Is protective presence still possible in the West Bank?

JVL Introduction

Protective presence or even solidarity presence in the West Bank is becoming more difficult, more precarious but no less essential. At the JVL Annual General Meeting, a guest speaker from Palestine said clearly that “we want you there”.  Palestinians want us there whether as tourists or as activists because it reduces their isolation and means that there are more eye witnesses to the reality of what is happening.

Here long time activist Rabbi Arik Ascherman is among those interviewed and we have added a video about protective presence. There was a time when Israeli and international activists were unlikely to be attacked but this is no longer the case.  Even so most say they will go back, that they have still only experienced a tiny fraction of what Palestinians experience.

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This article was originally published by Forward on Mon 27 Apr 2026. Read the original here.