In July, activist Rachel Marcuse spent 10 days in Israel as part of the Taglit-Birthright -- a fully sponsored trip for young North American Jews to learn more about the country. She went to bear witness and ask questions about the Israeli state's treatment of Palestinians, and to learn about other complex issues in Israel today. After the program, she spent another 10 days elsewhere in Israel and the West Bank of Palestine talking to Israeli Jews, Arab Israelis, international activists, and Palestinians. This is the sixth of a seven-part series on what she found.

In July, activist Rachel Marcuse spent 10 days in Israel as part of the Taglit-Birthright program -- a fully sponsored trip for young North American Jews to learn more about the country. She went to bear witness and ask questions about the Israeli state's treatment of Palestinians, and to learn about other complex issues in Israel today. After the program, she spent another 10 days elsewhere in Israel and the West Bank of Palestine talking to Israeli Jews, Arab Israelis, international activists, and Palestinians. This is the third of a seven-part series on what she found.

Day 5

They are illegal, "a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and ... constitute a serious obstacle to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," said Minister Lawrence Cannon to the Foreign Affairs committee on March 16, 2010. He was referring to the Israeli settlements, colonies for Jews only, many of them built on privately owned Palestinian land.

The settlements have been Israeli policy since 1967, and still are, irrespective of the government of the day.