Palestinian Law Internship: This legal internship program is ideal for students of law, the social sciences, and human rights, as well as for anyone interested in the Palestinian legal system as it operates in the West Bank. As an intern, you can enroll for a period of from 1 to 13 weeks, year-round (spring, summer, fall, and winter). The Palestinian Law program aims to provide a complete understanding of legislation applying to the West Bank and Gaza.
During the legal internship program, you will visit local Palestinian lawyers, law faculties, courts, human rights organizations, legal and religious institutions, and legal clinics in the city of Hebron, Palestine. You will witness the enactment of laws, the decision-making process, court rulings, legal negotiations, and mediations in various social settings.
The Excellence Center in Palestine’s internship in Palestinian Law and Legal Practices is designed to create dialogue between participants and Palestinian legal experts and to introduce them to one of the world’s most complex legal systems. The internship program will allow you to learn about Palestinian and Humanitarian law and offer insight into some of the issues concerning both Palestine and Israel.
Table of Contents
Internship Covers These Laws
| The Israeli Military Law | The Jordanian Law |
| The Religious Law | Customary Law |
| British Law | Ottoman Law |
| Egyptian Law | Palestinian Traditional Law (Arabic Rights) |
Participating in this legal internship program will allow you to immerse yourself in Palestinian culture, daily life, politics, human rights, and legal spaces in the city of Hebron, Palestine. Participants will be provided three hours of weekly Arabic lessons and can visit various sites. Females may also have the option to stay with a Palestinian host family, and all participants will receive full support during their time in Hebron.
The Structure of Palestinian Law and Legal System
The Palestinian legal system is an incredibly intricate one, comprised of components from various legal traditions due to Palestine’s diverse history. It includes components from Muslim customary/common law, Ottoman, British, Jordanian, Egyptian law, Israeli military law, and the Palestinian Authority’s Basic Law. Additionally, there are “traditional” Arabic Rights that reflect these laws. The applicable laws depend on the specific region of Palestine, whether in Israeli-controlled areas, the Gaza Strip, or the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank.
For instance, the Gaza Strip’s legal system is primarily shaped by Egyptian law, while Jordanian law influences the West Bank. Hebron, in the southern West Bank, adheres to Palestinian Authority and Israeli military laws, alongside remnants of historical laws such as Sharia, Ottoman, British, and Jordanian.
Volunteering for a Law Internship in The West Bank
The Excellence Center in Palestine in Hebron offers a Law and Legal Practices Internship for those interested in law careers in the West Bank. This ideal program is for law students or anyone curious about law. It also presents an excellent opportunity for diplomacy professionals to gain experience in a delicate and high-stakes environment.
The internship includes opportunities in humanitarian work, human rights, religious law, and women’s rights. It provides fieldwork, community outreach, and cross-cultural communication, making it valuable for those considering careers in law, human rights, or social sciences.
If you want to learn about law, human rights, and diplomacy while exploring Palestine and contributing to a worthy cause, this internship is for you!
Who Can Participate?
The Excellence Center in Palestine does not discriminate on any basis, and this includes a person’s nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other basis. Furthermore, the Excellence Center in Palestine has a long history of welcoming people from around the globe.
Participants have visited the center from the following countries: The United Kingdom, the United States of America, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, South Korea, Ireland, China and New Zealand!
Program Structure
The Palestinian Law Internship is perfect for those seeking legal experience in Palestine, the West Bank, Israel, or the broader Arab world during the summer. The program offers a unique chance to engage with Palestine’s culture and people. It’s suited for students on summer break or interning during an extended stay in Palestine and Israel. This internship combines Arabic language training with immersion in Palestinian culture, politics, and history, featuring visits to Bedouin areas, refugee camps, villages, and community centers.
This Law internship program would suit those interested in the following:
- Academic careers
- Legal Internships in Palestine
- Internship programs in human rights and law in the West Bank
- Communications work
- The politics of Israel and Palestine
- Gaining University credits
- Contributing to an important cause
Participants in the Palestinian Laws and Legal Practices Internship will focus on several key strands:
- Learning about Palestinian laws, how they operate, and the humanitarian circumstances of Palestine.
- Meeting with legal experts, human rights organizations, legal institutions, Palestinian law students, and faculty members of the law department.
- Arabic language and cultural immersion.
- Introduction to legal manuals, scripts, and historical material (optional)
- Interning with Palestinian lawyers (dependent on the duration of stay)
Program Details and Additional Activities in Palestine
Participants in the Palestinian Laws and Legal Practices Internship based in Hebron, West Bank, will also receive the following benefits. More details are given below. These include:
- You will receive 12 hours of conversational Palestinian Arabic lessons for each month you intern. Participants can also study MSA, Fusha, or colloquial Arabic.
