Blog

Permission to Narrate is the blog project of The Jerusalem Fund and its education program, the Palestine Center.

The name derives from a quote by the late Palestinian scholar, Edward Said, who remarked that Palestinians had been denied permission to narrate their history and speak of the day-to-day experiences of life in the margins. Their voices are so often absent from popular media.

The blog seeks to educate the public by offering Palestinian perspectives on the news and events of the day.

Handala, the cartoon character who is writing our blog’s name on the blackboard, is the signature character of the famed Palestinian political cartoonist and critic Naji Al-Ali. Al-Ali was murdered in London in 1987 by unknown assailants.

Handala, typifying the Palestinian refugee, is always depicted by Al-Ali with his back turned, as if walking away from his homeland. He is present in each of Al-Ali’s cartoons, a constant reminder of refugee experience and the hopes of the generation to come.

With this blog, we are permitted to narrate.

Please note that the views expressed in blog posts do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of The Jerusalem Fund.

Structural Injustice: How Trials of Palestinians in Israeli Military Courts Lead to Misperception

Blog February 15, 2018February 15, 2018 Samirah Alkassim

by Palestine Center Interns

Despite the fact that most Palestinians who are convicted have committed no crime and engaged in no violence, the military court system creates a notion that legal due process is happening in Palestine. While this is the opposite of the truth, it still affects global perceptions of Palestine and Palestinians. This can be seen especially in the United States, where major media organizations might play up the alleged charges against a Palestinian while neglecting to mention the circumstances of their situation. This essay will attempt to demonstrate the injustice of these structures and systems of the Israeli military court and prison system, which has negatively impacted the lives of Palestinians and created false perceptions of their lives, character, and actions.

Electrical Power as Metaphor in Gaza

Blog December 15, 2017January 19, 2018 Samirah Alkassim

by Palestine Center Interns

In the developed world electricity is a given. It is a right afforded to people by their government even if through corroboration with some form of private administration such as a utility company. Many underestimate the realities of life without it. The people of Gaza have to face these very realities on a daily basis. In this paper we intend to display how the conditions for daily life in Gaza are decided without the consent of the people of Gaza. Through a focus on electricity, we can trace the power lines to their sources, physically and rhetorically, which will show how providing power to Gaza is to wield power over Gaza.

Egyptian Policy in Palestine: A Downward Spiral

Blog July 19, 2017August 23, 2017 Samirah Alkassim

By Palestine Center Intern

The government desperately wants not only to secure its northern border, but to remove Hamas from power. Recent talks between Cairo and Hamas regarding Mohammed Dahlan’s return to politics in Gaza reveal that the Egyptian government would rather see the man once accused of murdering Yasser Arafat in power than the democratically elected government.

Interview with Dorit Naaman about “Jerusalem, We Are Here”

Blog May 11, 2017May 11, 2017 Samirah Alkassim

By Palestine Center Interns

Dorit Naaman, film and media professor at Queen’s University, directed and produced an interactive documentary called, “Jerusalem, We Are Here”. The purpose of this project is to restore the lost or stolen homes, mainly in Jerusalem, of pre-1948 Palestine, if not physically then through the communicative power of art and new media. Until this day, houses are being demolished in Palestine adding another facet to the fact that the Nakba never ended. Acknowledging the existence of Palestinian homes, as this project does, is a form of resistance against cultural erasure. This interview highlights the importance of recognizing the past in Palestine, how it lives in the reality of our present, and challenges our future.

The Manipulated Narrative of Anti-Semitism and the Pro-Palestinian Movement

Blog March 31, 2017 Lucian Dieterman

By Palestine Center Interns

Non-violent demonstrations by pro-Palestinian groups, such as chanting or protesting, are held as an act of solidarity for the Palestinians in crisis. In response, pro-Zionist organizations have begun to counter with claims that such pro-Palestinian demonstrations are anti-Semitic. This has produced a new dialogue that being pro-Palestinian is inherently anti-Semitic and in some cases resulting in lawsuits. The manipulated narrative of anti-Semitism is being employed by pro-Zionist groups as a smear tactic against pro-Palestinian groups in attempt to delegitimize the movement.

Keith Ellison and the Anti-Semitism Smear

Blog March 10, 2017March 10, 2017 Lucian Dieterman

By Mohamed Mohamed

It is difficult to say with certainty whether the smear campaign did or did not result in Rep. Ellison’s defeat in the race for DNC chairman. It is unlikely that a voting member would admit to being swayed by anything other than the candidates’ credentials, let alone a malicious attack. Regardless, one thing is certain: some of Israel’s most fervent supporters felt that the race was close enough to require discrediting Ellison.