Writings on the Wall: Palestinian Oral Histories

“[We express our] grave concern about the continuing construction, contrary to international law, by Israel of the wall inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem ... in departure from the Armistice Line of 1949 ... [and] the failure of the Government of Israel to cooperate...” ?United Nations Commission on Human Rights A book that truly “sees through walls,” Thomas Suárez has organized a remarkable collection of Palestinian oral histories, most of which hang on Israel’s apartheid Wall. Following his forthright introduction deconstructing the so-called “conflict,” the author’s annotations and photographs provide background to these testimonies of ordinary people living under a sadistic, seven-decade military occupation. Lost in the chaos of Israel’s war against Palestine are the voices of the ordinary Palestinians who are its primary victims. This book puts a dent in that injustice by preserving oral testimonies collected and translated by the Sumud Story House project of Bethlehem’s Arab Educational Institute and hung as posters on Israel’s apartheid Wall. Despite their brevity—each oral history occupies a single page in this book—each conveys the fears, the hopes, the resolve, the humanity of people under brutal military occupation, and their unwavering determination to realize a better future for their children.