What are some of the safety concerns?

Again, the Bethlehem area is an extremely safe place to visit, but, when traveling anywhere in the world, it's important to take precautions.

Theft and pick pocketing are not common, but it is still very important to keep your money and valuables somewhere secure. Sexual harassment is not an unusual problem for female travelers in many parts of the world–if any participant experiences sexual harassment they are encouraged to report it to the Holy Land Trust or Middle East Fellowship staff immediately. We recommend everyone, especially female participants, travel in pairs or in small groups.

Certain areas in the Palestinian Territories are not safe to visit. These are areas we avoid. (For example: the Gaza Strip, which is disconnected from the West Bank).