Last month, Jerusalem Story marked the fourth year since its launch in June 2022. We invited our readers in the local Palestinian community in Jerusalem and beyond to share thoughts and comments about our work and its impact.
Readers Pay Tribute
Below are the responses received to date, listed in alphabetical order. To add yours, please reach out to us at info@jerusalemstory.com.
We are honored and gratified by the tributes, which validate the importance and impact of our ongoing work.
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Jerusalem Story has managed to bring about a qualitative shift in awareness about Jerusalem and its story, especially since it writes in English about our concerns, our lives, our hopes, and our resilience.
Therefore, I hope it continues this work for many years to come, as we need this voice to convey our story to all corners of the earth.
—Sheikh Mazen Ahram, Sufi preacher and writer, Jerusalem
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The Jerusalem Story platform represents a digital space that documents the lived experience of Palestinians in Jerusalem by focusing on their social and cultural practices and their daily relationship with the city.
The platform offers knowledge that sheds light on collective memory, local identity, and lifestyles that shape the Palestinian Muslim and Christian presence in Jerusalem, drawing on historical and contemporary narratives and diverse research sources.
From the perspective of lived experience, Jerusalem Story provides an understanding of how Jerusalemites’ relationship with their city is formed through their daily experiences and social and cultural practices. It also highlights the impact of political and social transformations on shaping this relationship and on reproducing meanings of place and belonging. In this way, Jerusalem is presented as a living space where lived experiences, collective memory, and networks of social interaction intersect.
—Nafiz Asila, social activist, Jerusalem
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I trust the content of Jerusalem Story and share it with friends and colleagues with eyes closed and no second thought. Essentially, this page resembles us; it’s like a true and authentic reflection of who we are and how we live in Jerusalem.
—Tarek Bakri, researcher and digital creator, known for his expansive visual documentation of Palestine through the project “We Were and Still Are Here”
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“I come from there . . . And I have memories.” These words from a famous Mahmoud Darwish poem come to my mind whenever I read Jerusalem Story. Often the stories bring me joy. More recently, they bring me worry and concern. But they always bring me back to my, our, beloved Jerusalem. Thank you, Jerusalem Story, for the truly invaluable work you do.
—Gina Sophia Benevento, strategic communications consultant, Madrid; former UN diplomat; contributing writer for various outlets who lived and worked in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Gaza from 1997 to 2011
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Jerusalem Story at four: A faithful Palestinian witness to the holy city
On the fourth anniversary of Jerusalem Story, I extend my deep appreciation for a platform that has treated Jerusalem as a living city of faith, memory, people, and national struggle. Over the past four years, its work has carried our city’s Indigenous Palestinian voice with dignity, clarity, and moral seriousness, offering readers a grounded record of Jerusalem’s churches, mosques, neighborhoods, families, sacred places, and daily life under Israeli military occupation.
In a city targeted by Israeli colonial settlement expansion and ethnic cleansing, Jerusalem Story has given space to truth with moral clarity and deep respect for human life. Its contribution strengthens public knowledge, protects cultural memory, and affirms the living presence of our people in our holy city where history, faith, and identity remain living forces in the steadfast presence of our people.
—Dimitri Diliani, president, National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land
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Jerusalem Story brings the true story of Jerusalem, the rich mosaic of this city, to audiences around the world in a creative and unique way. It keeps the spirit and narrative of Jerusalem alive in the hearts of those both near and far, reminding us all of the deep connection we share with this very special place. We wish the team strength in keeping the Jerusalemite story alive and the Armenian Quarter in the minds of many!
—Hagop Djernazian and Setrag Balian, cofounders, Save the ArQ Movement
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Four years of Jerusalem Story stand as a testament to the power of our collective narrative. In a city where every stone and street holds a memory, this platform has become an essential voice, meticulously safeguarding the Palestinian landscape and ensuring our presence resonates through every story told. We celebrate this milestone, recognizing that every pen, every voice, and every shared narrative is a vital act of persistence, a necessary bridge that keeps Jerusalem’s truth alive, visible, and enduring.
