Personal Story

Personal Story Trapped in a System That Seeks to Remove Them

Zoheir Rajabeh, a resident of Batn al-Hawa in Silwan, lives in limbo, while Israeli settlement organizations work with authorities to force his family out of their home.

Personal Story Living with the Ever-Present Threat of Expulsion

After 30 years of loving care, Samira’s home and garden convey serenity, but she stands to lose it all if Israel expels her from her home.

Personal Story Haunted by Waiting for Expulsion in Sheikh Jarrah

The al-Qasem family home in Sheikh Jarrah, home to three generations, is a target for Jewish settlers.

Personal Story When Your Right to Your Home and Safety Is Continuously Threatened

Amal describes the unimaginable stress under which they and their family live in Sheikh Jarrah.

Personal Story A Diaspora Jerusalemite Remembers

Philip Farah hasn’t lived in Jerusalem since 1978, but it remains “a huge part of my psyche.”

Personal Story Zakia Jabre Hajjar: “What I Had in Jerusalem Was Like a Treasure, a Precious Gift, and I Lost it”

A Palestinian Jerusalemite’s memories of growing up in Jerusalem before the Nakba, as shared with her daughter through letters in later years

Personal Story In Limbo on the Waiting List: The Life of a “Stay Permit” Spouse

The infinite indignities and humiliations of daily life for Palestinian spouses living in Jerusalem on Israeli military stay permits

Personal Story The Day of the Long Night

A Palestinian Jerusalemite remembers his childhood and its terrifying end in the New City neighborhood of Qatamon. An eyewitness testimony to the violent end of the New City.

Personal Story Zaid Abu Dalu: “Closure Has Many Faces”

A young man shares his lifetime of experience of dealing with Israel’s closure of Jerusalem and how it has impacted his entire life.