West Bank

The West Bank is an area located in the Middle East between Israel and Jordan, to the north of the Dead Sea. It forms the larger half of the semi-autonomous Palestinian Territories, the smaller half being the Gaza Strip. De facto control on the ground tends to be Israeli, Palestinian (Fatah since the Hamas takeover of Gaza) or some degree of joint sovereignty. Be prepared for that to affect your travels and to come upon checkpoints and signs barring Israeli citizens from entering certain areas. Israel refers to the area as Judea and Samaria.

Cities
In each group, cities are listed from north to south:

Mixed

 * (الخليل/חברון) In the southern West Bank, a holy city due to the presence of the Cave of the Patriarchs. There is a large Palestinian majority, with a few hundred Jews living in the city center, and a few thousand more in the suburb/settlement of Kiryat Arba.

Palestinian

 * (جنين /ג'נין) – the West Bank's northernmost city, only 26 km from Nazareth. Its name's meaning is The spring of gardens.
 * (طولكرم/טולכרם)
 * (نابلس/ שׁכם) – considered the commercial capital of the West Bank, and known for its old city, its furniture trade and the delicious kunafa/kenafeh
 * (قلقيلية/קלקיליה)
 * (رام الله/רמאללה) – the administrative capital of the West Bank and temporary host to the Palestinian Authority. Ramallah is a magnet for Palestinians seeking work as well as foreign activists
 * (أريحا/יריחו) – the "Oldest City in the World", around 400 m below sea level and great starting point for the Dead Sea
 * (بيت لحم/בית לחם) – an ancient city much like many others in the West Bank, Bethlehem is also the site of Christian holy places such as the Church of the Nativity and a Jewish holy site as the City of David; it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Major Israeli settlements
The following settlements are of interest for tourists: Large settlements of little interest to tourists include Modiin Ilit and Beitar Ilit.
 * (اريئيل/אריאל)
 * - (שִׁלֹה) An important Biblical city.
 * (معاليه أدوميم/מעלה אדומים)
 * (جوش عتصيون/גוש עציון) including Efrat

Other destinations

 * – the lowest place on earth, with natural and historic sites as well as beaches and resorts.
 * – great for hiking and nature

Understand
This area is known as the West Bank because it lies on the western bank of the Jordan River. This part of the world is steeped in Biblical history and contains many sites of religious and archaeological significance. It has been under Israeli administration since 1967 with future status uncertain and still to be resolved, between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Historically and among some parts of Israeli society, especially among right-wingers the area has also been known as Judea/Samaria.

About 2.5 million Palestinians and 400,000 Israelis live in the West Bank (not including East Jerusalem). As far as travelling is concerned, Israeli and Palestinian sites in the West Bank are essentially separate travel destinations, since Israelis and Palestinians have separate bus networks, license plates and rental cars can generally be used in either Arab cities or Jewish settlements but not both.

The West Bank did not exist as a concept before 1949. Its border is the cease-fire line between Israeli and Jordanian troops in 1949. Even though both sides specified at the time that it was not a permanent border, nevertheless, nowadays much of the world assumes that the border between Israel and a future Palestinian state will be based on this line.

Jordan annexed the West Bank after the 1948/49 war and nominally treated it as an integral part of its territory although there were tensions between "Palestinians" and "Hashemites" as the two ethnic groups in Jordan came to be known. The annexation of the West Bank by Jordan was only ever recognized by a handful of countries, although few countries made any statement whatsoever as to their opinion on the de jure status of the area. During this time the area was also sometimes known as "Cisjordan" ("this side of the Jordan") with what is today the Kingdom of Jordan known as "Transjordan" ("the other side of the Jordan"). The Jewish minority which had lived in the area both through Zionist immigration and since time immemorial was expelled by Jordan and the religious sites (including those in East Jerusalem) were off-limits to Jews despite half-hearted promises by the Jordanian government to find a way to allow visitors. Jordan also engaged in systemic acts of cultural vandalism, deliberately destroying Jewish historical sites such as synagogues or cemeteries. The Jordanian control of the region ended abruptly in 1967 when Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser badly misjudged both his military capabilities and Israel's willingness to answer his brinkmanship with a preventive strike. After closing Israel's access to the Red Sea and amassing troops near the armistice lines - both acts Israel had warned would constitute a casus belli - Israel launched a swift and devastating airstrike destroying most of the Egyptian air force on the ground. Nasser managed to mislead the public as to how the war was going and despite Israeli attempts to keep Jordan from entering the war, King Hussein ordered an offensive, which was quickly repelled leading to the Israeli capture of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In 1967, due to the Six-Day War, the West Bank came under Israeli control. Israel did not annex the West Bank (except for East Jerusalem which was incorporated in 1980) due to its large Palestinian population, but Israelis did establish civilian settlements in the West Bank. These settlements are considered to be illegal by the international community, with the sole exception being the United States. West Bank Palestinians have often resisted the Israeli occupation, most notably in the First Intifada of the late 1980s. However, there have also been various degrees of cooperation and cross community relations, including West Bank Palestinians working for Israeli owned businesses - despite what firebrands on both sides want. In fact, Palestinians who were deemed "traitors" by more radical elements due to having or allegedly having worked for Israelis were among the most numerous group of victims of the First Intifada which also had characteristics of a "Palestinian civil war".

Among the territories Israel conquered in 1967, the West Bank is the most important for several reasons. Unlike the Golan Heights, its importance is not only of military-strategic nature. While both the Golan and the West Bank serve as (literal) "high ground" to stop an attack and to keep the fighting away from Israel's major population centers in the Coastal Plain, the West Bank also has sentimental, historical and religious importance as many of the tales of the Bible are said to have taken place here and the common assumption is that the Jewish people originated in the hills while the coastal areas were dominated by other groups like the Philistines - making the current geopolitical and ethnic setup particularly ironic. While the Sinai Peninsula was conquered by Israel from Egypt and there were even attempts to establish Jewish settlements there, it was mostly held as a "bargaining chip" and given back to Egypt in a "land for peace" deal when Sadat and Begin hashed out peace at Camp David. Israel's unwillingness to give up the West Bank - with secular minds arguing that it would leave Israel with indefensible borders and religious leaders arguing that giving up the Lands of the Torah bordered on blasphemy - was also a major stumbling block to peace with Jordan. Jordan, despite engaging in the three big shooting wars with Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973 was widely seen as a more moderate, pro-peace Arab nation under the comparatively liberal and pro-Western King Hussein, but as Jordan only officially renounced its claim to the West Bank in 1988 in favor of the PLO, a peace treaty between Jordan and Israel (which largely sidesteps the West Bank issue) was only signed in 1994 - the second between an Arab nation and Israel.

The Oslo Accords in 1993 began the "peace process" and established Palestinian autonomy in parts of the West Bank. This autonomy was extended in several steps in the 1990s, but in 2000 the Second Intifada broke out and negotiations halted. Since then, there have been some attempts at negotiations, but no more concrete progress towards an agreement. Around 2002, Israel reentered the autonomous West Bank cities in order to capture Palestinian militants that were carrying out bombings in Israel. In 2005 Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip (the latter by force in some cases), but they remain in the West Bank. A year after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas won the Palestinian elections and subsequently took de facto control of the Gaza strip, while Fatah continues to control the West Bank. In Israeli political discourse the example of the Gaza withdrawal is often brought up as an argument against concessions or withdrawal, especially if done unilaterally. There haven't been any elections in either the West Bank or Gaza since 2005 and the (Fatah aligned) Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas who took over after the death of Yasser Arafat has had his term extended instead of standing for election. It is widely assumed by observers that Hamas would lose an election in the West Bank and Fatah one in the Gaza Strip as the vast majority of Palestinians in the respective areas have about had it with their corruption and incompetence, but the international situation as well as the conflict with Israel have allowed all parties to delay elections thus far. As Abbas is in his eighties and has not established a clear successor, there are questions as to the future of Palestinian leadership in the medium to long term.

Since 2009, Israel has been building new settlements in the West Bank, and expanding existing ones. Since 2019, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been formally recognised as part of Israel by the United States.

The West Bank is divided into three noncontiguous areas based on the Oslo Accords:
 * Area A (18% of land) - Full Palestinian security and civil control, but the Israeli army sometimes launches raids here to capture Palestinian militants. This includes most Palestinian cities and well over 90% of West Bank Palestinians live here.
 * Area B (21% of land) - Israeli security, Palestinian civil control. This includes most Palestinian villages and the farmland between them.
 * Area C (61% of land) - Full Israeli control. This includes uninhabited areas, all Israeli settlements, and most major roads. 4% of West Bank Palestinians live in Area C.

There are no fences or other physical boundaries between areas A, B, and C. However, the Israeli military has put checkpoints on many roads, generally at crossings between Area C and areas A or B. Because areas A and B are noncontiguous, Palestinians going from place to place often have to transverse these checkpoints. Israel's West Bank barrier (physically a wall and a fence depending on where you are, and labeled by either term depending on political sympathies) is entirely within Area C.

Climate
Temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters.

Terrain
Mostly rugged dissected upland, very hilly and mountainous, heavy vegetation is common in many places. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth reachable on foot.
 * lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
 * highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Talk
The main languages in the West Bank are Arabic and Hebrew, although English and French are also understood to varying degrees. Most road and tourist signs in Areas A and B will be written in Arabic and English, while most signs in Area C will be written in those languages and Hebrew. Many Palestinians understand Hebrew, due to business and governmental contacts. However, it is not advisable to speak Hebrew in Palestinian cities or Arabic in Jewish settlements, as it may arouse suspicion. Russian is also common among students who have gone to university in Russia or Eastern Europe. Many Israeli settlements contain many emigres from the United States who speak English and some have Hasidic Jews who speak Yiddish.

By plane
There are no civilian airports within the West Bank, and the nearest major airport is Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. From Ben Gurion Airport, it is possible to take a 50-minute taxi or shuttle ride to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to continue on to the major West Bank cities of Bethlehem or Ramallah.

Alternatively, fly to Amman Queen Alia International Airport, and enter the West Bank at the Allenby crossing near Jericho. When using the Allenby crossing, you won't get a Jordanian exit stamp because of Jordan's role as a care-taker of the West Bank, so there is no "proof" of exiting Jordan (and therefore entering Israeli-controlled territory) on your passport. For more on this issue see Visa trouble.

Palestinian ID card-holders must fly through Amman because the Israeli government prohibits them from entering Israel at Ben Gurion Airport. It is best for people who may be listed under the Israeli census as having a Palestinian ID card (by birth to a card-holder, etc.), or who once had a Palestinian ID card, to just use the airport in Amman rather than risk being sent back home on a flight from Tel Aviv for using the wrong airport.

By car
Where in the West Bank one can travel using a rental car depends on the organization from which it was rented. Most cars rented in Israel proper can be driven in Area C without issue. While those cars can be driven into Areas A and B, the rental car insurance will not typically cover accidents that take place in those areas, and traveling there might violate the rental car contract. Cars rented from Arab companies in East Jerusalem can be driven in all three areas of the West Bank (A, B, and C) along with Israel proper with full insurance coverage. Israeli cars have yellow license plates and can be driven in all three areas. Palestinian cars with white or green license plates can travel throughout the West Bank with the exception of Israeli settlements and some roads in Area C that are meant to exclusively connect these settlements. These cars cannot be taken into Israel proper.

By bus or shared taxi
for details on the travel between the West Bank and Jordan. Bus service to Jewish settlements in the West Bank can generally be found in the Israeli city which is closest to each settlement. Egged (אגד) bus company runs buses from Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Netanya, and Beit Shean. Egged Ta'avura runs buses from Jerusalem. Afikim bus company runs buses from Tel Aviv and Petach Tikva. Due to ongoing attacks on buses to West Bank settlements, the Israeli government has installed enhanced security on buses such as bullet proof windows (on certain routes) and crash barriers at bus stops.

There are also Arab bus companies going into the West Bank from the bus depot in East Jerusalem, for prices comparable to service taxis, theoretically running on schedules. The main bus station is across the street from Damascus Gate. These buses reach Bethlehem and Ramallah, and from there you can connect to other locations.

For reaching other Palestinian cities, service taxis (shared taxis, pronounced servees) are preferable over Egged buses. They are extremely cheap, and travel quite fast on the road. The service taxi is a great place to mingle with the locals.

By train
There are no active railways in the West Bank, except for the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway (which briefly passes through a part of the West Bank without stopping in it). You can take a train to Jerusalem via this line, which has excellent through trains with most cities in Israel as well as Ben Gurion International Airport, and then a bus to the West Bank.

By car
Roads used by Israelis (in Area C) are generally in very good shape. However, within Arab areas the quality of roads varies, with frequent speed bumps requiring constant alertness.

Numerous Israeli roadblocks impede the movement of Palestinians between Palestinian cities in the West Bank and also between the West Bank and both East Jerusalem and Jordan. Visitors who travel to Arab areas of the West Bank should also expect to encounter Israeli checkpoints, and those of Palestinian origin may be subjected to strip searches or other intrusive procedures. Meanwhile, Israeli citizens are barred entirely from entering certain areas under Palestinian administration.

Driving in the West Bank is relatively safe and has some wonderful scenery, particularly along route 90. You can avoid excessive controls by entering via Ariel, driving over Nablus and leaving after Rotem.

Taxis are a good option, but they can be expensive. If you're part of a tour, your tour bus is even better. See above for car rentals.

By bus
Jewish and Arab communities are served by separate bus networks; and – with the exception of Jerusalem, where it is possible to take Israeli buses in the west and Arab buses/sheruts in the east – it can be very difficult to interchange between Jewish and Arab networks.

The Jewish bus network is comprehensive and reaches every Israeli settlement. It is often very infrequent though. In addition, it can be problematic to gain admittance into a settlement to take a bus from the stops inside.

Arab bus services operate on limited routes and times, except for those around Jerusalem. You are almost always advised to use shared taxis which will be quicker although marginally more expensive. Buses, like shared taxis will also tend to wait until full before departing. You can hail a bus on any road.

By shared taxi
Shared taxis (servees) are common between Palestinian cities, and often the best means of travel. Most shared taxis have fixed bus-stations, often car-parks near the centre of towns or cities. Larger minivans carry 7 passengers and inner-city shared taxis carry 4. Fares are fixed and overcharging on these services is extremely rare. Shared taxis are often distinguished with black stripes on front and back at the sides, particularly the normal-sized cars serving inner-city routes. You should pay the driver directly once the journey has begun, although you can wait until you reach your destination. Passengers will often work out the change between themselves. As you may be sharing with conservative or religious people, you may observe a certain etiquette, particularly when it comes to men and women sitting next to each other.

There are no Jewish-run shared taxis in the West Bank.

By thumb
Hitching through the West Bank is easy and enjoyable — local Palestinians are happy to offer a ride to anyone who is not visibly pro-Israel. Similarly, Israelis are generally happy to offer a ride to anyone who is not visibly Arab, though they are more wary these days, as some Jewish hitchhikers have been kidnapped and killed, and one Jewish driver was killed by a hitchhiker with a bomb. Foreign tourists can try hitchhiking with either group, though of course, the only destinations available will be destinations of that group. There have been attacks on those waiting for a ride in isolated areas so in many settlements of either ethnic group there is a more or less established place where drivers will expect hitchhikers - ask around where that spot is as it will also increase your chances of finding a ride.

By rental car
To rent a Palestinian car with green license plate, first get to Ramallah or other cities, by public transportation or taxi. Then you can rent a car and take it to any Arab area in the West Bank. However, you will not be allowed to enter most Israeli settlements with it.

Palestinian car-hire companies located in East Jerusalem promise to rent you Israeli cars which can travel in most parts of the West Bank and throughout Israel. Definitely check the rating beforehand for any catches.

See


Besides the attractions of Jerusalem, Jericho, Nablus, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea, the following sights are worth mentioning (north to south):



Do
Hiking in the Judaean Desert and swimming in the Dead Sea are famous.

Work
The West Bank has a controversial political history and present. There are a number of NGOs and movements on the ground that monitor the situation and advocate for human rights. These organizations are largely run by volunteers with tourist visas.



Buy
The Israeli new shekel (NIS or ILS) is used throughout the West Bank, including in Palestinian areas. US dollars seem to be widely accepted at tourist shops in Jericho and Bethlehem.

Eat
Ramallah has a number of good restaurants, including Darna (Palestinian and Lebanese food—there are pictures on the wall of many famous people who have visited, including Kofi Annan, Richard Gere and Jimmy Carter), Pronto (excellent pizza and Italian food), Ziryab (relaxing place with a fireplace), Stone's and Sangria's. There is an excellent ice cream shop in downtown called Rukab's. The locally-made ice cream is a real treat on a hot day, in addition to the fresh juice shops around the central square, Al-Manara.

Falafel, Shawarma, Hummus, Musakhan, Tabouli, Kofta, Knafeh, Kibbeh, Maqluba, Baba Ghanoush, and other delicious cuisine are widely available.

The settlement of Beitar Ilit has a great bar that serves Kosher Chicken soup with harif. The settlement of Ariel has many fast food restaurants and other tasty kosher treats.

Learn
Birzeit University, just outside of Ramallah, has a long and illustrious history, and offers Arabic immersion classes for foreigners. In addition, there are similar programs at the Bethlehem Bible College and Bethlehem University in Bethlehem, the Palestinian-American University in Jenin and An-Najah in Nablus. There is also the Palestinian-American University of Jenin located in the Christian Palestinian village of Zababdeh. Alternative travel agencies like Green Olive Tours, as well as NGO's such as the Holy Land Trust and the Alternative Tourism Group in Bethlehem offer day and multi-day tours, as well as enticing summer programs for internationals that combine homestays, culture and language classes with volunteering and site-seeing.

Ariel University is the largest Israeli-run educational institute in the West Bank. For religious education, many Yeshivot are located in various Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

If you are interested in learning about the social, political and cultural facets of life in the West Bank, there is a first hand experience tour, run by the All Nations Cafe from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where you can get to know Palestinians and Jews who promote coexistence in the Holy Land.

