February 2010
Wishing you a belated happy new year. I hope you have a year filled with peace and prosperity.
The past year was a period of strong growth for our tours. Many new tours were added in 2009, and additional services such as accommodations in the West Bank. Plans for 2010 include the development of alternative tours throughout Israel in order to provide comprehensive touring services to our guests.
Do come and visit soon.
All the best,
Fred Schlomka, Director
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NEW - Daily Old City Tours
Our daily alternative tour of the
Old City of Jerusalem was inaugurated during December. A cadre of seven committed guides are dedicated to developing this tour.
Each morning (except Friday) the tour begins with a briefing at the
Damascus Gate Travel Center then continues through all the Quarters of the Old City. The guides elaborate on the history of the area, emphasizing the centrality of the Old City to the conflict, and analyzing the situation on the ground.
Religious Jews from various organizations continue to develop settlement homes in and around the Old City as part of their strategy to forestall any possibility of a viable Palestinian State with its capital in East Jerusalem. The tour enables visitors to develop an understanding of this strategy.
More information
Multi-day Tours for 2010
Three multi-day tours are now offered to introduce visitors to Palestinian culture and the realities of life under Occupation. All tours include an introductory briefing with maps and analysis.
3 Days in a Palestinian Village
Visitors are embedded in the village of Beit Ummar, in the heart
of the Gush Etzion settlement block south of Bethlehem. The program includes visiting villagers and farmers who have had land confiscated,and a trip to the South Hebron Hills to witness the situation among the poorest of Palestinians who are under continual threat by the settlers.
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learn more 4 Days - Introduction to Palestine
This tour is based in Beit Sahour, Bethlehem where the guests stay with a family and take daily tours to various cities in the West Bank. The itinerary is designed to give a comprehensive overview of the political situation, visits sites of historical importance, and includes an evening of discussion at the Alternative Information Center in Beit Sahour. . . . . .
learn more
7 Days - Palestine Experience
A combination of the two previous tours, this program provides an intensive experience of touring the West Bank, interaction with local people, and a steep learning curve about the ongoing Occupation. There are opportunities for further involvement through the people and organizations included in the itinerary.
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learn more Featured Article
The Ghettos of Jerusalem
by Fred Schlomka - Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that
"Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people, a city reunified so as never again to be divided". Nothing could be further from the truth. Jerusalem today is a city dissected by walls and fences, divided by race, religion and ethnicity, and traumatized by home demolitions, ethnic cleansing, and brutal government policies.
The boundaries of modern Jerusalem include 38 square kilometers inside Israel proper, plus 70 square kilometers of the West Bank territory conquered in 1967, reaching north towards Ramallah, south to Bethlehem and half way to the Dead Sea to the east, encompassing a total of 108 square kilometers. Over one third of the annexed territory was expropriated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Continue reading.
Speaking Tour
Fred Schlomka's recent visit to the USA included speaking engagements in various parts of the country, and a TV interview. The topic of the presentations was the possibility of a
'Three-state Solution' - Palestine, Israel and a Union or Con-federation stretching from the river to the sea. Audiences were generally receptive to this expansion of the two-state scenario since the concept includes the right of abode anywhere in the country for all the residents of Palestine and Israel.
This is a theme that Fred will be continuing to develop, and he will return to the USA in September for further discussions and presentations. If you, or an organization you are affiliated with, are interested in hosting a presentation, please
contact Fred.
