5 Unique Things About Living in Palestine: Whether you come to study Arabic, volunteer in Palestine, or just to visit, your time in Palestine will be different than your everyday life back home.

Palestine shares much in common with the rest of the Middle East, and its people have many of the same habits, hobbies, and values as people worldwide. Nevertheless, the culture of Palestine is unique, as is the city of Hebron, where visitors to the Excellence Center stay.

5 Aspects of Life in Hebron that International Guests Will Find Unique

Life Moves at a Slower Pace

First, life moves at a slower, more relaxed pace. Despite what the news tells you, if you’re hoping to dodge bullets and car bombs, your time would be better spent in Syria or Somalia. Despite the occupation, Palestinian’s lives go on, and they go on at a very relaxed pace by Western standards.

People run errands, perform their job duties, and cross-town for meetings, but they do so by stopping to say hello to friends and neighbors, greet strangers, and exchange news or stories with the clerk at the corner kiosk. Offices, too, seem more relaxed.

Young professionals in Washington, New York, and London often experience near-constant stress from the moment they arrive until the second they leave work. No one will think twice if you step out to grab a coffee or stop what you’re doing to practice you’re Arabic.

People Are a Lot Friendlier

Second, people are a lot friendlier. Volunteers often find strangers stopping them on the street corner, not to harass them or ask for money, but to say hello, ask where they are from, and welcome them.

A group of volunteers went one evening to explore the old city. They were surprised to be stopped in an alleyway by a Palestinian woman who motioned them into her home and showed them the architecture. Visitors will also be stopped at the grocery store across the street by the owner, who will insist they take a cup of Nescafé

History Being Made

Third, you’ll see history being made. The conflict has been a major challenge for the global community for seventy years, and it is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Spending time in Palestine will allow you to meet those most directly affected by the conflict, see its impact up close, and see what is accurate and hype for yourself. When you return home, you’ll have a unique and informed perspective that others will value.

The Call to Prayer

Fourth, you’ll hear the call to prayer, every one of them, every day. While many in Palestine have never visited the Middle East, others have traveled to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and other majority-Muslim nations before. They have heard the call to prayer, the announcement from the local mosque’s imam calling Muslims to prayer, a few times a day in between the regular hustle and bustle of city life.

In Palestine, however, every call to prayer, all five daily announcements beginning early in the morning and ending late at night, can be heard. As a small, religious city, there is little to interrupt the call in Hebron that may not be audible each time in bigger cities like Cairo. The call symbolizes Hebron’s close-knit, religious nature, which creates a strong feeling of community.

Palestine at Crossroads

Finally, Palestine is at a crossroads. By that, we don’t mean that there is some big decision the people of Palestine need to make. We mean literally, it is adjacent to several roads that lead all over Palestine and Israel. Visitors will experience the close community of Palestine, but if they wish to go out and explore, they can do so easily.

Jerusalem is only an hour away via shared taxi. Likewise, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Ramallah can be reached quickly. Further away but still easily accessible, visitors can see the Mediterranean coast at Tel Aviv and Haifa, the Sea of Galilee at Tiberius, or the mountains of the Golan Heights.

Final Remarks

If you choose to visit Palestine, you’ll find that your time here will differ greatly from your daily life at home. But while each of these differences is unique, they will also make your time enjoyable and special, whether it’s the friends you make, the trips you take, or the lessons you learn.

We hope you enjoyed reading the 5 Unique Things About Living in Palestine

Get Further Information 

For more information, please visit our website: https://excellencenter.org/

Engage in Palestine: https://ecpalestine.org/

WhatsApp:+972 599 479 880

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron

Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg

Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine