Birthright Unplugged offers opportunities for people to gain knowledge through first-hand experiences and to use that knowledge to make positive change in the world.
We reject the notion of a “birthright,” as embodied in Jewish-only fully-funded trips to Israel. Israel has ignored the internationally recognized right of return for refugees, but has created a “Law of Return” which extends citizenship benefits to any person of Jewish heritage, excluding millions of Palestinians born in the land that has become Israel.
Our programs attempt to address this injustice by facilitating access typically denied to the communities with whom we work, and by bringing forward Palestinian voices which have historically been suppressed and ignored. North American and Jewish people often face obstacles of fear and lack of knowledge which can deter them from pursuing this kind of experience on their own. Palestinian people face movement restrictions and other human rights violations which limit their ability to visit places we travel to during our trip and often their access to communities abroad. As international people with knowledge of Palestine/Israel, we are able to work with both communities to contribute to understanding and addressing these obstacles and restrictions.