Monday 28 May 2012

A SLICE OF LIFE IN PALESTINE

Whilst searching for photographs of Christians in Palestine I stumbled across a collection of photographs taken a few years ago by someone who loves Palestine. Here is the everyday life of Palestinians, these are people who are persecuted by their neighbours but maintain as regular a life as possible. I include the photographer's notes. These photographs are about 5 years old so it is more than entirely possible things have deteriorated even worse for many of the subjects.  What this is is a record of people simply trying to live normal lives in the face of tremendous adversity ~ just daily life in Palestine. Including ~ wait for it ~ Christmas decorations on a Mosque. So here is a slice of life in Palestine....

Palestinian students at Bethlehem University, in the West Bank, act out a traditional Palestinian wedding. (Fadi Tanas, Maan Images)

A Palestinian woman in traditional dress poses with a piece of pottery at a heritage exhibition in Bethlehem. (Haytham Othman, Maan Images)

A Palestinian swimmer participates in a regional competition in Beit Sahour. (Maan Images)

A Palestinian man participates in an exhibition of handmade traditional Palestinian embroidery in Ramallah. (Mushir Abdelrahman, Maan Images)

A Palestinian merchant sells fruit in a market in the Gaza Strip, as Muslims prepare to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (Maan Images)

 Palestinian children perform a dance routine at a cultural event in the city of Nablus. (Maan Images)

 Palestinians prepare the traditional Ramadan sweet katayif in a shop in Nablus. (Maan Images)

 A young boy carries a load through the streets of a West Bank village. (Lisa Nessan)

 A social worker visits an orphanage run by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. (Mouid Ashqar, Maan Images)

Rushing to collect salaries. Government employees in the West Bank city of Nablus rush to receive their salaries at a local bank after Israel released a portion of the Palestinian Authority's frozen tax revenues. (Rami Swidan, Maan Images)

 Jerusalem Arches
 
 Palestinian Christian prayers during their mass on Sunday in the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

Palestinian Christians light candles in the grotto under the Church of the Nativity, faithfully believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

A Palestinian vegetable grower displays some of the produce he can no longer sell because the West Bank separation wall blocks him from his former market. (Edward Parsons, IRIN)

 Members of the Nasser family cluster around a lamp in their Gaza City home, which has been in the dark since Israeli warplanes struck Gaza's only power plant. (Wesam Saleh, Maan Images)

 Palestinian children laugh as they watch a performance by a group of clowns in the West Bank city of Qalqilia. (Khaleel Reash, Maan Images)

 Palestinians dressed as a Native American protests the Israeli policy of closure at the Huwwara checkpoint, near Nablus. (by pantsopticon)

 Players fight for control of the ball during a football match between Thakafi Beit Sahour and Silwan in the city of Beit Sahour near Bethlehem. (Fadi Tanas, Maan Images)

Nine year old Aya, a resident of Beit Lahiya, does her homework by candle light during one of the many power cuts in Gaza. (Tom Spender, IRIN)
 
An Israeli soldier poins his gun at a Palestinian man during imposing an Israeli curfew in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

 Drawing for healing. Photo by Raken Hashlamoun

Israeli army jeeps patrol while Palestinian graduate students stand out of the Hebron university waiting for their graduate day in the West Bank city of Hebron. Israeli army sealed the gates of the Hebron University in the graduate ceremony day and prevented students and the staff from entering the University campus. Israeli Army was closed The Hebron University and the Palestine Polytechnic. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

Radiance. A Palestinian student girl Fida' al-Rujoub attends her lectures at Hebron University after seven months of Israeli closure of her University in the West Bank city of Hebron August 16, 2003. The Israeli army gave allowed to reopen Hebron University and Palestine Polytechnic University after they had closed them on last January 11 in Hebron city by Israeli military order. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

 Israeli soldiers blow up a Palestinian building. Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

A view for Palestinian fisher men boat with their Fishnet in front of Gaza beach during a sun set. Photo by Muhammed Jadallah

 Displaced children from Nahr al-Bared refugee camp sleep in an UNRWA school. (Image courtesy of Marcy Newman)

Apartheid looks like this. An Israeli soldier prevents Palestinians from passing Beit Iba checkpoint, during a demonstration against Israeli checkpoints near the West Bank city of Nablus.

