Palestine – Tillie's Void

Reflections on Conversations with Zionists

My dad has often said I have “the gift of gab.” I can talk circles around just about anyone on just about any topic. Sometimes, I think arguing is the only thing I’m any good at. So, since around October 8th, keeping my skill set in mind, I’ve been having conversations. I’ve talked to “friends,”Continue reading “Reflections on Conversations with Zionists”

Review: They Called Me a Lioness (Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri)

Ahed Tamimi and her family have spent their whole lives fighting for a free Palestine. From the village of Nabi Salih in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Tamimi has been an icon of resistance since she was a young girl but gained international attention in 2017 after she was arrested and jailed for eight months at the age of 16 for slapping an Israeli soldier who had just shot her cousin in the head. A video of the slap spread on social media, bringing much-needed attention to the violence in the West Bank.

Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History (Nur Masalha)

Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History by Nur Masalha ambitiously traces, as the name suggests, four thousand years of Palestinian history, from the beginning of recorded history to the modern Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Masalha is a professor of Palestinian history, former Director of the Centre for Religion and History at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, and editor of “The Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies,” published by Edinburgh University Press. He studies, among other things, memory, social activism, and decolonizing methodologies.

Review: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Ilan Pappé)

You cannot read 336 pages of Israel committing ethnic cleansing over 70+ years without having to come to terms with the fact that not having a strong opinion on some things is just being a coward. As it turns out, the situation is really, really simple.

Pictures of Horrible Things

As human beings, we are built to empathize with each other. We understand the importance of these images, even if they hurt so much to see because they are how we stop people from being statistics. We remain human ourselves by seeking out the humanity in others.

I read 100 books in 2023, some of which were important.

It has taken me a while after New Year to figure out how to present this list, primarily because it’s actually two lists. I read 87 books for pleasure, and I read 15 books (and counting) to wrap my head around the genocide in Palestine.