Join our FaceBook Group ____________________ Ask you tour questions on the forum. Visit our BLOG ____________________ Taybeh OctoberFest Don't miss this great celebration of Palestinian music, arts, and of course the best beer in the Middle East. More information ____________________ Widgets Place a widget on your web site or blog and earn tour discounts. ____________________ Scheduled Tours Every Monday: Greater Jerusalem Every Tuesday: Bethlehem Taybeh Brewery Every Wednesday: Nablus Walaje Walking Tour Every Thursday: Hebron & Bethlehem Ramallah Walking Tour Every Friday: Central West Bank Every Saturday: Back Roads to Ramallah ____________________ Other Tours Bedouin Reality Tour Jerusalem Black Panthers Private tours for any of the published itineraries, or a custom tour, can be scheduled at any time with airport pick-up, flexible itineraries, hotel bookings, and personal service. Custom itineraries can include visits with Palestinian NGOs, villagers, settlers, and activists. Private tour inquiries	September 2008 Israel Tourist Industry Monopolizes West Bank Site A recent article in one of Israel's leading newspapers, Ha'aretz, was written like a tourist industry press release promoting the Israeli Government's opening of the Jordan River site where Christians believe that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. However the site remains under Israel's Military Occupation and any economic benefit from pilgrim visits should enhance the Palestinian economy rather than Israel. more North America Speaking Tour November 28th - December 8th, 2008 George Rishmawi Fred Schlomka These two social entrepreneurs, a Palestinian and an Israeli, are veteran political activists and work in the alternative tourism sector. They will present an overview of their cooperation amid the ongoing Israeli occupation. George and Fred will take you on an exploration of what it means to be a progressive entrepreneur in Israel and Palestine, and the value conflicts, political contradictions, and moral dilemmas that surface on a regular basis. Their presentation will cover tourism in Palestine, the principals of doing business across the Green Line, issues of normalization, boycott, and healthy economic development. Dates are still available. if your organization would like to sponsor a speaking engagement contact the Tour Coordinator : American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights (AAPER). More information | Download a flyer. For bookings contact: speakers@aaper.org Tel: (202) 683-8438 New Ramallah Tour The new Ramallah Walking Tour and cultural evening enables visitors to soak up some of the exciting downtown attractions of Ramallah. Despite the ongoing Occupation of Palestinian lands, Ramallah is a thriving and exciting place. The tour will pass through the fortress-like Kalandia Checkpoint dividing Jerusalem from Ramallah, visit some of the famous landmarks, meet Palestinian professionals and visit with a local NGO. Led by veteran tour leader Tamer Halaseh, visitors learn about life under Occupation while meeting Palestinians who have found a way to cope with the pressures through celebrating their city and building meaningful lifestyles. Tamer is full of surprises and often invites friends to join the group at various points along the way. Dinner is an important part of the day and gives everyone a chance to relax in a friendly atmosphere while enjoying a traditional meal. More information Tour Guide Profile Yafit Gamila Biso Gamila immigrated to Israel from Syria in 1985. She is active in many joint Israeli-Palestinian peace and human rights groups, including Ta'ayush, Windows, and her own organization the Olive Tree. Her activities include being a translator and contact person for Palestinian children and families getting treatment in Israeli hospitals, organizing humanitarian aid for Palestinian children in the West Bank, and assisting Palestinians with the olive harvest. She is known interchangeably by her two first names, with mean "beautiful" in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively. Gamila speaks English, Arabic and Hebrew fluently. more profiles
Message from the Director I wanted to say a big thank you to all our visitors who took tours this summer. Over 150 people a month participated in the public and private tours between May and August. We are now gearing up for a busy autumn season, and organizing package tours for next year. Alternative Tourism is quickly becoming mainstream in Israel and Palestine due to the huge surge in visitors during 2008. However many tours in this genre are also conducted by settler organizations whose message is the consolidation of Israel's grip on the entire country. The recent yNet article, Crossing the Line, illustrated this trend with a glowing endorsement of 'Greater Israel' tours. One of the reasons I founded ToursInEnglish.com last year was because I had noted this trend and wanted to counter it. Please spread the word about the tours, forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues, and help by placing our new widgets on your blog or web site. Thank you. All the best, Fred Schlomka Please do not click reply. Contact here
You have received this newsletter because you have visited the Tours in English web site, gone on one of our tours, or otherwise have indicated an interest in alternative tours. Please forward this email to your friends and colleagues who might be interested in the tours. Unsubscribe: To unsubscribe simply click this link and enter your email address. Subscribe: If this email was forwarded to you, and you wish to receive the monthly newsletters, please click here and provide your email address. Thanks for your interest PO Box 576, Kfar Saba, Israel 44104 International: Tel:+972-54-693-4433 * Fax:+972-9-777-0020 In the USA - Tel: 1-800-809-7913 In Israel: Tel: 054-693-4433 Email