I’m David, a 21-year-old student from Ireland. I stayed in Hebron for the month of May 2022. I always wanted to go to Palestine, and after finding the Go Palestine Centre I thought it would be the perfect way to learn about the local experience while staying. I did the media internship and the industry internship, and would definitely recommend both to anyone looking to learn about Hebron. I also volunteered to teach English one on one and took Arabic lessons.
The days were busy but never stressful. In the mornings we would go to a local business or media outlet and take a tour while learning about either industry. I was able to interview journalists, reporters, documentarians, managers and business owners. Do not worry about not knowing Arabic, Hala from the centre kindly translated everything for me to make the days easy. We also had visits to refugee camps which were an incredible experience.
After returning, I would teach English one on one and/or take an Arabic lesson with the brilliant Mohammad. In the evenings I had free time to meet new people and relax. I also had 2 days off in the week, giving me time to experience the West Bank; I would highly recommend anyone to take advantage of these days. Travel in the West Bank is very cheap. I went to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Mar Saba and Jericho (Mar Saba is a must!).
I also learned so much about the culture of Hebron. I was shown the Old city, the museums, the Israeli settlements and their impact, and everything in between. I loved experiencing the city, the history and present influence of occupation is like nothing I have ever seen. And although it is often people’s main concern about the West Bank, safety was never an issue during my stay. People are incredibly generous and polite to outsiders, and there was no issue of conflict at all in Hebron. I was invited to dinners, matches and helped with any issues I had. People not from Palestine also have very little problems from the Israeli soldiers so don’t worry about the checkpoints.
I would recommend a Go Palestine internship to anyone with interest with the conflict and travelling. Being able to learn from locals makes it much easier to navigate the situation, and I got to do things that I definitely wouldn’t have been able to by myself. The Center is very supportive and happy to change the timetable if you want to focus on an area. Thank you for the opportunity GoPalestine!
Click Here to check out all our volunteer, internship and Study Intensive Arabic (MSA or Levantine)
How to apply or ask for additional information?
To apply to any of our programs: Please send an email to Mr. Tamimi at info@gopalestine.org. Please type the name of the chosen program in the subject line. We will then contact you back!