When I first started reporting on Palestine more than five years ago, Sheikh Jarrah was a story well known to journalists and activists locally, but it received little mainstream attention outside of Palestine. The last time Sheikh Jarrah really made headlines was in 2009, when the El-Kurd family were forcibly kicked out of their home, half of which was taken over by Israeli settlers, who remain there to this day.
Very few people, myself included, could have predicted that the little neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where Palestinian families have been facing forcible eviction for decades, would capture the attention of the entire world.
From the moment the protests began, Mondoweiss was there, covering the events on the ground, from the US to Palestine. In the midst of showers of tear gas, and massive strikes, we were there, giving you a uniquely Palestinian perspective on the historic popular protests.
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When I interviewed Mohammed El-Kurd back in April about his family’s impending expulsion, he told me that he and the other residents of the neighborhood “hadn’t seen enough” from the world when it came to standing up for the rights of Sheikh jarrah’s residents.
“There needs to be real action,” he said.
Well, the world definitely listened.
In May we saw unprecedented protests break out across Palestine and the world. For many, witnessing Israel’s violent oppression of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque was the spark that set the world on fire.
During the 11-day Israeli offensive on Gaza that devastated the besieged strip and killed 256 Palestinians, we brought you the news in real time, sharing videos and testimony from Gazans themselves as they came under Israeli bombardment.
While much of the international media was still preoccupied with Israel’s “right to defend itself,” Mondoweiss was diving into the devastating human impact of the offensive, by going into the homes, or what was left of them, of ordinary Palestinians who lost their families, friends, and entire livelihoods during those 11 days.
After the ceasefire was announced in Gaza, much of the world phased Gaza out of their news cycle, but we sent local journalists from Gaza to al-Wahda street, the site of one of the worst massacres of the 11-day offensive. Hearing the stories of the people who survived that nightmare was one of the most difficult moments in my years reporting in Palestine, but we knew that their stories needed to be shared.
Thank you again for your commitment to this freedom struggle. Supporting Mondoweiss – with any amount that you can – during this match is the only way we can keep making progress.
If you’ve been following Mondoweiss for some time, one thing you know is that in our coverage of Palestine we have always called Israeli oppression what it is: apartheid. And you also know that the most recent wave of protests against Israeli repression are not the first, nor will they be the last. I’m so proud that because of readers like you, I’m able to share with the world, in real time, what is really happening on the ground.
The stories in Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah are not unique. All over Palestine, whether in Khirbet Humsah, Khan al-Ahmar, or in Beita, Palestinians are being ethnically cleansed from their lands. And everywhere they are resisting.
At Mondoweiss, we aren’t afraid to share Palestinian voices unapologetically. When other publications steer clear of calling out Israel for its crimes, even refusing to call it an occupation, we actually listen to Palestinians, and never mince words.
In this historic moment, I’m grateful to be doing my part. Will you join us to help continue to get these stories out to the world?
