Have You Been to the Occupied Territories?
If the answer is no, then you have a shoddy and unfounded basis for whatever political conclusions you presently have. Forgive my sweeping generalization and terse irritation, but most Americans and Israelis have never laid eyes on the very piece of real estate that is fought over so intensely by Jews and Arabs.
Not only have you not seen how small it is by looking down from Ramallah at the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv in the distance, but you have likely not spoken with the average Palestinian. If you haven’t seen with your own eyes the different kinds of settlements — from the hundreds of condominiums which house 40,000 in Maale Adumim, to the trailer parks outside Kiryat Arba, to the converted garages in downtown Hebron — then how are you qualified to believe whatever it is you believe about however possible it is or isn’t to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Day Tours:
Ir Amim - regular tours of East and West Jerusalem issues by a highly credible research agency advancing civil society in Jerusalem. Probably one of the most sophisticated and well-funded organizations doing this work.
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - regular tours of East Jerusalem settlements, from single houses by real estate Judaizers to housing complexes by the Jerusalem Municipality, to the biggest settlement/suburb Maale Adumim.
Breaking the Silence/Shovrim Shtika - Twice-monthly tours by former soldiers of Hebron or the South Hebron Hills (depending on whether the military lets them in that day). The Hebron settlers are among the most ideological and violent, perhaps an important exception to most settlers, but this “crown jewel” of Israeli occupation demonstrates the greater absurdity of a minority of Israelis living amidst a majority of Palestinians.
Dialogue/Immersion Trips:
Encounter Programs - Weekend overnight trips for American Jews to Bethlehem and other locations to meet Palestinians and hear about life inside the territories. Apolitical tours conducted with an emphasis on dialogue, not propogandizing. Supported by the UJC, no less.
Day Volunteering:
Rabbis for Human Rights & Shalom Achshav both conduct olive picking excursions into the West Bank in areas legal for Israelis to reach.