Engage in Palestine‘s Internships in the West Bank presents a unique opportunity to advance your career while immersing yourself in a culturally rich and historically significant region. The West Bank is renowned for its profound historical landmarks, diverse industries, and vibrant cultural tapestry. Interns have the chance to engage with local communities and experience firsthand the hospitality and warmth of the Palestinian people, all while navigating the complexities of the region’s political landscape.
These internships offer not only professional development but also a deep cultural experience, allowing participants to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities that shape life in the West Bank. By contributing to various sectors such as education, healthcare, or community development, interns can make a meaningful impact while enhancing their skills and understanding of the region. Continue reading to discover more about the enriching experience of interning in this remarkable part of the world.
Why The West Bank?
The West Bank is a beautiful and fascinating place, but it’s also subjected to extreme pressures due to the ongoing Israeli Occupation. While Gaza is off limits, as it is under blockade and siege by Israel, the West Bank is relatively stable as well as being safe for international visitors and interns. There are also many organizations working to provide assistance and services to those who are most affected by the Occupation.
There are many other wonderful things about the West Bank, including its rich history and culture, delicious traditional Palestinian food as well as very friendly, welcoming, and hospitable people. It’s not uncommon for a Palestinian to invite you into their home for a meal of coffee, even if you have just met as hospitality is an integral part of Palestinian identity.
What Do You Need To Prepare For An Internship Here?
If you have previously studied Arabic, it’s a great idea to brush up on it before arriving. Otherwise, it’s advisable to learn at least a few words, even if it’s just how to say hello and thank you. Being able to speak and understand some basic Arabic phrases isn’t a guarantee that a taxi driver won’t try to rip you off, but it can help.
While many international visitors have studied Arabic before at university, usually this is fus’ha (Modern Standard Arabic), which isn’t a language spoken in daily conversations. Instead, Palestinians speak Amiya (the local dialect), so it’s best to learn some words and phrases in Amiya.
On top of that, you will need to arrange your flights, and travel insurance and make sure your vaccinations are up to date. If you take any prescription medication, you might want to make sure you have an adequate supply to bring with you. You will also need to consider which time of the year you will be interning in the West Bank and researching the weather can help you better decide what to bring with you and what to leave behind.
Additionally, depending on where in the West Bank you will be interning, you will need to do some research on the local customs and dress expectations. For example, while Ramallah is much more Westernized, Nablus and Hebron are conservative so you will need to dress modestly.
How Do I Get To The West Bank?
If you are coming from overseas, there are six border crossings that international visitors can choose between to allow them to travel onward to the West Bank. Internationals can either fly into one of two Israeli airports, either Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv) or Ramon Airport (Eilat). Ben Gurion Airport is much larger, servicing many more international flights and there is a direct train as well as a shared taxi to reach Jerusalem, from which you can easily reach the West Bank.
The other option is to cross one of the land borders. There is a border crossing with Egypt (Taba Crossing) and one near Aqaba in Jordan (the Wadi Araba Crossing). However, both of these require onward travel to Eilat and then onto Jerusalem before reaching the West Bank, which is a long journey.
Otherwise, there are two other border crossings with Jordan. One is Jisr Al-Malek Hussein (The Allenby Bridge Crossing), located halfway between Amman (Jordan) and Jerusalem. It’s the only land border that allows West Bank Palestinians to go to Jordan, so there are often longer queues and more stringent security checks at this border compared to the other land borders. There is also the Al-Sheikh Hussein Bridge (The Jordan River Crossing) which is near the city of Irbid (Jordan).
Getting A Visa
As the West Bank is under Israeli occupation, permission to enter the West Bank must be granted by Israel. Nationals of many countries can get a 90-day B2 tourist visa upon arrival at either an Israeli airport or Israeli land border with Jordan or Egypt. The visa is a separate piece of paper (so don’t lose it!) and your passport will not be stamped by an Israeli immigration officer. This visa allows you to travel to the West Bank, but paid work on this visa is prohibited.
It’s always a good idea to research as much as you can about what Israeli immigration officers may ask you upon arrival. There are many different types of questions they may ask, and often this will depend on characteristics such as your race, ethnicity, the nationality of your passport if you are visibly identifiable as belonging to a religion, and so on. However, it’s important to note that it is a very unpredictable process, and some foreign visitors are not asked even one question, others may get a few simple questions while others may be questioned extensively about many different aspects of their lives.
Is It Better To Fly In Or Cross Via Land?
This can be a difficult question to answer as there isn’t one answer applicable to every single person. For the average international visitor, entering via Ben Gurion Airport is usually the most straightforward, easiest, and fastest option. In rare cases, Israel can deny international visitors entry, which is more likely to occur at a land border with Jordan or Egypt than it is at an airport.
