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Boycott Israel?

By Miri –  The international movement calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel was inspired by its South African counterpart, which after decades of struggle is said to have been a major player in the process of successfully dismantling the South African Apartheid system. Whether or not BDS against Israel is a justified […]

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