Blog

West Bank and Gaza Forum

Fred SchlomkaA new public forum for the West Bank and Gaza has been opened on the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor.com. I plan to be a regular contributor there, answering questions and offering advice to people traveling to the Palestinian Territories. See you there!

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Renaissance in Ramallah

Fred SchlomkaRamallah, in contrast to East Jerusalem’s decline, has become the center of Palestinian Arab culture and economic growth. With investments from the Gulf States, and a renewed cash flow in the Palestinian Authority, the city is experiencing a construction boom, and cultural renaissance.The Palestinian Authority has 30,000 new affordable housing units planned during the […]

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Cultural and political tours to Israel & Palestine

Safety and Risk in the West Bank

There is also another special article addressing the special concerns of solo female travellers – at this link.  Updated: January 2021- by Green Olive staff Safety and Security Currently only Israeli citizens or legal residents are permitted to fly into the country Israelis are now being vaccinated against CoVid-19 faster than any other country. It’s likely that […]

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Jerusalem Tour . . . . for one

Fred SchlomkaYesterday I received a call from a lady while I was driving in to Jerusalem. She was interested in a private Jerusalem tour and I just happened to have a few hours available in the afternoon. This young woman had just completed a United Jewish Appeal (UJA) tour of Israel and wanted some balance […]

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Jericho in style – Intercontinental Hotel

by Fred Schlomka –My wife and I needed a weekend off so we took the kids and headed off to the Intercontinental Hotel in Jericho. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat built it in the heyday of the Oslo era, complete with a casino that attracted droves of Israelis in the mid-nineties. However it was closed for […]

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Ariel-Third Largest Settlement in the West Bank

Fred SchlomkaIt was a clear day today as we drove up into the hills from Israel into the West Bank, driving along the fine four-lane highway that reaches from Tel Aviv into the heart of the Palestinian Territories where 25,000 Israelis live in a nice middle class surburban town called Ariel, the third largest settlement […]

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Palestine/Israel off the Beaten Track

Fred Schlomka I had a request today from a tourist who wanted to get off the regular tourist routes in Israel by himself so I made this suggestion: There’s a great Saturday market in the Arab village of Tira in the center of Israel, just west of the Green Line. The market is a mix […]

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Palestinian Tourist Police – New Regulations

Fred SchlomkaI had an interesting phone call from one of my Palestinian Tour Guides in Nablus today. Apparently when he was showing a group of visitors around the city yesterday the local tourist police approached him and said that in future he was to provide them with all of the tourist’s passport details in advance […]

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BEHIND THE WALL ISRAEL PALESTINE TOUR

Jerusalem Tours

These tours in Jerusalem illuminate the relationships between the ancient and the modern layers of the city, the sacred and the profane, and the impact of the conquests and developments in the modern age. You’ll visit religious sites, and also learn about the cultural and political dynamics in the holy city. Expect to be moved, […]

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Cultural and political tours to Israel & Palestine

Travel Insurance

We urge you to purchase cancellation insurance & supplemental medical coverage (which covers pre existing conditions). This is a smart way to safeguard against life’s surprises.   Please note that most insurance policies require purchase within 14 days of your initial trip payment.   We have made arrangements with SMS-Travel Insurance Center of Omaha, Nebraska. SMS […]

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Cultural and political tours to Israel & Palestine

Home Hospitality • Hostels • Guest Houses

Each of the accommodations have been carefully selected to provide you with an environment that will enhance your understanding of Palestinian and Israeli culture. Green Olive Tours has built relationships with each of the homeowners, hostels, and guest house proprietors listed here. They have all become friends and we hope they will become your friends […]

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Cultural and political tours to Israel & Palestine

A Code of Conduct for Tourism in the Holy Land

A Palestinian Initiative – Summer 2008 endorsed by Green Olive Tours – Download document (pdf) Responsible and just forms of tourism offer communities opportunities to share their cultures, tell their stories, request solidarity and foster tolerance and greater understanding. This is the principle that has shaped this Code of Conduct which has been developed to […]

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