Home / Join us in Palestine Join us in Palestine Thank you for your interest in joining the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Palestine. This is a big decision which is greatly appreciated. In order for our teams to work effectively in Palestine, we ask for a commitment of three weeks minimum and for volunteers to work within our principles and ethos which are outlined here. Before you come, it is really important that you take the time to read the material posted in this section, which hopefully should answer most basic questions about costs, training and travel tips. If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer them and if possible put you in touch with the closest support group to you. If you do contact us, many people find that it is wise not to share information such full names and exact day of arrival by email or on the phone for security reasons. The following information covers: Travel tips Upon arrival What to bring Costs in the West Bank Training Travel Information Travel Issues The Israeli authorities control all border entries to Palestine and visitors arriving at all the border points have been denied entry by the Israeli authorities in the past. However, visitors, including ISMers, have also been allowed to pass though all borders entries. Although the Israeli authorities deny having a policy of denial of entry to people associated with Palestine solidarity or the ISM, visitors who identify themselves as ISM volunteers to Israeli border staff are almost uniformly denied entry by Israeli authorities. Visitors coming in solidarity with the Palestinian people and/or to support Palestinian non-violent resistance therefore face a difficult situation. If they admit the goals of their visit to Israeli border staff or to any association with ISM, they will most likely be denied entry. If they state other reasons for their visit, they can also be accused of lying to Israeli authorities and denied entry for this reason. Faced with this dilemma, some activists choose not to talk about their activist goals and instead explain other reasons for their visit, such as visiting the Holy Land, visiting an Israeli friend, tourism, etc. These activists generally articulate a clear plan for their visit, including places they will stay within Israel and the names, addresses and phone numbers of people they will be visiting if this is the case (not mentioning visits to Palestinians). The Israeli border authorities now often check the online accounts of people arriving into Israel, including Facebook and email. So bear in mind that at any border they can ask you to open you email or Facebook accounts. Some people choose to deactivate their Facebook account while travelling to Palestine and delete all Palestine related stuff from their emails or even create a new account, meaning that you can provide a ‘clean’ email at the border if requested. Carrying ISM material with you will most likely cause the authorities to refuse you entry. It is likely that your luggage will be searched when you arrive at the airport or border. Even just carrying materials related to Palestinians and Palestine makes you far more prone to prolonged interrogation, and ultimately denial of entry. Carrying a computer or online device which include Palestine related documents and internet history can also cause problems. There are a number of ways to travel to Palestine. We include advice below about each of these, but which way you come is your decision: via the Ben Gurion airport – Tel Aviv via Jordan (Allenby Bridge, Sheikh Hussein Bridge or Aqaba) via Taba, Egypt Arriving via Tel Aviv After passing through the border control and into the country at Ben Gurion Airport, you can find a shuttle to Jerusalem right outside the airport doors, to the right. This is a van that waits until it fills up (10 passengers) and then heads to Jerusalem for 40 New Israeli Shekels (NIS) per person (approximately $10). It’ll drop each person off where he/she wants to go in Jerusalem. You should ask for Damascus Gate, though some drivers will refuse to take you there. If this is the case, ask for the New Gate which is closest to the Damascus Gate and within easy walking distance. Depending on which order you’re dropped off in, the ride to Jerusalem can take anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour. Arriving via Amman, Jordan If you decide to come via Amman, Jordan, you will be questioned by Israeli authorities when you arrive at the border. They will ask you about why you are coming to Israel via Jordan. If you go from the Queen Alia airport in Amman to the border on the same day, they will ask you why you did not fly directly to Tel Aviv if you’re not spending time in Jordan. If you come via Jordan, you will have to travel to one of the three border crossings with Israel: 1. Aqaba/Eilat: This is the farthest and not really recommended unless you want to visit Aqaba or Eilat (on the Israeli side). This border crossing is about 4 hours from Amman by taxi or bus and then once you are on the Israeli side, another 4 1/2 hours to Jerusalem by bus. 2. Allenby Bridge: This border crossing is the closest to the Amman airport and closest to Jerusalem on the other side of the border. It’ll cost you about 20 Jordanian dinars (about $30) for a taxi to the Allenby Bridge border crossing. This is where Palestinians cross back and forth into Jordan and it’s usually crowded. It makes sense to travel this way if you say you are visiting Jerusalem. Once you cross over, you should not have a problem getting a service (shared taxi) to Jerusalem. If you are going to use this bridge to travel to and from Palestine, find out about getting a multiple-entry visa for Jordan at the airport or even in your home country before leaving. This is important because Allenby is not an official border crossing, so you CANNOT get a Jordanian visa at the Allenby bridge when you wish to return to Jordan at the end of your trip. If you don’t have a valid visa for Jordan, you can’t use this bridge to return to Jordan. The other options are to arrange to go to the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv to get a visa to Jordan before you leave Palestine, or to return to Jordan when you leave Palestine via one of the other two border crossings. 3. The Sheikh Hussein Bridge in the north: (Be careful when asking for a taxi to this bridge in Amman. Make sure that the taxi driver is clear that you want the SHEIKH Hussein Bridge and not the MALIK Hussein Bridge. MALIK Hussein is another name for the Allenby Bridge). This option will cost you about 35 Jordanian dinars ($50) from the airport to the bridge. When you cross over, the only practical option is to take a bus to Jerusalem (about 2 hours ride). Though we usually don’t usually recommend people ride Israeli buses. This border crossing is usually less crowded than the Allenby crossing, but is otherwise more troublesome just because it’s further away from Jerusalem. This is an official crossing point so you will not need a visa ahead of time to cross back into Jordan.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:33:55 +0000
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