 Majdi Zayatneh, paralyzed after being shot by Israeli soldiers, makes handicrafts in Tulkarem.

A Palestinian family walks past an Israeli military vehicle in the West Bank city of Nablus, after the army imposed a curfew there. (Rami Swidan, Maan Images)

 A Baker in the al Fawwar refugee camp.

Photo by: Nayef Hashlamoun. An Israeli officer looks downs at a Palestinian child as he holds out his hand to shake the officer’s in an effort to make peace in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron)

 Palestinians observe the bodies of boys Ahmed Abu Zbeida and Zaher al-Majdalawi, killed while playing with kites in the Gaza Strip. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages)

 Palestinian cooks preparing the world's biggest tabouleh, setting a new Guinness record at the Friends Boys School in Ramallah. (Mushir Abdelrahman, Maan Images)

 A bee collects nectar from a blooming almond tree in Qalqilia. (Khaleel Reash, Maan News)

 The way to school in Hebron. Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

  An Israeli soldier shouts at a woman preventing her to walk back home. Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

 Israeli soldiers prevent Palestinian schoolboys to pass in their way back homes during a military operation to arrest Palestinians and search houses in their neighborhood of Issa in the West Bank city of Hebron. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

A Palestinian boy looks at Israeli soldiers who stopped Palestinian worshipers to enter the Ibraheemi mosque for the last Friday pray of the holy month of Ramadan in the West Bank city of Hebron. Several thousand Palestinians pray in the Ibraheemi mosque under Israeli soldiers control in the last Friday pray of the holy month of Ramadan. The Muslim festival of Eid-al-Fitr is then celebrated at the end of Ramadan. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

 A Palestinian man looks through a hole at his destroyed housein the West Bank town of Hebron. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun OP/AA MIDEAST HEBRON Photo by NAYEF HASHLAMOUN

 An Israeli soldier stand guards detained Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

 Two Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian man in Hebron. Photo by Abed Hashlamoun

On becoming a widow. A Palestinian woman mourns the loss of her husband in Hebron (Al Khalil). REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

 Palestinian boys mourn the loss of their older brother.

Palestinian boy looks for his toys after his home is demolished by Israeli soldiers.

A Palestinian boy sets in a makeshift hut, Photo by: Nayef Hashlamoun. Loay a 9-year-old Palestinian boy sets in a makeshift hut where he and other children stay as they search through garbage at a dump near the West Bank city of Hebron, hoping to find something valuable. Palestinian children regularly sift through the garbage looking for clothes, metal and any other object thrown out that might be useful or could be sold. The Palestinian economy is in dire straits and poverty is rife, leaving many people desperate for any chance of making ends meet.

Palestinian glass workers collect the waste smashed glass to reuse it in the framework of a recycling process at his glass factory in the West Bank city of Hebron. Glass is a very ancient and traditional industry in Hebron. It has been known since more than 600 years ago. However, nowadays this industry is almost wiping out as a result of the recent violence in this region. During the last two years, it is just only three factories that remain out of nine prosperous glass factories. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

Palestinian glass workers blow the melted glass through pipes according to the desired forms at their factory in Hebron, Photo by: Nayef Hashlamoun. Palestinian glass worker blows the melted glass through a pipe reshaping it according to the desired forms at his glass factory in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron). Hebron Glass has been a traditional industry in Hebron for over 600 years but as a result of the increased violence in the region over the last two years, the glass factory output has been reduced by almost two thirds. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

A Palestinian glass worker is putting final touches on a glass vase using a spiral melted glass tube at his glass factory in the West Bank city of Hebron. Glass is a very ancient and traditional industry in Hebron. It has been known since more than 600 years ago. However, nowadays this industry is almost wiping out as a result of the recent violence in this region. During the last two years, it is just only three factories that remain out of nine prosperous glass factories. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun: Israeli soldiers stand guard at the entrance of a detained Palestinian family’s home while the Israeli army searches their house in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron).
 
