DETERMINED TO STAY

Through the personal stories of Palestinians, Sokolower lays bare daily realities of segregation and displacement.

Sokolower, a Jewish social studies teacher from California, never intended to make multiple visits over the course of 7 years to Silwan, near Jerusalem, documenting the injustices Palestinian youth face under Israel’s military occupation. But after learning about U.S. military funding to Israel and the many parallels between the lives of Palestinians and the experiences of Black Americans facing police brutality, she couldn’t remain silent. An introduction by professor Nick Estes (Lower Brule Sioux) draws a powerful parallel between settler colonialism and the plights of Palestinians and Native Americans. Each chapter in this clear, evocative, moving work shows how Palestinians are routinely harassed, dehumanized, and detained. The author presents stories such as that of Sahar Abbasi, who works with youth suffering from PTSD after being interrogated and threatened by Israelis soldiers and settlers. Bayan Abbasi (no relation to Sahar) lives less than 20 miles from her university, but with checkpoints and the apartheid wall, the journey takes hours each way. Whenever Sokolower returned, she saw the devastating impact of Israeli expansion into Silwan. The narratives and background information vividly show readers how Israel’s occupation affects mental health, education, employment, and everyday familial life, but they also paint a beautiful picture of resistance in the face of harrowing despair. Maps and photographs enhance and clarify the text.

An urgent book about the impact of Israel’s occupation on Palestinian youth.