"Occupied Falasteen" Palestine by mafi_moya

Palestine Travel Guide: 343 reviews and 1,080 photos

To Exist is To Resist, a slogan found nationwide

Palestinian boy at a checkpoint

I worked in Israel for six months and I longed for the weekends when I could head into the West Bank and Palestine. Now I’m based in Ramallah for a while and I love it here even more. Maybe it's because of my political leanings and a natural draw to the underdog and oppressed, but I think it's also to do with the beauty of the landscape, the friendliness of the people and the intensity of life, all of which are magnified immeasurably when you cross the border from Israel.

That said, there simply is no getting away from the political side of life here. I know this is a travel site and VT tries to avoid politics, but in Palestine it’s simply not possible because politics infiltrates every aspect of daily life. Military checkpoints, house demolitions, curfews, arbitrary arrests, corruption and puppet officials... try having a conversation with a group of Palestinians that doesn't feature at least one of those things! Nearly everyone in the West Bank has a story to tell about how Israel's occupation affects their life. And believe me you will hear it!

A traditional Palestinian village

I've lived in and visited countries with a scale of suffering that outstrips Palestine, but nowhere have I been where the military and political events are such a huge part of everyone's psyche, and of such importance all around the world. After all, Jerusalem and the West Bank are home to three of the world's largest religions and nowhere else in the world elicits such intense emotions.

With the ongoing Intifada due to the continuing occupation most people advise steering well clear of the Palestinian Territories, but I'd urge you to go and see things for yourself. While visiting may be a shock, particularly seeing how a supposedly enlightened and democratic country such as Israel can inflict such oppressive and systematic destruction of an entire nation, it will also be a highly enlightening and rewarding experience.

Intro Updated Apr 12, 2005
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mtncorg Dec 29, 2004 at 12:44 PM

21st century Berlin
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barrikello Sep 20, 2004 at 3:33 AM

A very shocking image of the wall
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shelnlin Aug 17, 2004 at 3:36 PM

Gosh this wall looks like it is down the street from where I lived in Saudi Arabia, but no this is in Palestine! Best wishes, Richelle