 Palestinian mother and child

The Jerusalem Festival ~ Songs of Freedom encompasses a unique theme and vision; which consequently defines its character, atmosphere and program. For ten nights, East Jerusalem features the power of song and music that reflects the human spirit in overcoming political and social obstacles.

The major aim of the organizers (Yabous) is to give hope and courage to Palestinian people in pain, to bring back to the city of East Jerusalem, its cultural glory as the central Palestinian city and to contribute to the development of the cultural, educational economic and touristic life of East Jerusalem.

 Palestinian boys show parts of Israeli missiles damaged their house. Photo by Nayef Hashlamoun

Members of a local Palestinian boys soccer team take part in a training session in the Palestinian city of Hebron. Photo by/Nayef Hashlamoun

 Such beauty. A Palestine woman

 Checkpoint

 Checkpoint

 Hebron Street

 The Israelis passed through town today. A family checks out the safety level of their home.

 A group of Palestinian children hitch a ride home along the beach in Gaza. (George Azar)

A Palestinian pottery worker is putting touches on a earthenware vase at his pottery factory in Hebron. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

A Palestinian pottery worker is putting final touches on a earthenware vase at his pottery traditional factory in the West Bank city of Hebron. Pottery is a very ancient and traditional industry in Hebron. It has been known since more than 2000 years ago. However, nowadays this industry is almost wiping out as a result of the increased violence in the region over the last two years, the pottery factory output has been reduced by almost two thirds. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

 Palestinian pottery workers take out to the market earthenware vasels from their traditional pottery factory in the West Bank city of Hebron. Pottery is a very ancient and traditional industry in Hebron. It has been known since more than 2000 years ago. However, nowadays this industry is almost wiping out as a result of the increased violence in the region over the last two years, the pottery factory output has been reduced by almost two thirds. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun

Nothing good on TV. A Palestinian boy sits next to an old television set in the village of Al-Aqaba, near Tubas in the north of the occupied West Bank. (Lisa Nessan)

 Bethlehem at dusk.

 Christmas decoration in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem's Manger Square is fully decorated, in the hopes of attracting visitors to town. At its peak, hundreds of thousands visited Bethlehem at Christmas, but today the town is virtually empty.

Mosque at Christmas. The Mosque of Omar is Bethlehem's oldest and foremost mosque. Many Bethlehem Muslims celebrate Christmas along with their Christian neighbors. (Sabella)

 Bethlehem's municipality building sparkles at twilight. 9Sabella)

 Palestinian children sit in the window at Al-Emari mosque in Gaza City during a funeral.

Palestinian boys play a game of soccer on the beach in the northern Gaza Strip. (Apollo Images)

Photo by; Nayef Hashlamoun. A Palestinian confectioner prepares a traditional Ramadan sweet called Halabi in the market of the old city of al-Khalil (Hebron).

 Downtown Ramallah

 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

A Palestinian shopkeeper in the historic Old City of Nablus displays some of the traditional antiques for sale in his shop, located in the heart of one of Palestine's oldest souqs. (Rami Swidan, Maan Images)

Palestinian children in traditional dress smile during a wedding in the West Bank village of Bil'in. (Osama Silwadi, Apollo Images)

A Palestinian girl practices playing the violin at a cultural center for children in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Osama Silwadi, Apollo Images)

The leading Palestinian hip-hop group DAM performs in the West Bank city of Bethlehem before embarking on a European tour. (Magnus Johansson, Maan Images)

A Palestinian man picks grapes near his home in the Gaza Strip. (Wesam Saleh, Maan Images)
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Al Khalil Street in the Old City of Hebron (Al Khalil) 

Christian wedding in Palestine

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