Dive into the complete episode list for Stories from Palestine. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
06 Feb 2022
From Holland to Palestine by bike
01:01:17
In the beginning of July 2021 Salah and his wife Nynke left Holland to go on a great adventure. They decided to go on a 6 month bike ride heading towards Istanbul and from there they would try to find a way to get to Egypt and from Egypt to Jordan and then finishing in Palestine to attend the wedding of Salah's sister in Balata camp in Nablus.
In this podcast episode, recorded with live audience in Beit Sahour, Palestine, you can hear from Salah how they decided to go on this long journey. How did they plan and carry out this trip, where did they sleep, what was their daily routine and what were some of the beautiful, fascinating, touching and crazy experiences they had on their way!
This bike trip was a life changing experience for Salah and for Nynke. And this story may inspire YOU to change some things in life. If there is one lesson to learn from Salah then it is that fear is only an idea. And if you can realize it, you can control fear and that will change your perspective on life.
If you want to watch the videos that Salah made go to his YouTube channel : Salah Hanoun on YouTube
If you want to support the podcast with a donation you can do that on the Ko-fi platform. You can also buy merchandise from the Redbubble webshop. Click this linktree to find all the links (including social media and Youtube) https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Black history month: the Afro Palestinian community in Jerusalem
00:56:38
February is Black History month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in US history. I thought it was a great moment to record an episode about the Afro Palestinian community in Jerusalem.
My friend Issam who runs Bassem's Gallery Bookshop Cafe in the Via Dolorosa helped me to connect to Mohammed Qous, a 22 year old member of the Afro Palestinian community, who grew up in the African quarter in the old city. His grandfather originates from Chad. He married seven women in his life and with a Palestinian woman from Jericho he had several children, among whom Mousa, the father of Mohammed. Mousa married a Palestinian woman from the United States and Mohammed was born and grew up in the African quarter.
In this episode he talks about the Afro Palestinian community. Most of the first generation came from Chad, Sudan, Senegal and Nigeria. They were in Jerusalem as part of a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem. When the Zionist militias occupied Palestine in 1948 and the State of Israel was declared, they remained in the city to protect Al Aqsa mosque. And the changed political situation made it hard for them to travel back to their countries. They remained in the city and they were given a quarter to live in, close to Bab al Misjla, one of the entrances to Al Aqsa compound, in two old Ottoman prison compounds. The African quarter exists until today and is overly crowded. It is considered one of the hotspots by the Israeli forces and there is constant Israeli police presence in the quarter.
On my way to the interview I had the incredible luck to meet Ali Jeddah, one of the icons of the Afro Palestinian community. Recently he has been spending more time with his family in Akko because he needs health treatment in the hospital in Haifa. But he loves Jerusalem and he can't stay away for long, so he came for a visit and he was sitting at his usual spot near the Damascus Gate. I was not prepared to interview him but I did record a conversation we had before I headed to the Cafe in the Via Dolorosa to meet with Mohammed.
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For this episode I joined the olive tree planting in Al Khadr, organized by the Keep Hope Alive campaign that is run by the JAI. (Joint Advocacy Initiative of the East Jerusalem YMCA and the YWCA of Palestine)
I interviewed several people on the field, some of the organizers and participants of the planting day. We talked about the threats that Palestinian landowners experience from expanding settlements, violent settlers and the army who are after the Palestinian land, trying to take it by force or in legal procedures. If land is not planted and exploited then it is easier for the Israeli settlers and the State to confiscate it through legal ways. That's why most Palestinians are planting olive trees. The trees do not need as much care as agriculture crops or grape vines, so even if they don't have regular access to their land due to the Israeli restrictions, walls and checkpoints, the olive trees have a larger chance to survive.
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This is a special episode in Dutch for the Dutch foundation 'Plant an olive tree' If you want to learn more about olive tree planting in Palestine you can listen to episode 6 of season 5 (20 February 2022) in English.
Dit is een speciale aflevering in het Nederlands gemaakt op verzoek van Stichting Plant een Olijfboom. In deze aflevering spreek ik met Esther over het werk van de Stichting.
Plant een Olijfboom ondersteunt geweldloos verzet van Palestijnse boeren tegen landconfiscatie door het aanplanten van gesponsorde olijfbomen. En promoot reizen om de situatie met eigen ogen te zien en de boeren te helpen.
Stichting Plant een Olijfboom werkt voor rechtvaardige vrede met gelijkwaardigheid voor alle burgers, inclusief recht op terugkeer voor Palestijnse vluchtelingen.
Iedereen die dat wil, kan een olijfboom sponsoren die in het volgende plantseizoen wordt aangeplant bij Palestijnse boeren. Daarmee help je voor hen de hoop levend te houden, toon je solidariteit en steun je hen in de strijd voor het behoud van hun land.
De Stichting werkt samen met een aantal betrouwbare Palestijnse partners. Een daarvan is de Joint Advocacy Initiative van de YMCA in Oost Jeruzalem en de YWCA van Palestina. De JAI oganiseert jaarlijks programma's waarbij buitenlandse vrijwilligers kunnen komen helpen met het werk op het land, het aanplanten van bomen en het plukken van olijven. Daarbij worden ook excursies en ontmoetingen met verschillende organisaties aangeboden.
Als je na het luisteren meer wilt weten, een olijfboom wilt sponsoren, op reis wil naar Palestina of als vrijwilliger actief wilt worden, ga dan naar de website en neem contact op! https://www.planteenolijfboom.nl
Stories from Palestine podcast heeft elke week een nieuwe aflevering met verhalen en geschiedenis uit Palestina. Je kunt ook via social media op de hoogte blijven. Bekijk ook eens de filmpjes op YouTube en meld je aan voor de wekelijkse email!
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The history of Tel Megiddo / Tel el Mutaselim (Armageddon)
00:30:03
Tel megiddo is an archaeological site in the Jezreel valley (Marj bin Amer in Arabic) where they found 25 layers of civilizations. Megiddo is mentioned several times in the Bible and it is associated with Armageddon, mentioned in the book of Revelations, the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, as the location for a final battle.
It is not for no reason that the writer of the book of Revelations chose to stage this battle at Har Megiddo (the mount of Megiddo, from which Armageddon is a corruption). This is the site of many ancient battles because of its very strategic location. If you controlled Megiddo, you controlled the most important trade route of that time, the Via Maris.
The most famous battle is the battle of Tuthmose III, the Egyptian Pharaoh, who led his army through the very arrow Aruna pass (Wadi Ara) to surprise the Canaanite vasal kings who were preparing for a rebellion.
In the 20th century the British army general Allenby, who read the stories of Tuthmose III, used the same strategy in World War I and he defeated the Turkish army at the same location, by coming through the same narrow pass.
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Five years ago, in 2017, the Walled Off Hotel opened its doors in Bethlehem. After a period of two years closure because of the Covid pandemic, the hotel has recently reopened.
The hotel is marketed as the hotel with the worst view, as it is located only a few meters from the eight meters high concrete wall that Israel built to carve out Rachel's tomb and a parking lot from Bethlehem for the exclusive visit of Israeli and foreign visitors to the site that is considered holy in all three monotheistic religions.
There is also an Israeli military army base in that area, right on the spot that used to be the ancient entrance to Bethlehem and which was a commercially busy street until it was blocked off by the Wall.
The Hotel's name is also a play on the famous and expensive high class Waldorf Hotels. There are eight rooms in the hotel that are designed by Banksy and other artists. The Hotel also has a museum that highlights the political reality for the Palestinians and gives an introduction to the geo-political history.
There is a lot of art to be seen in the Hotel. Both in the lobby and the bar as well as in the gallery upstairs. You can see work by Banksy himself and art work by more than sixty Palestinian artists. The work in the art gallery is also for sale.
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The Mount of Olives is situated to the East of the old city of Jerusalem. The Mount plays an important role in the Bible. It is the place where Jesus taught his disciples to pray. It is the place from where Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept for its future destruction. It is also from here that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and was welcomed by a crowd covering the street with palm branches. And of course it is the place where Jesus spent the last night before he was crucified, in the garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed to God asking if this cup could pass him.
The Mount of Olives and the Kidron and Hinnom valley are the location where according to all three monotheistic religions the final day of judgment will take place.
There are many churches, mosques and the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
In this episode I try to give a good impression of what you can see and of the history of these sites. It is absolutely not a complete description but rather an introduction. Hopefully you will come to visit the Mount of Olives for yourself one day!
If you make a donation to the podcast on Ko-fi the I will send you the link to the Mount of Olives video. When you make the donation on Ko-fi please refer to the video and send me your e-mail address!
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This episode was recorded in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, during our visit to Aida Youth Center where the director, Anas, spoke to us about the history of the refugee problem and life in the refugee camp.
There are 19 refugee camps in the Westbank, three of them are located in Bethlehem. Aida refugee camp is the most teargassed place in the world. There is an Israeli army base right next to the camp and the Israeli separation wall has been built just on the edge of the camp. There is literally no space for the Palestinians who live in Aida camp.
The camp was established by UNRWA in 1950 and families were given a tent to stay in. In 1956 they replaced the tents with rooms. One room for each six family members. There were no bathrooms and kitchens, only shared ones. These rooms have been replaced over time by houses built by the residents of Aida camp. And as there is no space to built outside of the camp area, they are building up, several floors. The camp has very narrow streets.
Aida camp is named after a Palestinian woman who had a coffee shop in this area and who was a support for the first refugees that came to Bethlehem. The inhabitants of the camp come from different towns and villages that used to be situated between Hebron and Jerusalem. They locked their homes and took their keys hoping that they would return after the attacks were over. But they were never allowed, despite the UN resolution 194 that states that all Palestinians have the right to return to their homes.
If you want to follow Aid Youth Center on social media, here are some links:
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Masada comes from the Hebrew word Metzad and this means fortress. It is basically a fortress that was built on top of a rock plateau. It is located very close to the Dead Sea and it is a bit south of the Westbank, so it is not accessible to Palestinians from the Westbank currently.
The fortress was built in the time of Herod the Great who prepared it to be able to withstand a long siege. The rock plateau had palaces, water cisterns, storage halls, workshops, residencies for generals and barracks for soldiers and even a Roman bathhouse.
The most famous story about Masada is that of the Roman siege in 73 AD when a group of Jewish Zealots who rebelled against the Romans, had taken the mount and decided that in case the Romans would take Masada, they would commit suicide.
This story is only known from one written account, by the Jewish apologist Flavius Josephus.
New research has shown that the ramp that the Romans started building, never reached the top of Masada. This really challenges the common understanding of HOW the Roman siege of Masada ended. Nevertheless, this is the story that is told by tour guides to the large amounts of visitors that visit Masada.
If you want to watch the film 'Avenge but one of my two eyes" by Avi Moghrabi who made parallels between the bravery of the Jewish Zealots who are praised by the Israeli narrative and the Palestinian freedom fighters who are put aside as terrorists, then go to this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Iy-IapIdY
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Date palm trees in Palestine, Palestinian medjoul dates
00:43:12
The month of Ramadan 2022 started in Palestine on the second of April. Between sunrise and sunset Muslims refrain from eating. When they break their fasting, they usually start by eating a date. They do this because according to the tradition prophet Mohamad used to break his fasting by eating a date.
Dates have many health benefits and they are a healthy replacement for refined sugar.
In Palestine date palm trees mainly grow in the Jordan valley, where the oxygen level is high due to the fact that the Jordan rift valley is about 300 meters below sea level. The climate is warm and dry. A perfect environment for the date trees.
Jamileh Dajani is the only female Palestinian date farm owner in the Jordan valley. Her husband works abroad and she runs this business by herself, with the help of some workers who take care of pollination and harvesting. Jamileh produces for the local market and prepares special Jamileh delights, dates dipped in chocolate and covered with crunchy nuts and coconut. Especially around Christmas and Ramadan she is very busy.
