If something is occupying the mind of all people who wish to come to Palestine, it is whether it is safe and easy to travel from Israel to the West Bank. The Israeli authorities try to hermetically shut off Israeli citizens from their Palestinian neighbors (see; article infrastructure), and this is something you will witness continuously during your stay in Palestine. However, foreigners can move freely in Palestine and rarely face trouble on the way. In this article would like to give you some guidance on traveling in Israel and Palestine.
Is it Safe to Travel from Israel to the West Bank?
First and foremost, let us assure you that traveling within the West Bank and between the West Bank and Israel is safe. Many internationals visit these areas, getting acquainted with the Palestinian lifestyle and discovering what life in Palestine is like. Many foreigners come to work for the over 500 non-governmental organizations that operate in the West Bank or for tourist purposes.
Even though witnessing the occupation naturally does not leave one cold, if you do not directly engage in protests, you as a foreigner will never be a target from either the Israeli side or the Palestinian side. Tourists who do visit Palestine find that, in general. Although the situation in Palestine may at times be tense, they are largely able to live their lives without safety concerns above and beyond those that one might find in any big city.
Traveling
Airport
If you come to Palestine, you will likely arrive at Ben Gurion Airport if you come to Palestine since Palestine does not have an airport. For an elaborate guide to getting from the airport to our center in Hebron, see our article on the trip from Ben Gurion to Hebron. In short, there is no direct public transport from the airport to Hebron. You will need to travel to Jerusalem first, either by train and tram (approximately 10 shekels) or by service taxi (yellow minibusses, called sherut in Israel, approximately 70 shekels). From Jerusalem to Hebron, you can take the service taxi (yellow minibusses) near the Damascus Gate. This costs about 25 shekels. Another option is to order a private taxi from the airport to Hebron. At Travel to Palestine, we can organize this for you. This is, however, expensive: about 400 shekels.
Shared taxi
Traveling around Palestine is easy and safe for Palestinians, but not so when traveling to Israel. However, as an international, you can move freely. Palestinians are always eager to help.
If you want to travel around Israel and Palestine, the shared taxis are your best friend. From Jerusalem, you can take a shared taxi to whatever your destination is in the Palestinian territories: Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Salfeet, Tubas, etc. The same goes for Hebron: you can travel from Hebron to Ramallah for 28 NIS, to Nablus (via Ramallah) for 37 NIS, to Jerusalem for 25 NIS, and to Bethlehem for 11 NIS.
Palestine is not a big country, so traveling from the north to the south takes around 3-4 hours. Getting from Jerusalem to any city in the West Bank takes three hours by shared taxi. You may face delays on the way, due to checkpoints.
Shared taxis run seven days a week, from around 6 to 9 in the evening. On Fridays, options are more limited as this is the holy day for Muslims. It is best to travel early in the morning and return before sunset if you want to bear on the same day.
Within Hebron
Within Hebron, you can travel by a white or a yellow taxi. White taxis are customarily shared while making point-to-point journeys, with drivers picking up and dropping off passengers en route. These taxis cost no more than a few shekels. The yellow taxis are private and will cost a bit more.
Concluding thoughts
Traveling within the West Bank and between the West Bank and Israel is safe and easy for a foreigner. As long as you stay away from protests and large gatherings of people, you will never be a target. All tourists of Travel to Palestine travel as much as they can. You can easily travel by using shared taxis between all West Bank and Israeli cities. You can either use the white shared taxis or the yellow private taxis within Hebron. Don’t hesitate to ask us at the center or people on the street if you have questions. We hope you will explore Palestine!
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