Just Walk to Jerusalem (2017)

A journey of solidarity and apology

In 2017, to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration and 50 years of military occupation of the Palestinian Territories, Amos Trust undertook Just Walk to Jerusalem — a 3,400-kilometre walk from London to Jerusalem.

It was a simple but powerful idea: walk to Palestine as a modern pilgrimage, expressing solidarity with Palestinians, demonstrating commitment to peace and justice, and reflecting on Britain’s century-long failure to uphold Palestinian rights.

Ten walkers completed the entire route. Over 90 others joined at various stages. Together, they walked through Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Jordan — following ancient pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem.

The journey concluded in Jerusalem on 2nd November 2017 — exactly one hundred years after the Balfour Declaration.

Seeds of injustice

The roots of today’s injustice, inequality and violence were sown by the Balfour Declaration in 1917. On 2nd November 1917, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, wrote:

“His Majesty’s Government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.”

That final promise — “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights” of Palestinians — was broken almost immediately and has been violated continuously for over a century. Just Walk to Jerusalem was, in part, an apology for that broken promise and Britain’s ongoing complicity in Palestinian suffering.

The journey

The entire 3,400-kilometre route of the Just Walk to Jerusalem.

The walk ran from 10th June — the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza — to 2nd November 2017. The route covered 3,400 kilometres through seven countries, following ancient pilgrimage paths to Jerusalem.

The final ten days were spent visiting Palestinian communities in the West Bank — not as tourists, but as pilgrims seeking to express solidarity, to listen and to apologise on behalf of a British government that has never done so.

Walkers met families living under occupation, visited communities facing demolition orders, heard stories of resistance and resilience. They carried letters, signatures and messages of support from thousands of people across the UK.

On 2nd November 2017, exactly 100 years after Balfour’s letter, the walk concluded in Jerusalem — a symbolic completion of a journey seeking to acknowledge historic wrongs and commit to ongoing solidarity.

Watch our short film about Just Walk to Jerusalem →

A promise still broken

Over a century after the Balfour Declaration, Palestinians still don’t have the rights Britain promised to protect. They live under occupation, apartheid and systematic discrimination. Their homes are demolished. Their land is taken. Their freedom of movement is denied.

On 22nd September 2025, the UK government formally recognised the State of Palestine. As the flag was raised outside the Palestine embassy in West London, Hamish Falconer, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, acknowledged:

“The Balfour Declaration came with the promise that nothing shall be done — nothing that may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the Palestinian people — that has not been upheld.”

This recognition, over a century after the Balfour Declaration, marked a symbolic step toward acknowledging the historic wrongs Britain unleashed on the Palestinian people. But recognition alone doesn't end occupation or restore rights.

Legacy

Just Walk to Jerusalem was a one-time journey marking a significant centenary. But the solidarity it represented continues. The commitment to Palestinian rights it embodied remains.

Amos Trust continues to stand with Palestinians, to challenge UK government complicity and to work for justice, equality and an end to occupation — just as those walkers committed to do when they completed their pilgrimage in 2017.

The walk is over. The work continues.

Explore our current Palestine advocacy work →
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The original idea for Just Walk To Jerusalem was dreamt up by our friend — writer, director, producer and actor, Justin Butcher →