However, Israeli immigration and passport control is very unpredictable, sometimes visitors get through without a single question, others are held for several hours, and in rare cases, a few are denied entry or given a shortened visa of 3 or 7 days. For this reason, it’s important to be prepared and to do research about what you might expect.
How Do I Get To The West Bank From Jerusalem?
Traveling to the West Bank from Jerusalem is relatively straightforward. Jerusalem is very close geographically to many places in the West Bank, but traveling there is usually more complex and time-consuming than it should be as a result of the Israeli occupation, its numerous checkpoints, and its separation and annexation wall. Depending on where in the West Bank you wish to go, you will take either a bus or a shared taxi (which looks like a minivan).
To Get To Ramallah, Qalandia, or Bethlehem
There are several buses, the main ones are bus 218 to Ramallah, and buses 273 and 274 to Qalandia Checkpoint, which leave from the bus station on Nablus Road near the Jerusalem Hotel. Then there is bus 231 to Bethlehem (city center) and bus 234 to Bethlehem (Checkpoint 300), which depart from the bus station opposite the Damascus Gate light rail station. Note that you can find these bus routes on Google Maps when searching for directions from Jerusalem to Ramallah or Bethlehem.
To Get To Nablus or Hebron
If you wish to go to Nablus, you will have to take bus 218 to Ramallah first, and from there, take another bus or a servees (shared taxi). To get to Hebron (Al Khalil), you can either take bus 231 to Bethlehem and about 200m from the final bus stop you can find either minibuses or a servees to Hebron. Or you can take a shared taxi directly to Hebron from Damascus Gate, which leaves from just outside the Palestinian bus station at Damascus Gate.
In Case You Get Lost Or Need Help
In case you get lost, can’t quite find your way, or are unsure, if you stop and ask a Palestinian, they can help you. A Palestinian may even approach you to offer help, especially if you look like you might be lost, unsure, or confused. Palestinians are very friendly people and especially in Jerusalem many Palestinians speak English.
However, as in many countries, taxi drivers may try to rip you off or tell you that the buses or shared taxis (servees) have finished or aren’t running. This might be true if it’s at night time, but if it’s during the day, they are most likely just trying to get you to take a private taxi with them.
Taking An Internship In The West Bank With Engage In Palestine
Engage in Palestine in Hebron (Al Khalil), West Bank, is a local organization offering various short-term programs, such as short-term volunteer programs, internships, and Arabic courses. We offer internships in a wide variety of fields such as journalism, media, human rights, English teaching, community development, and sports coaching.
Safety In Hebron
Let’s address safety right away as it’s a key concern for internationals. While you may hear from others that Hebron is very dangerous, this simply isn’t true. This kind of disinformation is spread to try to stop internationals from traveling to Hebron and seeing the reality, both in terms of how safe it is and how welcoming Palestinians are and also in terms of the severity of the Israeli occupation.
Our international participants have reported feeling very safe and welcome in Hebron. While there are occasional clashes, these are highly localized to one sector of the city and they are not difficult to avoid if you wish to avoid them. As a foreigner coming to Palestine, you are less susceptible to these problems anyway, and Engage in Palestine will happily provide you with updated and relevant safety information to ensure you remain safe.
Flexible Internship Duration And Timing
As we understand that prospective interns have different needs and availability, we make our internships very flexible. You can choose anywhere from 1 to 13 weeks for the length of your internship, and you are free to choose which start and end dates throughout the year best suit you.
Our Short-Term Internships And Volunteer Opportunities
Engage in Palestine offers a range of short-term programs, including internships as well as volunteering opportunities. Our short-term (1–13 weeks) programs are perfect for anyone looking to spend their summer break, gap year, or other time-limited period in a meaningful way.
You may learn more about each of the specific programs we provide by clicking the links in the table below.
Engage With The Local Palestinian Community During Your Internship
A key feature of the internships offered by Engage in Palestine is the opportunity to engage with the local Palestinian community in a variety of ways.
Included Visits And Trips
One way is through the visits and trips in and around Hebron that we take our interns on. This allows interns to experience various places and organizations in Hebron that are of significance, whether culturally, politically, economically, or historically. This not only allows interns to become more familiar with their new surroundings, but it helps interns learn more about Palestinian society and the issues Palestinians face.
These visits include places such as the old city of Hebron, refugee camps (such as Al-Fawwar and Al-Aroub), the keffiyeh factory, glass and ceramics factories, local hospitals, the local municipality, human rights organizations, and more.
Depending on specific the internship you have chosen, you may go on additional visits which will build your knowledge in certain fields such as the medical, human rights, and/or legal fields.
