Jörg Knocha

Felix Dane gives the group an update on the political situation

Jörg Knocha

Suheil Khalilieh of the ARIJ organisation

Jörg Knocha

Dr. Sumaya Farhat-Naser, former lecturer at the Birzeit University

The KAS Resident Representative to the Palestinian Territories, Felix Dane, welcomed the group at his office. He explained the current political situation as well as the work of KAS Ramallah during the last years.

After a short walk through the centre of Ramallah, passing the Muqata’a, the presidents’ official residence and the grave of Yassir Arafat, they went back to the KAS office. There they talked to Suheil Khalilieh, employee of the ARIJ organisation. Based on a presentation, he explained the political situation within the Palestinian Territories. He focused on the Israeli settlement policy and gave some examples of agricultural and social projects that illustrated the dynamic of the state-building-process.

At the end of their day in Ramallah, the group met Dr. Sumaya Farhat-Naser, former lecturer for botany and ecology at the Birzeit University. She talked about the work during her time as the head of the Palestinian Jerusalem Center for Women, where Israeli and Palestinian women are working together in order to achieve conciliation. Moreover, she mentioned her current activities in the context of peace efforts, including seminars for nonviolent communication, to reach a compromise between Israelis and Palestinian.

After that, the delegation travelled to Bethlehem.