Evidence of Israeli violations engraved on bodies of Palestinians, activist says 

Renowned Palestinian journalist and human rights activist, Mohammed El-Kurd, has said evidence of Israel’s long history of violating against Palestinian rights are engraved on their bodies.

“Over the past decades, the Israeli occupation has been presenting itself to the world as the victim, and the Palestinians are the opposite,” said El-Kurd, adding that Israel does not miss an opportunity to “intimidate” the Palestinians, because it needs the image of the “strong man” to reassure Israeli society and allow it feel “safe”.

“Israeli society needs images of our misery and our youth stained with blood and bruises, in order to feel safe,” he explained.

“When you are born in Jerusalem, you feel as if there is a policeman in your bed, and a policeman on the sofa and in the kitchen, where there is a lot of surveillance of all aspects of your life, your social life, your political thought, your activities in the street and at school,” he added, in reference to his upbringing.

El-Kurd, from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem, gained international attention in 2021 for resisting forced displacement with his twin sister Muna when they made the TIME Top 100 list.

Read: Evidence of Israeli violations engraved on bodies of Palestinians, activist says 

He explained that Israel tells Palestinians that if they even try to resist, even with “mere thought, restrictions” will be imposed on them.

“Palestinians grow up hearing about the Nakba and mass displacement at the hands of Zionist gangs, from which the Israeli army was later formed. The Nakba is not a bitter event that we must commemorate. Rather, it is an ongoing tragedy that has been going on for 75 years. Israel has worked to ensure that the Palestinians no longer exist,” he added.

El-Kurd had his X account closed over the weekend only for it to be returned on Christmas Day. No details were given as to why his account was removed from the platform.

hi i’m back

— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) December 25, 2023