6th, February 2008
Jerusalem old city and holy sites:
The day started in Beit Sahour where we got on the bus for a ride to Jerusalem which was the goal for the day. Passing the checkpoint went fast and we started the sightseeing at the Mount of Olives where we got a great panorama view over Jerusalem. All time up to lunch where spent in the Old City of Jerusalem with visits to Haram Al-Sharif (Al-Aqsa mosque) and the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall where we witnessed a Bar mitswa followed by the Holy Sepulcher. We also had some extra time which we spent looking around in shops and trying pomegranate juice.
At the YWCA headquarter:
We headed to the YWCA for lunch, consisting of delicious chicken and potatoes, which included a presentation about YWCA of Palestine and what they are doing.
ICAHD presentation and tour:
After lunch we got a small introduction to the work of ICAHD (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions) by Angela. Gilad from the same organization then brought us on a tour around East Jerusalem and the Israeli colonies.
The first stop was in Ma’ale Adummim, one of the largest colonies in the West bank which started being built in the late seventies and is still constructed thus both Oslo accords and Annapolis.
It was a trip that gave us much more information and facts about settlements and house demolitions. Many things were touched upon as land confiscation, house demolitions, unsustainable development, economics and the effects of the Wall.
Impact on participants:
Many of the participants felt that the trip was a good exposure to the reality surrounding Jerusalem and other parts of the West bank. And what struck many of us was that there is a big difference concerning your rights dependent on if you are Israeli or Palestinian when it comes to houses and ownership of land and it does not matter where the house or the land is. As the sun set we began our journey back to Beit Sahour.
