Our trip is almost over, 11 of us are currently traveling back to the UK; four are staying on to do volunteer work (read more here).
Our stay in ’48 (Palestinian name for Israel) has been very different to the other places we have stayed in. When you are there it is easy to think there are no problems. You don’t see soldiers or checkpoints and there are no obvious signs of oppression. It felt like a science fiction movie where we have walked through an invisible wall from one universe to another from the occupied West Bank to Israel.
Jewish Israeli’s can go about their lives with no awareness of what is happening just a few miles away. ‘Israeli’ Palestinians go about their lives with a very different kind of oppression than in the West Bank. Tourists just throng to cities like Nazareth to see the churches and the sites – I would guess with no or little awareness of what is going on nearby.
Now that we are going back it is time to tell everyone what we have witnessed.
Thank you to all the Palestinians we have met for your wonderful warmth and hospitality. Your strength, dignity and steadfastness is absolutely inspiring.
Justice for Palestine!
