Photographs tell story of Palestinian displacement from Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (AA) – August 9 marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The day is observed annually to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
However, on that day, Israel began occupying the eastern part of Jerusalem, along with Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Syrian Golan Heights during the Middle East war in 1967.
Israeli forces demolished 139 Palestinian homes, four mosques and a school in East Jerusalem immediately after occupying the city. Around 3,700 Palestinians were forcibly displaced by the demolitions, including Issa Qawasmi, a photographer and novelist.
In an attempt to raise awareness about his city, Qawasmi uses his photography and writing skills to educate people about the history of Jerusalem and Palestinian traditions in the occupied city.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem, where the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located, as the capital of their future state in any peace agreement with Israel.
According to Israeli statistics in 2020, around 39 percent of the population in the eastern and western parts of Jerusalem are Palestinians.
Amnesty International recently declared Israel guilty of the crime of apartheid against Palestinians.
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