Palestinian Poetry
& Art of Resistance

Mahmoud Darwish is widely regarded as Palestine’s national poet. Born in the village of al-Birwa (destroyed in 1948), he lived as a refugee and exile for much of his life — yet his poetry remained deeply rooted in the Palestinian land and experience.

“Identity Card” (Bitaqat Huwiyya) — Excerpt

“On This Earth” — Excerpt

Legacy

Darwish published 20+ poetry collections translated into 30+ languages. He was awarded the Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize and the Golden Wreath of Struga Poetry Evenings. His funeral in Ramallah drew thousands — the largest gathering in Palestinian history. He is buried in Ramallah, near the Palace of Culture named in his honor.

Naji al-Ali (1938–1987) was a Palestinian cartoonist whose work appeared in newspapers across the Arab world. His most famous creation, Handala, is a 10-year-old barefoot refugee boy with his back turned to the viewer — created in 1969 and turned away in 1973 after the October War.

The Meaning of Handala

Assassination & Legacy

Naji al-Ali was assassinated in London on 22 July 1987 — shot in the face outside the offices of the Kuwaiti newspaper where he worked. He died 5 weeks later. The assassin was never identified, though many suspect Mossad involvement. Handala lives on as Palestine’s most powerful visual symbol — appearing on murals, posters, clothing, and in protests worldwide.

Refaat Alareer was a poet, professor of literature at the Islamic University of Gaza, and founder of the “We Are Not Numbers” project. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 6 December 2023, along with his brother, brother’s son, and sister.

“If I Must Die” — Full Poem

Global Impact

The poem went viral within days of his death — translated into 30+ languages, read at protests worldwide, adapted into songs, and studied in classrooms. It has become one of the most widely shared pieces of Palestinian literature of the 21st century.

Ghassan Kanafani was a novelist, short story writer, journalist, and spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Born in Acre, he was expelled with his family in 1948 at the age of 12 — an experience that shaped his entire literary output.

“Men in the Sun” (1963)

His novella “Men in the Sun” (Rijal fi al-Shams) tells the story of three Palestinian refugees who attempt to smuggle themselves across the desert to Kuwait in an empty water tanker — and die of suffocation at the border. The final line has become one of the most quoted in Palestinian literature: “Why didn’t you knock on the walls of the tank?”

Assassination

On 8 July 1972, Kanafani and his 17-year-old niece were killed in Beirut when a car bomb planted by the Mossad exploded. He was 36 years old. His literary output — including “Return to Haifa”, “The Land of Sad Oranges”, and “Umm Saad” — continues to inspire generations of Palestinians.

Fadwa Tuqan was known as the “Poet of Palestine”. Born into the prominent Tuqan family of Nablus, she challenged traditional gender roles to become one of the most important female voices in Arabic poetry.

Selected Verses

Legacy

Tuqan published 8 poetry collections and a two-volume autobiography. She was awarded the Al-Quds Prize for Culture and the Naguib Mahfouz Medal. Her poem “Martyrs of the Intifada” became an anthem during the First Intifada.

The 700km Separation Wall — declared illegal by the ICJ in 2004 — has become the world’s largest open-air art gallery. Artists from around the world have used its concrete slabs as a canvas for protest, solidarity, and remembrance.

Notable Works

Banksy has painted multiple works on the wall in Bethlehem, including the famous image of a girl frisking a soldier. He also opened the “Walled Off Hotel” — a hotel overlooking the wall with rooms decorated in protest art.

Palestinian artists like Khaled Jarrar and Sliman Mansour have also contributed murals. The wall art includes images of Handala, olive trees, keys (symbolizing the right of return), and portraits of martyrs.

Art as Resistance

The wall art serves multiple purposes: documenting the occupation, expressing solidarity, preserving memory, and asserting the humanity of those trapped behind it. As one artist said: “Every brushstroke on this wall is an act of defiance.”

Tatreez (تطريز) is the traditional art of Palestinian embroidery. Inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2021, each stitch and motif carries centuries of meaning — representing region, social status, and political identity.

Motifs & Meanings

Contemporary Revival

Today, Tatreez has experienced a global revival — worn by Palestinians in the diaspora as a statement of identity, and used by fashion designers, artists, and activists. Organizations like Inaash (Lebanon) and Atfaluna Society (Gaza) employ women refugees to create embroidery, preserving both the art and livelihoods.

Sliman Mansour (born 1947) is one of the most important Palestinian visual artists. A founding member of the League of Palestinian Artists, his paintings have documented Palestinian identity, land, and resistance for over 50 years.

“Jamal al-Mahamel” (Camel of Heavy Burdens)

His most famous work, “Jamal al-Mahamel” (1973), depicts an elderly Palestinian man carrying Jerusalem on his back — the city’s walls and domes forming a heavy burden. The painting became one of the most reproduced images in Palestinian art and a symbol of the people’s determination to preserve Jerusalem.

Artistic Approach

During the First Intifada (1987-1993), Mansour joined other Palestinian artists in the “New Visions” movement — boycotting Israeli art supplies and creating works with natural materials like mud, henna, and straw to assert Palestinian self-reliance. His work combines traditional Palestinian motifs with modern political consciousness.