But still she found time to talk to me about the origins of the date palm trees, their specifics, the different kinds of dates, the health benefits, the challenges that Palestinian date farmers have and the difference between the dates from the Israeli settlements and the Palestinian producers.
You can find Jamileh dates on Instagram @jamilehdates
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Sami Huraini is a young Palestinian activist from the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. His village, just as many other Palestinian villages in that region, is in area C, which is under full Israeli military control. Settlers and Israeli military are making life very hard for the villagers, in order to persuade them to move away into towns and cities under Palestinian Authority. But Sami is very clear: we are not leaving. This is our village, this is our land. We will defend and protect ourselves in a non violent way.
Many of the villages in the South Hebron Hills are not connected to water or electricity. The people suffer from continuous attacks by settlers who set fire to their properties, steal their tools and even their life stock, violently attack shepherds, villagers and even children.
The Israeli military is often present but does nothing to prevent the settlers from attacking Palestinians.
In At-Tuwani the youth organized themselves in an initiative called Youth of Sumud. Sami is one of the community leaders and he was arrested in the beginning of this year. Originally without any charges, later soldiers made up some claims against him. He was given an award for human rights defenders who are at high risk. This has helped in getting more media attention and more diplomats to visit At-Tuwani.
Recently they opened a guesthouse where visitors can stay. They are welcome to join for a tour around the South Hebron Hills, to spend some time in solidarity with the villagers, to be protective presence and accompany farmers, shepherds and children.
If you want to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel, get a weekly e-mail or make a donation on Ko-fi, use the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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This is the fourth year that I use the month of Ramadan to deepen my own spirituality and break with some habits that I don't want to continue with and introduce new habits. They say if you do something for three weeks, it becomes a habit. During the four weeks of Ramadan I do not drink alcohol, I refrain from eating sugar and processed food and I focus on eating fresh vegetables, fruits and balanced meals. I drink more water also. And I start and end the day with yoga exercises and meditation.
During my walks I listen to spiritual podcasts. At the moment I am listening to the podcast "The Way Out is In" produced in Plum Village in France, about the Buddhist Zen tradition of Thich Nhath Hahn. It gives a lot of practical tools for being mindful, being in the present moment and allowing for feelings and emotions and suffering to be acknowledged and accepted as part of life.
During my mediation and calm and quiet moments this month, I have also been reflecting on my life in Palestine and the big decision I took to get married to a Palestinian and move here. Last summer I gave up the house I was still renting in Holland and now I have all my life in Palestine and I raise my children in this place.
In this podcast episode I share my reflections on the life in Palestine, focusing mainly on the cultural differences I experience and comparing how my life would have been different if we had decided to raise our children in Holland.
In this episode I used some soundbites I recorded in the last year of typical street sounds that we hear around us in the Bethlehem area.
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A critical tour in Silwan at the City of David archaeological site
00:55:12
On Sunday 17 April I took the bus from Beit Safafa to the old city to join a tour in Silwan with Emek Shaveh, an Israeli NGO that, in their own words, works to defend cultural heritage rights and to protect ancient sites as public assets that belong to members of all communities, faiths and peoples.
That day was Easter Sunday for the Catholic Church, Pesach for the Jews and Ramadan for the Muslims. As we walked up to Mount Zion we saw a lot of police blockades, police everywhere and Jewish people walking towards the plaza in front of the Buraq wall. We heard helicopters flying over and we realized it was a tense day to go on a tour in Silwan. During the tour we heard shooting several times.
Silwan is a Palestinian village close to the old city. Silwan is the place where the city of Jerusalem started in the Canaanite period, in the Bronze Age time. This is where the first small settlement was established near the Gihon spring.
Today there is a big archaeological site and a lot of excavations are happening in Silwan. With archaeologist and founder of Emek Shaveh, Yonathan Mizrachi, we walked around the visitor center and the excavations and other parts of Silwan, to talk about how archaeology is used to make claims of ownership and to create a justification for taking over the Palestinian area of Silwan.
There are two settler organizations active in Silwan: Elad and Ateret Cohanim. They use different methods to take over houses from Palestinians and create Jewish presence in the neighborhood.
In this episode you can hear from archaeologist Yonathan Mizrachi that there is no evidence that the palace of King David was built in this area. They have not found anything from the 10th century, the time of King David, although the site is called 'City of David' archaeological park.
If you want to connect to Stories from Palestine podcast on social media, check out the YouTube channel, sign up for the mailinglist or make a donation to support the podcast, then you can use this linktree :https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Mama's Palestinian kitchen facebook group, Palestinian diaspora and right of return
01:01:00
In this episode you can hear Palestinian American activist Abbas Hamideh, the founder of Al Awda for the right of return of Palestinians and the founder of the immensely popular Facebook group Mama's Palestinian Kitchen!
Abbas was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the United States. When he was 12 years old his father took him to his homeland, Palestine. They went to Deir Yassin, in West Jerusalem, where his father is originally from. At the same age as Abbas was during that first visit, 12 years old, his father witnessed the Deir Yassin massacre. He survived it and he ended up in a refugee camp in Jericho. In 1967 they were expelled again and they left to Puerto Rico.
This visit changed everything for Abbas. He understood the sadness, the bitterness and the anger of Palestinians in diaspora. He decided to become an activist, to struggle for the right of return of the Palestinian refugees that got scattered around the world. He established Al Awda and they organized many awareness raising events and protests.
During the Covid pandemic they could not do anymore protests and gatherings. Some of the platforms on social media that Palestinians were on, were not necessarily a safe space where they could publicly share their love for Palestine. There was a particular group where Arabic food was the common ground, but the admins kept blocking Palestinians who were critical and asked to boycott Israeli products.
So Abbas decided to start with Mama's Palestinian Kitchen and he could have never imagined how successful that would be. He had to ask friends to help him moderate the group and they had to come up with some strict rules in order to keep the page manageable and alive.
Check out the website of Al Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition https://al-awda.org/
Connect to Stories from Palestine podcast on social media, check out the YouTube channel, sign up for the newsletter and do a very much appreciated donation to keep the podcast going! All the links can be found on: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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This site is technically not in Palestine but in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. It is only a few kilometers west of Tel el Qadi (Tel Dan) and it is really a beautiful ancient site with an interesting history. It was the most northern part of the region that Jesus ever visited and according to the Bible it was here that he first confirmed to his disciples that he was the Messiah.
Banias is called after the Greek god of fertility, nature and wildlife: Pan. It was believed that his birth cave was here in the big cliff and the same cave was considered to be the entrance to Hades, the underworld, where the fertility gods would spent time during winter.
People used to come and sacrifice goats to Pan by throwing them in the spring. If the goat did not sink down then the sacrifice was not accepted and they would toss in new born babies.
During excavations a lot of statues of deities were found and remains of Temples that were built in Greek and Roman time.
The son of Herod the Great, Philip, made it the capital of his territory and named it Caesarea Philippi, after the emperor Caesar Augustus and after himself. It was a thriving Roman city. Jesus never entered the city but he came up to the cave of Hades to proclaim that he would be victorious over death.
After his visit to Banias he went down south towards Jerusalem and on one of the mountains, thought to be Mount Tabor, the transfiguration happened and he radiated in glory and he was seen by his apostles with Moses and Elijah.
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In this episode you can hear Nadim Nashif and Mona Shtaya who both work for 7amleh, The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media and Digital Rights in the Palestinian context.
We talk about several aspects of their work. For example how social media is censoring Palestinians and others with a pro-Palestinian message. Many Palestinians have their social media profiles shut down without a valid reason and it is often hard to counter that.
Another issue that 7amleh works on is digital security and the use of Israeli spyware on Palestinians and beyond. Recently there was a scandal when it was discovered that Pegasus malware, produced by the Israeli NSO group, was found on devices of human rights defenders, journalists and state representatives.
Other topics we discuss are PayPal, that doesn't have integration for Palestinians to use with their local bank accounts, and Google Maps that does not show Palestinian cities and towns in the Westbank on their maps, while it does show clear details of illegal Israeli settlements.
Furthermore, we discussed a recent campaign to counter Hate Speech online. The campaign targets Palestinians to raise awareness about abusive language on social media and how to recognize it.
This is their website: https://7amleh.org/ (Click the English language button on top left)
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With a group of fifteen Palestinians and foreigners we visited the Arak distillery of Nader Muaddi in Beit Jalla. This podcast episode was recorded during his presentation.
Nader Muaddi is very passionate about the craft of distilling Arak and the Palestinian heritage of this product. Arak is the oldest spirit in the world. Every single spirit comes from the roots of Arak. It started in the 8th / 9th century when the Arabs had their renaissance period. The first person documented in the world to distill alcohol was the Arab scientist Jaber Bin Hayan, after whom 'algebra' was named, who lived in Baghdad. He said that it is of little practical use but of scientific significance nonetheless.
He originally created the still to refine the process of making 'al-kuhl', the medieval eyeliner that was used to make lines under the eyes to absorb the sunlight. It didn't work for that purpose so he tried using it for other purposes and he discovered how to distill it to make alcohol, that could also be used for medicinal purposes. And people didn't know how to name it so they used the name 'al-kuhl', the name of the eyeliner. When it arrived to the European ports the name changed in pronunciation to alcohol.
In this podcast episode Nader explains the history of distilling Arak in a very engaging and informative way and he really brings pride to this old craft.
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In the Naqab desert you can find the Nabatean desert cities that were established on the incense and spices route. This was a very important trade route that stretched over about 1800 kilometers from Yemen / Oman until the port in Gaza. The trade was mainly in frankincense and myrrh, but also pearls, gold and cotton were traded. As the camels needed to stop every 35 kilometers to rest and drink, there were about 65 stops on the whole incense route.
The Nabateans, a nomadic Bedouin group in the Arabian desert, was very familiar with the area and the places where to find water. They developed cisterns where they collected rainwater that they marked secretly so that only they could find them. This meant that all traders were depending on the Nabateans for water.
The Nabateans set up forts and protected resting places on the incense route that grew into cities. When the Romans took over control of the incense route and moved it to go through Egypt, the Nabateans developed desert agriculture and specialized in wine making. They also converted largely to Christianity in the Byzantine time.
The excavated cities of Avdat, Mamshit, Shivta and Haluza are on the UNESCO world heritage list since 2005. They are National Parks that you can visit by paying an entrance fee.
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Community Action Center to empower the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem
01:01:14
In 1999 Al-Quds University created the “Community Action Center” (“CAC”), a semi autonomous association, which aims to empower the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem.
The CAC aims to empower the disadvantaged Palestinians of East Jerusalem to access their rights and entitlements and negotiate the complex bureaucratic procedures that control the flow of these rights.
Most Palestinian inhabitants of East Jerusalem are residents and not citizens of Israel. They have to prove that the center of their life is actually in Jerusalem, otherwise they will lose their residency. As Palestinians can’t leave East Jerusalem as they will lose their residency, they need to build new homes for their children in East Jerusalem. But they barely get the permits needed to build new houses, even on their own land property. When they decide to build without a permit, there is a chance to receive a demolition order. They have to demolish their own house. If they don't do it, the authorities will come, do it for them and present them with a huge bill of around a hundred thousand dollars.
The Israeli policies in Jerusalem are made to increase the number of Jewish inhabitants and reduce the number of Palestinians.
Many Palestinians do not know what their rights are, how to deal with the authorities and where to find support. The CAC gives legal assistance, advice and works on advocacy to get the international community involved.
In this episode you can hear General Director Mounir Nuseibeh and Advocacy Officer Munir Marjieh.
TIP: Listen to 'Pre-occupation pod' a not so short history of Palestine, available on most podcast players or use this link: Listen to the podcast
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In the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where Israeli settlers are in the process of taking over many Palestinian houses, there is an archive where Palestinians can store their photos, diaries, posters and other tangible documents. It is the first Palestinian run archive that is trying to collect memories, history AND documents that are produced TODAY, to store them for future generations.
