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Israel / Palestine 10.08.2013 - 23.08.2013

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The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been going on for more than 60 years and a solution seems further away than ever. Why – after such a long time – is there still no peace? What impact does the conflict have on everyday life of Israelis and Palestinians? And who are the people dedicating all their energy on working towards peace?

The goal of this study trip is to shed some lights on the complex political situation in the Middle East. We start in Jerusalem, claimed as the capital by both Israel and Palestine. Meeting a member of the Jerusalem City Council, we will learn about the future of the city as well as its political significance. A visit in a refugee camp in Bethlehem will provide an insight into the story of Palestinian refugees of 1948 and 1967 and their lives today. We will learn about the impact of the Security Wall on the Palestinians – and what it means to the Israeli population. An Israeli settler will share his story with us and we will visit a Palestinian village situated next to an Israeli settlement.

Furthermore, in discussions with Israeli and Palestinian students, we will discover similarities and differences of being a student in Israel, Palestine and Switzerland. By visiting Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam we get to know Jewish and Arab Israelis living together in peace and working together for peace.

Besides learning about the political, economic and social sphere of the conflict, we will have time to experience the unique beauty of the country’s landscape and nature. In the middle of the trip we will visit the fortress of Masada, swim in the Dead Sea and hike in the natural park of Ein Gedi.

On our study trip we will meet politicians, journalists, NGOs, students and peace activists. We are convinced that there is no better way to learn about the Middle East than from people living in the Middle East – by taking a look behind the scenes of the conflict.

 

Highlights

  • Get to know Hebron, a city often referred to as a micro-cosmos of the Middle Eastern conflict
  • Meet with UN OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and learn about the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza
  • Visit Sderot and Netiv Haasara and experience living next to the Gaza Strip
  • Talk to an Israeli settler living in the Palestinian territories
  • Meet the Deputy Head of the Swiss Representative Office in Ramallah and learn about the work of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in the occupied Palestinian territories
  • Learn about the impact of the Security Wall on the lives of Palestinians and Israelis by visiting Checkpoint 300 and by meeting the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces).