Tours of Nazareth and the Galilee – Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook tours of Nazareth and the Galilee

posted: 31 January 2014

Jonathan leads short or day-long “alternative tours” of Nazareth and the surrounding Galilee region. These are designed to be informative and educational, highlighting historical, political, social and economic themes related to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Jonathan leads two types of tours:

•  A private tour, customised for groups or organisations. For details and options, see below.
•  A public tour of Nazareth and Upper Nazareth, most Fridays and open to individuals and small groups. To learn more or to book a place, click here.

Private tours

Tours can be tailored to suit a group’s particular interests, but might include some or all of the following elements:

• A tour of the Old City of Nazareth as an example of a “de-developed” Palestinian space.
• A comparative tour of Nazareth and the neighbouring Jewish city of Upper Nazareth, the flagship of Israel’s Judaisation programme in the Galilee. Upper Nazareth was designed to “swallow up” Nazareth.
• A visit to a nearby Palestinian village, destroyed by Israel following the 1948 war and now replaced by an agricultural community exclusively for Jews. Today, many of the inhabitants of this destroyed village and their descendants live in their own neighbourhood of Nazareth.
• A tour of the central Galilee to see the Judaisation programme that followed the Land Day protests of 1976, including the mitzpim (lookout) communities built by Ariel Sharon.

Additional elements:

It is also possible to arrange a traditional Palestinian meal in a local family’s home, cookery workshops, and / or an oud recital.

Talks and lectures

Jonathan gives lectures and extended question and answer sessions on a range of topics:

• The nature of a Jewish state
• Life for Palestinians in Israel
• The Israel-Palestinian conflict
• Israel’s regional foreign policy and relations with the US

Meetings

Schedule permitting, Jonathan is happy to meet individuals or small groups in Nazareth to talk about the political situation or answer questions.

To arrange a tour or talk

Please use the Contact page on the website to arrange a meeting, talk or tour.

Reviews from tour participants

“Your guided tour along the four [destroyed] villages was one of the highlights of our trip to Israel/Palestine. … We want to thank you for the unforgettable tour.”
Wim and Adrie Minnaard – Teherne, Netherlands
www.minnaardbijeappi.nl

“I want to thank you so much for the time that you spent with us yesterday. Your commitment, intellect, and passion are contagious! Each person in our group has commented repeatedly how much they benefited from both the casual walk through the souk and from the extended conversation with you.”
Ronald Shive – Burlington, North Carolina

“It was an incredibly educational, sometimes devastating, and often inspirational trip. Jonathan expertly balanced giving a tour rich with historical background and providing a clear picture of present-day issues. He gave us lots of detail but always kept a view of the broader picture.”
Ryvka Barnard – Coordinator, Health and Human Rights Project

“Our time with you in Nazareth was a high point for our group. Several continued to speak of it as they were processing a myriad of impressions.”
Mary Lou Leiser Smith – Coordinating Director, Coalition for Peace with Justice

“Many thanks for briefing our group of internationals. Your insights were much valued and your work truly inspiring!”
Linda Ramsden – UK director, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions