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Breakfast Republic duo Keith Walsh and Bernard O’Shea travelled to Palestine and Israel with Trócaire last weekend to experience life in the region and meet with groups, including comedians, who are trying to bring communities together.
The 2FM breakfast radio hosts travelled to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and Tel Aviv as part of a partnership with Trócaire.
In Bethlehem the Irish radio hosts met with a group of young Palestinians who have formed Palestine’s first comedy club. The three young comedy fans explained how humour can help people in the region deal with the issues they face in their daily lives.
Bethlehem is divided by the Separation Wall, an eight-metre high wall that runs through the city dividing Palestinian families from each other and from their land.
In Tel Aviv, Bernard and Keith met with Assaf Harel, a well-known Israeli comedian and television host who recently went viral after criticising Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
The duo also met with Breaking the Silence, a group of former Israeli soldiers who now campaign against the occupation.
Videos from Keith and Bernard’s trip will be posted on Trócaire’s Facebook page all week. Tune in to 2FM’s Breakfast Republic (7am – 10am) each morning this week to hear stories from the trip.
Trócaire is undertaking a series of initiatives over the coming months to mark the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank.
Israel today militarily controls more than 60 per cent of the West Bank, building illegal settlements and moving Palestinian communities from their land.
Israeli settlers and Palestinians living in the West Bank have unequal access to water, land and roads. Settlers live under civil law while Palestinians live under full military law.
