Lexicon

A traditional folk dance originating from the Levantine region, encompassing countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and parts of Iraq.  

Meaning “stamping of the feet” in Arabic, the dabke features rhythmic stomping and synchronized movements performed in a line or circle, with dancers holding hands or shoulders. It is often led by a leader who improvises steps. 

This dance is commonly performed at weddings, festivals, and other celebrations, symbolizing community, heritage, resilience, and resistance. 

The English name for one of the seven open gates in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. See also Bab al-Amud. 

See The Gates of the Old City for more detailed information.

See Oslo I Agreement.

A secular, Marxist-Leninist political and military organization, founded by Nayef Hawatmeh in 1969, that split off from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The third largest faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP)’s political ideology falls between the more moderate Fatah and the more hardline PFLP. Originally, the DFLP called for a “people’s democratic Palestine” that included both Arabs and Jews living equally and without oppression—essentially, a one-state model. But it later joined the moderate factions of the PLO calling for a two-state solution within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The DFLP participated in the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections with other leftist factions under the Alternative (Badeel) list, winning 2.8 percent of the vote, or two seats. 

Maoist-influenced, the DFLP supports a revolutionary approach to the Palestinian struggle. Its armed wing, the National Resistance Brigades or the Martyr Omar al-Qassem Forces, was most active during the 1970s. It carried out its most significant attack on May 15, 1974, in the Israeli settlement of Ma’alot, not far from the Lebanese border. DFLP fighters seized a school and held over 100 Israelis hostage. In the end, 27 were killed. Unlike other Palestinian leaders, Hawatmeh opposed attacks outside historic Palestine. While the DFLP’s resistance activities decreased following the First Intifada—leading to its removal from a U.S. list of terrorist organizations in 1999—it was active during the Second Intifada and has been fighting alongside Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Its top leadership, including Hawatmeh, is based in Damascus, although it maintains a small operational presence within the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

Islamic phrases, expressions, or prayers that are repeatedly recited in remembrance of God in a form of worship. Translating to “remembrance” or “reminder,” dhikr usually includes supplication from the Quran or from the hadiths. Prayer beads are often used in the process of dhikr. 

See Unity Intifada. Also called Unity Uprising.

See Unity Intifada.

Goblet-shaped hand drum widely played throughout the Middle East and especially prominent in Palestinian music. Traditionally made from clay and fitted with animal skin—though now often built from metal or modern materials, with a synthetic head—the dirbaki is known for two primary tones: the deep “dum” at the center and the sharp “tak” at the edge. Its crisp, vibrant sound makes it a central instrument in folk ensembles, dabke performances, and classical Arab music. In Palestine, the dirbaki is one of the most recognizable percussion instruments, heard at weddings, festivals, olive harvest celebrations, and street performances, where its rhythms form a core part of Palestinian cultural identity. 

A long robe or garment traditionally worn by men in Arabia and the Middle East. While similar to a thobe or jellabiyya, a dishdasha’s sleeves are wide, cuffless, and not quite full length. By contrast, contemporary thobe sleeves are narrow with cuffs that are sometimes adorned with embroidery. The term dishdasha is most commonly used in the Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman. People from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait use thobe, and North Africans say jellabiyya or galabiyya. However, these terms are also used interchangeably by some communities; for example, Palestinians typically use thobe to refer to the traditional garment.

Military coordination offices established in the West Bank and Gaza in 1994 that manage the movement of Palestinians, both within the occupied West Bank and into Israel. Palestinians holding Palestinian Authority IDs must apply for permits from the Israeli military to enter Israel or move between Areas A, B, and C of the West Bank. DCOs were established in each district of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with the Israeli military office on one side of each DCO compound and the Palestinian security forces on the other. Final approval on all permit decisions lies with the Israel authorities, the Palestinian side is effectively more of an administrative middleman that merely coordinates between the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian residents, on the one hand, and Israeli authorities, on the other. There are eight DCOs (also called DCLs): Abu Dis, al-Ram, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jericho.

The English name for one of the seven open gates in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. See also Bab Haret al-Maghariba. 

See The Gates of the Old City for more detailed information and other names for this gate.