What Palestinians Taught Us
A few of the meetings with Palestinians during Orientation Week 2024
Written by Marwa with quotes by others
During Orientation Week 2024, we met with and heard from several Palestinians across the Occupied West Bank. We got a glimpse into their lives, realities, and experiences while resisting the Israeli occupation. While we can't capture everything, here are just a few vignettes from the Palestinians we met.
Bahaa
“People tend to mythologize Palestine,” explained our guide for the Orientation Week, Baha, “but Palestine is just a place.” Spending the week with Baha as our guide was eye-opening and grounding.
Whenever our minds and imaginations floated away from us, Baha would say something to remind us where we were and what was going on. Tanmay (24 year old FFIPPie) shared that one of the things Baha said to him that really left an impression was “The one who puts you in the position to prove your humanity to them, is clearly the one who doesn’t think they’re human themselves.”
“Baha is an incredible man. He is emphatic and rational at the same time. He could give us an incredible and infinite source of data and information, contextualizing it from a historical, legal, and religious point of view. He also was a friend, open to listen and give you advice for your own personal experience.” —Giada, 24 years old, FFIPPie from Italy
Manal and Bilal
“We resist for life,” said Manal as we sat closely huddled together in her living room in Nabi Saleh, hanging on her every word. We were immediately welcomed in the Tamimi family home, but as they began to share their stories of weekly tear gassing and other attacks by Israelis, we recognized in ourselves that we were such distant outsiders who could never fully understand the hardships and oppression they constantly experience by Israel.
“My favorite memory of Orientation Week was visiting the Tamimis in Nabi Saleh and hearing a bit about their struggles and resistance.” —Sara, 27 years old, FFIPPie from Brazil
On the wall hung pictures of her sons, the signs pleading for their release from prison, one which certainly was released because we recognized his face as he walked around the circle serving us lemonade and coffee.
“I keep coming back to my thoughts on the involvement of the children of Nabi Saleh in the violent attacks of the IOF. The people of Nabi Saleh tried to keep them safe by sending them out of the village on Fridays. But as violence and pressure from the IOF rose continuously, they weren't able to do that anymore. So they decided to prepare their children for being arrested, for the raids of the village. They gave them cameras to document… a non-violent ‘weapon’ to confront the violence they frequently experience, so that the kids wouldn‘t only be scared and hide, but be able to resist within an involuntary event forcibly put upon them.” —Caro, FFIPPie from Germany
Manal estimates that 80% of all residents in Nabi Saleh have been imprisoned by Israel at least once—she herself has experienced imprisonment three times. Her husband Bilal played a video where we watched the chaos of Israelis coming to their village and wreaking havoc, including shooting Manal in the leg. “I still can't run because of the shrapnel… it aches the worst in the winter,” she said.
“This meeting was one of the most important ones for me. What stood out to me the most was how Manal was talking about how the whole thing started [...] when the settlers came to build Kibbutz. In the 50s my grandparents came to what is now ‘Israel’ to build a Kibbutz. [...] It made me angry about where I come from [...] it hit me really close because [...] I feel their family's tragedy is related to my family's glory in a way.” —Isadora S, FFIPPie from Brazil
Majid and Hatim
“Existence is resistance,” said Majid. “Thank you for coming in this moment during the war—it's precious.” Sitting behind his large wooden desk, Majid had a strong presence but spoke softly and warmly about his work organizing social services for his community in Old Askar. The walls of his office were adorned with symbols of Palestinian resistance including the key and a framed embroidered picture of the Dome of the Rock, among images of Palestinian martyrs and officials. I spotted a pink computer mouse on his desk that he used to navigate the large screen TV showing footage from the various security cameras based around the compound. He pointed out a new ambulance they had acquired to help deal with life-threatening emergencies caused by Israeli violence.
“I think what stood out for me is realizing the population density in the refugee camp. Extremely tight passages between multi-story buildings show how cramped the space available to the refugees is.” —Kuba, 31 years old, Poland
At some point Majid revealed that previously, he had been imprisoned by the Israeli army for 6 years. Hatim, who presented his work organizing services for disabled residents of Askar, had previously experienced imprisonment for 3 years. He later showed us the sensory room with calming visual stimulation like gentle lights and glowing orbs.
“One of my favorite moments in the West Bank was my time spent in Askar Camp, Nablus. There was something powerful about being there, surrounded by people who, despite everything, held onto their warmth and spirit. It was a moment that really stayed with me.” —Alex
Hatim wanted us to share these images and experiences to the outside world, and to clarify that they don't seek charity; rather they seek liberation and justice.