The initiative is called 'Khazaeen', the Arabic word for 'cabinets'. Each Palestinian that brings documents to Khazaeen, gets its own box, its own cabinet, to store the documents. Through interviews, stories are collected and published on the blog of Khazaeen's website and on social media. The items are digitized and the owner can decide to take them home or to leave them in the cabinet. In the process of collecting and bringing documents to Khazaeen, many Palestinians have learned about the life and circumstances of their own ancestors. Often this has helped them to understand their own family history and the generational trauma that has been passed on, especially through the experiences of the Nakba in 1948 and the Naksa in 1967.
"It is very important to write our own history and to collect our own archive, rather than having our history stored in the colonial archives of the State of Israel", says Eman Alyan.
"It is also important to collect brochures, pamphlets, posters, photos and art work of today, so we can save it for the future. "
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Visit Palestine this October with Saleem & Kristel
00:31:13
In this episode you can hear all about the Visit Palestine October program that Saleem and myself are organizing! This 10-days program includes a full day of olive picking and two nights with local families in the village of Abud.
We will visit many of the people and places that you have heard about in the last two years of podcast episodes!
We will start the program on Monday 3 October with an introduction to get all participants on the same page when it comes to history and terminology that we will need to understand throughout the visit.
The first nights we will stay in Beit Sahour in a family hotel and we will discover Bethlehem area, Battir and Jerusalem. Then we will go towards Jericho and on our way we will visit several of the desert monasteries and of course Hisham's palace! Of course we won't miss out on the experience of floating in the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.
The next two days we will be in Abud, a small village north west of Ramallah. The people of Abud will welcome us in their homes and we will get a chance to connect with the local families. On Sunday there is a full day of olive picking including a nice brunch on the field.
In Taybeh we have the opportunity to visit the famous Taybeh beer brewery as well as a local distillery.
In Nablus there is so much to explore, the Turkish bath, the olive soap factory, the spices shop, the Ottoman clock tower, the Green Mosque and of course we will eat Knefeh Nabulsiya.
On our way back to Bethlehem we pass by Mount Gerizim and we will visit the Samaritan community and learn more about their relation to the land and their claim that the true Temple was not in Jerusalem but on Mount Gerizim.
There is a free day in Bethlehem that you can use to rest and relax, to go shopping, to discover more in Bethlehem or in Jerusalem and we can strongly advice to take the Sacred Cuisine food tour in the old city of Jerusalem.
The last day we head to the West towards the Mediterranean Sea and we will visit the city of Jaffa.
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New season new plans for tour guiding in Palestine
00:17:09
After a long summer break I am back with new episodes. But from now on you can listen to the podcast bi-weekly. In this episode I will tell you about my new plans for this coming year and I need YOUR help (and help of all my friends, relatives and podcast listeners!) to proceed with this plan. That's why I am explaining you why I think it is an important step in my life and how you can help me. If you agree and if you can and want to support, then this is the link you need to click: https://www.gofundme.com/f/national-tour-guide-license-for-kris
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A short episode recorded under the olive tree in the garden to update you on the crowdfunding for the fees of the tour guide program in Jerusalem! With good news that we reached the goal! Including a shout out to some of the donors but I couldn't mention everybody because there are 69 people who supported me!!
Also an update about the visit to the Open House of the School of Tourism and the English test I had to do there that consisted of a text to praise the greatness of Israel and how I managed with that...
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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an introduction (part 1 of 2)
00:26:37
One of the most visited sites in the old city of Jerusalem is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is where Christians venerate the place where Jesus was crucified and where he was buried in a tomb. Pilgrims that visit Jerusalem will follow the 'way of the cross' or in Latin the 'Via Dolorosa', the way of his suffering. On the route there are 14 stations where the pilgrims stop to remember something that happened to Jesus on his way to the Golgotha (in Aramaic) or the Calvary (in Latin). This translates as the place of the Skull. The location, on the cliff overlooking a stone quarry, where Jesus was nailed to the cross. The last 5 stations of the Via Dolorosa are inside the church.
In this episode you can learn more about the crucifixion and why emperor Constantine and his mother Helena decided to build the first Church commemorating this event on this exact location.
In the following episode I will take you into the Church for a guided audio tour.
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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre part 2, an audio tour
00:40:27
In the previous episode you could hear an introduction to the history of the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem.
This episode can be used as an audio tour when you are visiting the Church. Start on the square in front of the main entrance.
If you are listening from elsewhere you can follow the description and use your imagination! There are lots of photos online as well as YouTube videos. Here is a 20 minutes documentary by AlJazeera English that gives an idea about the church and the community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrsqNJIRGPU
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In this episode you can hear an interview with Colette Ghunim about the film 'Traces of Home' that she has been working on for the past years. The film brings her parents back to Mexico and Palestine from where they respectively were forced to leave due to different circumstances.
Colette grew up in a suburb of Chicago and was never really exposed to her roots as her parents were trying to move beyond their trauma and focused on raising their children in the American society.
When Colette lived for a while in Egypt she made some social media reports about women harassment and when her video went viral, she decided to make a short documentary about this topic.
This experience led her to a new project: tracing her roots with her parents, documenting their journeys back to the homes where they had to leave from.
Colette's father is Palestinian, born in 1944. His family was forcibly displaced from Safad in 1948. Although her father did not have clear memories of Safad and of the Nakba, he carries the family trauma with him and as they are making this film the family is going through a process of grief and healing.
You can sign up for the mailing list to stay updated about the development of the film and streaming and screening in the future: https://tracesofhome.com/
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Apo Sahagian is a singer and works in different artistic related projects in Jerusalem. He is also the host of the podcast 'Apo and the city'. He grew up in the old city of Jerusalem in the Armenian quarter. His family came to Jerusalem in the 1920s when many Armenians fled from the genocide committed by the Ottoman empire.
In this episode Apo gives us more insight into the Armenian community in Palestine. The Armenians came in three waves. As the first Christian nation in the world, King Tiridates III adopted Christianity as state religion in 301 AD, they have a long history of connection to Jerusalem. The first Crusaders married Armenian princesses and there are several Crusader Queens of Jerusalem that were of Armenian descent, such as the famous queen Melisande. So the first wave dates back from that time, the 12th century AD. These Armenians have integrated into the Palestinians society and even though they cherish their heritage they are much more assimilated than the second wave.
The second wave is the result of displacement during the Ottoman time and these Armenians are still much more connected to the homeland and as diaspora Armenians they are trying to preserve their culture and heritage and they have stronger connections to Armenia.
The third wave consists of Armenians who came to Israel in the time that many Russians were accepted as Jews to the live in Israel. Some of these Armenians are not even really Jewish but they took the opportunity to try have a better economic life. They have been given Israeli citizenship and they are trying to stay out of politics and just live their life.
Apo talks about the Armenian quarter with its convent and the Armenian churches and about what Armenians brought to Palestine in general and Jerusalem in particular.
If you want to listen to his music you can search for Apo & the Apostles
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During this episode I will take you on an audio tour to the Sea of Galilee where we will visit Bethsaida, Chorazin, Capernaum, Tabgha and the Mount of Beatitudes. These are pilgrimage locations related to places where according to tradition Jesus lived, spoke to his followers, visited synagogues and did miracles.
Disclaimer: I am a trained tour guide at the Bethlehem Bible College, I am not a theologian and I do not belong to any religion. I am telling the stories the way they were told and explained to me by Palestinian Christians who still live in the land where Jesus lived 2000 years ago.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the mailinglist, check out the website and the travel programs and make a donation to the podcast, all via this one link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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From Peleset to Falastin: a history of the name Palestine
00:42:09
Where did the name Palestine come from and for how long has it been in use? After reading the book "Palestine a four thousand year history" by Nur Masalha, a Palestinian historian and academic, it became clear that the name Palestine has been used since the 13th century BC until today. Only in the last decades did the use of the name Palestine become estranged, with the establishment of the State of Israel and the vilification of the Palestinian people. Many people doubt whether they can speak about Palestine and Palestinians. Using the name Palestine feels uncomfortable to many people.
In his book, Nur Masalha shows with proof of many documents and quotes that the name Palestine has been the most common name that was used to describe the region between Egypt and today's Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, since it replaced the names Djahi, Retenu and Canaan.
The first mention of the people living in the southern part of the Levant, the Peleset, gives the root letters for the name Philistia and Palaistine, that is used by the Assyrians and later the Greeks and Romans.
The Arabic name Falastin derives directly from the name Palaistine, but in Arabic there is no letter P in the alphabet so they replaced it with the letter F.
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In this episode I speak with Yousef Khoury, which translates to Joseph the priest, a Christian Palestinian originally from Gaza, who now lives in Bethlehem. He is the 43rd generation in his family of which 36 generations were priests in the Orthodox priesthood. He studied biblical studies at the Bethlehem Bible College, he has a masters of divinity in theology and mission from the US and is currently working on his doctorate at the University of Amsterdam.
We talk about the history of Christianity in Palestine and the decreasing number of Palestinians who still live in Palestine. We discuss their challenges living under Israeli military and colonial rule and their efforts to counter the Christian Zionist narrative.
As we are approaching Christmas and this episode was recorded in Bethlehem, we end the episode with a Christmas wish and message for everyone around the world.
If you want to learn more about Palestinian theology of liberation these are some sources to check out:
Books:
Munther Isaac, The Other Side of the Wall Mitri Raheb, Faith in the Face of Empire Websites:
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The shaping of the Palestinian identity and the Palestinian national project
01:11:01
In this episode you can hear Bassam, the host of the podcast: "PreOccupation: A not so brief history of Palestine."
Bassam emphasizes the importance of telling the Palestinian story and the futility of trying to counter hasbara (a term in Hebrew that refers to the advocacy for Israel, a form of propaganda).
He explains that we should distinguish between the shaping of the Palestinian identity, the collective consciousness, and the Palestinian national project. When and where did these emerge and who can be considered the first Palestinian?
We also talk about how the Palestinian identity, despite insurmountable obstacles, has been so successful in surviving.
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Mohamad Saleh grew up as a city boy. He never worked in a garden or grew his own food until he had an opportunity to travel to Turkey to be close to his partner and live for some time in a WWOOF project where he learned all about Permaculture.
When he came back to Palestine he decided to start working on bringing the concepts of permaculture closer to the community and he established 'Mostadam'
He emphasizes the importance of healing of individuals in general in order to be able to feel more compassion towards each other and towards nature. He talks about how he is trying to work within the context of the political reality in Palestine as well as the natural environment, in areas with little rainfall and in refugee camps with little soil.
Watch: The Wanted 18 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3946020/ Follow Stories from Palestine podcast on social media, check out the YouTube channel, sign up for the mailinglist and do a very appreciated donation on the Ko-fi platform, all through this one link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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The most visited site in Bethlehem is the Church of Nativity on Manger Square. It is the oldest church in the world that is still in use by the local community and that is visited by over two million pilgrims every year.
The Church of Nativity is on the UNESCO world heritage list together with the pilgrimage route that passes through today's Star Street. This is the road that Mary and Joseph would have taken to reach Bethlehem where they had to go because of the Roman census organized by Quirinius. When they did not find a place to sleep in a 'kataluma' which is often translated as inn, but in Bethlehem it is interpreted as a guestroom, they were offered to stay in one of the many caves that are so common in the landscape.
Most people in the West grow up with the image of Jesus in a wooden manger in a wooden stable. But the Church of Nativity is built over the cave that has a very early tradition of veneration for being the birthplace of Jesus.
In this episode we explore the history of the church and the biblical account. In the following episode you can go on an audio tour inside the Church!
If you want to read along you can find the full transcript of this episode on the website.
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In the previous episode you could learn more about the history of the Church of Nativity, built over the birth cave of Jesus. In this episode I am taking you on a tour inside the Church to explain you some of its most interesting features. You can use this audio guide when you visit the church in Bethlehem but you can also listen to it from the comfort of your home or while you are walking, cleaning or commuting.
If you want to visit the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem with a real tour guide then you can reach out to me, I am a licensed tour guide by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism.
For more information on the podcast and to connect on social media or if you want to do a donation to help me to continue producing new episodes you can use this link tree: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
I have not been able to record new episodes recently because I am so busy with the Israeli tour guide course. Many people have asked me how that is going so I decided to record an episode about my experience in the first four months of this course.
In the meantime I got my tour guide license by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and I have taken the first small group into the Church of Nativity as a licensed tour guide. That was an amazing moment, especially because it took me almost 4 years to get that license!
And now I am also taking the course in Jerusalem so that I can be a licensed guide in all of the country. It is very interesting, challenging at times, a different narrative and a very diverse group of people. In this episode you can hear more about that!
If you want to get access to unique video content that I am taking during the tours then you can become a Ko-fi member and support the podcast and in return you get access to short videos with explanation. Use this link to find the Ko-fi page AND to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
On the Mediterranean coast you can find the ruins of a city that first became a large sized city during the Canaanite period. Of this period the oldest brick wall and arched gate have been excavated and can now be visited. You can even pass through the gate! The National Park in which the ruins of Asqalan can be visited has some very interesting sites: the biggest Roman basilica found in the area, a Phoenician dog cemetery, an antilia (water wheel) that brought fresh water up from above the salt water table, a large sycamore tree, the remains of a Byzantine church, the remains of city walls from several time periods and of course you can enjoy the nature in the park and the Mediterranean Sea and beach!
Asqalan was one of the five Philistine cities that formed the Pentapolis: Gaza, Ashdod, Asqalan, Gath and Ekron. It is mentioned several times in the Bible.
To learn more about the history of Asqalan, listen to this episode!
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The Palestinians call it Akka, in English they say Acre, which goes back to how the Crusaders called the city, today we hear people referring to it as Akko and the root letters AK go back to the Egyptian execration texts in hieroglyphic script that mention AK already in the 19th century BC.
Today we can talk about three parts of Akka: the old city inside the Ottoman walls on a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea, the ancient city that dates back to early and middle bronze age on the Tel east of the old city and modern Akko that has developed in the last decades and now incorporates the ancient Tel, known in Arabic as Tel el Fukhar.
When you visit Akka today, you will mainly see the remains of the Crusader period and the Ottoman period. The biggest tourist attractions are: the Crusader Knights' halls, the Crusader tunnel, the old city with its 'khans', the Al Jazzar mosque, the sea port with its fish restaurants, the suq and the Ottoman city walls.
In this episode you can learn more about the ancient history of Akko.
If you want to connect on social media, subscribe for the newsletter, learn more about the ten days travel program or make a donation to the podcast, use this linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
In a previous episode with Apo Sahagian, we talked about the Armenian community in Jerusalem. This episode is a deeper dive into the history of the Armenians and their presence in the holy land in general and in Jerusalem in particular.
The newly renovated Edward and Helen Mardigian Armenian Museum of Jerusalem offers a wealth of stories about the Armenians of Jerusalem.
A key attraction is the sixth century mosaic floor that was found in the Musrara neighborhood while a Palestinian family was putting the pillar of a house in 1894. The mosaic had been part of an ancient Armenian convent, Saint Polyeuctus, one of the 72 Armenian convents that the holy land used to have.
The Armenian inscription on the mosaic says: in memory and salvation of all Armenian martyrs whose names only God knows.
The museum is divided into two floors, the ground floor tells the history of the Armenians from the first century BC to present day. The second floor tells the history of the Armenian genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century.
The building in which the museum is housed, sheltered hundreds of children who became orphans due to the genocide.
Phone: 00 972 2 6328807 E-mail: mamjerusalem@gmail.com Opening hours: from 9.00 til 16.00 Closed on Sundays and Mondays Address: Armenian Patriarchate Road, across the Armenian parking lot
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Beit Shean or Beisan as it is called by Palestinians because before 1948 it was called Beisan and it had a population of 6000 people, is mainly known for the excavation of the ancient city and it is sometimes compared to Pompeii that was preserved so well because of the volcanic eruption, in this case the remains of Roman and Byzantine Beit Shean were preserved after a major earthquake. The ruins remained undisturbed and are now part of an archaeological park.
The history of Beit Shean goes back to the Canaanite period, about 4000 years ago!
It became an important Egyptian administrative center and it is mentioned in the Bible.
It grew into a really big Roman city with a lot of typical Roman features and it was the capital of the Decapolis. It flourished in Byzantine time. But then it was hit very hard by the major earthquake of 749 and since then the ruins have been left untouched.
Today it is a national park that requires an entrance fee. It is located on the north side of the modern city of Beit Shean, it is South of the Lake of Galilee and it is east (north east) of Jenin.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, find out more about trips to Palestine, sign up for the e-mail list and support the podcast, all through this one link: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Civil Society for Dignity in Palestine part 1 : introduction to Palestinian civil society
00:34:27
This is the first part of a trilogy that I made for Pax Palestine Podcast about the 'Civil Society for Dignity' project, a project by MEND, PCR, PCPD and PAX for Peace, supported by the European Union. This project aims to bridge the gap between the Palestinian civil society and the local governments.
In this first episode you will learn more about the political reality for Palestinians under military rule and the civil society landscape of Palestine, in an interview with George Rishmawi, Director of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement of people.
Partners in this joined project are:
MEND stands for Middle East Non Violence and Democracy. MEND promotes active nonviolence and encourages alternatives to violence among youth and adults throughout Palestine. MEND employs innovative methods, especially with the media, and is widely respected for working with authenticity, professionalism and courage.
PCR is the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between people. PCR works to bridge the gap between Palestinians and peoples from all around the world, informing the public about the reality in Palestine, and empowering the community through nonviolent direct action.
PCPD is the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy. They were established to promote a just peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and relevant United Nations Resolutions towards a two state solution, in which democracy and social justice are guaranteed.
PAX for Peace is based in the Netherlands and works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
If you want to know more about the work of Pax for Peace you can visit their website https://paxforpeace.nl
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Civil Society for Dignity in Palestine part 2 : Palestinian civil society involvement
00:35:29
This is the second part of a trilogy I made for Pax Palestine Podcast about the 'Civil Society for Dignity' project, a project by MEND, PCR, PCPD and PAX for Peace, supported by the European Union. This project aims to bridge the gap between the Palestinian civil society and the local governments.
In this episode you will learn more about the project 'Civil Society for Dignity' itself. Muna Rishmawi, the project manager, talks about the aims of the project, the cooperation between the different organizations that are involved and how the project is being implemented. One of the young female participants, Aseel, tells us about her personal experiences and what her participation meant to her personal development. We conclude with Yara, who carried out a research and shares her findings with us.
Partners in this joined project are:
MEND stands for Middle East Non Violence and Democracy. MEND promotes active nonviolence and encourages alternatives to violence among youth and adults throughout Palestine. MEND employs innovative methods, especially with the media, and is widely respected for working with authenticity, professionalism and courage.
PCR is the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between people. PCR works to bridge the gap between Palestinians and peoples from all around the world, informing the public about the reality in Palestine, and empowering the community through nonviolent direct action.
PCPD is the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy. They were established to promote a just peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and relevant United Nations Resolutions towards a two state solution, in which democracy and social justice are guaranteed.
PAX for Peace is based in the Netherlands and works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
If you want to know more about the work of Pax for Peace you can visit their website https://paxforpeace.nl
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Civil Society for Dignity in Palestine part 3 : Media training for Palestinian youth
00:30:59
This is the third and last part of a trilogy that I made for Pax Palestine Podcast about the 'Civil Society for Dignity' project, a project by MEND, PCR, PCPD and PAX for Peace, supported by the European Union. This project aims to bridge the gap between the Palestinian civil society and the local governments.
In this last episode Anwaar, who works for MEND and is the media and outreach coordinator for this project and journalist Hayat Hamdan tell us more about an important part of the Civil Society for Dignity project: the media training. This training helps young Palestinians to brainstorm about and to vocalize what they would like to change in their societies and it teaches them the skills and tools to create media content that can be used to communicate their wishes for change. This is an important skill that can be used in civil society participation on the political level.
Partners in this joined project are:
MEND stands for Middle East Non Violence and Democracy. MEND promotes active nonviolence and encourages alternatives to violence among youth and adults throughout Palestine. MEND employs innovative methods, especially with the media, and is widely respected for working with authenticity, professionalism and courage.
PCR is the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between people. PCR works to bridge the gap between Palestinians and peoples from all around the world, informing the public about the reality in Palestine, and empowering the community through nonviolent direct action.
PCPD is the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy. They were established to promote a just peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and relevant United Nations Resolutions towards a two state solution, in which democracy and social justice are guaranteed.
PAX for Peace is based in the Netherlands and works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
If you want to know more about the work of Pax for Peace you can visit their website https://paxforpeace.nl
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
After almost a year of radio silence, I am back to producing new episodes! Last year was very intense for everyone and I was unable to continue the podcast. In this first introduction to the new season, I am trying to explain what happened. I can not go into the details but hopefully you will accept my apologies for disappearing just like that.
I am also back on social media and you can find me and the Ko-fi page for donations towards producing the podcast through this link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
This is interview with Yousef Khoury, a Christian Palestinian theologian originally from Gaza, currently living in Bethlehem, was conducted in April 2024. The content of this interview was used for the book: "Daybreak in Gaza, stories of Palestinian lives and culture". In this interview Yousef shares with us his memories of Gaza before the destruction that happened since 7 October 2023.
The book was edited by Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller, with Juliette Touma and Jayyab Abusafia. Published by Saqi Books (London). Profits from sales are being donated to the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. The book includes writing and images from almost 100 contributors, bringing together stories, essays, war diaries, memoirs, poems and artworks by all sorts of people from Gaza or connected to Gaza - writers and artists, but also shopkeepers, farmers, teachers, medics, office workers, and more.
You can order “Daybreak in Gaza” at your local bookshop in any country, or from Amazon and other online bookstores - but there are two extra-special ways to order:
1- Direct from the publisher at https://saqibooks.com/ - they will ship worldwide, and buying from the publisher maximizes the amount going to charity. (Also, Saqi have been publishing books about Palestine and the wider Middle East for decades, and have a fantastic list of fiction and non-fiction titles that is well worth exploring).
2- Or you can choose to support the Palestinian economy directly by ordering from EducationalBookshop.com - This is a Palestinian-owned and Palestinian-run bookshop in the eastern part of Jerusalem run by the co-author of DAYBREAK IN GAZA, Mahmoud Muna and his family for many years. They will ship worldwide.
This October and November, the book’s editors Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller will be speaking about Gaza, and Palestine, in London and cities around the UK, with events planned in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and elsewhere. Keep an eye on SaqiBooks.com and Matthew’s website matthewteller.com, where tour updates will be posted.
The launch event is scheduled for Thursday 3rd October, at the famous Stanfords bookshop in London.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The Makhrour valley is situated between Beit Jala and Battir and the larger part of this valley has been designated as part of a world heritage site registered by UNESCO as 'Palestine, land of olives and vines'
The slopes of hills on either side of the Makhrour valley have terraces that date back to at least the Roman era. These agricultural terraces are farmed by Palestinian farmers from Beit Jala and Battir.
On a hot September morning I walked with my friend Dee down the valley to visit Shadi who started farming two years ago on the renovated land of his family. He is selling his produce at our Singer Cafe every Wednesday morning. This year the summer heat came very early in June and most of his crops burnt. I wanted to check on him and see what remained of his hard work.
After our visit we passed by the solidarity tent of the Kisiya family as they were just holding a press conference and preparing for a solidarity march with representatives of different faith communities. The family is struggling against a group of settlers and the Jewish National Fund trying to take over the land. The family was leasing this land from the original owner who left the country and passed away abroad. According to the local law the Kisiya family now has the right to remain on the land until a descendant of the owner would claim the land, but as far as they know, the owner did not have any offspring.
The settlers have not been able to prove they have bought the land. But the military issued a new military order preventing the Kisiya family from entering the Makhrour valley.
An international solidarity vigil is planned for 29 September. You can organize your own activity or join an event in your country.
Go to https://linktr.ee/savealmakhrour to connect and follow the efforts to save al Makhrour on Instagram. If you want to join the WhatsApp community you can contact them on the contact form.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
On a Friday evening in September I attended a beautiful concert of the Amwaj children's choir in Bethlehem. I had tears rolling down my eyes. Not only did the choir sound so beautiful, but also did I realize what Palestinian children in the Westbank are suffering through. And how their peers in Gaza are losing everything, their houses, their beloved ones, their schools, their chances, their future, their hope...
I decided to interview Michele Cantoni, an Italian musician (violinist) who established the Amwaj choir with his wife Mathilde Vittu, the Choir Director.
The Amwaj choir has two branches, one in Hebron and one in Bethlehem. Children who want to be part of the choir have to commit to all the rehearsals and the performances. There is no fee, the choir is for free, available to all children who want to make the commitment.
The repertoire consists of songs in many different languages. They have performed in different parts of Palestine as well as in France, Belgium and Italy.
This year they adapt the choice of the songs to the current reality with themes like solidarity and freedom.
In this episode you can hear some soundbites that I recorded during the concert and of course the interview I did with Michele a few days later.
If you want to read more about the Amwaj choir or if you want to contact Michele and Mathilde please go to : https://amwajchoir.org
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
A house in Jerusalem, interview with filmmaker Muayad Elayyan
01:02:37
Recently the kids and I watched the film 'A house in Jerusalem' by filmmaker Muayad Elayyan who happens to be a far cousin and friend of my husband Tariq. Although he told me that he had a small role as an extra in this film, which he's had in all Muayad's films, I did NOT recognize him. Turns out the policeman in the scene when Rebecca wanders off from the summer school activity in Jerusalem and ends up with the Palestinian puppeteer, is MY husband!! We only realized at the end of the film when we saw his name in the end credits, that we had missed out on recognizing him. It was a hilarious moment when we played it again and then figured out the policeman was Tariq!
Muayad visits Singer Cafe regularly so it wasn't hard to catch him for a podcast interview. After his earlier films: 'The reports on Sarah and Saleem' and 'Love Theft and Other Entanglements' this film 'A House in Jerusalem' is the latest. It came out in January 2023 and it is still being shown at film festivals around the world.
In this film a British Jewish girl named Rebecca comes with her father to Jerusalem after her mother has died in a tragic car accident. Her grandfather has a house in West Jerusalem where they can live. They are both overwhelmed with the trauma of losing the mother, but the father is trying to make things work in their new environment. Rebecca explores the garden, finds an old well, manages to open it and finds a traditional rag doll in the well. This leads her to connect with the ghost of the young Palestinian girl Rasha. What follows is the story of what happened to this girl Rasha during the 1948 Nakba when the family was forcibly displaced from their home.
In the podcast interview with Muayad we touch on many aspects of the film and on Muayad's personal family history. His both grandparents were displaced from their homes. The theme of intergenerational trauma both on an individual level as well as on the collective level are very present in the film.
Muayad could never have imagined that his film would come out just months before the 7th of October and before the ethnic cleansing campaign in the Gaza strip. "There are many parallels to what happened in 1948 and what is happening in Gaza."
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
All water has perfect memory, interview with author Nada Samih-Rotondo
00:49:52
Nada is a Palestinian-American author, teacher and mother. She was six years old when her mother kidnapped her from Kuwait, at the time when Iraq invaded Kuwait. They went to the United States where her uncle lived in Rhode Island. She did not yet realize that it was not a holiday but they were going to stay.
Her debut book All Water Has a Perfect Memory is a memoir that takes readers from the author’s ancestral origins- the coast of Yaffa, Palestine, to her birthplace of Kuwait, eventually landing on the shores of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.
The narrative confronts generations of silence and, ultimately, revelation with an imaginative blend of folklore and history that explores the relationship between our bodies, ancestors, and the Earth. The work explores the way the author is intertwined with her maternal line while reuniting with her father after a 30-year separation.
Voices once hidden in the waters of our bodies are amplified and released to forever alter the landscape, breaking cycles and seeding an audacious hope interconnected to lands past and present.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Young Palestinian leaders shaping the future of Palestine
00:58:34
In this episode you will hear three interviews I carried out for PAX Palestine Podcast with four Palestinian young women who share their transformative journey with the Youth Bridges for Democracy and Participation project. This project is carried out by PAX and the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy (PCPD).
Through this initiative youth and women are learning to step into local governance roles, empowered with the skills and confidence to hold municipal authorities accountable and contribute to their communities.
If you want to know more about the work of PAX for Peace you can go to their website https://paxforpeace.nl
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The Palestinian Heritage Museum in Jerusalem part 1
00:24:00
A couple of years ago I received three pieces of embroidery that used to be the chest pieces of Palestinian dresses. The Palestinian dress is called a 'thob' in Arabic. The person who gave them to me said she had received them from an Israeli woman who had said: “these were from the people who used to live here”
As she didn't know what to do with them, she handed them to me. I also didn't know what was the best thing to do so I asked a Palestinian friend who is a designer and knowledgeable about Palestinian heritage. She then referred me to the Palestinian Heritage Museum in Jerusalem where I met with Bahaa Jubeh, the curator.
In this first episode you will learn more about the museum as we take a tour of the ground floor that focuses on all kinds of heritage objects such as pottery, straw items, copper pots, metal objects and agricultural tools.
The audio quality of this episode is not studio quality as we recorded it in the rooms of the museum that produced quite a bit of echo.
The second episode that I will upload is a tour of the upper floor of the museum where we focus on the history of the traditional Palestinian thobs and embroidery.
Find out more about the Palestinian Heritage Museum:
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Thob and tatreez, the Palestinian traditional heritage dress
00:50:04
A couple of years ago I received three pieces of embroidery that used to be the chest pieces of Palestinian dresses. The Palestinian dress is called a 'thob' in Arabic. The person who gave them to me said she had received them from an Israeli woman who had said: “these were from the people who used to live here”
As she didn't know what to do with them, she handed them to me. I also didn't know what was the best thing to do so I asked a Palestinian friend who is a designer and knowledgeable about Palestinian heritage. She then referred me to the Palestinian Heritage Museum in Jerusalem where I met with Bahaa Jubeh, the curator.
In the first episode we took a tour of the ground floor of the museum, focused on all kinds of heritage objects such as pottery, straw items, copper pots, metal objects and agricultural tools.
In this second episode the tour takes us to the upper floor of the museum where we focus on the history of the traditional Palestinian thobs and tatreez, the dresses with embroidery.
More information about the Palestinian Heritage Museum:
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Seven years ago I moved from the Netherlands to live with my Palestinian husband in East Jerusalem. My life here is full of stories. I love sharing the unexpected side of Palestine. As a tour guide I talk about history, heritage, flora and fauna, as Kristel, I have my personal experiences to share.
In this episode Vivien Sansour talks about the importance of heirloom seeds and the cultural heritage that is connected to the traditional crops. Musician Zaid Hilal was inspired by the story of the Abu Samra heirloom wheat and he composed a song.
"Oh Abu Samra, handsome dark one, we miss the time when my grandmother used to bake delicious bread of you".
You can hear the full version of this song on Soundcloud if you look for Zaid Hilal. Zaid also produced the music for this podcast. To learn more about the work of the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library you can find them through El Beir, Arts and Seeds on facebook and instagram and google for articles.
If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, please support me to continue. Buy me a coffee (or a falafel) for 3 dollar on www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine Tourism is down and I have no other income currently.
Thank you so much, it is really helpful and appreciated! I would also love to hear from you, send me a message on facebook, instagram or by e-mail. Become part of the Palestine community!!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
This is Stories from Palestine podcast, a podcast recorded IN Palestine and ABOUT Palestine. My name is Kristel and I am your host.
I have been coming to Palestine since 2006 and in 2013 I moved from the Netherlands to get married and start a family with my Palestinian husband. We live in Beit Safafa between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We run Singer Cafe and al Jisser bar in Beit Sahour and I teach zumba classes in Bethlehem. We live on one side of the Israeli segregation wall and we work and have our social life on the other side. We cross checkpoints every day. We are able to travel around most of historical Palestine except for Gaza, because we have the Jerusalem ID. This means we do not have Israeli citizenship nor the Palestinian passport. We are residents only and we could loose that residency if we did not live in Jerusalem anymore.
In the Netherlands I studied history and tour guiding and I used to work as a teacher and as a tour guide.
Since several years I teach a course called 'ethics of tour guiding' at the Bethlehem Bible College, about all the important practical aspects of the tour guiding profession. And last summer I graduated myself from the tour guiding program.
Due to the Covid pandemic tourism in Palestine came to a complete halt and that's why I started Stories from Palestine podcast in August 2020.
Every week you can listen to a new story related to the history, cultural heritage, flora and fauna, art, music, traditions and the current day reality in Palestine. Some episodes are recorded by myself but most of them are interviews and often recorded on location or during an excursion. So listening to these episodes is like a virtual audio tour that takes you all the way to Palestine from wherever you are.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
If you enjoy listening to the podcast, please support me to continue. Buy me a coffee (or a falafel sandwich) for only 3 dollar on the Kofi-platform. It is highly appreciated!!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
If you love any of these you should definitely listen to this episode: stories, history, geology, heritage and of course Palestine! I am going to reveal an obsession I developed while living in Palestine. It is a feature that was not common to me, coming from the Netherlands. It has shaped this country and its people to the point where when you know what it is, you will not stop thinking about its importance! I am not giving it away... just listen!
If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, please support me to continue. Buy me a coffee (or a falafel) for 3 dollar on www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine Tourism is down and I have no other income currently.
Thank you so much, it is really helpful and appreciated!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The many stories behind the art work of Palestinian artist Ayed Arafah
00:35:06
The reason why I really like Ayed's art work, is that I KNOW there is a STORY behind each painting, installation or sculpture. The story is usually two fold. It teaches you something about the Palestinian society and the times we live in, but it is also a window to Ayed's soul. Even for Ayed himself his art work helps him to discover who he really is and who he wants to be within the context of the Palestinian society and the reality of life under military occupation.
Ayed grew up in Deheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. We talk about how this shaped him as a person and as an artist. For this interview we spent some time in his studio, we walked to nearby Singer Cafe to see the exhibition he worked on during Covid-19 quarantine and we finished our talk in the concert room of Al Jisser bar where he has a very interesting installation at the moment. Join us for this audio ART WALK through Beit Sahour.
You can find Ayed on Instagram: @ayedarafah
If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, please support me to continue. Buy me a coffee (or a falafel) for 3 dollar on www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine Tourism is down and I have no other income currently.
Thank you so much, it is really helpful and appreciated!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The desert a city. Monasticism in the Jerusalem wilderness.
00:28:25
Don't you feel sometimes that you want to leave everything behind for a while, all the worldly possessions, responsibilities, technology and drama!? Maybe you should try spend some time in the desert! The Jerusalem desert was already popular for hermits since the 3rd century AD. It is estimated that around 10.000 monks lived in the desert in caves and monasteries. Some of these still exist and are inhabited until today. This episode takes you back in time and into the wilderness on a journey to find inner peace in the Jerusalem desert.
If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, please support me to continue. Buy me a coffee (or a falafel) for 3 dollar on www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine Tourism is down and I have no other income currently.
