Upcoming Trips


Palestine Portal posts trips that incorporate responsible tourism in the Holy Land: not doing harm to the Palestinian people and learning about their struggle for freedom and justice.  If you know of such trips that we do not have here, please let us know: [email protected]

The trips on this page are not listed in chronological order; they are grouped by tour organizers.

ON THIS PAGE:

• In the Footsteps of Jesus: Tours led by Jeff and Janet Wright
• Pilgrims of Ibillin Pilgrimages
• Eyewitness Palestine Delegations
• Sabeel Witness Trips
• Christian Peacemaker Team Delegations
• JAI Olive Planting and other trips


In the Footsteps of Jesus:
Alternative Tours to Palestine and Israel

Hosted by Jeff and Janet Wright
January 21 – February 2, 2022

Detailed Information: Itinerary      Registration & Waiver

Alternative (responsible) travel seeks to transform curious tourists into informed pilgrims by engaging the people who live in the land — and the history, culture and social realities that shape their lives.

The Wrights are hosting two pilgrimages in early 2022, one for Philips Theological Seminary and another — January 22 – February 2 — for folks who want to walk through the holy sites and learn about the current situation.

As the tour title suggests, many of the first-century conditions that shaped Jesus’ life and ministry continue to shape the lives of Palestinians and Israelis today. In addition to exploring the holy stones — the historic places and sites that have defined our faith — participants will engage the Living Stones: Jews, Muslims and Christians who live in the land.

Experienced tour leaders Jeff & Janet Wright have served as short-term Mission Co-Workers to Israel/Palestine through the Disciples of Christ/UCC Global Ministries, having traveled there many times. Janet is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Working near Bethlehem, she and colleagues created an all-Arab training team in EMDR. Jeff is recently retired as lead pastor of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The tour will be accompanied by a professional, local guide.

To facilitate conversation, take advantage of unplanned opportunities and provide a more enriching experience, tour size is limited to around two dozen persons. Participants will: explore the holy sites of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth (where Jesus was raised); visit the Abrahamic mosque and divided city of Hebron; tour Jericho, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River and more; learn from Global Ministries mission partners; meet and discuss differing perspectives on the current political situation with Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders. Some meetings on the itinerary are subject to change due to speakers’ availability and other conditions; substitutions of similar interest and quality are made.

Travel arrangements have been made through the award winning Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies. Overnight accommodations are clean, comfortable and modest, booked to maximize our contact with the Living Stones and make the tour more affordable. Past tour participants have rated the tour experience very highly. Cost of the 2022 tour is $2,660 (based on twenty participants, double occupancy, excluding airfare).

See details for the itineraries of these trips and register: http://www.footstepsofjesustour.com/

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Pilgrims of Ibillin Pilgrimages
Led by Rev. Joan Deming, UMC

 

 

Looking for a way to engage with Peacemakers and go beyond traditional tourism to Israel/Palestine? 
Pilgrims of Ibillin offers excellent listening/study tours. Join us to meet the peacemakers of today.
Visit their website to see upcimin: https://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org
View a sample pilgrimage itinerary.

Read the blogs of previous participants and plan to join us on a future trip:
Pilgrims board members, volunteers in Ibillin
• Living Stones Pilgrimage, May 13-26, 2019  Read blog in participants’ own words)
• Living Stones, Oct. 15-28, 2019 read October 2019 blog.

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Eyewitness Palestine Trips

Is this the year for an unforgettable journey for justice?
Join Eyewitness Palestine on one our of our unique delegations to Palestine/Israel in 2019!
Your Eyewitness Palestine experience is rooted in the life stories of activists and organizers – not politicians or public relations experts. We connect you to peace-builders, resisters to oppression, and nonviolent activists. There’s only one way to truly understand the realities of Palestine/Israel – through the eyes of those who live there.
LEARN MORE: https://eyewitnesspalestine.org

About Eyewitness Palestine Delegations


For many, an Eyewitness Palestine delegation is a catalyst for activism. For others, the delegation provides the grounding on which to hinge a deeper understanding or renewed commitment to Palestinian freedom.

Most Eyewitness Palestine delegates remain active in the movement for Palestinian rights, extending the impact of each delegation far beyond the trip itself. 

When you join an Eyewitness Palestine delegation, you meet Palestinian and Israeli peace-builders, learn from community leaders, investigate current topics, and experience the reality of life in Palestine/Israel.

Each Eyewitness Palestine delegation itinerary is unique; however, many topics are regular features. Approximately 25% of every trip relates directly to the delegation theme; the rest is made up of meetings on a range of engaging and important topics.
LEARN MORE: https://eyewitnesspalestine.org

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Sabeel Witness Trips

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center invites you to join us for 8 nights to experience the reality of life in today’s Holy Land:
• Worship with Palestinian Christians
• Meet and reflect with Palestinian Christians and Muslims as well as with Jewish Israelis and internationals who partner with Sabeel in non-violent resistance against the violation of international and humanitarian law
• Experience the realities of the Palestinian community living under Israeli Occupation: the Wall, settlements, checkpoints, confiscated land and demolished homes, refugee camps, and environmental degradation
• Act in solidarity with the Palestinian community.
• Learn about the loss of civil and property rights of Arab Israeli citizens
WHERE: Nights in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth with side visits to other sites including the West Bank and to the Galilee holy sites
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE RIGOROUS TRIPS THAT INCLUDES CLIMBING OF STAIRS AND MUCH WALKING, SOMETIMES OVER ROUGH TERRAIN.
COST: $1600 per person in a double room;  $1900 per person in a single room
This cost includes a non-refundable registration fee of $300, all accommodations and meals for 8 nights, all transportation and honoraria during the visit. It does NOT include airfare, transportation to and from the airport, personal expenses and souvenirs, or travel insurance.
Website page: https://sabeel.org/witness-visits-2/
Download a Sample Program

