Parents are always keen to do whatever is necessary to ensure their children are happy and guaranteed a better future. At the same time, it is part of their job to worry when their children are about to do something that might put them in danger. These feelings are sometimes viewed by sons and daughters as annoying, exaggerated, or misplaced.
Coming to Palestine might be seen by parents as dangerous because it is a flashpoint for conflict, but this is not fully accurate. These worries are totally normal and understandable however if you only hear about Palestine from the media.
The media coverage of Palestine only reflects one angle but does not accurately depict the whole picture of daily life here. Simply put, most news sources do not provide enough information for you to make an informed decision on the security situation in Palestine.
How to Put My Parents Minds at Ease?
Helping parents understand the realities of life in Palestine is not only good for potential volunteers but good for the Palestinian people. The more people with an accurate image of Palestine, the closer Palestinians get to joining the rest of the global community by hosting international visitors.
Let’s begin by saying that there is no place on Earth that is truly 100% safe. That said, some people say that they feel even safer in Palestine than in their own country. The generosity and hospitality of the Palestinian people is why so many international visitors who came to visit, study, or work in Palestine leave without fearing for their safety and hoping to return soon.
Moreover, it should be clear that Palestine is not just the Gaza Strip, and that Hebron, where the Palestinian center – Go Palestine is located, is in the West Bank, far away from the dangers of Gaza. We would agree with most commentators that the situation in Gaza is not suitable for foreigners due to the number of wars that have been waged there over the past eight years. In fact, entering Gaza is extremely difficult, requiring special permission from the Israeli authorities, which is not easy to get.
The situation in the West Bank is very different from the one in Gaza. Palestinians who live in the West Bank have a much more stable life than Palestinians in Gaza. In the West Bank, there is no “military resistance” as there is in Gaza, which makes it safer for International guests and generally much less tense and stressful.
This has been the situation for the last ten years and many foreigners visit the West Bank, especially during the summer. Palestine has hosted not only tourists but also foreign workers employed by large companies or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) all over West Bank.
There are 262 NGOs represented in Palestine. They are either local or international organizations and they work in fields such as medical relief, community development, agricultural relief, and Human Rights to name but a few. This means that many foreigners come to Palestine for travel or work.
My Parents Told Me that Palestine is Full of Fighting? Is that True?
Yes, at times tensions erupt into small-scale protests, and stone-throwing, and crackdowns and raids by the IDF. Tensions are higher in the south of Palestine than in other parts. This does not mean that the south is not a safe place but tensions do break out from time to time and in specific areas near Israeli settlements.
As you might be aware, there are almost 600,000 Jewish settlers who live in the West Bank. For example, in Hebron approximately 600 Jewish settlers live in the old city, occupying 20% of the area of the whole city. From time to time there is low-level fighting in this specific area, but this does not affect the daily life of the people of Hebron, which is known as the economic capital of Palestine.
