Palestine

It is 5 PM on a hot summer day in 2022 in Madaba, Jordan. I was at the beginning of my journey as a photographer, speaking to my former teacher visiting from South Africa, the magnificent and wise Ms. Tessa Fairbairn. She was on the front lines in South Africa fighting against apartheid some decades ago, and now, she was in Jordan, a couple hours away from another apartheid, sitting with me, sharing her delightful presence with me.

I recieve a phone call from Ismail, a man I've known for 18 years, since 6th grade, more than half of my life.

"I'm going to Palestine. Do you want to come?"

"Yes. When?"

“Now. Meet me in Naour in an hour”

I packed my bags quickly and we drove down towards the Dead Sea, our direction was where the sun set. The air became dense and humid. The air became tense and suspenseful. Israeli military raids were happening all around the West Bank. Israeli settlers and military surrounded every exit and entry way into Nablus. Jenin was unsettled. Will we make it to the other side? What awaits us there?

We were in Palestine for about 60 hours. We barely slept and we barely ate. What we did was walk, ask questions, and keep our eyes open, witnessing what it means to be in an apartheid state.

These are some of the photos I took for those 60 hours, along with two photographic stories I felt compelled to share.