Register Here

For more information please email [email protected] or call +972 2 5327136




Fall Solidarity Visit: 5–13 October 2021 inclusive (8 nights)
NOTE: the program will begin on the morning of October 5th. (Check-in time at the hotel will be 2:00 p.m. on October 4th – check out will be 1:00 p.m. on the October 13th) We advise arriving some time in advance, to get acclimated before the program begins.
Spring Come & See: 13 – 20 May 2022

This trip is led by Rev. Naim Ateek- co-founder of Sabeel

NOTE: the program will begin on the morning of May 13th. (Check-in time at the hotel will be 2:00 p.m. on May 12th – check out will be 1:00 p.m. on the May 20th) We advise arriving some time in advance, to get acclimated before the program begins.
Fall Solidarity Visit: 25 October – 2 November 2022 inclusive (8 nights)
NOTE: the program will begin on the morning of October 25th. (Check-in time at the hotel will be 2:00 p.m. on October 24th – check out will be 1:00 p.m. on the November 2nd) We advise arriving some time in advance, to get acclimated before the program begins.

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Christian Peacemaker Team Delegations

CPT Delegations
Learn more at https://www.cpt.org/delegations/palestine
or contact CPT at [email protected].
Find a form to apply for a delegation at the website address above.

Road closures, home invasions, checkpoints, and the presence of militant Israeli settlers near Palestinian villages continue to threaten Palestinian human rights, and Israel’s separation barrier (much of it built on confiscated Palestinian land) continues to separate Palestinian communities from each other and ordinary Israelis and Palestinians seeking to come together for peace. CPT delegation members will gain a perspective on how these issues affect daily life, and will experience the power of Palestinian and Israeli citizens overcoming what seem to many to be permanent obstacles.

Delegates will meet with Palestinian and Israeli human rights representatives and peace workers in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They will visit Palestinian families whose home and livelihoods are threatened by expanding Israeli settlements. They will travel to the city of Al Khalil (Hebron) and the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills and experience firsthand CPT’s work alongside Israeli and Palestinian partners. They will challenge the structural violence of the Occupation through nonviolent public witness.

Delegates should be prepared for some physical rigors, such as hiking in rough, extremely hilly terrain, heat in the summer and damp cold in the winter, and generally long days.

CPT has had a continuous presence in the West Bank since 1995.
FUNDRAISING EXPECTATION: $3500 USD, which includes round-trip airfare from a designated U.S. or Canadian city. Those planning to travel from other countries, please contact the CPT office for more information.

About Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT)


Mission
Building partnerships to transform violence and oppression.
Vision

A world of communities that together embrace the diversity of the human family and live justly and peaceably with all creation.
Values

Christian Peacemaker Teams is committed to work and relationships that:
– Honor and reflect the presence of faith and spirituality
– Strengthen grassroots initiatives
– Transform structures of domination and oppression
– Embody creative non-violence and liberating love
Learn more about CPT at: https://www.cpt.org/about/mission

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The JAI receives several visiting international groups and partners’ delegations annually, who gets briefed about the Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI), its advocacy work and Campaigns, including the BDS and Kairos Palestine with their impact on the international level and ways and examples of involvement.

Guided tours in the Bethlehem or Hebron areas are organized for such groups / delegates, upon requests, to make them witness land confiscation process by the Israeli government, the apartheid wall, settlements construction and expansion, as well a JAI Olive Tree Campaign planted fields, and meeting and listening to the stories of some Campaign farmers and their families in their threatened fields.

It is our pleasure that people are taking part in our mission in Keeping Hope Alive together and to learn more about daily Palestinian life under a merciless military occupation.
See more details, the daily schedule, and contact information on the JAI website

YMCA-YWCA Witness Visit

A program in Palestine and Israel organized by the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine, where they invite international YMCA and YWCA national and local General Secretaries, board members, executive directors and senior staff to take part.

The purpose of the Witness Visit is for participants to learn about the Palestinians’ situation, meet with representatives of government, churches and civil society organizations and find ways in which the YMCA and YWCA movements can act for a just peace.

Further objective is to get to know the work of the YWCA of Palestine and East Jerusalem YMCA and discuss possible partnering projects.

A goal of the visit is also to live and experience the social life and culture of the Holy Land

ourney for Justice brings together youth leaders from all over the world to experience and share the life under occupation with Palestinian youth. For nine days, they join Palestinian youth and travel around occupied Palestine to witness the effects of Israeli occupation, and accompany Palestinian youth in their daily life.

Journey includes:

  • Stories / experiences / dreams and daily life sharing.
  • Visiting their universities and realize Palestinian students’ difficulties.
  • Witnessing several EJ YMCA and YWCA of Palestine programs in action.
  • Meetings and discussions with Palestinians and Israelis: Political and religious leaders, Israeli right-based groups, grass root Palestinians including farmers, refugees, students…etc.
  • Presentations and discussions with specialists on issues of: children, refugees, academics, international work…etc.
  • Visiting various religious and historic sites including old cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jerusalem, including the Church of Nativity, Holy Sepulcher, Al-Aqsa Mosque…etc.
  • Advocacy activities and workshop, building coalitions of committed youth leaders and set advocacy plans together.

Learn more about opportunities to visit:
http://www.jai-pal.org/en/advocacy-visits-trips

Read about:
The JAI Olive Tree Campaign

The Olive Planting Program

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