Life in Palestine
Menu:
- Safety and Security
- Accommodation
- Getting Around
- Money Matters
- Currency
- Cost of Living
- Ahlan Wa Sahlan (welcome and hospitality)
- Your First Week
- Learning Arabic
Safety and Security
When Palestine is in the headlines of world news, more often than not, its portrayal ranges from violent street clashes to an active war zone. Indeed, the situation in Palestine is often tense. However, internationals who come to Palestine find that they are largely able to live their daily lives without experiencing any greater danger than living in bigger cities in other parts of the world. Nevertheless, visitors to the West Bank, especially to Hebron will find it difficult to not notice the presence of Israeli occupation forces and settlers.
It’s generally safe to walk around at night in any city of the West Bank including Hebron. However, it’s always best to avoid areas that lack crowds of people and, in particular, the ones that are under Israeli control where the settlers live. Do as you would at home and avoid them if you walk around alone. We would recommend that you take a taxi instead of walking home by yourself at night.
The news agencies report from Palestine during periods of unrest but the day to day life of its citizens, the friendly welcome received by visitors, the beautiful natural landscape, the rich creativity, culture and cuisine are all sadly overlooked. As a result of this and the negative image portrayed in much of the media, many people are wary of visiting Palestine. We hope that by providing you with the facts, we can change this for the better!
Accommodation
The Excellence Center offers accommodation in either a Palestinian host family home or shared apartment.
Apartments
Our shared apartments are modern, cozy, fully equipped, and just a 5-minute walk from the center. They are designed for comfort and convenience, providing a modern and inviting space for interns to relax and unwind. Private rooms are available on request.
Host family
For those staying with a host family, the experience offers a deep immersion into Palestinian culture, with opportunities to engage in family activities, attend local cultural events, and interact with the welcoming community of Hebron. Due to cultural considerations, this option is only available for our female students.
Getting Around
Israel has checkpoints that divide Palestine from Israel. There is an Israeli checkpoint at the entrance to each city. As an international, you are free to pass through these checks whenever you wish (with your passport and visa), as they are aimed at limiting the movement of Palestinians.
Checkpoints in the West Bank are commonplace and the military presence in occupied Palestine is pervasive, but problems affecting visitors to Palestine are rare. Although there may be occasional traffic delays related to checkpoints, visitors to Palestine are usually able to move freely throughout the West Bank cities. This is sadly not always the case for Palestinians.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in the West Bank varies and depends mainly on which city you are in. For example, Ramallah tends to be more expensive than Hebron. You will find that some items are cheaper than in your country of origin, while others are more expensive.
If you want to try to save money, it is possible to live, eat, and travel at a low expense and in basic comfort. You might even find that you have more interesting experiences this way. However, if you want a higher level of luxury and some home comforts, this will cost a little more. Whatever you choose, you are guaranteed a warm welcome and a great experience here at Volunteer in Palestine and throughout the West Bank, Palestine.
You can read this article for a more detailed breakdown of some daily living costs.
Hospitality and Welcome
Palestinians are a very friendly people. Your welcome will be warm, especially in Hebron, where people will go out of their way to greet you and ask where you are from.
As there are not many foreigners who travel to Hebron for tourism, people will be curious about where you come from and what you are doing here. It is not uncommon for people to ask for your contact details, invite you to their homes, or ask you for coffee. As this is very different from life in many Western cultures, make sure you only accept these invitations if you feel comfortable, and feel free to say no to photographs or to giving your contact details to people you don’t know.
However, while you are here, we do encourage you to step a little outside your comfort zone and really experience the Palestinian culture and hospitality.
Your First Week
Day 1
The arrival day for each of our participants is likely to be a bit different, depending on the time of day you arrive and the program you are doing. For example, we have our community breakfast at 10am, so if you arrive before then, you will join us for breakfast and get to meet our staff and your fellow participants right away. At some time during the day, usually in the afternoon or evening, a member of our staff will take you to your accommodation.
Finding your Feet
If you have just arrived in Palestine or Hebron for the first time, you probably have lots of questions to help get yourself settled. You probably want to know where and how to get a Palestinian sim card, where you can find a good ATM, where the supermarket is, which cafes are the best and so on. While we have a lot of information about Palestine and Hebron on our website, your fellow international participants are also a great source of information.
During your first week at the Excellence Center, we will organise orientation activities so you can get to know Hebron, including the Old City, Al Ibrahimi Mosque, and the last authentic Keffiyeh factory in Palestine.
You will also have a chance to get to know our staff and volunteers on the tours and excursions we organize and during your specific program’s activities.There will be some free time in your schedule to chat and hang out, and our participants often arrange to eat dinner together or go to a cafe together in the afternoons or evenings.
Your First Weekend
The weekend in Palestine is Friday and Saturday, which is when most of our participants have their two days off. (Although for some programs, the days off might be Friday and another day.) The majority of our volunteers, interns and intensive Arabic students arrange to travel together in small groups to nearby cities during the weekend. Depending on when you have arrived and how you are feeling, you might like to join your fellow participants on a weekend trip, or you may wish to stay at home, rest and take your time easing into your new surroundings and routine.
Learning Arabic
Generally, if you are joining us at Engage in Palestine to study intensive Arabic, you will start your Arabic lessons the day after you arrive. Your arrival day is to get settled and also to check your Arabic level if you have previously studied it before. If you are volunteering or interning with us, you will start your 3 hours of Arabic lessons sometime in your first week.
If you have previously studied Arabic before, you may want to refresh your memory a little before your first lesson with us. Otherwise, you can prepare yourself by making sure you have a notebook (or paper to write on) and some pens or pencils. Any other learning materials, we provide. Although some of our Arabic students like to visit Danis bookstore on Ein Sara Street and purchase a Palestinian Arabic – English dictionary or other such materials.
If you have arrived without a notebook or any writing instruments, you can find them at a stationary store on Ein Sara Street, but you are unlikely to find them in a regular supermarket.
Summary
Despite the Occupation, life goes on in Palestine, and life here in Hebron is comfortable for guests of the Excellence Center. You will quickly learn your way around and adapt to life in Hebron, but our staff and other volunteers are always around to help answer any question you might have.
When you have breaks in your study or your program, there is plenty to see and do around beautiful Palestine.
