صامدون كشجر الزيتون
Steadfast as the Olive Trees
"We will remain here as long as the thyme and the olive remain. We will remain here, we will sing our songs, we will fill the streets of Jerusalem with our youth, and we will baptize our children in the waters of the Jordan." – Tawfiq Zayyad, Palestinian Poet
Our Heritage | تراثنا
A culture woven with threads of resilience, history, and an unbreakable spirit.
Tatreez (Embroidery)
A centuries-old art form where each stitch, pattern, and color tells a story of a specific village, a family's history, and the Palestinian identity.
Dabke (Dance)
A vibrant, collective folk dance of stomps, jumps, and synchronized movements, symbolizing community unity, strength, and love for the land.
Olive Wood Carving
A sacred craft dating back to the 4th century in Bethlehem, turning clippings from ancient olive trees into beautiful works of art and symbols of peace.
Our Flavors | مطبخنا
A cuisine rich with the taste of the land, shared with generosity.
Knafeh
The iconic dessert of Nablus, made with sweet cheese, shredded phyllo dough, soaked in syrup and topped with pistachios.
Maqluba
Meaning "upside-down," this is a pot of spiced rice, meat, and fried vegetables, famously flipped onto a platter before serving.
Musakhan
A quintessential dish of Taboon bread topped with sumac-spiced chicken, onions, and pine nuts, drenched in olive oil.
A History of Dispossession | تاريخنا
A brief timeline of the Palestinian experience with settler-colonialism.
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1917: The Balfour Declaration
The British Empire promises the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, disregarding the rights and existence of the indigenous Arab majority.
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1948: The Nakba (The Catastrophe)
Zionist militias, executing Plan Dalet, systematically expel over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and depopulate and destroy over 500 villages to establish the state of Israel.
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1967: The Naksa (The Setback)
Israel occupies the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, beginning a brutal military occupation that continues to this day, characterized by illegal settlements and oppression.
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1987-1993: The First Intifada
A popular Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation, characterized by widespread civil disobedience, protests, and resistance. It demonstrated the unbreakable will of the people for freedom.
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2023-Present: Genocide in Gaza
Following the events of October 7th, Israel unleashes an unprecedented and genocidal bombing campaign on the besieged Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of civilians, destroying infrastructure, and weaponizing starvation in an act of collective punishment condemned by the world.
Through Our Eyes | من خلال عيوننا
The unfiltered reality of life under occupation and apartheid. These are not just images; they are evidence.
Systematic Destruction
The deliberate targeting of homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques. This is not war; it is the erasure of a people's existence, one building at a time.
Engineered Starvation
The criminal blockade of food, water, and medicine is a weapon of war. Famine is not a natural disaster; it is a policy of collective punishment against 2.3 million people.
Sumud (صمود) - Steadfastness
Despite generations of ethnic cleansing and terror, the Palestinian spirit remains unbroken. We plant olive trees, we teach our history, we exist. This is our resistance.
Voices of Solidarity | أصوات التضامن
The Palestinian cause is a cause for all humanity. It is the struggle for justice against oppression, supported by artists, thinkers, and people of conscience worldwide.
Anthems of Resistance
These songs carry our stories across borders:
- "Dammi Falastini" by Mohammed Assaf - A modern anthem of identity.
- "Leve Palestina" by Kofia - A Swedish-Palestinian song of liberation.
- "My Blood is Palestinian" by Saint Levant - A voice for the diaspora.
- "Wein a Ramallah" - A traditional folk song of love and longing.
Global Figures for Justice
Many courageous public figures stand with Palestine, including:
- Riz Ahmed - Actor and activist.
- Mahershala Ali - Actor.
- Angela Davis - Scholar and activist.
- Billie Eilish - Musician.
- Brian Eno - Musician and producer.
- Finneas O'Connell - Musician and producer.
- Frankie Boyle - Comedian.
- Andrew Garfield - Actor.
- Gigi & Bella Hadid - Models and advocates.
- Lena Headey - Actress.
- Kehlani - Musician.
- Dua Lipa - Musician.
- Lowkey - Musician and activist.
- Zayn Malik - Musician.
- Hasan Minhaj - Comedian.
- Viggo Mortensen - Actor.
- Cynthia Nixon - Actress and activist.
- Jenna Ortega - Actress.
- Mark Ruffalo - Actor and advocate.
- Susan Sarandon - Actress and humanitarian.
- Alia Shawkat - Actress.
- Patti Smith - Musician and poet.
- Stormzy - Musician.
- Tilda Swinton - Actress.
- The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) - Musician and humanitarian.
- Roger Waters - Musician and activist.
- Cornel West - Philosopher and activist.
- Ramy Youssef - Comedian and actor.
- Noam Chomsky - Linguist and political dissident.
- Judith Butler - Philosopher and gender theorist.
- Sally Rooney - Author.
- Melissa Barrera - Actress.
Our Land | أرضنا
The historical map of Palestine, a testament to a land with a name and a people, before the ethnic cleansing began.
Map of Palestine
Original City Names
- Al-Quds (القدس) - Jerusalem
- Yafa (يافا) - Jaffa
- Akka (عكا) - Acre
- Al-Nasirah (الناصرة) - Nazareth
- Tabariyya (طبريا) - Tiberias
- Baysan (بيسان) - Beit She'an
- Safad (صفد) - Safed
- Ghazzah (غزة) - Gaza
- Bi'r al-Sabi' (بئر السبع) - Beersheba
- Al-Ludd (اللد) - Lod
- Al-Ramla (الرملة) - Ramla
Ask Zaytoun
I am a digital archivist of a suppressed history. Ask me the difficult questions. The truth has no agenda.