Palestine or the Palestinian territories are in the Middle East.
Geographically, Palestine refers to the entire area of the State of
Israel, which was proclaimed in 1948, including the areas of the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip that have been occupied since 1967. To
this day, there is no “State of Palestine”, although in the past
years and decades there have been repeated negotiations between
Israel and the Palestinians in order to achieve Palestinian
independence. Swiss diplomats speak of "occupied Palestinian
territory."
A future state is to emerge on the territory of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip; However, the West Bank in particular
is still largely under Israeli administration, the arbitrary
creation of Jewish settlements and the erection of fences along
roads lead to a completely fragmented area.
Until the 1967
war, the West Bank was part of Jordan and the Gaza Strip was part of
Egypt. The autonomous Palestinian territories on the West Bank are a
patchwork quilt that diplomats pieced together in the Oslo Accords.
Regions
The Palestinian Territories consist of two
non-contiguous regions: the smaller area is that of the Gaza Strip,
a densely populated stretch of coast between southern Israel and
Egypt's Sinai. The region with the larger area is the West Bank,
sometimes called the West Bank, further to the east and north-east,
which lies between Israel and Jordan; the Jordan and the Dead Sea
form the eastern border of this area.
A passport that is still valid for at least six months is required
for entry. A visa does not need to be applied for. Entry and exit to the
West Bank is only possible through Israeli-controlled entry/exit points.
Experience has shown that Palestine is cordoned off and entry/exit
points are closed on high Jewish holidays. Armed clashes may break out
at checkpoints controlled by Israel. The checkpoint Qalandia (31° 51′
42″ N 35° 13′ 41″ E), located between Jerusalem and Ramallah, is
particularly affected.
Tourist entry into the Gaza Strip has not
been possible since 2014.
Foreign exchange regulations
The
import or export of funds (cash, cashier's checks, traveler's cheques)
with a total value of 80,000 shekels must be declared. The relevant
“Customs Form No. 84” can be requested by calling +972-2-658 7777.
By plane
Arriving by plane will therefore (have to) usually be
via Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv or another Israeli
airport, but travelers to the West Bank also often use Amman Airport
(Jordan) and travel from Jordan via the Allenby bridge into the West
Bank.
The Israeli air force has bombed the EU-financed Gaza
airport. It is still closed in 2019.
By train
There are no
rail connections to the Palestinian territories.
By bus
There
are regular buses to Palestine from the bus station at the Damascus Gate
in Jerusalem. Getting to Bethlehem or other areas is easy and cheap.
In the street
If the authorities allow it, entry from Israel is
possible. From the West Bank there is a border crossing to Jordan (King
Hussein/Allenby Bridge), from the Gaza Strip there is also a crossing to
Egypt.
Egypt has now reopened its border with the Gaza Strip.
However, only Palestinians (and diplomats, etc.) are allowed to enter
and exit via this border crossing. Therefore, foreigners only have the
checkpoint in Erez - but this requires a special permit, which is very
difficult to obtain.
With an Israeli rental car, visiting these
cities, which are located in the so-called A and B areas, is generally
not permitted. It is theoretically possible to drive around Palestine in
an Israeli rental car, but not a good idea. Burnt-out cars with Israeli
license plates can often be seen. It is better to enter by bus from
Israel and then take a taxi and arrange a flat rate that can be paid in
shekels, Jordanian dinars or US$. A full day tour of Palestine is
possible for $50 and the taxi driver knows interesting places.
By
boat
Entry by ship is currently not possible because the Gaza Strip
has been sealed off by an Israeli naval blockade for years.
Public transport consists mainly of (modern) VW minibuses and some
larger buses. The minibuses, called Servis, leave as soon as they are
full (each seat occupied by one person) and are not "packed" too full
and there are so many that you never have to wait too long. The driving
style is also rather defensive, since the country is quite hilly and
winding on the one hand, and on the other hand the many checkpoints
impede traffic.
An alternative is a taxi, where you absolutely
have to negotiate a flat rate beforehand. If you hire the taxi for the
whole day, $100 should be enough, maybe half if you're good at
negotiating.
Language
A local dialect of Arabic is spoken. The Jewish settlers
usually speak Hebrew or Russian. At the tourist attractions you will
mostly find people who speak English.
Shopping
As everywhere
in the region, the "weekend" is primarily based on the religion of the
business owner. Day off can be Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Opening hours
are usually 8am-1pm and 4pm-7pm or later.
There is little to buy
that is of interest to the tourist. The usual souvenirs can be found
right next to the tourist attractions.
Kitchen
The food hardly
differs from that of other countries in the Middle East, such as e.g. B.
Lebanon.
public holidays
Holidays are Jan 1: New Years Day,
May 1: Labor Day, the "Independence Day:" Nov 15, and Christmas only on
Dec 25.
There are also the movable Muslim Ras as-Sana (July 19,
2023), Islamic New Year on 1 Muharram. Isra and Mi'raj is the "ascension
of Muhammad," in which the mosque in Jerusalem is central. First (March
22, 2023) and last (April 21, 2023) day of the fasting month of Ramadan,
i.e. Beginning of Eid al-Fitr, on 1 Shawwal (April 22, 2023) - two to
four day festival of breaking the fast. Four-day Islamic Festival of
Sacrifice (ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā) beginning on 10 Dhū al-Ḥidjah (28 June 2023).
Birthday (mulid/maulid) of the Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi' al-auwal
(September 27, 2023).
Security
Police: ☎ 100
Emergency
doctor: ☎ 101
Fire brigade: ☎ 102
As a tourist, you don't
automatically live dangerously in Palestine. Arabs (or those who look
like them) are generally checked more closely, a German passport means
that there are often no checks of any kind. If the accompanying taxi
driver is wearing a camera of the German and you say so during the
check, then he will not be checked either. Of course, this does not
always have to be the case, but it shows that the needs of tourists are
given priority.
Larger crowds of people, especially
demonstrations, should be avoided in any case, as these often become
violent and the law enforcement officers then use firearms. Armed
attacks by the Israeli army can also occur at any time. The houses and
livelihoods (e.g. olive groves) of entire families are often destroyed,
provided that only one family member is suspected of anti-Israeli
activities. Court orders or convictions are not a requirement.
Health
See the notes on hospitals in the respective local articles.
climate
The climate is no different from that in Israel.
Practical hints
Consulates of European countries, usually called
“representative offices”, are in Ramallah.
What was said about
Israel applies to post and telecommunications. General experience shows
that parcels from abroad to the occupied territories take longer to
travel than to Israel.