—Rania Elias, independent management consultant for arts and cultural development
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I have been studying the politics of Jerusalem for nearly 40 years and keeping on top of all the developments in the city and the various reports and analyses conveying different perspectives and arguments has always been a demanding task. Jerusalem Story provides first-rate coverage of current events, in-depth reportage, background information, and insightful human interest narratives. Taken all together, it is a wonderful resource that I not only use regularly myself but also pass on to newcomers as probably the best entry to the field of Jerusalem studies. With best wishes.
—Mick Dumper, Emeritus Professor in Middle East Politics, University of Exeter, UK
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Jerusalem Story is as informative as it is perspective. The city is not just retold, it is also upheld in these chronicles of community resistance, struggle, and joy. Jerusalem is its people and this is where their story can be heard in the way it was meant to be.
—R. Benedito Ferrão, associate professor of English and Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies, William & Mary, and author
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Celebrating the anniversary of the Jerusalem Story website brings positive vibes to our spiritual well-being while we struggle to keep moving forward.
Beyond academic scrutiny, the project is essential to ensure the continuation of the Palestinian narrative. For in our existential struggle to fight imminent annihilation and politicide, we need to keep the engine of our conscious collection and recollection of our situation running.
It is true that Jerusalem is part of Palestine but has been differentiated for its religious and spiritual significance, often by outsiders rather than by Palestinians. Problems in Jerusalem are abundant, especially those related to the Israeli occupation’s policies since they declared the illegal unification of the city during the 1967 War.
The most distressing part is that we lose our social, economic, cultural, religious, and political strings in the city. This is why we need to be resilient and keep our conscious awareness of the city alive. The contributions to the website must continue to describe our living experience of the city, to evoke memories, emotions, and experiences of the daily beauties, pains, and challenges. We need to arm our own sense of identity as Palestinians and not only as Jerusalemites and certainly continue to shape the narrative first to ourselves and then to the outside world.
This project is essential and must continue to expose, explain, and preserve the different spectrums of the city and its inhabitants for Palestinian society and for the outside world of academia, diplomacy, and think tanks.
—Lily Habash, senior post-conflict governance Jerusalem expert
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Jerusalem Story is a website specializing in Jerusalem and in English is unique and important. We congratulate its founders, writers, editors, and staff on their fourth anniversary.
We thank this website for all that it publishes about Jerusalem, for the churches and the Christian presence, and for the just Palestinian cause, which is the cause of every free person in this world. We ask God to bless you and grant you success in all your steps and initiatives.
—Atallah Hanna, Orthodox bishop, Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Story is a unique and inspiring platform for telling the story of Jerusalem in all its dimensions. It doesn’t just document the facts and daily events on the ground but also sheds light on the stories of hope, resilience, and creativity woven by the people of Jerusalem despite the enormous challenges they face.
The strength of Jerusalem Story lies in its ability to convey people’s voices and human experiences, making Jerusalem a living city pulsating with stories, memories, and dreams. Through these narratives, it contributes to preserving collective memory and fostering a deeper understanding of the city and its inhabitants.
May Jerusalem continue to create stories that inspire the world, and may Jerusalem Story continue to carry the echo of its people’s stories everywhere, bearing witness to their resilience, celebrating their humanity, and preserving their narrative for future generations.
—Omar Haramy, executive director, Sabeel—Palestinian Christian Liberation Theology Center
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Jerusalem Story is a window into our beloved Jerusalem—its rich heritage, resilient people, and endless narrative.
—Fadi al-Hidmi, director general, Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry; former minister of Jerusalem affairs, the Palestinian Authority
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Mabruk, Jerusalem Story, for celebrating a rooted living culture that breathes Palestine’s civility and resistance through its people; despite all attempts of erasure, we are here, and we speak Arabic!
—Huda Imam, consultant, the Welfare Association (Taawon); founder and former general director, Center for Jerusalem Studies, Al-Quds University
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Mabruk to the editors, writers, and staff of Jerusalem Story on its fourth anniversary.
