Gaza Border Reality Tour from Tel Aviv
Come join Abraham on an unforgettable tour where you’ll explore the Gaza-Israel conflict, its history and its impact on the people living on both sides of the border. Departing from Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, we’ll head south to the Gaza Border region via the ‘Via Maris’, the ancient coastal trade route connecting Egypt to Mesopotamia.
In the fields of Kibbutz Nachal Oz, we’ll gaze into the Palestinian neighborhood “Shuja’iyah,” where the biggest battle of the 2014 Gaza war took place, and then view the closed Karni Crossing cargo terminal. Then we’ll visit Be’erot Yitzhak, a kibbutz destroyed in the ’48 war, and learn about the Israeli narrative of settlement and sacrifice in the Western Negev, creating the borders of the future state.
We will then visit an Israeli border community, religious Kibbutz Alumim for lunch among the kibbutzniks. In Alumim we’ll see the kibbutz synagogue, visit a display of decommissioned rockets, observe from a distance and then approach to see the Iron Dome Missile defense system up close.
We’ll then visit the towns of Netivot and Sderot, where we’ll witness the heritage of Israelis of North African descent at the tomb of the “Baba Sali,” a Moroccan Jewish saint. In Sderot, we’ll stop on the rooftop of the ‘Hesder Yeshiva’ and get a view of the city, being able to see the Hebron hills in one direction and the rooftops of Gaza City in the other.
Then we’ll visit the ruins of “Deir Sneid”, a Palestinian village emptied in the 1948 war, whose former residents fled to Gaza, framing a discussion of the “Nakba”, the Palestinian narrative of 1948.
Then we visit the Erez Border Crossing, the only place where citizens of Gaza, for work, trade, or medical care, can enter Israel. We’ll chat with some of the Gazan workers to hear the human side of life in Gaza.
The day will wrap up with a visit to Netiv Ha’asara, a ‘moshav’ on the northern Gaza border. At the ‘Nativ L’Shalom’ center, we’ll watch a film featuring the story of, or meet in person, a mother from the region who will share her story about the reality of living so close to Gaza. Then we join in the “Path to Peace” project to transform the anti-sniper wall by placing ceramic tiles with our own peace messages in a mosaic on the wall.
Highlights
- Lookout points and historical sites along the northern Gaza-Israel border
- Meet Israeli residents in communities on the border
- Visit both an Israeli Kibbutz, as well as a Palestinian village destroyed by the 1948 war
- View up close the Erez Gaza border crossing point and meet Palestinian workers and Bedouin cab drivers there
- Join a unique art project that is currently taking place on the Gaza border wall, called the 'Paths to Peace' project
Map
Tour Itinerary
- DAY TOUR
06:30 – Pick up at Abraham Tel-Aviv
07:30 – Pick up at Abraham Jerusalem
09:00 – At the Ashkelon train station, begin the tour with and drive to the Gaza Border region
9:20 – 10:00 The Armistice House/Black Arrow memorial. Coffee break, introduction to the Gaza-Israel conflict.
10:10 – 10:40 Asaf Siboni lookout point
10:50 – 11:00 Fields of Nachal Oz – view of Shujaiyah and Karni Crossing
11:05 – 11:25 Be’orot Yitzhak – ruins of a kibbutz from the ’48 war
11:35 – 12:50 Kibbutz Alumim
13:00 -13:20 Baba Sali, Tomb of Moroccan Jewish saint in Netivot
13:30 – 14:10: Town of Sderot: Rooftop view and rocket Hannukiah at Hesder Yeshiva rooftop
14:30 – 15:00 Visit Deir Sneid – ruins of a Palestinian village
15:10 – 15:50 Erez Border Crossing
16:00 – 17:00 Netiv Ha’asara. Visit the Paths to Peace Center, at the north Gaza-Israel border wall, join art project on the anti-sniper wall
17:00 – Start the drive back to Tel-Aviv
18:00 – Arrive back in Tel Aviv
19:00- Arrive back in Jerusalem
Good to Know
- Customers looking to take part in the tour will have to sign a waiver form prior to departure
- Due to modesty requirements when visiting a local Yeshiva, you will need to wear clothing that covers the knees, shoulders and arms - shirt or shawl (men and women).
- Things to bring: - Hat and sunscreen - Water and snacks
WHAT'S INCLUDED
INCLUDED
- Guided tour
- Transportation
- Meet local residents of the region
EXCLUDED
- Lunch (Approx. 55 ILS)
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FAQ'S
Is this tour safe?
This tour is led by a local of the area, and we are always up to date on current affairs and will of course not run the tour if it is unsafe at a given time.