Through Included Arabic Lessons
Generally, interns will receive three hours of Arabic lessons per week, although you can request more for an additional fee. These lessons are taught by one of our well-qualified and supportive native Arabic teachers and are geared toward helping you communicate and integrate into the local community.
Other Internship Activities
The activities and initiatives you will be involved in will vary, depending on your type of internship. Some interns may teach English either at our center, in local villages, or refugee camps, while other interns may create and facilitate workshops on a variety of different subject matters for a variety of different target audiences. For example, medical interns may run workshops to educate medical or pre-medical students or workshops open to a diverse range of Palestinians, such as a first aid course.
In Your Free Time
You will have plenty of free time to explore Hebron as well as venturing out into other cities in the West Bank. Palestinians are very hospitable and welcoming people, so it isn’t uncommon to be invited for coffee or a meal by some Palestinians you have just met, particularly when you are outside of the major cities.
Enhance Your Employability With Us
Our programs are an excellent way to enhance your employability, through gaining practical experience, developing your skills, and boosting your CV in a fascinating part of the Middle East. Employers look very favorably on job candidates who can demonstrate an ability to adapt to new surroundings, deal with adversaries, and perform under pressure, which you can develop through any of Engage in Palestine’s programs.
Build Your Skillset Throughout Your Internship
One of the most important factors in receiving desirable job offers is an individual’s skill set, including both hard skills and soft skills. Our internships allow you to develop a range of personal and professional skills, which will be very beneficial throughout your personal and professional lives no matter where in the world you find yourself next.
Develop Your Skills In A Professional Context
Interns will be able to develop both types of skills throughout their internship. For example, if your internship includes teaching English, this will help to build hard skills such as your knowledge of the English language, lesson planning, and teaching skills. You will be able to develop many more soft skills such as effective communication, cross-cultural communication, leadership, time management, adaptability, and many more.
In addition, interning in an environment where there is a mix of local Palestinians and internationals from all around the world can give interns a greater appreciation for cultural and linguistic diversity and is a very beneficial experience for working in a globalized world.
Develop Your Skills Personally
Furthermore, interns will live in Hebron for their chosen period, which is likely to be a new, different, and challenging environment to what interns have previously experienced. Learning to navigate their new life and environment, will allow interns to become more independent, self-confident, and more adept at problem-solving.
Short-Term Summer Internships
Interning in the West Bank in summer is a wonderful opportunity for anyone seeking summer internships in the areas of The Middle East, Palestine, Israel, or close to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Bethlehem. At Engage in Palestine, located in Hebron in the West Bank, we provide the unique opportunity to travel, learn Arabic, make new friends, and complete an internship while being immersed in a new culture.
As a summer intern, you will be able to develop your skills and gain valuable real-life on-the-ground experience in a fascinating environment. Summer interns will also get to learn about Palestinian culture and society, explore the local area, as well as engage with people from diverse backgrounds.
Included in your summer internships, are trips in and around Hebron, including to Bedouin areas (like Susiya), Palestinian refugee camps, nearby villages, various local organizations, and the old city of Hebron. This allows you to learn and engage with Hebron locals from a variety of backgrounds who are dealing with challenging situations as a result of Israeli occupation.
Finally, our summer internships offer you a lot of flexibility, which makes them particularly well-suited to university students or anyone else with a partial or full summer break. You are free to choose how long you wish your internship to last (1-13 weeks) and you can start anytime throughout the summer. For current students looking to earn academic credit while undertaking a summer internship, we can provide this for you.
The Benefits Available To Interns With Engage In Palestine
Taking an internship with Engage in Palestine in Hebron offers numerous benefits to interns. In addition to all the benefits already mentioned, there are some more key benefits included, outlined below.
Arabic Lessons Are Included
All of our interns receive Arabic lessons as part of their internship. In most cases, interns receive three hours of Arabic classes per week (although there are opportunities for interns to take more for an additional cost). Your Arabic lessons will be taught one-on-one or in small groups of 2-5 students by one of our Arabic teachers. Our Arabic teachers are all native speakers, they also speak English and will make sure you learn Arabic in an immersive and supportive environment. Interns can choose to learn either the local dialect (which is more useful for daily communication) or Modern Standard Arabic.
Accommodation Is Included
Engage in Palestine provides accommodation for all of our international interns throughout their short-term programs.
Female participants generally live with a local Palestinian host family. In most cases, male participants will share an all-male dorm organized by us. It is often a challenge to place male students with a Palestinian host family, due to the conservative nature of Hebron, however it can be possible at times. If you are interested in this option, let us know as early as possible.
An alternate option is private accommodation, which we can arrange for you for an additional cost.
