History
Palestinian History is an amalgamation of material culture, oral history, and political thought and it is important, when considering our history, to remember that there is little distinction between the political, social, and cultural.
These resources share a variety of experiences from different groups across Palestine, and we acknowledge that our individual relationships with the Palestinian culture helps shape our collective history in a way that celebrates us as a people. As such, we made an effort to include primary material history resources and oral history to provide a more detailed view of what it means to be Palestinian.
| Title | Author | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestinian Question | The Palestine Museum & Institute of Palestine Studies | Link | Comprehensive list and timeline of Palestinian colonization from Ottoman conquest. You can get lost looking through this website for hours and come out the other side completely enlightened. |
| Birzeit University Digital Archive | Birzeit University | Link | Digital archive of primary sources of Palestinian culture and history. Really lovely resource that can enhance your visual vocabulary. |
| The Palestine Oral History Project | American University of Beirut | Link | Stories of Palestinians who have first hand experience with the '48 Nakba and resettlement. |
| Documenting Palestine | @yasirtineh & @gharamattya | Link | A collection of different photographs, paintings, videos, and other media that is for and by Palestinians throughout the ages. |
| Queering Palestine | Journal of Palestine Studies | Link | An analysis of Palestinian Queer identity. Purchase necessary |
| In the heart of the Old City, generations of Afro-Palestinians persevere in the face of occupation | Mousa Qous | Link | Discussion of the experiences of Afro-Palestinians through a recount of different Jerusalem families' experiences. |
| Materializing Palestinian Memory: Objects of Home and the Everyday Eternities of Exile | Dima Saad | Link | Necessity of considering material history — through a narrative approach. |
| Museum of the Palestinian People Virtual Tour | Museum of the Palestinian People | Link | An interactive museum captured digitally. You can click through their different exhibits to learn about Palestinian arts and culture. |
| The Nakba Files | Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel & Center for Palestine Studies | Link | Documents modern Palestinian thought. |
| No Bridge Will Take You Home: The Jordan Valley Exodus Remembered through the UNRWA Archives | Atwa Jaber | Link | Analysis of the UNRWA Archives and how, when combined with oral history of Palestinians, they help repaint a picture of the '48 Nakba and displacement of hundreds of thousands. |
| Teta Nabiha's | Nadim Bawalsa | Link | Imagining a brighter future for the Palestinian People. |
Why Palestinian Cultural History Matters
An element of the ongoing nakba is not simply the destruction of Palestinian lives and property or their displacement, it is the destruction and often, the appropriation of culture. These resources are all commentary on the seizing of Palestinian property. This list specifically addresses books and the ‘Abandoned Property’ collection that was seized during the 1948 Nakba. Book history might seem less important than political history, but it is the material and visual history of a people. Together, these many histories make up the history of Palestine and Palestinians.However, we do not want to leave you simply with things that are seized. The final item on this list is an archive made by Palestinians to house their own materials. Just know that it’s not the only one: Digital archives focus on Palestinian material are many, featuring diverse materials.
| Title | Author | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| History of Palestinian libraries and archives under Israeli occupation: (1948-1993) (Progressive Librarian, (48), 7-30) | Anan Hamad | Link | A discussion and scholarly analysis of Palestinian archives and their relationship within the larger framework of occupation. |
| The Great Book Robbery | Al Jazeera Documentary | Youtube | A documentary that highlights the violence of Israeli archives by keeping thousands of books and labelling them as "abandoned property" after their seizure during the '48 Nakba. Israelis actively prohibit Palestinians from accessing their material history. |
| Emily Jacir’s creative way of preserving Palestinian history | Public Delivery | Link | Emily Jacir's Ex Libris project is an attempt to vocalize what the 'Abandoned Property' collection actually does to erase Palestinians. This article both documents the project and analyzes it. |
| Destination: Jerusalem Servees - Interview with Emily Jacir | Journal for Palestine Studies | Link | A followup to the previous link regarding Emily Jacir's work. |
| Palestine Open Maps | Visualizing Palestine | Link | An interactive map showcasing the status of different Palestinian town, villages, and cities, and what happened to them over the years since '48. |
| Overdue Books Zine | Librarians with Palestine | Link | An amazing zine that illustrates the overlap of manuscript history, economic influence, and the theft of Palestinian cultural heritage. |
| Palestine Poster Project | Palestine Poster Project | Link | A comprehensive digital repository of Palestinian posters. This resource beautifully illustrates how our visual culture ties itself deeply with resistance. |
Contemporary Voices in the Arts
A list of contemporary voices of different Palestinians who are focused on arts, writing, and documentation of modern history.We would love to hear your recommendations for more Palestinian artists and writers within Gaza so that we may support and celebrate them.
People
| Title/Author | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heba Zagout (@zagoutheba) | Visual Artist/Painter In Gaza An artist who paints vivid pictures of Palestine, with colors and strokes that speak of beauty and liberation. She was martyred on Friday, October 13th, 2023 with her children. Please honor her memory in any capacity that may be. We encourage you to share her work far and wide. | |
| Refaat (@itranslate123) | Writer In Gaza A vocal and active Gazan writer who boosts the voices of young Palestinians and is quick to speak out against injustice. | |
| Maha Husseini (@mahagaza) | Journalist In Gaza A journalist who does not hesitate to speak the truth of Gazans, often putting herself at risk in the process. | |
| Mahmoud Abusalama (@almajd_free) | Journalist In Gaza A reporter who has been documenting the violence against Gazans for years, and also the way Gazans built beauty throughout the years. | |
| Bisan (@wizard_bisan1) | Filmmaker In Gaza A filmmaker who often captures the moments of Palestinian life throughout the siege on Gaza. | |
| Omar Barghouti (@Omar_Gaza) | Activist/Journalist In Gaza An activist who has often spoken about ways to fight against the ongoing Nakba and Occupation of the Palestinian People. | |
| Samah Fadil | Writer/Preforming Artist A with eloquent words and a who often speaks about their experience as a Black Palestinian. Their works illustrate Palestine's Beauty with great care and love. | |
| Rafeef Ziadah | Website | Writer/Preformance Artist A powerful spoken word poet who often emphasizes the love Palestinians feel for each other and people they have yet to meet. |
| Aya Ghanameh (ayaghanameh) | Writer/Illustrator An illustrator who knows the visual langauge of Palestinians with great clarity, and often organizes fundraisers for individuals throughout Palestine. | |
| Mohammed El-Kurd | Writer In Al-Quds A writer and activist who is not shy about speaking the truth to power, even when the entire world is against him. | |
| Rasha Abdulhadi (@rashaabdulhadi) | Poet/Fiber Artist A poet and organizer who often questions the language of the colonizer with clarity and conciseness. | |
| Sheyam Ghieth (@sheyamghieth) | Designer A designer who creates work that pulls words and art together into one amazing image. | |
| Nadia Shammas (@NadiaShammas) | Writer An award-winning writer who works in a variety of spaces including comics, prose, and poetry that will no doubt allow you to imagine a brighter future for Palestinians. | |
| Fargo Nissim Tbakhi (@YouKnowFargo) | Performance Artist A performance artist who often experiments with different elements to tell the story of Palestinians. |
Talks & Pieces
| Title | Author | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centering Afro-Palestinian Voices | Samah Fadil on Woke or Whatever | Youtube | Discussion on centering Afro-Palestinian voices and the work that Afro-Palestinians have done in the larger liberation movement across lands and populations. |
| Refusing Genocide w/ Rasha Abdulhadi (10/16/23) | Rasha Abdulhadi on Death Panel Podcast | Patreon | Discussion on the precision of words when talking about the genocide on the Palestinian People. |
| We Teach Life, Sir. | Rafeef Ziadah | Youtube | Very inspiring spoken word poem that will remind you why we fight for liberation. |
| And Then, A Palestinian is Born | Samah Fadil | Youtube | A narration of Samah Fadil's "And Then, A Palestinian is Born" to remind you of the beauty of a Palestinian's words. |
Get Involved with Palestine
Please note: It is unclear when aid will be coming to Palestine. We do not know when help will be allowed into the borders.
A collection of links on how to help Palestinians as well as staying up to date.
| Title/Author | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Aid for Palestine | https://www.map.org.uk/ | Focuses on immediate medical care as well as developing long-term solutions. |
| Palestinian Children Relief Fund | https://www.pcrf.net/ | Primarily provides medical aid for children throughout Palestine, but especially those in Gaza who have no local infrastructure to support their needs. |
| Addameer | https://addameer.org/ | Palestinians are often detained and imprisoned without charge and denied basic human rights. This organization provides aid and finding justice for these individuals. |
| United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights | https://uscpr.org/ | Mainly for US audiences. Find out how you can get politically involved in advocating for the rights of Palestinians back home. |
| Middle East Eye | middleeasteye.net | Reliable newssource that provides updates on Palestine with special attention given to the perspective of Palestinians directly affected. |
| Al-Haq | Al-Haq.org | Check on the status of Palestinian prisoners and what on the ground responders have been doing to assist them. |
| Haymarket Books | Haymarketbooks.org | Free to download books about Palestinian resistance. |
| Jadaliyya | Jadaliyya.com | Co-edited by Noura Erikat, this resource provides political and economic analysis of Palestinians' resistance and continued occupation. |
| Al-Shabaka | Al-shabaka.org | An organization of political analysts who write about the impact of zionism as well as the actualities of Palestinian liberation. |
About
What is this?
The Palestine Directory is an assortment of free to access links (with the occasional exception) focused on providing information on Palestinian history, culture, and identity.Why is this?
In the face of continued erasure and expulsion, our goal is to ensure that the culture of the Palestinians perseveres. As sources are being shared on social media, we also wanted to center Palestinian work on documenting our history so that ultimately we can continue to build culture and community to be celebrated for generations to come.
These resources are also here to remind us that our history is layered and diverse: it goes from the narrative of the occupation to the minutiae of the everyday lives we build together. All of it is important because this is what the occupation does: it tries to take energy away from building community, culture and art.
While there are a vast assortment of papers, books, journals, and content that can be purchased, we found that there was a lack of accessibility in attaining these resources — either because of paywalls or other restrictions. We wanted to find a way to allow any Palestinian with an internet connection the ability to access resources about and for their culture — so that they might feel loved and seen.Who is this?
Just two Palestinians who want to help celebrate our culture with Palestinians around the world. We work in archive/library/museum spaces and are concerned with allowing any Palestinian free access to their heritage.You forgot [x resource/writer/artist/etc]
The Palestinian Directory is a living document that will continuously be updated! Please email us your suggestion at thepalestinedirectory [at] gmail [dot] com!
Note: Please try to make an effort to send free to access links that do not infringe on copyright — while we do want to make Palestinian culture as accessible as possible, we want to ensure that Palestinians in Gaza, across Occupied Palestine, and around the world are compensated for their work and we would like to avoid direct links that might be taken down/unavailable at a different time.This resource is a little sparse...
Yes — we agree! We would love to provide more links for you, but we thought of and began working on this project on October 13th, 2023, and decided that sharing these resources immediately was important in combating misinformation.
We would love your suggestions on what to include by sending us an email at thepalestinedirectory [at] gmail [dot] com! We are especially looking for Gazan voices at this time, so we can highlight the atrocities committed against them and allow them to feel supported and seen.I want to support you guys!
Thanks so much for your interest! The best support we could hope for is that you share these links far and wide, so that every Palestinian may see them. And even non-Palestinians who wish to learn more about our culture can celebrate its beauty with us.
If you're talking about monetary support, we'd really appreciate it in the form of donating to the charities listed on our page and sending us a receipt (with no identifiable features of course!) of your donation, either through socials or email.
The independent artists, writers, and journalists listed in our Contemporary Voices section might also have ways you can support them as well listed on their personal pages! Make sure to let them know you purchased their content — and what you thought of it!