Introduction to short term internship opportunities in the West Bank: Palestine is a country which is often featured in the media (much of the time this is for the wrong reasons) and so is well known around the world. Many internationalist students, native speakers and people may look to the Middle East and Palestine in particular as a good place to undertake an internship to develop their skills and experience a fascinating part of the world. Internships are generally seen as a good way to progress your career, and Palestine is no exception for this.
The benefits of taking an internship in the West Bank
The two major benefits of taking an internship in the West Bank, Palestine over in your home country are the opportunities to immerse yourself entirely in an Arabic speaking environment to quickly develop your Arabic language skills, and your chance to create a real impact for some of the neediest people alive, who are suffered at the hands of the Israeli Occupation.
Beyond these critical reasons, there are also the usual reasons of developing your CV through work experience – employers like to see that potential employees can adapt to new situations and deal with difficult scenarios when they present themselves. Due to the Israeli restrictions on holiday visas, you can only stay in Israel-Palestine for up to three months without going through an arduous process to obtain a work visa.
Where can I take a short term internship in the West Bank?
There are many high profile cities in the West Bank – each with their own reputation and historical importance. In terms of the ones most applicable when looking for an internship in the West Bank, we would recommend looking for programmes in East Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethlehem and the administrative capital, Ramallah. These represent the biggest cities (apart from Bethlehem which is a little smaller) and thus the places you are most likely to find a rewarding short term internship opportunity.
Where to look for these opportunities
As usual, the internet is the best place to look for these opportunities – most organisations, especially international NGOs will have their own websites for recruitment, but even more general websites like Facebook can have community boards where local people post internships. Whatever you choose, be sure to thoroughly do your research to ensure that you have the best possible experience.
Short term Community Development project internships in the West Bank
There are plenty of opportunities to help aid community development in the West Bank – particularly in the areas most affected by Occupation and refugee camps, which house Palestinians who have no access to their ancestral lands. Bedouin campsites, threatened with Israeli demolition orders, also present an opportunity to help build up the access of local communities to vital commodities like water, food, electricity and the quality provision of education.
Whether you are a teacher, an engineer, a plumber or sports coach (and many more things besides), there are plenty of projects you can undertake to help the local people in the West Bank and improve their quality of life. Whether you are starting a career, or taking a summer break from work – the main thing is that you should have a positive outlook and a genuine desire to help the people develop their communities in any way they can.
Short term internship opportunities with the Excellence Center in Hebron
The Excellence Center offers a range of short term internship opportunities on a flexible basis from one week up to three months. Opportunities include community development internships, medical volunteering internships, a journalism internship and the Teach for Palestine internship which involves teaching Palestinian children English or any other important world language you can teach.
The Excellence Center is situated in Hebron, in the South of the West Bank, on the frontline of Occupation, so all help is vastly appreciated by international volunteers and interns, in whatever capacity they can provide support.
Here is the list of the short term Internship Opportunities In the West Bank at the Center:
- Volunteer and Study Arabic in Palestine (1-12 weeks)
- Internship in Palestine Program (one to three months)
- Study Arabic in Palestine (Arabic Language Courses)
- Teach English Internship in Palestine (2-3 months)
- Volunteer Projects in Palestine for a short time (One week to three months)
- Human and Women Rights Volunteer Programs
Opportunities for cultural exchange
Internships in West Bank include accommodation, Arabic lessons, some meals and visits around the city of Hebron as part of the package. A liaison manager oversees the work and development of interns to ensure it is a valuable opportunity for those seeking to progress their careers.
Similarly, each intern is assigned their own Arabic tutor to oversee their personal language develop, so that they can begin to help the people of the West Bank, Palestine in their own language. There are also frequent opportunities for cultural exchange and the chance to visit some of the other important, historical cities of Palestine and Israel as well.
Great environment and family atmosphere
Most volunteers have a fantastic time here with people generally praising the quality of the interactions between the permanent Palestinian staff and the international interns – apart from a great environment and family atmosphere for international long lasting friendships.
It also adds to the immersive language learning environment as interns can use the language they’ve learned in the classroom with their new Arab friends. It’s not uncommon for interns to stay in touch with each other and with the Palestinians they have met long after they have left the country! The Excellence Center is always highly reviewed by former interns – you can find testimonials on our website.
Final remarks
We look forward to welcoming your application for a short term internship in the West Bank with us here at the Excellence Center in Hebron at some point soon in the very near future!
Any Questions?
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact at Rafat@excellencenter.org
Whatsapp:+972599479880
For more information, please visit our website: https://excellencenter.org
Excellence Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter
