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The West Bank, also known by the English name West bank, is located in the Middle East in the area of historical Palestine. Together with the Gaza Strip, the West Bank could one day become part of a state Palestine become. The area has been occupied by Israel since 1967; the administration has now partially passed to the Palestinians, but a large part of the West Bank is still administered only by Israel.
In contrast to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank can be traveled relatively safely; the various sights are usually freely accessible.
Regions
The West Bank is surrounded by Israeli territory to the north, west and south; in the east it borders Jordan or the river flowing along the border Jordan and that Dead sea.
The West Bank can be divided into three sub-landscapes:
- Samaria forms the northern part of the West Bank; here are among other things the cities Nablus and Jenin.
- The border with the Judea region runs roughly at the height of Ramallah; the part west of an imaginary line Ramallah – Bethlehem – Hebron is also known as Highlands of Judea designated.
- The area further east is in the rain shadow; here is the bizarre desert landscape of the Judean desert.
The metropolitan area of is also within the Judean Mountains Jerusalemthat can be viewed as a separate region.
places
- In Samaria (Hebrew:Shomron) are the cities Jenin, Tulkarem and Nablus. Nablus is one of the largest cities in the West Bank, with Mount Garizim, the holy mountain of the Samaritans.
- Lying in the Judean highlands Ramallah, the current seat of government of the Palestinian Authority, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and Hebron with the tomb of Abraham.
- Located in the northern Judean Desert Jericho, one of the oldest cities of mankind.
Other goals
background
The West Bank was part of the British League of Nations mandate for Palestine and was to become part of a Jewish-Arab state. Initially, the area of Jordan annexed as a result of the Six Day War it stands under the name Judea and Samaria District under Israeli administration. About 39% of the area (Area A, B) is however used by the Palestinian Authority administratively and securely managed autonomously.
The area along the Jordan and Dead Sea, which is currently known as the Area C is under Israeli administration, can be crossed by tourists without major controls at the checkpoints.
language
The language is mainly Arabic, but Hebrew in Israeli settlements. English proficiency is widespread, especially in tourist places.
getting there
The West Bank is via the border crossings (checkpoints) of Israel accessible from, there is only one border crossing after Jordan at Jericho over a bridge in Jordan King Hussein Bridge and in Israel Allenby Bridge called.
The cities with the biblical sites of interest to Western European tourists can be reached by bus (usually from one of the three Palestinian bus stations in Jerusalem), Shared taxi (Servis/Sherut) or with the taxi can be reached, rental cars rented in Israel are generally not allowed to enter the autonomous area under Palestinian administration (Area A, B).
The ride on the road 90 from Galilee through the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea and over the road that branches off in a westerly direction 1 up after Jerusalem (through the autonomous area Area C) is usually possible without any problems; Central European looking tourists with their often recognizable rental cars are hardly bothered at the checkpoints and can easily drive from the "West Bank" into the Israeli heartland. In times of politically tense situations, the safety of a journey through the West Bank should be briefly clarified on site; as a rule, if the situation is unsafe at the checkpoints, passage is refused.
mobility
Yellow shared taxis, called Servis. They drive at reasonably low set prices. Buses are even cheaper, but they run on fewer routes within the West Bank. Taxis are usually easy to find.
