Palestinians work hard at trying to be the new Jews.

I suspect a number of you have heard of the Birthright Israel program and for those who haven’t; it is a program designed to bring young Jewish people from all over the world, who have never been to Israel, the opportunity to visit Israel.

Well, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that the Palestinians have decided to establish their own version of Birthright program.

The program, which will begin its first session in May, is run by the newly established Palestine Center for National Strategic Studies, which says it is a "nonprofit, nongovernmental Palestinian organization" based in the Dehaishe refugee camp in Bethlehem.

The group is not shy about its motivation. Its Web site explains: "Simply coming back to visit the land that your parents or grandparents were forced to flee from is a form of active nonviolent resistance against the illegal Israeli occupation. This is because this simple act opposes everything that the 'State of Israel' was founded on (the idea to ethnically cleanse the Holy Land/Palestine of all Arabs, so as to create a purely Jewish state)."

To establish a stronger Palestinian identity, the program is looking to bring first-generation, Western-born participants, 18 years of age or older, to Israel and to the West Bank for educational programs lasting between one and three months.

Reads the Web site: "Upon witnessing the situation in Palestine and completing the program, you will become an ambassador for the Palestinian Cause - your cause - and convince other diaspora Palestinians to return to their homeland so that our nation can continue to survive in exile until the day that we are able to all return home permanently."

The program mimics Zionist and Jewish initiatives almost exactly, even offering "ethnic Palestinian" participants the chance to "apply for Palestinian citizenship" at the Palestinian Authority's Interior Ministry, thus "formally requesting your right to return."

For all the similarities, the program does not support a two-state solution, offering trips to "all of historic Palestine, which includes both the 1967 territories (West Bank, Gaza Strip - OPT [Occupied Palestinian Territories]) and [the] 1948 territories, which some people refer to as 'Israel.'"

Birthright Palestine includes volunteer internships in Bethlehem, daily study of Arabic, cultural events and Thursday-night parties. Costing up to $2,900 for the three-month program, Birthright Palestine bills itself as a way to "contribute to the Palestinian economy... Every time you buy a bite to eat, hop in a cab, or buy something, you are putting food on a Palestinian family's table."

Egad – “1948 Territories which some people refer to Israel” and this from a non-Hamas, non-government West Bank group but it is the ten reasons to join which cracked me up - from ‘recconecting with your roots, to opportunity to obtain value work experience, and the opportunity to network with other diaspora Palestinians.

I wonder if the three month tour also includes a tour of these West Bank housing projects? Of course, the Israeli Birthright is a free trip, and at $2,900, I am not sure how successful the Palestinian launch of this program will be. Seems to me, the Palestinians are going about becoming the world’s new Jews all wrong and really need to work on their Jew creeds some more. Personally, I am waiting for Birthright Hamastan to be established as the itinerary alone would be worth the price of this trip. I bet the Shin Bet would think so too.