While a ceasefire has been declared after 15 months of genocide in Gaza, killing and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank is at an all time high. Muhanad al-Qaisy, who grew up in the Deheisha refugee camp in Bethlehem, will share his personal insights on life under occupation and his work as director of the Olive Tree Campaign, the Palestinian partner of Plant een Olijfboom. Through their joint effort, planting olive trees protects land from Israeli confiscation laws. Muhanad also discusses how, conversely, tree planting is weaponized by the Israeli regime in ‘greenwashing’ campaigns. We will also hear from Esther van der Most, director of Plant een Olijfboom. Via the experience of her family in Gaza she will discuss life post-ceasefire and how we can support the struggle from abroad. Whether we struggle inside or outside of Palestine for justice and freedom, humour is a much needed element to keep going and reach more people. Comedian Shariff Nasr will bring humour and wisdom to inspire. Journalist Maya-Nora Saaid will host this evening of learning, community and getting energized to keep going.
About the speakers
Muhanad al-Qaisy is director of the ‘Joint Advocacy Initiative – Olive Tree Campaign’, Muhanad has many stories to tell, both on a personal as a professional level. Growing up and living in a Palestinian refugee camp under occupation has shaped his life. Many funerals, a close-knit community—everybody knows everybody, and no one is unaffected by the daily humiliation of checkpoints, occupation soldiers, arbitrary arrests, and the constant news of destruction and death. Living and working under these circumstances are hard, but through strength, perseverance and humour, it is possible. Muhanad will share with us about various aspects of his life and work.
Esther van der Most is Director of the ‘Plant een Olijfboom’ organisation. In December 2023, her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and 5-year-old niece were killed by an Israeli bombing. Esther has frequently appeared in the media to speak about Palestine and her family, which has given her a variety of unique experiences. She will also talk about concrete actions we can take. While it’s important to know these stories, it’s even more crucial that we take action to change and end the reality of occupation and injustice.
Shariff Nasr is a director, writer and stand-up comedian from the Netherlands who raises awareness to social issues. He gets inspired by voices we don’t often hear, emotions we try to hide or ignore and social problems to which we close our eyes. Shariff often uses humour as a weapon to fight serious issues. This evening, he will perform stand-up comedy in Dutch.
Maya-Nora Saaid is a social media producer and Middle East and North Africa journalist. Maya-Nora works to shift Western perspectives on the Middle East and North Africa by creating video explainers. She works for Middle East Eye and various other platforms. Her most notable achievement was when she asked Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, about what time it is in Palestine and Israel. Initially, Siri didn’t recognize what time it was in Palestine. However, after going viral and her TikTok account being banned, Siri is now capable of recognising what time it is in Palestine. Maya-Nora will be our host again, just as she was in February 2024 when we organized a similar evening in Pakhuis de Zwijger.