One of the publication’s greatest strengths is its ability to tell not only the broader story of apartheid in Jerusalem, but also the often unseen and underreported social realities and the rich cultural life that continues to thrive despite the discrimination and oppression Palestinians face every day.
As a lawyer, I avidly read the legal articles in the newsletter and on the website with great interest. They are consistently rigorous, deeply researched, and highly accessible. They provide essential insight into the unique legal status of Palestinians in Jerusalem and demonstrate how the law shapes and affects every aspect of daily life.
This depth of reporting, carefully uncovering the legal, political, cultural, social, and historical layers of Jerusalem, is unmatched by any newspaper or other website. I hope Jerusalem Story continues to grow and to bring these vital stories to audiences around the world for many years to come.
—Dr. Hassan Jabareen, advocate and general director, Adalah—The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
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The power of the media has always been immense, often shaping narratives and, in many cases, presenting facts in ways that favor the powerful.
Unfortunately, the Palestinian perspective has long lacked the same reach and influence needed to convey its message and truth to the wider world. Only a limited number of platforms have succeeded in reaching readers and influencing public understanding.
A few years ago, a new platform, Jerusalem Story, was established to share the realities of life within the Palestinian community of Jerusalem. Through personal stories and lived experiences, it highlights daily challenges and hardships, explores the roots of this suffering, and offers ideas and pathways toward meaningful solutions.
This forum represents an excellent local initiative, one that deserves continued support and encouragement in order to grow and expand its impact.
Today, as Jerusalem Story celebrates its fourth anniversary, the momentum it has gained is both inspiring and promising. It offers hope that the stories of our beloved city will continue to reach a global audience, giving a stronger voice to the experiences, aspirations, and resilience of the people of Jerusalem.
Happy Birthday, Jerusalem Story!
—Simon Kouba, architect and president of the board, East Jerusalem YMCA
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Jerusalem Story’s sections pertaining to the interviews and accounts of the history of Jerusalem are of particular interest to me as a researcher as I build on my own stories of heritage, architecture, and history.
—Ghadeer Najjar, researcher, architect, social anthropologist, and founder, Levantine Heritage, Made Visible (HanaShamScent)
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Jerusalem Story is a beautiful mirror reflecting our deepest selves—a place to read, learn, and be inspired by the people, histories, and ideas that make Palestine so profoundly human. Read Jerusalem Story for an archive filled with endless knowledge, reflections, and histories—all wrapped in love, passion, and inspiration.
—Mahmoud Muna, writer and coowner, Educational Bookshop, Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Story performs a vital service by preserving and sharing the stories of Palestinian Jerusalem with care, integrity, and depth. Its commitment to documenting history through innovative initiatives such as the Khan Tankaz interactive exhibitions and the history of the Jerusalem Hotel ensures that the city’s living heritage remains accessible, meaningful, and remembered.
—Raed Saadeh, owner and general manager, the Jerusalem Hotel, Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Story preserves the memory of Jerusalem and its people, striving to document this memory as a testament to the city’s history, its inhabitants, their stories about the place, and their feelings about being forcibly displaced in 1948.
It aims to present the authentic Palestinian experience in the city and its depopulated neighborhoods, such as Qatamon, Upper Baq‘a, and Lower Baq‘a, to those who are unaware of or ignore the Palestinian Arab dimension of the city. It documents Jerusalem as it was before 1948 and its contemporary reality for those who wish to learn more about the authentic Arab component and its architectural, social, and cultural contributions to this holy city.
By focusing on narrating the lives and memories of those who lived in Jerusalem and witnessed its pivotal events, Jerusalem Story sheds light not merely on historical narrative but remind us of what was possible for the city: to be a home for all its inhabitants, open to their contributions without discrimination, condescension, or exclusion. May Jerusalem Story and our Jerusalem continue to thrive, with the hope of a unified Jerusalem that embraces all its elements.
—Bernard Sabella, retired professor, sociology and former Palestinian Legislative Council member elected to represent Jerusalem
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