- Accommodation with a Palestinian host family or in a shared flat.
- Breakfast with other participants (6 times a week)
- Support during your time in Palestine
- Visits to various sites in the city of Hebron (refugee camps in Hebron, the law faculty, human rights organizations, the old town and different factories)
- An understanding of Palestinian law and an experience of the occupation of the West Bank, Palestine
- An overview of the human rights situation and an opportunity to help Palestinian refugees.
- Educational, community, and social activities
- Access to the hospitality of Palestinians and the pleasant climate
- The opportunity to live in and gain impressions from one of the Middle East’s most politically divisive and ambivalent regions.
- You can visit unique tourist attractions from a particularly native perspective in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilyah, Jenin, and the Dead Sea in Jericho.
- Access to nearby cities such as Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Eilat, Tiberias, Netanya, Safed, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada, Amman, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and Nazareth.
- Tuition by well-qualified, attentive Arabic teachers, each with an excellent educational background, ready and happy to help you.
- A certificate upon completion.
Workshops for Palestinian Law Students
International visitors to the Excellence Center in Palestine with legal expertise may conduct educational workshops for Palestinian law students either at the Excellence Center in Palestine or in local universities in the city of Hebron.
Interning with Palestinian Lawyers
Exposure to the Palestinian legal system will give participants a unique insight into its functions. Consequently, some interns may decide to pursue a career in law following this experience.
Please Note: Interning with Palestinian lawyers is only available to those enrolled with the Excellence Center in Palestine for at least one month.
Arabic Language and Cultural Immersion
The third portion of the program relates to Arabic language and cultural immersion. Participants will receive 3 hours of Arabic language instruction per week when enrolled with the Excellence Center in Palestine. These courses are designed to provide participants with opportunities to interact with locals, find their way around the City of Hebron, and further immerse themselves in Arabic culture and language.
In addition, the Excellence Center in Palestine operates excursions to areas of historical importance in the old city of Hebron, such as the Abraham Mosque.
Participants will also have the opportunity to visit areas of political significance, such as Palestinian refugee camps, where they will witness firsthand the humanitarian impact of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Interacting with Palestinian Culture
As an intern in Hebron, West Bank, you’ll find Palestinians incredibly friendly and hospitable to foreigners. Regardless of your Arabic skills, they are enthusiastic and patient communicators, delighted by the interest in their language and culture. Palestine, at the heart of the Levant, has numerous cultural and historical landmarks. Despite challenges, you will experience the warmth of the Palestinian people and find Hebron a safe place to intern.
Practical Information
| Place of Internship Program | Hebron, West Bank, Palestine |
| Program Fees | 350€ (Euro) per Week (See Prices Here) Registration fee: 30€, payable at the time of registration |
| Age | 18-75 Years Old |
| Minimum Duration | 1 Week |
| Maximum Duration | 13 Weeks |
| Arabic Lessons per Week | 3 Hours |
| Class Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Number of Participants | Variable (1-5) |
| Internship Focus | Palestinian Laws Legal practices in Palestine Humanitarian Laws Legal Systems in the West Bank Human Rights in Palestine |
| Suitable for | Law Students Social Science Students Lawyers People Interested in Palestinian Law Humanitarian Aid Workers |
| Start/End Dates | Flexible – Anytime |
| Application Deadline | No Deadline |
| University Credit | Available |
| Program Language | English |
| Tel Aviv Airport Pickup | Available (Fee applies) |
Program Costs and Information
The Excellence Center in Palestine charges 350€ (Euro) per Week (Confirm Prices Here), with the stated costs covering the following expenses: language courses, accommodation, breakfast from Monday to Friday, group excursions, and a contribution towards our running costs. In addition, a registration fee of 30€, payable at the time of registration.
Furthermore, the program prices listed on this webpage are the complete and final cost students will pay.
Program Fees Cover:
- Accommodation
- Language courses
- The Excellence Center in Palestine’s Operating Costs
- Breakfast (Mon – Fri)
- Group excursions within Hebron
What Language is the Program Run in?
All of our internship programs are geared toward English speakers. However, for the sake of immersion, the higher the course level, the less English will be utilized during the program.
Duration of the Internship in Palestine
The Excellence Center in Palestine accepts applications for the Palestinian Laws & Legal Practices Internship year-round from individuals looking to intern with our organization for 1 to 13 weeks. As participants in this internship program, you will decide when you would like to start and end the program. We are very flexible with the beginning dates and the internship duration.
