Greater Jerusalem Tour 

Learn about the facts on the ground in East Jerusalem while visiting both settlements and Palestinian neighborhoods. This tour is intended for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, to go a little beyond the 'Them and Us' discourse, and to learn from a guide who has in-depth knowledge of the issues and an alternative perspective. The tour begins with a detailed briefing illustrated with maps. Every tour is slightly different and your guide will tailor the tour to the needs of the group but expect a typical tour to include the following stops:

You'll drive down the 'seam line' road that separates east and west Jerusalem, passing areas that were conquered by Jewish forces in the 1948 War and whose Palestinian residents were mostly given refugee status by the United Nations. You will see Israeli settlements both from this era and more modern colonies, often one house built right in the middle of an otherwise Palestinian neighborhood.

We will stop at several stunning lookouts which paint a stark picture of the vast differences between East and West Jerusalem. From places like Jabal Mukaber, you can see the modern office towers and highways in the West of the city and unsealed roads and donkeys being ridden bareback in the East. The panoramic views back to the old city of Jerusalem on this tour are also amazing.

You will learn a lot exploring neighborhoods like Alasawahira or Beit Hanina, where permits to enlarge homes or build new houses are almost never given but inspections and demolitions are a common occurrence.

You will also come up close with the now infamous West Bank Wall - sometimes called the Separation Barrier, or the Security Fence - which divides not only Arabs and Jews but, in many places, existing Palestinian communities. There are even places like the Shuafat Refugee Camp or Kufr 'Aqab, which are within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, but are separated from the city by the Wall. This is also an excellent place to discuss the reasons for building the wall, perceptions of its success in deterring terrorism and the extensive surveillance of the Palestinian people.

You may be able to have a view of the Palestinian village of Anata, which is surrounded by the Wall, where you can see the 'Fabric of Life' (Arabs only) roads being built. You will learn about Ma'aleh Adumim, one of the largest settlements (pop. 40,000) in the West Bank, and on some tours, we may visit the outlying outposts of the town, and learn about the displacement of the local Jahalin Bedouin. There are some amazing lookout points, which include great views of the Judean Desert and the 'E1' planning zone, that is planned to be filled with new settlement neighborhoods and tourist hotels.

Throughout the tour, your guide will give descriptions and an analysis of the impact of the Jewish settlements on the nearby Palestinian neighborhoods, and place the discourse within the context of the re-framing briefing provided during the first part of the tour.

There will be opportunities for questions and discussion during the tour. Be prepared for many of your preconceptions about the conflict to be challenged.