Thank you so much, it is really helpful and appreciated! I would also love to hear from you, send me a message on facebook, instagram or by e-mail. Become part of the Palestine community!!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Culture, traditions and habits. A cheerful chat with Najuan, a Palestinian in Holland.
00:33:31
Learning about Palestine should definitely include stories about daily life, cultural habits and traditions. This episode contains a cheerful chat with Najuan, a Palestinian woman who lives in the Netherlands. She lives in my country and I live in hers. We laugh about cultural differences and personal experiences.
How Dutch people always think Najuan dresses her daughter too many clothes while Palestinians used to tell Kristel “Haram, you should dress your kids warmer!” We talk about the differences in hospitality. A Palestinian meal consists of a table full of too much food and your plate will be filled over and over again until you had more than enough, while a Dutch meal is prepared to be just enough for everyone so that Najuan gets a little uncomfortable to take another round. A Dutch friend will tell you “okay, get home safely” when you say you are leaving, while a Palestinian will be like “are you leaving, that's early, stay!” And many more examples that will make you laugh and learn more about Palestine AND the Netherlands.
If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, please see if you can support me to continue. Buy me a coffee (or a falafel) for 3 dollar on www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine Tourism is down and I have no other income currently.
Thank you so much, it is really helpful and appreciated! I would also love to hear from you, send me a message on facebook, instagram or by e-mail. Become part of the Palestine community!!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Interview with Palestinian American comedian Amer Zahr
00:40:53
This week's episode is an interview with Amer Zahr, a Palestinian-American comedian, activist, speaker, writer and academic. Amer talks and jokes about Palestine, about cultural differences, about American politics and in this interview he calls me out for not giving my children enough chocolate!!!
Amer uses humor as a tool to educate people on Palestine. He sees comedy as a way of protest, as one of many forms of art that Palestinians use in their struggle for justice.
To read more about Amer Zahr you can check out his website www.amerzahr.com
If you enjoy listening to Stories from Palestine podcast, then you can help to continue creating new content by buying me a coffee (or a falafel!) on https://www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Jerusalem in English, Al Quds in Arabic, Yerushalaim in Hebrew. The city that is holy to all three monotheistic religions has different names. During its long history it has had many more names. The earliest written accounts date back to the Middle Bronze age when Egyptians wrote the name Rusalim on pottery that they used to smash during a ritual to curse an enemy city. The city has been captured and recaptured by different armies 44 times. There are at least eleven different names found in historical records. Each name gives insight in the history of this 'holy' city.
Thanks to the professors at the Bethlehem Bible College for the information.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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Palestinian musicians and their instruments: ud, ney and qanun
00:49:43
During a visit to Aref Sayed, instrument maker, in his workshop in Beit Sahour, I meet ud player Canaan Ghoul who is a professional musician. We talk about Palestinian music instruments, Palestinian music and a new invention that Aref did for the qanun. Canaan improvises on the ud. I also talk to Faris Ishaq about his instrument, the ney, an ancient flute, and with Shafeeq Alsadi about the qanun. And of course they play their instruments.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Every day my husband and I cross the military checkpoint to drive our children to school in Beit Jalla and to go to our Cafe and Bar in Bethlehem. This time I am taking you with me on the ride for a virtual tour from Beit Safafa to Beit Jalla. We pass through the village, get on the route 60 into the Westbank and pass a settlement, the wall, a checkpoint and we have to make a detour because there is no exit to the Palestinian town. Yalla, jump in the car and explore with me the reality of living between the green line and the wall.
At the end of the episode you can learn, as usual, a few Arabic words from my children Louisa and Hadi.
There is one short piece of music on the oud just before the Arabic lesson which is from my all time favorite piece called "Emm el Zeinat" by Nizar Rohana https://soundcloud.com/nizarrohana
If you want to see the maps of the route, some photos, read a summary of the story and get some links to learn more, then just go to the website https://www.storiesfrompalestine.info
And if you want to support the podcast then I'd be super grateful with a donation towards creating more interesting content on https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
De olijfoogst in Palestina (special episode in Dutch)
00:35:52
This is a special episode about the olive harvest in Palestine in the Dutch language. For the English version go to episode 10
Op verzoek van Stichting Plant een Olijfboom heb ik een speciale Nederlandstalige episode gemaakt over de olijfoogst in Palestina. Sinds 2016 heb ik geen enkel jaar de olijfoogst periode in Palestina gemist. Het is mijn favoriete tijd van het jaar. Families en vrienden gaan met elkaar het veld in om de oogst binnen te halen. De olijfolie productie is van groot belang voor de Palestijnse economie en voor eigen gebruik. Veel boeren worden door de huidige politieke situatie helaas negatief getroffen. De Stichting Plant een Olijfboom bied op verschillende manieren hulp aan de Palestijnse boeren. Je kunt meer over hun werk lezen op www.planteenolijfboom.nl Daar kun je ook een olijfboom sponsoren en meer lezen over mogelijkheden om naar Palestina te reizen en mee te helpen met de olijfoogst of aanplanten van olijfbomen.
Je kunt deze podcast ook in het Engels beluisteren. Elke week is er een nieuwe episode met verhalen en interviews uit Palestina. Voor meer informatie, aanmelden voor de wekelijkse herinnerings email of het steunen van de podcast met een donatie, klik hier en ga naar de website.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Join me on the field for a day of olive picking. An annual event that takes place from mid October until mid November. The olives are harvested manually, mostly with family members and friends, and the olive oil is for home use, sold at the local market and what remains is exported. We went out with some friends to help Daoud on the land of his grandfather. You can hear the typical sounds of the olive harvest, the olives dropping on the tarps, the buckets being emptied in the bags, the pruning, the lunch and the olive press. And of course, as usual, at the end of the episode, you can learn some Arabic words from my children. This time of course related to the olive harvest!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The olive harvest is still going on in Palestine, until mid November. Last week I took you on the fields to experience the harvest. This week we learn from Maissoun Sharkawi about the history of the olive tree and the importance for the Palestinians as part of their cultural heritage and economy. Maissoun is a researcher and lecturer. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Lorraine- Nancy. For the Masar Ibrahim walking path from north to south of Palestine she developed a trail that passes by old olive groves, oil presses and olive oil soap factories. If you are interested to read the report (which I can recommend!) you can find it here: https://www.myheritage.ps/researches/522.html
At the end of the episode I mention the Star Bazaar online gift shop of the Bethlehem Bible College where I study for the tour guide diploma. You can find beautiful hand made gifts from local artisans on https://starbazaar.bethbc.edu/
The donations for this week's podcast episode on https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine will be donated to students of the tour guide program who have financial difficult situation due to the Covid19 pandemic.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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What is dabke dance, how did this traditional Palestinian dance came into existence and what role does it play in the Palestinian society? I talk to Sharaf DarZaid, a dancer, choreographer and arts manager.
He is also the choreographer of the new Palestinian Jerusalema dance challenge video that was published a week ago on Monday 2 November. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbuJ61WBdpo
The Jerusalema dance challenge went viral on social media with the hit song 'Jerusalema' by Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode from South Africa. Many people from all over the world shared dance videos on social media.
130 Palestinian dabke dancers from Jerusalem, Gaza, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jenin cooperated with the Popular Art Center to produce this dance video that highlights their love for Jerusalem, the city that most of them are denied access to due to the Israeli military checkpoints and the separation barriers.
Sharaf is known for developing the “Afrodabke” style, a fusion of traditional African dance moves (Cameroonian) with Palestinian folkloric dance (Dabke)
If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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A guided tour from Bethlehem towards Jericho with a visit to the Good Samaritan Inn and Maqam Nabi Musa. An episode with history, stories from the 'holy land' and the reality of life in Palestine today.
I study the tour guide program at the Bethlehem Bible College. As part of our studies we make excursions to the historical sites. Our tour guide is a Christian Palestinian called Kamal Mukarkar. In this podcast I will take you on a road trip and share with you what I learned. Unfortunately the audio we recorded of Kamal was not of good quality, except for the visit to Maqam Nabi Musa, so keep listening, he comes in around 23 minutes into the podcast.
If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
The music in this episode is by Zaid Hilal and by Nizar Rohana. You can find both musicians on Soundcloud.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
My husband and I spent a weekend in Nazareth and had a wonderful time. I interviewed the owners of Al Hakim family guesthouse. The father is a tour guide. Several women revived the old city of Nazareth after it had become a ghost town. I spoke to Amani, the owner of Amani Cafe about what happened in the old city and about the new vibe. Walking around the old town I visited two art galleries and spoke to the female artists about their work and their life in Nazareth.
The main historical sites in Nazareth are the churches related to the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce her that she will be pregnant. The different Christian denominations have different sites. The Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation was built on a location that was venerated since Byzantine time but the current church is from the 20th Century. The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Gabriel is much smaller and closer to Mary's well, which according to the Eastern churches is the place of the annunciation.
For a stay in the old city of Nazareth we can highly recommend Al Hakim guesthouse https://www.alhakim.co.il/
If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
The music in this episode is by Zaid Hilal (find him on Youtube and Soundcloud)
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Rana Hijawi has a passion for wildlife in Palestine. She is a biology graduate from Birzeit University. She started an Instagram page where she posts photos of birds in Palestine. Palestine is on the crossing of three continents and famous for its bird migration route. About 500 million migrating birds fly over Palestine yearly. Despite its small size Palestine has very diverse landscapes. The coastal plain in the West, the mountain ridge in the center and the dessert and Jordan valley rift to the East. The diversity in ecosystems makes Palestine an interesting place for a large variety of flora and fauna.
If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
The music in this episode is by Zaid Hilal (find him on Youtube and Soundcloud)
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The oldest city in the world, the lowest point on earth, the longest cable car under sea level, remains of the most beautiful Umayyad desert palace in the region, a monastery hanging from the Mount of Temptation, swimming pools, date palm trees, the sycamore tree of Zaccheus and the water spring of Elisha. This and more, narrated by Kristel, student at the Bethlehem Bible College tour guide program. This episode is a continuation of episode 14, the road trip from Bethlehem to Jericho with visit to the Samaritan Inn mosaic museum and Nabi Musa.
If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
For the SPECIAL CHRISTMAS from BETHLEHEM podcast episode on 21 December you can do a donation on the above mentioned ko-fi platform and follow the instructions. Click here to go directly to the right place: DONATE for the CHRISTMAS PODCAST
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
The music in this episode is by Zaid Hilal (find him on Youtube and Soundcloud)
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
This is the third and last episode of the Jericho trilogy that includes episodes 17 and 14. In this last part of the tour we drive through the Jordan Valley and learn why the Westbank is called the Westbank while it is the eastern part of Palestine! We visit the baptismal site on the Jordan river, learn more about the Dead Sea and we hear from tour guide Kamal Mukarkar about the Essenes community that lived in Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.
If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
For the SPECIAL CHRISTMAS from BETHLEHEM podcast episode on 21 December you can do a donation on the above mentioned ko-fi platform and follow the instructions. Click here to go directly to the right place: DONATE for the CHRISTMAS PODCAST
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
From the REAL Bethlehem, in Palestine, a SPECIAL Christmas episode. We follow the road that Joseph and Mary must have taken on their way to the town and we talk to Christian and Muslim Palestinians about their understanding of the Christmas story and how they celebrate Christmas in the 'little town of Bethlehem.' They explain us about their THREE Christmas celebrations, that Jesus was NOT born in a stable and why they play BAGPIPES on the Christmas day.
For this special Christmas episode you can do a special Christmas gift donation that would be highly appreciated!
This was the last episode of season 1. I will be back with season 2 mid January. Until then, enjoy all the episodes you haven't heard yet! And MERRY CHRISTMAS, despite the lock downs.
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On a sunny day in January 2021 we visit the Palestine Museum of Natural History in Bethlehem. We speak to the founder Mazin Qumsieh and his wife Jessie Chang and we take a tour around the ethnography museum and the garden. This is where the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity is teaching children AND adults about the rich flora and fauna of Palestine.
Palestine is located between Europe, Asia and Africa with an area of 27000 km2 in the western part of the Fertile Crescent where humans first developed agriculture. The unique geography and geology gave Palestine more biological diversity than some countries ten times its size.
The museum has a section with fossils and stuffed animals. There are also several animals that are being rehabilitated before they are released back into the wild. The museum demonstrates methods for cultivation, composting, recycling and upcycling.
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Sufism is a more mystical way of approach of the Islamic faith. Sufi scholars have defined it as the way to reach the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God.
In this podcast episode I speak with Izzeldin Bukhari who stems from a family of important Sufi sheikhs from the Naqshabandi tradition. The family originates from Uzbekistan, but they have been living in the old city of Jerusalem for about four hundred years.
If you want to get in touch with Izzeldin Bukhari you can email him at thesacredcuisine@gmail.com
This episode contains music fragments by Zevk Ensemble that consists of husband and wife Benyamin and Rabia. Zevk is a Turkish word conveying spiritual taste and joy coming from an uplifted heart.
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Beit Safafa was a Palestinian town between Jersualem and Bethlehem, before it was split into two halves in 1948 when the State of Israel was created. The Western half of the village, with the important Jaffa-Jerusalem railway, became part of Israel and the Eastern half was under Jordanian control. This situation remained so until Israel military occupied the Westbank of the Jordan River in 1967 and Beit Safafa was reunited. But the 19 years of physical separation between the people, left its mark until today.
Beit Safafa has ancient history and several important archeological sites.
In this guided tour, we discover the town with Ahmad Nabeel. He was suggested to me by Musa Othman, the son of the late historian Mustafa Othman, who wrote a book about the history of Beit Safafa.
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Thirty years ago, Nahed was one of the first women to start with yoga practice in Palestine. She started teaching even before she had the chance to go to India to get a teacher training. Now she is not the only one anymore. We speak with Nahed and with Eilda, the founder of Beit Ashams for self development about how important yoga and meditation are for body and soul. Especially in the Palestinian context of continuous oppression, restrictions, stress and pressure, more and more women AND men are finding their relief in yoga and meditation practice.
Eilda is working on content for two applications in Arabic for meditation practice.
Tawazon has meditations in Arabic for different moments, for relaxation, for mindfulness practice, for children and for trauma. Fitjab is especially created for women who where the hijab, the head scarf.
For meditation apps in English check out: Insight Timer, Calm or Plum Village.
You can find these applications in the Google Play Store or in the Apple iStore.
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This is the first part of three episodes in which I will take you on a virtual guided podcast bus tour from Jerusalem to Jaffa. Just close your eyes, sit back and relax and from the comfort of your chair you can imagine the view! And if you want to see some photos and videos, then go to my Ko-fi page where I post unique material that I don't post anywhere else. Ko-fi is the platform that I use to receive donations. You can support the podcast as easily as with the price of a cup of coffee or a sandwich falafel. And for those super fans, I make sure to have some special content that is not available on other social media.
You can follow the Ko-fi page and receive an e-mail when new posts are uploaded. Don't worry I don't post more than once a week.
In this episode you can learn about the Chords bridge, Deir Yassin village, the battle of Al Qastal, Lifta, the as-Sarar or Sorek valley and the Ayalon valley. It includes history on the Nakba (the disaster) of 1948 in which Palestinians were forcibly displaced for the creation of the State of Israel and it contains two bible stories, of Samson and Delila and Joshua and the Amorites in the Ayalon valley. We end the first part of this tour at the Latrun monastery, named after a Crusader fortress.
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The motto of this social running group in Palestine is "We run to tell a different story". The group started in 2012 when Palestinians tried to organize a marathon in the city of Bethlehem but they could not find a stretch of 42 kilometers without being limited by the Israeli segregation wall, the settlements, checkpoints and Israeli bypass roads that circle around the Palestinian city. The Palestinian organizers were once again confronted with the limitations in movement caused by the Israeli restrictions. This resulted in an initiative or a movement that quickly spread among young Palestinians throughout the Westbank, Gaza, Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities in Israel.
In this episode George Zeidan, one of the founders and motors behind the Right to Movement explains how they are trying to raise awareness about their right to movement, but also how they encourage Palestinians to run, especially women. This episode also includes soundbites and short interviews with runners after one of their early morning runs in Bethlehem.
If you want to support the Right to Movement and order your own t-shirt you can contact George Zeidan directly at : george@palestinemarathon.com
For the SPECIAL photo that photographer Anne Pak took of me during the marathon in 2019 right in front of the Israeli military checkpoint go to https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
You can also do a donation to the podcast there, which is highly appreciated.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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In the second part of this virtual bus tour we will learn about Abu Ghosh, also called the 'humus capital' and named after the Abu Ghosh family that originates from the Caucasus. There are two important churches in Abu Ghosh, one connected to the Bible story of the Ark of the Covenant that stayed in Kiriyat Jearim for 20 years. The other one connected to the Bible story of the two people that walked to Emmaus and met Jesus after his crucifixion and resurrection. The town also has the second largest mosque in Palestine.
Then we continue to Lod, the city that had one of the oldest first airports in Palestine, the Lod airport was later named Ben Gurion airport. Lod is famous for the resting place of Saint George, known in Palestine also as Al Khader. An interesting mix of Christian and Muslim traditions. Many Palestinians are named George and Khader.
Lod was the capital of Jund Falastin, one of the provinces under the Muslim dynasties. But it had to give this title to Ramla when it was built by Suleiman ibn AbdelMalik who built a city in the sandy coastal area, where nobody had settled before, hence the name Ramle, meaning 'sand' in Arabic.
This and much more you can hear in this podcast episode!
For the photos that go with this episode you can go to the Ko-fi page, the platform where I can also receive donations, that is very welcome and highly appreciated. That's where I post unique content that you don't find on other social media. Check it out! https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
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It is spring time and Palestine is full of greens that are very healthy and that are part of the traditional Palestinian cuisine. Food foraging was always an important part of the heritage of Palestinians. Izzeldin Bukhari, founder of Sacred Cuisine, looks for the stories behind the food. In this episode we talk about greens like hwerna, khobeza and mlukhiya. Where do the names come from, what are interesting facts and how do you prepare these greens?
We also talk about the origin of falafel! and the fact that rice was introduced in Palestine on large scale only after the Nakba in 1948 as food aid by the United Nations.
If you want to know more about Sacred Cuisine or order spices, tahina, dibis or bamboo cutlery sets in the online shop you can go to https://sacred-cuisine.com/ For a special 10% discount use the promo code: PMHFPH88
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This is the third part of a Trilogy from Jerusalem to Jaffa, a guided virtual podcast tour. In this episode we learn about the history of Jaffa and its main historic sites from Ramy Sayegh, a resident of Jaffa and history teacher. The continuation of the history of the Nakba of 1948 for the residents of Jaffa will be published in the next episode.
Ramy has a history podcast in Arabic that you can find here:
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Join us for a lively virtual podcast tour in the beautiful town of Battir, south of Jerusalem, right on the Green Line, the demarcation line between Israel and the Westbank. With Hassan Mu'amer we explore the history and cultural landscape of Battir. He explains us how an ancient water system, that brings the spring water to the eight families of Battir, is the reason that Battir exclusively has eight-days a week. You will hear the water throughout the walk, you will understand how this agricultural community made it to UNESCO's world heritage list. And this is only episode 1. Because we will continue with more interesting and inspiring stories in episode 2.
If you want to connect to Hassan to ask him about Battir, to organize a hike or a visit to Battir, to reserve a lunch at The Terraces Cafe or at the Dar Abu Hassan guesthouse (where you can also stay in the beautiful guesthouse) then you can find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Battir.GuestHouse
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In part 2 of the virtual podcast tour in Battir, Hassan takes us to the area of the Railway that used to connect Jaffa with Jerusalem. The railway station has been demolished after the creation of the State of Israel. The villagers of Battir, led by Hassan Mustafa, managed with a very creative trick to keep out the Zionist militias and unlike most surrounding villages they were not expelled. In a special agreement the people of Battir kept access to their lands that are now inside Israel. We cross the Green Line, the armistice line of 1948 and walk about a hundred meters on the Israeli side of the railway before going back to Battir. There we pass by the boys school, the old lime kiln, the artisan shop of artist Sultan, the Dar Abu Hassan Guesthouse with Vivien Sansour's Heirloom Seed Library (listen to episode 1 of season 1 !!) and in the Seven Widow's quarter we hear the famous stories about Hassan Mustafa.
If you want to connect to Hassan to ask him about Battir, to organize a hike or a visit to Battir, to reserve a lunch at The Terraces Cafe or at the Dar Abu Hassan guesthouse (where you can also stay in the beautiful guesthouse) then you can find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Battir.GuestHouse
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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Until my first visit to Palestine in 2006 I was not really aware of the fact that there were Christian Palestinians. Which is quite ridiculous if you have only a little understanding of where Christianity came from! Of course there are Christians in the land where Jesus was born, preached his message, was crucified and resurrected, according to the Bible.
In this episode I speak with three students of the Bethlehem Bible College tour guide program, about the history of Christianity, Christians in Palestine, the Easter story according to the Bible, the theological meaning of the crucifixion and some of the local traditions of Easter in Jerusalem.
This episode was created for the final assignment of our New Testament course at the Bethlehem Bible College.
The music in this episode are snippets of Easter related songs by Fayrouz.
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This is the second part of the interview with Ramy Sayyegh, history teacher and tour guide in Jaffa. It is the continuation of episode 9. In the first part we heard about the history of Jaffa from the ancient times until the Ottoman era. In this episode we speak about the big changes that happened to the city of Jaffa and for the residents of Jaffa with the arrival of the European colonial powers, the Zionist immigrants and the United Nations Partition Plan.
Ramy describes the response of the Jaffa residents to the coming of the British Mandate and the Zionist militias. We talk about the year 1948 in which the State of Israel was created, Jaffa was depopulated and most of its residents became refugees. And of course Ramy tells us about Jaffa today. Who lives in Jaffa, what do tourists visit when they come to Jaffa and who benefits from the tourism to Jaffa?!
You can contact Ramy on instagram if you want to organize a tour in Jaffa.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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The 9th month of the Islamic Hijri calendar is the month of Ramadan in which Muslims are fasting from dawn to dusk. This is one of the five pillars of Islam. In this episode you can learn more about the month of Ramadan, why the fasting is happening in this particular month and why the month of Ramadan is never in the same period of time. You can also virtually join the preparations of a big iftar family meal and hear the call for prayer from the mosque and the sounds of breaking the fasting.
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In the Palestinian refugee camp 'Aida' in Bethlehem a group of women with children with a disability came together to support each other. It started as simple as collecting money to be able to buy cheaper nappies in bulk so they would save money. The mother's group grew out into the Noor (which means light in Arabic) Women Empowerment Group (WEG).
In this episode you can learn more about the Palestinian refugee camps in general and Aida camp in Bethlehem in particular. I speak with Rua who runs the Noor Rehabilitation Center, a project by the Noor Women Empowerment Group. They support people with disabilities in different ways, with physical therapy, psychological support and by offering classes for children with learning problems and autism.
As the Center is completely dependent on charity, donations are highly appreciated. They also offer (online) cooking classes that you can sign up for and donate towards!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
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We are half way the month of Ramadan and the previous two episodes were related to this month of fasting for Muslims. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. In this episode we speak about the other four pillars of Islam, about the history of Islam and some of the important traditions and believes of Muslims.
I worked on this episode also as part of my tour guide studies. We had a semester with Dr. Barakat Al Qasrawi about the history of Islam and the religious practices. Instead of preparing for the final exam in Arabic, which was a bit out of my league, I prepared this podcast episode in which I share what I learned from him and the sources he shared with me in English.
