RAMALLAH, Wednesday, October 30, 2019 (WAFA) - A first-of-its-kind virtual reality app was launched today to give users, including those denied by Israel the opportunity to visit the occupied Palestinian territory, access to everyday life in Palestine.
The app, called Palestine VR, is available on Android and iOS and was developed by the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), a non-governmental organization that shares the story of Palestine with the world.
The app, said a PIPD press release, also allows users to see highlights from the trip Israel banned US Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from participating in.
Through the app, users can see historic and sacred sites like the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and how Israeli settlers are pushing Palestinians out of their homes in Jerusalem’s Old City; take in how massive the separation wall surrounding Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem is; walk the streets of the old town of Hebron with a former Israeli soldier and Palestinian human rights advocate who share how violent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians living in Hebron turned the business center into a ghost town; or get to know members of the Bedouin community of Khan al Ahmar, who are protecting their homes and schools from being demolished by the Israeli government.
"Those who visit Palestine and are exposed to the reality of oppression, discrimination and displacement are always moved by what they see. With Palestine VR, we want to bring this reality to people directly all over the world. We hope it inspires them to stand for justice and on the right side of history," said Salem Barahmeh, executive director of PIPD.
In August, Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were scheduled to participate in a landmark delegation to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Though they only planned to visit Palestine, Israel, which controls all ports of entry, decided to bar the two members of Congress from participating in the trip.
The move was encouraged by US President Donald Trump but widely condemned by elected US officials. The entry denial was particularly painful for Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian American and had planned to visit her grandmother in Beit Ur in the West Bank while on the trip.
Had the Congresswomen been permitted to visit and carry out their duties as elected officials, they would have met with Palestinian and Israeli civil society and peace groups working to address systemic and longstanding injustice, said the PIPD press release.
“Palestine aims to give viewers a glimpse of life in Palestine despite Israel‘s routine entry denial and attempts to cut Palestinians off from the rest of the world,” it said.
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