Jerusalem: Gaza Border Reality Tour with Guide
From US$ 115 per person
Gain a deeper insight into the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict as well as the challenges and possible solutions on this unique tour of the Gaza border. Meet local people, speak with victims of the conflict, see fallen rockets, and explore onsite villages.
Duration 1 day
Visit lookout points and historical sites along the northern Gaza-Israel border
Meet Israeli residents in communities on the border and speak by video or phone with a Gaza resident
Explore an active Israeli Kibbutz, as well as a Palestinian village destroyed by the 1948 war
View a Gaza border crossing point up-close
Take part in a special art project happening on the Gaza border wall
The tour departs from Jerusalem in the direction of the first destination of the day, the Erez border crossing, which is the only place where citizens of Gaza can enter Israel for business or medical care. Next, drive along the Gaza-Israel border to the Sibboni Lookout near Kibbutz Nir Am, or to the Black Arrow site. From here you can see an overview of southern Israel and into northern Gaza as well as the border at Beit Hanun, Beit Lahi, Jabalya, and Gaza City. Continue the tour with a visit to an Israeli border community in Kibbutz Sa'ad. Head to the local synagogue for a short seminar about the conference followed by a video Skype chat with Gaza City residents. During the seminar, as well as throughout the day, learn about the history of Gaza, the 1948 and '67 wars, refugees, the Intifada, The Oslo Accords, The Disengagement, the 2008, '12 and '14 wars, Hamas, Fatah, Egypt relations, the 'siege' and suffering of Gaza's population, ceasefire talks, and more. After lunch, which alternates each week between Kibbutz Sa'ad and Sderot, drive through the agricultural field around Nachal Oz and the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. Weekly, the 'Great March of Return' protests and clashes take place in Shejaiya, which you will learn about from your local guide. Arrive at the site of the religious Kibbutz Be'erot Yitzhak, that was destroyed in the 1948 war, and listen to the Israeli narrative of settlement and sacrifice in the northern Negev when creating borders of the future state. Move onto Sderot next and visit the local police station to view its display of fallen rockets, then climb to the rooftop of the Hesder Yeshiv to see the rocket sculptures and an overview of the city. From here, visit a "rocket safe" playground and view up close an Iron Dome rocket defense launcher. Next, head to the Palestinian village of Al-Najd, destroyed in the 1948 war and whose former residents fled to Gaza, and listen to your guide discuss the narrative of the war and the Nakba. The tour finishes with a visit to a 'moshav' village on the norther Gaza border, to watch a presentation on the community lives of the locals who live here. Finally, take part in the Paths to Peace art project, and place a ceramic tile on the wall to help transform it from a defensive to a 'peaceful' wall.
Transportation from Jerusalem and back
Meet a local Israeli resident as well as a Gaza resident via phone/video
Lunch (approx 45 ILS)
Abraham Hostel Jerusalem, 67 Hanevi'im street - Davidka Square
Customers looking to take part in the tour will have to sign a waiver form prior to departure
Abraham Tours