Stay safe
Watch the news and check the situation before you go. It is not a good idea to visit if fighting between Palestinians and Israelis happens to be intense at the given time. However, violence in the West Bank tends to be very localized. Violence in Nablus, for instance, should not necessarily hinder travel to Ramallah. Still, use discretion.

It is important to carry your passport (including Israeli entry card, if applicable) with you while traveling in the West Bank, especially if taking buses. Israeli checkpoints can be just about anywhere and may require you to identify yourself. Your phones and cameras may be inspected at Israeli military checkpoints, so be sure not to film anything that might cast the Israeli military in a bad light; doing so will at best result in those videos and images being deleted, and at worst could get you arrested on national security grounds.

In general the security situation in the West Bank tends to be much better than in the Gaza Strip, but that does not necessarily mean much.

While non-Israeli Jews are generally left alone, symbols associated with the State of Israel or Zionism, such as the Star of David, are best left at home. Espousing blatantly pro-Israeli views will highly offend many Palestinians and is not recommended. On the other hand, people living in Jewish settlements usually don't take kindly to any expression of support for Palestinian rights.

Dogs can be a problem in remote areas of the West Bank, e.g. when hiking in Wadi Qelt, although they are far less numerous than in some other parts of Asia. If they get too close to you, pick up a stone or pretend to do so. They will remember this gesture from the last painful experience. Also, picking up or carrying a large stick might help.

Touts
Due to more and more tourists visiting the West Bank, there is a constant growth of unofficial guides (mostly taxi drivers) waiting at bus stops or checkpoints offering their service to the unsuspecting tourist. Be wary of such people, who just try to make as much money off you as they can without offering much added value.

Mostly they will try to take you from one place to the other where you will likely buy something, so they can make their share from the shop owner (~40%). They will even ruthlessly tell you that something is closed or might take too long - this is mostly not true, they just want to make sure you spend more time somewhere else, potentially spending money there.

Don't believe anyone if the solution to your question is going by taxi or requiring a guide. These are just lies made up for the tourists to make them pay unnecessarily for services which are easily explorable one one's own. Alternatively, if you require help, ask several locals first before you make a decision. If you really need to use a regular guide, agree on a fixed schedule and do not allow deviations from it.

One distinct exception seem to be servees (orange shared taxi/minibus) drivers – they are probably the most honest people you will meet as a tourist. They will always give you exactly the price locals pay, too.

Respect
The West Bank is less conservative than most Arab nations, so women don't need to be completely covered. But it is still a good idea to dress fairly conservatively. Palestinian Muslims, Christians and Samaritans generally get along with no major issues.

The political opinions of Jewish settlers in the West Bank tend to be more right-wing than those of Israelis or Jews in general.

Be very wary of bringing up politics and the Israel-Palestine conflict, for obvious reasons.

Alcohol is not served in Hebron, but it is served in other Palestinian communities such as Ramallah and Nablus.

Connect
Israeli phone company Bezeq and the Palestinian company Paltel provide communication services in the West Bank. Many retailers in the West Bank offer cell-phones to rent. Popular companies to go with are: Jawwal (only able to be used in the Palestinian territories), Wataniyya (only able to be used in the Palestinian territories), and Cellcom (an Israeli company that is able to be used in both Israel and the Palestinian territories).

Phone numbers in the Palestinian territories use one of two country codes: +970 and +972, which correspond respectively to the Palestinean Authority and Israel proper. If one of the codes won't work for a number, try again using the other.

Go next
Cities:
 * Jerusalem – Besides the Dead Sea, a central focus for most people coming to this region. Multiple buses throughout the day available from Ramallah.
 * Tel Aviv – A big and the most cosmopolitan city in Israel, well known for its club culture. Buses available directly from Jerusalem.
 * Nazareth – The largest Arab city in Israel and best known as the home of Joseph and Mary.

Regions:
 * Jezreel Valley and Lower Galilee – Gateways to the Western Galilee, the Upper Galilee, the Sea of Galilee region and the Golan Heights.
 * Dead Sea – One of the most famous things to see/do in Israel and Jordan. Check out Ein Gedi, a Nature Reserve and oasis along the Dead Sea.
 * Negev – Desert south of the Dead Sea, featuring amazing sites and desert landscapes, including the Ramon Crater, the Small Crater and Ein Avdat.

Countries:
 * Jordan – Famous for Petra, Jerash and Wadi Rum.

for leaving from the West Bank into Jordan.