IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
Testimonies
There isn't a week that goes by that I don't think of the events of this week, sixteen years ago. I recall, as though it were yesterday, as Israeli soldiers drove tanks through the streets of Ramallah, crushing cars and beautiful trees in their path before stopping in front of my building on Library Street.
on March 22, 2018
I talked to my family in Gaza earlier this week and asked them: "How do you sleep at night when you don't have electricity?" The temperature at night there doesn't go below 74 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity is high. My 12-year-old sister answered: "We don’t." She explained that even if they try to sleep, open all the windows, drink a lot of water - still, they can’t breathe.
on July 16, 2017
Videos
“We will never stop fighting for Palestine, because Palestine is everything.” Eman Abdelhadi still remembers her childhood nightmares of Israeli soldiers executing her — nightmares that surfaced after watching footage of the Second Intifada. It was the first indication that her life as a Palestinian was seen as disposable.
on June 24, 2017
Testimonies
Fadi Alloun was killed on October 3 in East Jerusalem when a group of settlers chased him and an Israeli officer shot him at close range at least seven times. Diana Buttu spoke with Fadi Alloun’s aunts, Haya Alloun, Reem Alloun, and Mervat Alloun, along with his cousin Waad Alloun.
on October 23, 2015
Videos
In July of 2014, during the height of Operation Protective Edge, the Israeli military launched a mid-day strike on one of the most popular beaches in the Gaza Strip. On the beach that day were many of the children of the Bakr family, killing four boys.
on September 18, 2015
Newly published testimony from members of the Israeli military who took part in last summer's assault on Gaza has painted a picture of an intervention that encouraged soldiers to shoot first and ask questions later, leading to the abuse of civilians caught in the crossfire.
on May 7, 2015
Photo Essays
Doctor and human rights activist Bassel Abu Warda and architect Mostafa Asi started the Save Gaza Project (SGP) during Israel's attacks on the Strip last summer. They plan to rebuild Gaza's only school for children with disabilities, Shams Al Amal, and create an alternative space to be used for classrooms while the original school's reconstruction is in progress.
on April 8, 2015
Photo Essays
Khan Younis was one of the areas most affected by the Israeli military offensive that claimed the lives of over 2,100 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip last summer. Ismael Ahmed Wafi, a truck driver and father from Khan Younis, worked to help rescue victims from under the rubble during the attacks and is currently assisting with cleanup efforts.
on February 24, 2015
Photo Essays
The damage Israel inflicted on Gaza during its 50-day attack last summer left thousands of Palestinians in desperate need of aid and home reconstruction. The process of rebuilding has been heavily impeded by the blockade, which prevents most types of building materials such as cement and steel from entering the strip. This shortage has caused many to resort to making repairs and building new homes with the limited supplies that are available.
on January 28, 2015