The easiest way to get to Hebron and the Excellence Center in Palestine is:
- Fly to Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv Airport (Israel). It takes about two and a half hours to get from the airport to Hebron via shared taxi.
- You can also fly to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, and then cross to Palestine, but it takes more time and is more expensive.
- Finally, you can fly to Eilat Ramon airport (South of Israel) and then travel onwards by booking a shuttle or taking a bus to Jerusalem. From there you can travel to Hebron. This trip to Hebron can last between 6 and 7 hours.
Traveling to and from Hebron, West Bank
All Excellence Center volunteers travel to and from Hebron using single or shared taxis that pass through checkpoints.
You will find all the necessary information about how to get to Hebron and the Excellence Center in Palestine with relevant contact information in these four articles:
- How to fly to Palestine
- How to get to Hebron, Palestine
- Planning your trip to Palestine
- How to get from the Ben Gurion Airport, Israel, to Hebron
Getting a Visa to Intern in the West Bank
Most of the Excellence Center in Palestine’s internship program participants receive a three-month tourist visa when flying to Israeli airports or crossing the checkpoint from Jordan to the West Bank.
Americans, Canadians, and most Europeans do not need a prior visa to enter Palestine (and Israel), as these interns usually qualify for a visa exemption agreement. When you arrive at the Israeli Airports of Tel Aviv or Eilat, you will be granted a tourist visa valid for 90 days, allowing you to travel throughout Palestine and Israel.
Traveling to Palestine On Your Own?
No worries, you’ve come to the right place!
For everyone here, it is like belonging to one family, and there are always activities to do together in Hebron’s fantastic social scene.
Safety of Our Volunteers and Interns
Palestine has not been stable for decades, occasionally becoming more volatile. However, millions of tourists visit Palestine and the West Bank each year without safety concerns.
Since 2011, the Excellence Center in Palestine has welcomed over 1,000 international visitors who lived and worked in Hebron from a few weeks to several months without facing threats or feeling unsafe.
The Excellence Center in Palestine is centrally located in Hebron, under Palestinian authority administration. Host families and male dorms are nearby.
Criteria for Participants in the Law Internship
Required:
- To be 18 years of age or over
- To have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn about Palestine
- To have an interest in meeting people in Palestine
- An ability to communicate in English
- Desire to be a part of a family in Hebron, Palestine
Not required:
- The ability to speak Arabic
- Travel experience
- To be a native English speaker
- An educational degree
- Experience in teaching English
- To be studying full-time
Reviews, Ratings, and Community Awards
The Excellence Center in Palestine has been honored with several prestigious Community Awards and recognized as the Best Language School and Top Volunteer and Internship Program Provider for 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. For more details, please visit our profiles on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com.
- +850 reviews (96%) on gooverseas.com
- +170 reviews (96%) on goabroad.com
- Internship in Palestine participants’ video testimonials
Summary: Join Our Family in Palestine
The Palestinian Laws & Legal Practices Internship program is a unique opportunity for participants to gain valuable insights into Palestine’s complex legal systems and their critical role in advancing regional humanitarian causes. This internship program, located in the vibrant city of Hebron in the West Bank, is an ideal platform for individuals who aspire to pursue a career in law, diplomacy, or humanitarian aid.
Throughout the legal internship program, as interns, you will be exposed to various aspects of Palestinian law, including its sources, institutions, and practices. The program also provides a thorough understanding of the historical and cultural context in which these laws operate, allowing you to appreciate the nuances of the legal system and how it intersects with the broader social and political realities of Palestine.
During the legal program, participants will work closely with local lawyers, law professors, and university law students, enabling them to gain hands-on experience and practical knowledge about the legal profession in Palestine. Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with legal organizations, non-governmental institutions, women’s community centers, and advocacy groups, allowing them to gain insights into the key issues facing Palestine, such as human rights violations, land disputes, and the challenges of Palestinian refugee populations.
Through the internship program, you will also develop your research, writing, and critical thinking skills, allowing you to analyze complex legal issues and propose viable solutions. Additionally, participants will be exposed to various aspects of Palestinian culture, cuisine, and traditions, making your stay in Palestine an enriching and unforgettable experience.
How to Apply
If you want to participate in our internship, please email us at Rafat@excellencenter.org.
In the subject line of your email, write “Palestinian Law Internship.” Upon writing back to you, we will attach an application form, which you will fill out and return to us to begin the process.
