Your name is the one thing they still cannot take.

Every empire tried to catalogue us. Israel’s the first to try to delete us. This episode looks at how Palestinian names carry proof when everything else is gone: houses, land, photos, documents. Hiba walks through how language, law, and paperwork are used to erase a people, and why a last name like Al-Nabulsi or Majdalawi says more than any document. She also sits with what it means to name a child after someone who was killed, and why that turns memory into something that breathes.

In This Episode:

• The fundamental difference between Arabic naming (recognition) and colonial naming (possession)
• How Palestinian geographic names directly contradict the "empty land" myth
• Why names like Saffuri and Lyddawi are evidence that Palestinians did not just appear in 1948
• The weaponization of bureaucratic systems to distort and erase Palestinian names
• The weight carried by children named after martyrs and the impossible choices families make

Remember What They Want Forgotten

• Learn the original Palestinian names of places, not their made-up Hebrew versions
• Record elders telling your family stories before they're gone

Resources

• Humanize Gaza: Submit and read stories of those killed
• B'Tselem: Documentation on Palestinian children denied registration
• Adalah: Legal work against residency revocation through paperwork

"Your forgetting was never my responsibility." — Hiba

"You name your child after a martyr because you're betting that their name carrying that history is worth the weight that it puts on them, that it's better for your kid to carry a name that still hurts than for that name to be forgotten completely." — Hiba

Childhood is constructed, protected, and in Palestine, deliberately destroyed. This episode traces how Palestinian children are stripped of the word “child” before the bullet lands: through media framing, military law, biometric surveillance, and bureaucratic erasure. From cortisol in the hair to frozen trauma on school grounds, Hiba shows how childhood becomes a criminal and what it means to remember, name, and protect it anyway.

Take Action

Media Accountability

• DCIP Media Toolkit: Learn how to identify and challenge headlines that erase Palestinian children and obscure Israeli violence

• Visualizing Palestine Language Guide: Tools to call out framing that dehumanizes or criminalizes kids

Legal Defense & Documentation

• Defense for Children International – Palestine: Defends detained minors and documents Israeli violations in military courts

• Al-Haq: Legal analysis and international advocacy for Palestinian children under occupation

Memory & Narrative Protection

• BADIL Resource Center: Archives children’s stories, displacement histories, and art—what the occupation tries to delete

• Share names, photos, and stories while they’re alive. The state wants memory to start at martyrdom. Don’t let it.

Sources Referenced

Palestinian Children's Rights Organizations:

• Defense for Children International-Palestine

• Addameer Prisoner Support

• Al-Haq

• BADIL Resource Center

Mental Health & Research:

• Gaza Mental Health Foundation

• UNICEF - Children in Armed Conflict

• UN OCHA

Subscribe to the Humanize Gaza Newsletter.

See more martyr stories, here.

"If you remove the word child, suddenly there's no contradiction between protecting children and shooting them." -Hiba

White on Paper, Invisible by Design

About This Episode: In this solo episode, Habuba breaks down how bureaucratic erasure becomes physical violence against Palestinians and Arabs in America. From census forms to FBI databases, hospital records to immigration files, she reveals the deliberate system designed to make us vanish—not by accident, but by architecture.

In This Episode: Habuba takes you through:

• Why that "White" checkbox on forms is about more than paperwork—it's about who lives and who dies
• The century-long legal manipulation of Arab "whiteness," shifting whenever it served American interests
• How the FBI deliberately erased anti-Arab hate crimes from official records for 23 years while violence skyrocketed
• Why Palestinian Americans like Shireen Abu Akleh and Wadea al-Fayoume receive no justice, even in death
• The direct connection between campus surveillance from the 1970s to today's repression of Palestinian students
• How being classified as "white" leads Arab women to die in childbirth and communities to miss critical health resources
• The brutal truth about conditional solidarity and which communities benefit from Palestinian erasure
• What actual implementation of the MENA category must look like beyond symbolic recognition

Take Action:

• Check if your local agencies have implemented the 2024 OMB MENA classification change
• Ask your city's police department if they code and track anti-Arab hate crimes
• Support organizations like ACCESS, Arab American Institute, and ADC who are fighting for accurate data
• Demand your representatives advocate for investigations into Palestinian American deaths abroad

Resources:

• Office of Management and Budget 2024 MENA Classification Standards
• Arab American Institute Foundation Report: Underreported, Under Threat
• ACCESS Health Justice Program
• Palestine Legal's Resources for Students and Faculty

Subscribe to the Humanize Gaza Newsletter.

See more martyr stories, here.

"They didn't make us white to make us safe. They made us white to make us quiet." – Habuba"

In this episode, Habuba examines how religion in Israel isn’t just about belief—it’s infrastructure. From military operations named after biblical events to laws that erase Arabic place names, this is a system where theology becomes policy. Palestinian existence is framed not as a people with rights, but as a theological violation in need of correction. Genocide becomes sacred. Reproduction becomes nationalized. Language, geography, and bodies are regulated through a framework that transforms elimination into divine mandate.

This isn’t religion gone wrong. This is how it was designed to work when fused with state power.

Support: humanizegaza.org

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This episode examines the use of Palestinian bodies—living and dead—as test subjects in a wide range of Israeli military, pharmaceutical, and psychological experiments. From psychotropic drug testing in prisons to the deliberate flooding of Gaza with synthetic opioids, we investigate how addiction, trauma, and medical deprivation have been engineered as tools of control.

We analyze the systemic withholding of medical care, the destruction of hospitals, the role of pharmaceutical firms, and the Israeli research infrastructure that turns human suffering into data. This isn’t neglect. It’s methodology. And the results are being exported.

