Abraham Path

Staying at the friendly El Beit Guesthouse, run by the Arab Women's Union and the wonderful Milada, were the board members of the Abraham Path. William Ury, the founder of this initiative, is a top American negotiator and if you've got 15 minutes or so to read this link you'll see not only that he's a remarkable and clear-sighted individual but also what the Abraham Path is all about. The board (about 12/15 people) were walking extensive parts of the path checking its viability for tourists in future. The entire project is designed to assist and enable the Palestinians, including some in the poorest rural areas, to develop a tourist economy. The board were also documenting their trip so that the website in future is really informative and helpful. Their website is http://www.abrahampath.org/about.php and you can follow their current trip right now. And this is the link to William Ury's talk.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_ury.html