My Trip to the West Bank

A Trip to The West Bank, Palestine Changes My Perspective

In early July, three months before the events of October 7th, 2023, my family, some of our friends, and I were taken on a tour of the West Bank in Palestine.

We had traveled to Jerusalem, Israel for one of my best friend’s bar mitzvah, which is the holiest city for Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and many other religions. Before coming to this historic place, I had little to no knowledge of where I was traveling or the complicated history that surrounded it until I met a tour guide named Abu Hassan.

Jerusalem was starkly different from the beachy city of Tel Aviv, which my family had visited before traveling southeast to the city capital. Instead of warm water, nightlife, and people wearing very little clothes, in Jerusalem my sister and I found the city to be deeply religious and serious. Most everyone in Jerusalem had something to say about Palestine or Israel or any conflict. The atmosphere was filled with, well, history. Although we absolutely hated guided tours, my sister and I agreed to take a tour of the West Bank, as it was part of the bar mitzvah itinerary. 

Hassan, a Palestinian born in East Jerusalem to a family living there for many generations, works for Alternative Tours, a tour guide service based in Jerusalem. From the Alternative Tours website, Hassan writes, “I was and am willing to tell the story of my people and the country through educational and touristic tours. As the first one to do th[ese] tours in our area, we have served a lot of people. You too are very welcome to join.”

Our first stop was the Walled Off Hotel, a hotel and museum designed by the famous British artist Banksy, located almost directly next to the Israeli West Bank Wall. Inside, the walls were lined with art by Banksy and local Palestinian artists, mostly reflecting on the experiences of Palestinians affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The pieces included political graffiti and murals, artworks by Banksy that critiqued British involvement in Middle Eastern affairs, and works by local artists depicting life under occupation. 

Three Angels With Oxygen Mask at Walled Off Hotel Museum 

I was mostly moved by the graffiti covering the Israeli West Bank Wall outside of the hotel, a four-hundred thirty nine mile (according to the UN) illegal barrier that was built by Israel in 2000-2005. Political cartoons, messages in Arabic, messages for Palestinian freedom, art installations, and even funny drawings fill almost the entire length of the wall. It wasn’t like graffiti in America I’ve seen, senseless designs and unintelligible names. Every piece of the graffiti on the Israeli West Bank Wall had meaning and hope and felt like it was there for a reason. It made me realize a common theme I found throughout my experience, Palestinians want their voices to be heard.

Graffiti On the Israeli West Bank Wall

Rick and Morty Graffiti on Israeli West Bank Wall, which reads “Look Morty I turned myself into an illegal border wall. I’m illegal border wall Riiiick!!!”

Graffiti on Israeli West Bank Wall Depicting a Hole Through the Barrier

Next on our tour was the Aida Refugee camp, which was a five minute drive from the Walled Off Hotel. Inside the camp, it was quiet and almost eerie. Without people on the streets and bustling shops, it was very dissimilar to the world on the other side of the wall. Over the entrance of the camp is a giant keyhole that covers the street with a matching key on top. This represents the Key of Return, a common symbol in Palestinian liberation recognizing the Palestinian Refugees’ right to return. 700,000 Palestinians fled from or were forced to leave (some came to the Aida Refugee Camp) during what Palestinians call the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe in Arabic). The key is symbolic of the house keys the displaced Palestinians took with them. 

Key Of Return Monument in Aida Refugee Camp

After seeing the Key, we walked for a bit through the empty streets of the camp. The streets were empty in the day, although Hassan let us know it was the opposite during the night. Although sparse, the streets had cigarette machines, cats peeking out of doors, and lots of trash. I almost thought we were in a ghost town until a group of children saw us through an open door to a house and smiled and waved. They were very curious about what we were doing and I was surprised to see anybody in the camp, especially children by themselves. I later found out that actually, according to NPR, nearly half of the Palestinian population is under 18 years old. Looking back on seeing those children as a child myself, it’s hard to grasp how Palestinian kids are dealing with experiences of war and bloodshed. Just a couple blocks from the children was the Key of Return shop, a small gift store. Inside was a very compact space, filled with hand-made jewelry and trinkets fashioned from empty tear gas chambers, smoke bombs, and foam-tipped bullets found throughout Aida camp. In an interview with the United Arab Emirates newspaper, The National, the owner of the shop says “I want to create love out of something of hate.” 

Three Children in the Aida Camp

Afterwards, we were taken to a house in East Jerusalem. The house, which was once entirely owned by a Palestinian family, was only partially occupied by them, with an Israeli family living in the front part. 

“This is what happens to most Palestinians, not just in that house, this is how they deal with us, they settle on our land, they [take] our home[s]” says tour guide, Hassan. 

Many Israelis don’t agree with the Israeli occupation of Palestinian homes. When we visited this house, we saw a number of spirited Israeli protesters walking outside the property with signs and drums, even tambourines, protesting the occupation. This was one of the many times I saw Israelis fight for Palestinian freedom during my trip to Jerusalem. 

Hassan shared a similar experience to the Palestinians living in that house. “I’m a Palestinian from Jerusalem, but I’m a tourist in my own home,” said Hassan, “It’s crazy.”

I think the most important thing I learned from my tour of the West Bank is to remember empathy in times of crisis. I went into this trip with a minimal knowledge of where I was going. The only auditory information I knew was from an Israeli perspective, which although relevant, is not the whole story. When I went south of Jerusalem to actually see what was happening, I developed a very different view than I did before. I am very, very grateful to have my own experience in this place that is surrounded by history and war because it changed me. 

“We are all human beings, we are born to live” said Hassan. “I want to live in justice and fair[ness], and a good life, not to live under occupation.”

Aida Camp Cat Peeking Out of Door