Palestine is not just a site of occupation—it is a laboratory. And the refusal to be a clean result is itself a form of resistance.

Summary

In this episode of Palestine Exists, Petra and Hiba explore the multifaceted aspects of Palestinian identity, resistance, and the historical context of the 1936 revolt against British colonial rule. They discuss the cultural resilience of Palestinians, the impact of leadership dynamics, and the ongoing struggle against oppression. They also delve into the Palestinian resistance groups of the Arab Revolt such as Qassamsyia and the Fasa'il Bands.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding history to inform current resistance efforts and the lessons learned from past betrayals.

The first episode of the history of Palestinian resistance starts out discussing resistance under the Ottoman Empire and into the British Mandate: This conversation delves into the multifaceted nature of Palestinian resistance, exploring its historical roots, cultural significance, and the ongoing struggle against colonialism. The hosts discuss the importance of understanding resistance as an inherent aspect of Palestinian identity, rather than a reaction to oppression. They highlight key historical events during the Ottoman Empire that shaped the Palestinian resistance narrative, emphasizing the role of local governance and cultural identity in the fight for self-determination. This conversation delves into the historical context of Palestinian resistance against colonial powers, focusing on key uprisings such as the Qasim al-Ahmal revolt and the Al-Buraq uprising. It highlights the significance of bodily sovereignty, cultural identity, and the impact of bureaucratic violence under the British Mandate. The discussion emphasizes the continuity of Palestinian resistance and the importance of collective memory in the face of colonial erasure. This conversation delves into the historical and contemporary aspects of Palestinian resistance, focusing on the colonial narrative surrounding Hebron and the emergence of organized resistance groups like Al-Qassam. The speakers explore the metaphysical nature of resistance, emphasizing survival, identity, and the continuous struggle against colonialism. They discuss the complexities of resistance, including the internal dynamics of resistance groups and the legacy of Al-Qassam as a symbol of defiance. The conversation highlights the importance of memory and the inherited nature of resistance as a strategy for survival and identity preservation.

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In this episode of 'Palestine Exists', Petra and Hiba delve into the complexities of Palestinian identity, the impact of conflict on children, and the historical context of Palestinian refugees, particularly in Lebanon and Jordan. They discuss the psychological and social ramifications of massacres, the ongoing struggle for recognition and rights, and the importance of the right of return for Palestinians in the diaspora. This conversation delves into the complex historical and socio-political dynamics between Palestinians and Jordan, exploring themes of betrayal, identity, and resistance. It highlights the experiences of Palestinians in Jordan, the impact of Black September, and the ongoing struggles for self-determination and recognition. The discussion also touches on the cultural tensions within Jordan, personal narratives of repression, and the unique challenges faced by Palestinian citizens of Israel. This conversation delves into the complexities of Palestinian identity, focusing on the erasure of names and places, the fragmentation within the community, and the unique experiences of Palestinians in the diaspora. The speakers discuss how historical trauma and colonial strategies have shaped their identities and the challenges they face in navigating their heritage in the West. They emphasize the importance of remembering and reclaiming their narratives, despite the pressures to assimilate and silence their voices. In this conversation, Habuba and Petra explore the complexities of Palestinian identity, particularly in the context of diaspora and exile. They discuss the impact of family dynamics, conservatism, and cultural fragmentation on their understanding of what it means to be Palestinian. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of recognizing the right of return and the ongoing struggle for identity amidst feelings of guilt and dislocation. Ultimately, they assert that the experience of being Palestinian is multifaceted and that every act of remembrance and resistance contributes to the collective identity.

This conversation delves into the Nakba, its historical context, and its profound impact on Palestinian identity, particularly focusing on the plight of orphans. The speakers discuss the systematic displacement of Palestinians, the role of UNRWA in providing support, and the dire conditions faced by refugees in camps across the region. They explore the cultural definitions of orphanhood in Arab society and the ongoing trauma that the Nakba represents for generations of Palestinians. The discussion highlights the political dimensions of orphanhood and the challenges faced by Palestinian children in maintaining their identity amidst displacement and loss. This conversation delves into the profound impact of the Nakba on Palestinian children, highlighting the orphan crisis that emerged from the conflict. It explores personal testimonies of loss, the ongoing trauma faced by contemporary orphans, and the systemic issues that perpetuate their suffering. The discussion emphasizes the need for awareness and advocacy to address the plight of Palestinian children, both historically and in the present day.

In this episode of Palestine Exists, hosts Petra and Hiba engage in a profound conversation with Khalid, a 21-year-old living in Gaza. They explore Khalid's life before the conflict, the immense pressure he feels to speak for his community, and the challenges of being seen as more than just a victim of violence. The discussion emphasizes the importance of personal stories in understanding the human cost of the ongoing conflict and the need for authentic voices from Gaza to be heard and amplified. This conversation delves into the personal experiences of individuals living in Gaza amidst ongoing conflict. It explores themes of resistance, loss, and the struggle for a future beyond violence. The speakers reflect on their realities, the numbness of trauma, and the desire for a simple life free from the burdens of war. They also discuss the importance of sharing their stories to foster understanding and empathy from the outside world. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of the Palestinian experience, discussing the weight of personal and collective suffering, the control exerted by powerful entities, and the pervasive cycle of poverty that distracts from larger issues. They explore themes of cultural resilience, the importance of faith and morality in the struggle for justice, and the interconnectedness of global struggles against oppression. The conversation culminates in a call to action, emphasizing the need for solidarity and awareness in the face of ongoing injustices.