By: Cian Murphy – Ireland

This program was the perfect way to see Palestine. I feel that I have seen the country comprehensively through the eyes of the locals. In Ireland there are a lot of stereotypes surrounding people from the Middle East. There is a lot of “Islamaphobia”. I feel that the best way to overcome these stereotypes is to travel and meet with people. The people of Palestine have been very warm and welcoming. I’ve been overwhelmed by their kindness.

The highlight of the trip was the weekend in Bethlehem and Hebron. The Bedouin camp was so peaceful. The conflict is complicated and can be difficult to comprehend. But a lot of things started to click when we visited Bethlehem, the Banksy museum and the apartheid wall.

I was most impressed by the level of enthusiasm that I saw from my students in my advanced conversational English class. The students are very inspiring as their desire to learn and improve taught me so much.

Overall, I feel I know so much more about Palestine. I’ve learned that it is a very beautiful and historic country, which makes the apartheid here even more sad. I promise to support ending this apartheid when I return to Ireland by spreading the word.