How ‘dual narrative’ peace tourism tours take travellers deep into complex relationships

In 2005, Aziz Abu Sarah – a Palestinian then living in east Jerusalem – met a Jewish friend who was visiting Israel from the United States.

Although it was the tail end of his tour, his friend had not met any Muslims or Arabs on his trip, and he was harbouring anti-Palestinian views.

“He was so one-sided, even though he knew me,” Abu Sarah says.

It was a revelation that planted the seed for Mejdi Tours, a tour operator intended to bridge the divide between two populations at odds with each other.

It would take four years, and the collaboration of Jewish-American co-founder Scott Cooper, to create the company.

At Mejdi’s heart is a “dual narrative” philosophy, meaning that each tour group is guided by a pair of locals who represent opposing religious, cultural, political or ethnic perspectives.