PALESTINE

Location - Middle East; Capital - Ramallah; Population - 4 million; Currency - New Israeli Shekel MORE PALESTINE

Public transport from Jerusalem to the West Bank is via several bus stations in Arab East Jerusalem, all within walking distance of Damascus Gate - November 2014.

The Palestinian Territories comprise the West Bank and Gaza Strip, both occupied by Israel following the Six-Day War of 1967, which also saw the annexation of Syria's Golan Heights.

Although Ramallah is home to the Palestinian Authority headquarters, Palestinians see this as a temporary measure, with the aim of Jerusalem becoming the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

Jerusalem: See my Israel 2 & 3 pages which cover East Jerusalem and the Old City.

The Israeli Shekel is the legal currency in the West Bank and Gaza, though US Dollars, Jordanian Dinars and Egyptian Pounds (Gaza) may be accepted

The Separation Wall looms large near Bethlehem, dividing the West Bank from Israel

Israeli soldiers at the Bethlehem 300 checkpoint 'greet' pedestrians and motorists travelling between Bethlehem and Israel (Jerusalem). The checkpoint has airport-style security: Queue up, show ID, place luggage in X-ray machine, empty pockets etc

Unlike the Israeli side, the wall facing the West Bank is covered with political graffiti and smatterings of colourful street art

A Palestianian man stands in front of an isolated section of the Separation Wall - Bethlehem

Leila Khaled belongs to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and is known for her involvement in airline hijackings in the 1960s and 70s - Bethlehem

The barrier loosely follows the 1949 Armistice Line dividing the West Bank from Israel. However, when completed, the 700km wall will place almost 10% of West Bank territory in Israel

A weeping Statue of Liberty - Bethlehem

'Make Hummus Not Walls' is a well known piece of wall art - Bethlehem

'Warning! This is illegally occupied land. State of Palestine, 29/11/2012' - Bethlehem

Famous British street artist Banksy has several works on the barrier - Bethlehem

The girl with balloons is a copy of a Banksy. On either side are posters belonging to the Wall Museum where locals' experiences are documented - Bethlehem

The quieter, more circuitous Bethlehem highway checkpoint is an alternative to the stricter Bethlehem 300 crossing. There was no military presence when I passed through, but things change quickly.. Bethlehem

The police station displays portraits of Mahmoud Abbas (left), Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the late Yasser Arafat (right), former head of the PLO - Bethlehem

Pope Francis made a papal visit in May 2014, pictured here with Mahmoud Abbas - Bethlehem

Wow! In the grounds of a cafe just off Manger Square is a Popemobile - Bethlehem

The Church of the Nativity, left, leads to Manger Square and the Mosque of Omar - Bethlehem

I visited in early December when a huge Christmas tree stood in Manger Square - Bethlehem

To the left of the Christmas tree is the Peace Center (a cultural/tourist information office), while on its right is the Church of the Nativity - Bethlehem

The 19th century Mosque of Omar in Manger Square - Bethlehem

The Church of the Nativity, site of the birthplace of Jesus and a World Heritage Site, isn't a particularly attractive church - Bethlehem

I didn't expect this! The tiny entrance to the church, called the Door of Humility, was to prevent attack in past centuries - Bethlehem

Ridiculous queues as tour groups descend on the church's Grotto of the Nativity - Bethlehem

The grotto lies beneath the basilica and is said to be Jesus' birthplace - Bethlehem

The Franciscan cloister, linking the Church of the Nativity to St Catherine's Church - Bethlehem

The cloister is a peacfeul alternative to the church. Unless a tour group invades! Bethlehem

A cloister wall - Bethlehem

A Norwegian band play Manger Square at the opening of the Christmas market - Bethlehem

The Peace Center Restaurant is a good spot to watch life go by on Manger Square while drinking a Taybeh beer - Bethlehem

Restaurants and souvenir shops line Manger Square - Bethlehem

A Cremisan wine, locally made in the Cremisan Valley just outside Bethlehem

The outskirts of Bethlehem as seen from Manger Street

Outside the Old Town, Bethlehem is quite hilly. Don't do as I did and find a cheap hotel at the bottom of a seriously steep hill. Knackering!

