Following a week of violent attacks on Palestine by colonialist state Israel, over 200 Palestinians have been killed – including 61 children – and more than 1,400 people have been injured. In the last few days, the Israeli army has conducted its deadliest and heaviest strikes yet on Gaza, including an attack on the press, which destroyed the building that housed the offices of Associated Press and Al Jazeera.
Amidst persistent ethnic cleansing by the Israeli government and the displacement of 52,000 Palestinian families, the state’s citizens are finding creative ways to resist Israel’s terrorism. In a video shared on Twitter, Palestinians can be seen singing, dancing, and playing music in a glorious display of resilience.
“After several nights of terror, Palestinians are reclaiming public spaces with art and music,” wrote Palestinian journalist Henriette Chacar, who shared the clip. “Here’s what it looks like now in Wadi Nisnas, Haifa.”
In the video, a four-piece band plays the guitar, drums, oud, and violin under a blue sky, as a crowd sings and claps around them.
Wadi Nisnas is situated in the northern Israel city of Haifa – the third largest city in the state – and is a predominantly Arab neighbourhood. Haifa has been hailed as the “capital of coexistence” in recent years, but has had its fair share of violence during this month’s unrest, with mobs reportedly taking to the streets to chant “death to Arabs”.
Since violence erupted at the end of April, tens of thousands of people across the world have demonstrated in solidarity with Palestine, calling for the state’s freedom. In the UK, marches took place in Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, London, and more. Speaking at the London march, 32-year-old Nahwand Jaff – who photographed the protest for Dazed – said: “This occupation by settler colonialists has gone on far too long, and the international enabling is continuously devastating.”
The galling human rights abuses against the Palestinian people has also encouraged many to question how we should talk about the crisis. Here, Dazed explains how to discuss the situation, show solidarity, and why the language you use is so important.
Watch the clip of Palestinians reclaiming their streets below.
