For decades, media channels have always misrepresented Palestine. They either highlight the suffering of Palestinians or portray them as savages. They only deal with tragedy or terror. An entire generation of regular people who are only interested in living a normal life and accomplishing their dreams are overlooked. Despite the continuous threats they face, they thrive and beam with pride in their land, history, and identity. While exposing the tragedies of the occupation is essential, it is important to show stories of Palestinians in peace and in war. These Instagram accounts are a great place to start.
Hidden Palestine
This Instagram page introduces the real Palestine to the world. It offers knowledge, inspiration, and activism. Their page fills a well-present gap in media coverage of Palestinian culture and art. It spotlights Palestine’s hidden beauty as an act of resilience and strength. Joseph, an Egyptian man, started the page as a love letter to his partner Mira, a Palestinian whose grandparents were exiled in 1948.
Untold Palestine
The page focuses on the lives of Palestinians through photographs and short videos. They published them alongside their story in Arabic and English on social media to make it accessible to as many people as possible. It creates an open and safe space for the marginalized and excluded to have their story told. They go beyond the traditional media coverage, which reports about Palestinians in a news context only. Also, they offer skill-building workshops for artists and journalists.
Documenting Palestine
The page explores Palestinian identity from exile to return. Exploring the past, present, and future, they archive photos and stories to rebel against the erasure of their identity. Founded by Yasir Tineh and Ghara Mattya, they focus on monumental parts of Palestine’s history through the stories of real people. This gives a human aspect to historical contexts that are often too complex to sympathize with. Their account acts as a historical capsule of Palestinian identity.
Craving Palestine
Craving Palestine focuses on Palestinian cuisine through reclaiming Palestinian identity through food. Food is a huge part of a culture. The occupation attempted to reclaim Palestinian dishes and passed them as their own. They created a cookbook curated by notable Palestinians like US Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib, Mohamed Hadid, Trio Joubran and so much more.
The Palestine Poster Project Archives
The Palestine Poster Project Archive is an archive with over 5,000 Palestinian posters from a number of sources making it one of the largest archives in the world. Palestinian posters date back to 1900 and they are still being designed, printed, and distributed more than ever. It is a form of political art that continues to evolve, as the political condonation escalates.
