Anyone been to the West Bank? What are Jericho and Hebron
like?
Do UK citizens need visas? Can you get them at the border?
ANY info or tips gratefully received
thank you
safe travels
Chris
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In May 1998 our minivan was stoned in Jericho by children in
the street. It was on the Sabbath so it was very clear that
we were not Jewish - evidently being Westerners is
sufficient reason to be stoned.
My travels in the Westbank were not like the above. The
minivan probably had yellow plates, right? They probably
thought you were Israelis, lots of Jews (even settlers)
don't keep the sabbath. Jericho is not too impressive, the
ancient tel is pretty much a pile of rubble. It's worth it
if you're into biblical history or archaeology.
Hebron is one of the most fascinating places in all of
Israel and the occupied lands. The Palestinians will be
incredibly friendly to you, and you will likely get invited
back to someone's home for tea or something. The city has a
really authentic Middle Eastern vibe because very few
tourists go there. The Tomb of the Patriachs is there,
that's where Abraham is supposedly buried, and the place is
quite an experience. It's one of the most fought-over holy
sites in the country, and this is where a Jewish settler
massacred 29 muslims worshippers a few years ago. The Jewish
settlement is near the Tomb, and it's quite an experience to
see...the soldiers outnumber the settlers, and the settlers
have machine guns. It's interesting to see what an
occupation is like. But be careful around the settlement,
the settlers are very paranoid and could therefore be
dangerous. Plus Arab kids have their showdowns with the
Israeli soldiers beside the settlement. Watch out, the
soldiers use their guns, with rubber or live rounds. Ask the
locals how to avoid danger, they know which street to avoid.
A local guy showed us how to get around behind the soldiers
where the journalists stand, that way we could look without
being in the line of fire. Find out about the situation
before you go, you don't want to be surprised by something
like that when you get there. It's a really fascinating
place, just take precautions and don't be stupid (eg, don't
get into political arguments).
UK citizens get Israeli visas on arrival, there's no
separate visa for the Westbank or Gaza. That might change if
the Palestinians declare a state before you go.
Safe travels.
I agree with the post from Jorg. I was in Hebron in 1997,
and the Arabs were very friendly and hospitable. The Tomb
of the Patriarchs is a little unnerving because of the
ultra-right wing Jewish settlers and the Israeli soldiers.
Be very careful. The Jewish crazy who massacred the
Muslims at prayer(I think his name was Baruch Goldstein, an
MD from the States) is considered a hero.
The color of the license plates definitely matters. You
can't get to Hebron directly from Jerusalem, you go through
Ramallah or someplace like that first. The locals will
tell you what sherut to take (and which color license plate
it should have). Make sure you take your passport with you
at all times. There are roadblocks and passport checks
that you might encounter.
Since Hebron is not really set up as a tourist town, there
are minor inconveniences such as scarcity of public
toilets. But it's a very interesting town and well worth
visiting if the political climate is okay.
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