Israeli soldiers arrest European tourists. Palestine, Bethlehem, Beit Sahour. 31/03/2010
European tourists were arrested by Israeli soldiers in area A, according to the Oslo Agreement this area must be in the control of the Palestinian Authority. This happened during a tour with ATG Alternative Tourism Group Palestinian NGO that organises political and cultural tours in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.The group of English tourists, close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Har Homa, were following the Palestinian tour guide in Beit Sahours Municipality fields. Suddenly Israeli soldiers pass through the fence and run after the group, that in the same moment try to move from the area. The orders from the Israeli soldiers are to arrest two English men that look like Arab people. Part of the group - 6 English people, one Swedish person, and one Italian woman, who is a volunteer in ATG - that support the two men, is all arrested. The tourists stay for more than one hour in the buffer zone and after this, they are moved inside the Gilo checkpoint in Bethlehem, where they are kept for a long time.The respective Consulates are informed. After some time, without any explications, the group is released. After a few days, in Sheikh Jarrah (east of Jerusalem) 2 French tourists are arrested by Israeli soldiers and they spend one night in jail.
alicesassu.wordpress.com
Olive Picking Campaign in Palestine (2009)
October 2009. The Alternative Tourism Group (ATG) and the Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI) organized the Olive Picking Campaign in Palestine.
The supreme symbol of Palestine, the olive tree symbolizes the deep connection of Palestinians to their land. Since the beginning of the second Intifada in 2000, the olive harvest has been overshadowed by Israel's army of repression. The objective of the Olive Picking Campaign is to mobilize international volunteers to assist farmers in picking olives in fields. The closures, blockage of streets and confiscation of agricultural lands, as well as repeated attacks against Palestinian farmers by Israeli settlers, make the work in fields so hard. Besides picking olives, the program features introductory presentations about the current situation in Palestine and the effect of the Apartheid Wall. In the program there are included political tours in the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron, in addition to cultural events and social gatherings. One can learn about the importance of olive tree in all aspects of Palestinian life; the production of olives, oil, and the handicrafts produced from the olivewood. Palestinians are suffering from the construction of the Apartheid Wall at the expense of their land. Many cities are divided and many farmers are separated from their olive trees. Farmers can not reach freely their olive fields situated in close proximity of Israeli settlements, bypass roads and the Apartheid Wall path. In these areas, an international presence is often needed in order to help Palestinian farmers access their olive groves which are in danger of being confiscated.
for more info:
patg.org
info@atg.ps
Nativity trail to open in Palestine
SHOTLIST
AP Television News
Between Jenin and Nablus, West Bank - 16 December 2008
1. Wide of biblical-looking field with sheep and goat
2. Wide of biblical-looking field with shepherd and cattle
AP Television News
Outside Bethlehem, West Bank - 16 December, 2008
3. Medium shot of donkey with group of trail organisers and friends walking behind it
4. Group walks in desert among goat
5. Group walking in desert with view of desert
6. Group huddled around map of region
7. Close up on map, Michel Awad, who is one of the trail organisers, marks map with pen
8. Close up on Michel Awad, tilt down to GPS, pull out to medium
9. Group walks away with sun beating down
AP Television News
Mar Saba monastery, east of Bethlehem, West Bank - 16 December 2008
10. Group arrives to Mar Saba monastery
11. Medium of group looking at monastery
12. Wide of monastery
13. Medium of monks' housing
14. Medium of monastery
15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Reverend Imad Haddad, of the Lutheran Church of Beit Sahour:
Joseph, Mary, when they came from Nazareth, they must have (fumbles his words) walked these lands. When I read the bible and hear about their walk, and see the Nativity Church, I can better understand what does this mean to me. I can relate much better when I see the land and walk it to the difficulties that they passed through, coming from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
16. Group walks up stairs near monastery
17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Reverend Imad Haddad, of the Lutheran Church of Beit Sahour:
The only way I can describe it is a difficult walk. Imagine a pregnant lady walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem, all this way without any good roads, only through the deserts into this place. How was it? How difficult was it, do you think?
AP Television News
Outside Bethlehem, West Bank - 16 December, 2008
18. Palestinian boy rides on donkey
19. Group walks past a herd of goats
AP Television News
Mar Saba monastery, east of Bethlehem, West Bank - 16 December 2008
20. Group enters cave where monks used to gather to take the Eucharist
21. Interior of cave with group listening to guide's explanations
22. Close up on Imad Haddad listening to guide
22. Close up on Rami Kassis, who is promoting the trail to tourists
23. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ayman Abu Alzulos, who will guide tourists when the trail opens up to tourists:
Hundreds of monks used to live here in the 5th century, 6th century until our day. And this is very special to this place: that life has never stopped since the 5th century here. We've always had monks living here.
24. Group leaves the cave
25. Group walks away from monastery
AP Television News
Outside Bethlehem, West Bank - 16 December, 2008
26. Group walks part of the Nativity Trail, with Bethlehem in background
AP Television News
Beit Sahour, West Bank - 16 December, 2008
27. Group walks through a shepherd's field, with plaque in forefront
28. Group descends into shepherd's cave, like the one where Jesus is believed to have been born
29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Reverend Imad Haddad, of the Lutheran Church of Beit Sahour
The shepherds from this cave, from this place, came out to Bethlehem to announce the birth of Jesus. Just imagine how amazing it is to be here.
29. Group exits cave through staircase
AP Television News
Beit Sahour, West Bank - 16 December, 2008
30. Group walks through an olive grove
31. Wide of olive grove, with Israeli security barrier and Israeli settlement in background
32. Group approaches security barrier and stops
33. Close up on sign prohibiting people from crossing fence
34. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rami Kassis, Director, Alternative Tourism Group, who is promoting the trail for tourists.
35. Israeli border police approach security barrier
AP Television News, AP Clients Only
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Between the Wall and the Mall with Dr. Marik Shtern
Thursday, March 21, 2019 l 5:30 p.m. l USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall, Maraschi Room
UCSD Postdoctoral Scholar Dr. Marik Shtern will discuss the geopolitics of conflict, class, and public space in contemporary Jerusalem. Marik is an urban geographer with an expertise in the geography of inter-group encounter, urban politics, and Jewish-Palestinian relations. He is also a social activist from Jerusalem who specializes in the sphere of community empowerment and strategic consulting for third sector organizations.
This Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice event is co-sponsored by the Middle Eastern Studies program and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies.