Lazar Simeonov Photography  

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah where the two leaders discussed negotiations and the latest political advancements.

At the press conference held after a private meeting, the highest UN authority stated that an independent Palestinian state “was long overdue,” stressing the fact that the two-state solution could be achieved only through negotiations.

My photos from the clashes that erupted in Tahrir Square on December 17th, after Egypt’s security forces moved to retake control of the area, are on Al Jazeera.

My photos from Nabi Saleh’s protest on Friday December 9, at which Mustafa Tamimi, a 28-year-old Palestinian activist, was killed by a tear gas canister, are on Al Jazeera.

My photos of the prisoner swap’s first phase, which saw, on Oct. 18, Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit freed in exchange for 477 Palestinians, are on Al Jazeera.

Today, for the first time in four years, Hamas members waved their green flags in the West Bank without persecution. Marching up Al Quds street of Ramallah, about 200 men, women and youth wrapped in green headbands or scarves swarmed around Al Manara.

They shouted support for the recent reconciliation signed two days ago in Cairo between Fateh, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Mubadara and the other Palestinian parties. The crowd chanted for unity in the face of Israeli occupation with fingers pointed to the sky.

“I can’t even describe how big it is – to be able to speak freely, with no Hamas, Fateh and no Israel to prevent it,” said Akram Salima, a vocal Hamas member who was imprisoned by Israel for a year before spending two weeks in a Palestinian Authority in the wake of Hamas’ bloody takeover of the Gaza Strip and Fateh’s repressive West Bank rule.

“Today we showed the Israeli occupation we are one land,” Salima said, predicting a Third Intifada which would successfully employ any tactics for liberation. “This is a symbol of unity between Fateh and Hamas – I hope there will be no more problems between Fateh and Hamas and I hope we can join together in a revolution.”

“True reunification will be hard,” said Fateh supporter Muhammad Aghawani, “not the least because of Israeli sabotage.”

“I’m for reconciliation, but it doesn’t feel good at all to see Hamas flags,” Aghawani said. “As a Palestinian and a Fateh activist, I will never forget what happened to the people who were shot and the people who were killed by Hamas [during 2006]. Reconciliation will be hard – and Israel is doing everything it can to inhibit it.”

A West Bank Hamas spokesmen addressed the crowd at the end of the rally.

“Today we are not Hamas, we are not Fateh, we are Palestine,” he said.

Wahida wahida wataniya, he said, the shabab echoing him: “Unity, national unity.”

Alice In Wonderland, Juliano’s last play at his Freedom Theater.
Photos taken during the last performance of the play, one week before the murder.

For more info on his death, read this and this article.

In the March 15 protests, Palestinian women showed that they have the spirit of a fighter, yet the heart of a protective mother.

Young Palestinian women took the initiative to be in the front line of the March 15 protests in Palestine to protect the protesters. With their bodies they created a human shield in an attempt to prevent any expected fights. Some of the protesters were on hunger strike for the third day. They simply called for an end to Palestinian division.

The “thugs” who attacked the peaceful protest in Ramallah intentionally targeted those women. They turned to violence against the unarmed women. Many were beaten up, pushed to the ground and two of them were sent to the hospital in Ramallah.

More shocking news came later on from Gaza, when we heard that the journalist Samah Alrwag was stabbed. And other women activists were arrested, such as Asma’a Al-Ghoul. She was also arrested a few weeks ago with five other women. They were beaten during their detention period.

These scenes represent the harsh reality of the dual oppression that Palestinian women go through. They suffer from the Israeli occupation on one hand and the social and political oppression in Palestine on the other.

We demand the Palestinian Authority condemn the violations conducted by some “thugs” from both sides, Fatah and Hamas in Gaza and Ramallah. The authorities must prosecute the attackers as soon as possible. The Palestinian Authority is responsible for protecting these women and all the other protesters.

Text by Raya Ziada