In this episode you will also hear my daughter Louisa pronouncing some of the verses in Arabic.
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My friend Rosemary, who is French and also married to a Palestinian, invited us to join an afternoon hike followed by an iftar, to break the fasting during this month of Ramadan, organized by the Palestinian Association for Mountain Sports Development (PAMSD). I took my recorder along and on the way I talked to two of the organizers and tour guides and several of the participants about how hiking and climbing is becoming more and more popular among Palestinians. There are several initiatives that organize hikes and climbing and with PAMSD you can also practice in their indoor climbing hall in Bethlehem. I am going to add some links here to the initiatives mentioned in the podcast. Check them out and follow them so that in future visits to Palestine you can join their activities!
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This week a lot of things happened and shifted in Palestine. It started with the Israeli restrictions imposed on Palestinians in Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan. In the same time there were protests to support the Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood who are threatened to be evicted from their homes by settler organizations supported by the Israeli forces. The Israeli forces also attacked the worshipers at the Aqsa mosque and for several days they used full force and a lot of violence to remove the people from the Aqsa compound. Then the resistance in the Gazastrip responded with rockets. And Israel started bombing the Gaza strip. In the meantime inside the 48 lands (the current State of Israel) the Palestinians were protesting and the response by the Israeli forces was to use a lot of violence. Another scary development is that mobs of Israeli settlers started roaming the cities of Palestinians inside 48 lands and marking the houses of Palestinians and attacking them on the streets and in their homes.
In this podcast episode you can hear voices from Jaffa, Lydd, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tequa and Gaza about the situation and context of what is happening right now.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
A lot of things are happening in Palestine. In the previous episode you could hear from seven Palestinians from different parts of Palestine what was happening in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, the Aqsa mosque, in Gaza and the Westbank.
On Tuesday 18 May all Palestinians in the Westbank, Jerusalem and the 48 lands (the current State of Israel) went on national strike. This was the first time since 1936 when the whole country went on strike to protest the British Mandate policies of supporting the Zionist movement, that all Palestinians united. And this sense of unity is very important and is felt by all Palestinians.
This podcast is an update on what is happening on the ground. We hear from Nader who is in Gaza city about the continuous strong bombings of the Gaza strip by Israel. Yazan from Bethlehem tells us about the importance of the strike and the protests in the Westbank. From the 48 lands we have an update from Ramy in Jaffa and from Aya in Lydd about the participation in the strike and the police brutality and settler violence against Palestinians. Waseem, the famous vet (dogtor) in Jerusalem talks about his experiences joining the protest in Jerusalem and getting tear gassed and shot at. Sanad from Nablus, whom you know from the podcast about hiking and climbing, lost his cousin, who was shot in the heart, near Nablus. Alina is in Poland spending three days at the Parliament in Warsaw to raise awareness and lobby the parliament to take a stance against Israel's crimes.
If you want to support the podcast, if you want to get on the mailing list or follow the podcast on social media then use this link: https://podspout.app/storiesfrompalestine
Tips to read and watch more:
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Ilan Pappe) My father was a freedom fighter (Ramzy Baroud) I saw Ramallah (Mourid Barghouti) In search of Fatima (Ghada Karmi) Palestinian walks (Raja Shehadeh) Mornings in Jenin (Susan Abulhawa) One Country (Ali Abunimah) The Israel lobby and American foreign policy (John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt) The general's son (Miko Peled)
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
In June 2020 the town of Beit Sahour was recognized by the World Craft Council as the World Craft City for the year 2020 based on its long tradition of olive wood carving. The World Craft Council is a UNESCO-affiliated organization that was founded in New York in 1964 to promote and support craft work.
Palestinian olive wood carving probably dates back to the Crusader time and is artisan work that was taught from father to son.
Most of the olive wood industry is at least partially mechanized now but there are still olive wood artists who spend weeks working on one piece, by hand, with lots of characteristics and details that could never be done by a so-called copy machine.
Elias Abu Zuluf from Beit Sahour has his own olive wood workshop and souvenir shop. In this podcast interview he talks about the characteristics of olive wood, how this local tradition came about, what kind of olive wood is used, what type of carvings you can find in Palestine and how Covid19 affected the wood workers in Palestine.
If you are interested to visit his website and see the olive carving go to www.zuluf.com and order online with the "15 off" promo code.
Follow Stories from Palestine podcast on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for the mailing list. If you want to make a donation you can do that on Go Fund me (creditcard) or on Ko-fi (PayPal or Stripe) All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
PAX for Peace and the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Israel and Palestine
00:47:38
During my June podcast break between season 2 and 3 you can listen to three episodes I made for PAX Palestine Podcast.
PAX is a peace organization based in the Netherlands.
PAX works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace.
In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
The PAX Palestine Podcast features interviews with some of the local Palestinian partners of PAX.
The Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel was created in 2002 by the World Council of Churches.
EAPPI volunteers aim to offer a protective presence to vulnerable communities, monitoring and reporting human rights abuses. They join Palestinians and Israelis who work in nonviolent ways for peace, and they interact with a myriad of international, Israeli and Palestinian partners.
An interview with local program coordinator Jack Munayer and with one of the Dutch volunteers of the EAPPI program.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
During my June podcast break between season 2 and 3 you can listen to three episodes I made for PAX Palestine Podcast.
PAX is a peace organization based in the Netherlands.
PAX works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace.
In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
The PAX Palestine Podcast features interviews with some of the local Palestinian partners of PAX.
In the West Bank, PAX works with the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy (PCPD) on issues like promoting gender equality, preparing young Palestinians to participating in election campaigns and municipal councils, and holding municipalities accountable for their policies and promises of inclusive politics.
In this episode we speak with Naseef Muallem and Ekram Zubaydi about the work of the PCPD and the upcoming elections in Palestine. We also included some snippets of a discussion between Palestinian students about their views on democracy and the elections in Palestine.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
The work of Danish Church Aid and East Jerusalem YMCA in South Hebron Hills
00:41:46
During my June podcast break between season 2 and 3 you can listen to three episodes I made for PAX Palestine Podcast.
PAX is a peace organization based in the Netherlands.
PAX works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace.
In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
The PAX Palestine Podcast features interviews with some of the local Palestinian partners of PAX.
In Area C in the West Bank PAX supports a resilience project of Danish Church Aid and the Church of Sweden together with East Jerusalem YMCA. Emphasizing the resources that are available, the project works with various Area C communities on forming protection groups, identifying and addressing community needs, by mobilizing available resources and offering small cash grants.
In this episode we speak with George Zeidan and Mai Jarrar about their resilience project in the South Hebron Hills.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
This week we finish the last semester of the tour guide program at the Bethlehem Bible College. With twenty Palestinian students I have been studying for two years to get the tour guide diploma. This diploma will allow us to apply for the exam of the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism. If we pass that exam then we will become licensed tour guides.
In this episode you can listen to our program manager and teacher Haytham Dieck and ten of the tour guides students who are graduating from the Bible College. They tell you about their favorite places to visit in Palestine and their passion for the history and heritage of their country. Most of the conversations with the students were recorded during a walk around Bethlehem.
We hope that soon it will be possible again for individual tourists to come and visit Palestine. If YOU are interested to visit us, write an e-mail if you want help to plan your visit or if you would like to register for a (tailor-made) program. We are hopeful that several people will join in the end of October for the olive harvest season and it would be great to get a group of travelers together to organize some tours and activities.
You can send an email to: kristel@storiesfrompalestine.info or connect on social media.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
During my visit to family and friends in the Netherlands, I also meet my Palestinian friends from the Gazastrip who live here. It's the only chance for us to meet as they can not come to the Westbank or Jerusalem and I cannot visit the Gazastrip.
In this episode you can learn more about the Gazastrip and hear a conversation I had with Wasim and Nader who grew up in Gaza and moved to the Netherlands in their early twenties.
We talk about the history of Gaza, the current situation in Gaza and the memories that Nader and Wasim have of their life in the Gazastrip.
Music at the end of the episode is Mohammed Assaf from Gaza The music produced for this podcast is by Zaid Hilal (find him on social media)
At the end of this episode I also mention three podcasts that interviewed me recently. If you are interested to listen to them here are their names, you can find them on your favorite podcast player:
And if you want to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media or if you want to do a much appreciated donation for the podcast then go to https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
I made this episode upon request of the Friends of Hope flowers School foundation in the Netherlands. They support the school financially and they raise awareness about the very difficult circumstances under which the school has to operate. The school is located in area C under full Israel military control and a big Israeli settlement is moving closer and closer towards the area where the school is situated.
Most of the children in the school are from refugee camps and from families that are surviving below the poverty level. The school accepts and works with children with autism, trauma and disabilities.
I spoke with the director of the school and with the occupational therapist and social worker.
This episode gives you a very concrete idea of the challenges that Palestinian have to face and the resilience and conviction to give the children a good education.
To connect to Stories from Palestine podcast on social media, to register for the mailinglist or to make a donation on the Ko-fi page, which is very much appreciated and helpful, you can click on this link: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
While I spend the summer in Holland, I while record weekly short episodes with information about a specific topic related to Palestine, its history and cultural heritage.
Summer short number one is about the history of the Palestinian flag and the meaning of its colors. For this episode I used a lot of information of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. Check out that website at https://www.passia.org
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Summer shorts #2 Tel Maresha / Beit Jibrin : a microcosm of the land of caves
00:29:38
If you heard episode 2 of season 1 then you know I am obsessed with the history of caves in Palestine. The caves in the mountains were formed by a natural process due to the effect of rain on the limestone that created natural caves. But in this episode you can learn about another type of caves that can be found in the area to the west of Hebron, west of the green line, where over 3.500 man-made caves were found that date back to more than 2000 years ago.
The caves were made in the soft chalk layer under a very hard layer called nari. In this hard surface rock they made an opening and through a shaft they would dig down into the softer chalk, forming a bell-shaped cave. The caves had very many different purposes, for example storage of water, grains, olive presses, ritual baths, columbaria (for pigeons) and burial caves.
Today you can visit some of these caves in the National Park. Other interesting relics are the Roman amphitheater, the Crusader tower and the remains of a Crusader church.
There were two ancient cities here, Maresha and Bet Guvrin. The archaeological site is now UNESCO world heritage.
Around the Crusader tower a Palestinian town developed that was called Beit Jibrin. The inhabitants were forcibly displaced by the Zionist militias in 1948. Most of the refugees ended up in Fawwar camp and in Beit Jibrin refugee camp. The latter one in Bethlehem is also known as Azza refugee camp, named after the biggest family clan.
To connect on social media, sign up for the email list or make a donation on Ko-fi (and find some unique content that is not available anywhere else) https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Summer shorts #3 The story behind Handala, a cartoon by Naji al Ali
00:14:12
The first time that Naji al Ali drew Handala, the little refugee boy with shabby clothes and no shoes, he depicted him with his face towards the audience. But after his disappointment in the Americans and Arab leaders in the early seventies, he turned his back towards the viewers in protest against the 'American way' and the negative tides in the region.
Handala is a ten year old boy and Naji al Ali said he would always remain ten years old, until he would be able to return to his homeland Palestine. Ten years old, just like Naji al Ali was when he and his family were forcibly displaced out of their hometown As Shajara. He grew up in the refugee camp of Ein al Helwa in Lebanon.
As a cartoonist he was critical towards the powers that be, the establishment, not only the Israelis and Americans but also the Arab leaders. He spoke out against injustice and showed solidarity with other struggles.
This is just a short podcast episode to introduce you to the work of Naji al Ali and to the very symbolic figure of Handala, that you will see depicted all over Palestine and among people who are supporting the Palestinian cause for justice and the right of return of the refugees.
If you want to read more and see some of Naji al Ali's work then you can use the following links:
Follow Stories from Palestine on social media and sign up for the weekly email reminder. If you want to support the podcast please share it with others and donate on Ko-fi. All the links can be found on :https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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