Breakfast is Included Every Day Except Friday
Every day (except Fridays), we share a traditional Palestinian breakfast at our center with our staff, volunteers, interns, and Arabic students. This is included for all international participants in their program. It gives you a chance to socialize and catch up with others while also getting to eat delicious Palestinian breakfast foods such as hummus, labneh, mutabal, zeit oo za’atar, and much more.
Days Off To Travel Are Included
The opportunity to travel throughout Palestine, Israel, and Jordan is one of the main attractions for all of our international participants. As such, we provide you with two days off per week (generally Fridays and Saturdays) to explore, rest relax, or spend however else you wish. Most weekends, interns will arrange to spend the weekend away with other international participants from our center.
There are many different local and international cities you can visit on your days off, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho and the Dead Sea, Nablus, Tulkarem, Qalqiliyah, Jenin, Haifa, Eilat, Tel Aviv, Masada, Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Tiberias, Nazareth, Netanya, Safed, Amman, Aqaba and Wadi Rum.
Pre-departure and In-Country Support Are Included
We know that traveling abroad for an internship can feel daunting and it’s normal to have many questions. To assist you, we provide pre-departure support before you arrive in Palestine and then ongoing in-country support throughout your internship.
We Can Provide Academic Credit
For current university students seeking academic or internship credit towards their studies for their short-term internship program, we will happily provide this. This is possible due to our collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Education. If you are interested, just let us know and we can tell you more.
A Certificate Of Completion And Letter Of Recommendation Are Included
Finally, we provide all of our wonderful interns with a certificate to reflect their completion of their internship and a letter of recommendation which may be of great value for your future career ambitions.
Internships With Impact
We aim to make a long-term difference with all of our volunteer and internship programs, for both the Palestinian local community and you through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. All of our programs are well-researched and targeted to ensure they have a real impact and foster shared learning for both our community and you.
Engage in Palestine’s short-term internships provides a unique opportunity to get real-world experience, develop professional skills, and fully immerse oneself in a lively cultural context. This means that taking an internship with us can have a big impact on your career and personal development as well as having a positive impact on the local Palestinian community.
As an intern, you will have the chance to collaborate and participate in projects that engage and benefit the local Palestinian community. In addition to all the valuable and memorable experiences you will gain, the personal and professional relationships you build during your internship will enrich your life and the lives of those around you.
Even after you leave Palestine, you can continue to have a positive impact by sharing your experiences in Palestine and with Palestinians with your own friends, family, and community members.
Reviews and Awards
Engage in Palestine has been offering its services since 2011. We have developed many Arabic immersion programs and online courses over the years. We use the most advanced teaching methods, which we develop and enhance year after year. Education is an active process always advancing, and you will be part of the development.
Despite continuous program improvements to ensure the best learning experience, our core goal remains connecting, teaching, and developing individuals. Additionally, we aim to promote and encourage exchange in the local and international communities.
We continue to strive towards excellence:
In 2022, we ranked as “one of the top three organizations worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities”. We also ranked as “one of the top three language schools worldwide” by Go Overseas. We also received a total of five Go Overseas Community Choice Awards. Among others, Engage in Palestine earned recognition as one of the top Teach Abroad Providers for the category of “benefits”. Besides that, we were also one of the Top Internship Abroad Providers for the categories of “growth” and “support”.
In 2021, we were one of the top three volunteer programs in the world. Go Overseas awarded us the community choice awards in the categories of “best language school”, “fun”, and “teaching”.
In 2019, we received our inaugural “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards.” This award recognized Engage in Palestine’s positive effect on the global travel community.
Overall, Engage in Palestine is a highly-rated travel company.
- +800 Reviews and ratings (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
- +160 Reviews and ratings on goabroad.com
- Participants’ video testimonials
In Conclusion
Taking an internship is a very valuable way to gain much-needed experience and develop transferable skills for your future career. Taking an internship in the West Bank, which is a beautiful, challenging, and culturally rich environment, will give you all this and much more.
One highly-reviewed and well-regarded organization offering internship opportunities in the West Bank is Engage in Palestine. Engage in Palestine offers a wide range of internships and programs in fields such as human rights, law, healthcare, teaching English, community development, and more. We offer such a wide range so that many different people with diverse backgrounds, skills, expertise, and passions can come to the West Bank to have a positive impact on our local Palestinian community as well as on their own lives.
Our short-term internships are ideal for students, graduates, and anyone taking a gap year or wishing to go beyond being a regular tourist in the West Bank, Palestine, Israel, or the Middle East more broadly. They also offer many opportunities for interns to develop themselves personally and professionally as well as to make meaningful lasting connections with Palestinians and other interns from all over the world.
We look forward to receiving your internship application to join us at Engage in Palestine in Hebron, at some point soon shortly!
Find Out More
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Info@ecpalestine.org and on Whatsapp:+972 599 479 880
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