A distant view of Herodium, King Herod's hilltop palace-fortress set in the Judean desert - Bethlehem

The Milk Grotto Chapel is a short walk from Manger Square along Milk Grotto Street - Bethlehem

Tradition says while Mary nursed Jesus at the site of the Milk Grotto Chapel, a drop of milk dropped to the ground, turning the red rock white - Bethlehem

The Old Town is a compact area with several churches and a souq (market) - Bethlehem

A quiet part of the Old Town near the Lutheran Christmas Church - Bethlehem

It's estimated that today less than 40% of Bethlehem's population is Christian, a major decline on the 85% just after World War II

Rachel's Tomb is a Jewish holy site sat incongruously next to the Separation Wall, on the Israeli side - Bethlehem

It's not possible to follow the wall and walk from the Bethlehem 300 checkpoint to the tomb (Israeli soldiers: because 'it's dangerous, the Arabs throw things'). They flagged down a female driver with Israeli registration plates who drove me the 500m to the tomb

Hebron is a 45minute service taxi ride south of Bethlehem

Hebron is a messed up city. It's divided in two: the Palestinian controlled H1 area, and the Israeli H2 area. This is the market on the Palestinian side

The old souk is the most appealing part of the city - Hebron

Flags of Palestine hang from the arches of the Ottoman era souq - Hebron

This Palestinian fruit and vegetable market was shut down by the Israelis - Hebron

Abandoned homes and shops in the old souk - Hebron

The closures left this guy to open a makeshift stall further inside the souq - Hebron

Directly above the old souk is a Jewish settlement where settlers throw rubbish on the cage wire below. Stories of urine, bleach, rotten food and other liquids are not uncommon. You can't make it out in the photo but through the wire an Israeli soldier is looking at me from a watchtower - Hebron

A Palestinian market stall holder working below the settlement - Hebron

Head for the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs via this checkpoint. Empty your pockets, go through the scanner, wait for the buzzer to allow you through, present your ID.
Hebron was the only place where Israeli soldiers asked my religion

Straight after the checkpoint is the Ibrahami Mosque (to Muslims) or Tomb of the Patriarchs (to Jews), one of the holiest sites for both religions.

Since the 1994 massacre of Muslims inside the mosque by Baruch Goldstein, security dictates the site is divided into Muslim and Jewish sections. Soldiers stand guard asking for ID and religion: Muslims to the left, Jews to the right. Non-Jews/Muslims can gatecrash both - Hebron

Muslims (and non-Jews) enter the Ibrahami Mosque, said to hold the remains of the Prophet Abraham - Hebron

Peer through the caged window to view Abraham's Tomb - Hebron

And exactly the same but from the Jewish side - Hebron

The Jewish entrance to the Tomb of the Patriarchs - Hebron

View of the city from the Tomb - Hebron

Shuhada Street is now infamous for being a ghost town - Hebron

Two Israeli soldiers stand on the corner of Shuhada Street. It's another place to bring out the passport/ID but Palestinians can't go any further - Hebron

Shuhada Street has been closed to Palestinians since 2000. So what was a lively market hub became a ghost town, with Palestinian shops and offices being shut down. Only those who still have homes can enter, via designated crossings - Hebron

The Hebron Jewish community explain the store closures on these concrete barriers: 'After Arabs began the Second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) in September 2000, attacking, wounding and murdering Jews on this road' - Shuhada Street, Hebron

A series of Shuhada Street murals detail Hebron's history from a Jewish (or rather a Hebron Jewish settler) perspective - Hebron

The mural reads: 'Destruction. The 1929 riots: Arab marauders slaughter Jews. The community is uprooted and destroyed' - Shuhada Street, Hebron

Hebron's Jewish settlers may be hardline but not all soldiers are sympathetic to their cause. Breakingthesilence is a website where 'Israeli soldiers talk about the occupied territories' - Hebron

Concrete blocks dividing Hebron at Shuhada Street

Next to the Mosque is the Gutnick Centre, a Jewish cultural centre founded by Joseph 'Diamond Joe' Gutnick. The Ultra-Orthodox Australian businessman has bankrolled Jewish setttlements - Hebron

'Adopt a Soldier' poster at the Gutnick Centre. Pay 65 Shekels for a soldier's food coupon - Hebron

Hebron was the only place where I saw (volunteer?) vans, left, driving around the city providing food and refreshments for Israeli soldiers

Waiting with settlers for the bullet-proof Israeli bus 160 to Jerusalem. In West Bank there's Israeli only and Palestinian only roads (also check out the B'Tselem website). As a tourist if you have an Israeli hire car, Jericho and Ramallah - for example - are likely to be off-limits (yellow plate = Israeli, green plate = Palestinian) - Hebron

Website and content Copyright © 2008-2017 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

LINKS

http://travelpalestine.ps - Palestine tourist board

www.visitpalestine.ps

www.whatsinbethlehem.com

www.btselem.org - B'Tselem campaigns for 'Human Rights in the Occupied Territories'

www.breakingthesilence.org.il - Israeli soldiers speak out

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.