Thursday, August 20, 2009

Palestinians teens visit Israel on 'Birthright Replugged'

Fourteen-year-old Jum'a Ismail lives 50 km from the Mediterranean but had never seen the sea. The Palestinian youth had never set eyes on an Israeli civilian or an airport.

Juma'a's horizons expanded this summer, when he left Jalazoun refugee camp in the West Bank with "Birthright Replugged" on a trip taking Palestinian children to Israel to visit the villages of their ancestors.

"It's an attempt to get out, while they still can," said the program's creator, Dunya Alwan.

Once Palestinian children turn 15, they must carry Israeli-issued West Bank identity cards and are no longer able to travel through Israeli checkpoints without special permits.

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