Thank you for helping us raise $11,110 for Palestinians in the West Bank.
I had the chance to visit Palestine in August/September 2023. What made my 3 week trip so special was the 4 days I got to spend with Hazem Bannoura, a native of Bethlehem, who provided us tours of Bethlehem, the old city in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron.
Hazem is deeply ingrained in Palestinian civil society and introduced us to so many incredible members of Palestinian civil society and people who work in the tourism industry. The tourism industry for Palestinians is already very challenging. There are only about 300 licensed tour guides because Israel makes it VERY challenging for Palestinians to become licensed.
Hazem was getting ready for the peak season of tourism (October to December) when the war erupted. His family, and many other families who work in tourism, have now completely lost their livelihoods. The funds raised will be distributed to families who work in tourism in Bethlehem and Jerusalem to support them with direct cash assistance to cover all their basic needs - food, medicine, housing, etc. Hazem will work with the community to distribute these funds.
If you ever get the opportunity to go to Palestine, bookmark his website for the future: https://discoverpalestine.org/