Suha Arraf

Suha Arraf is a director, screenwriter and producer. She writes about Arab society, Palestinian culture, and feminism.

Recent Articles

Fida’a Ataya. (Courtesy)

‘The occupation is trying to uproot us. Art can bring us back’

Palestinian storyteller Fidaa Ataya uses art as a means of resisting the Israeli settlers and military who have taken over the landscape of her childhood.

By Suha Arraf December 1, 2021

Ghaidaa Qudaih of the Green Girls agricultural initiative in Gaza. (Photo courtesy of Gisha)

To fight unemployment, these Gaza women are returning to the land

Ghaidaa, Aseel, and Nadine were tired of looking for work in Gaza. So they rented a plot of land, started growing vegetables, and became a phenomenon.

By Suha Arraf August 5, 2021

Israeli officers blindfold a Palestinian citizen of Israel during violent confrontations in Lydd, central Israel. (Oren Ziv)

Inside Israel’s largest crackdown on Palestinian citizens in decades

The police hoped that arresting thousands of Palestinian citizens would restore dignity to the force. Instead, it only strengthened Palestinian resolve.

By Suha Arraf and Baker Zoubi June 6, 2021

Palestinians clash with Israeli security forces following a protest to mark Land Day in the village of Madama near Nablus, in the West Bank, March 30, 2017. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

Land grabs in Israel never ended — they became more sophisticated

From maintaining British Mandate laws to turning land into national parks, Israel is dispossessing Palestinian citizens to this day, says lawyer Salim Wakim.

By Suha Arraf March 31, 2021

Palestinian actor and filmmaker Mohammad Bakri seen at the Lod District Court on December 21, 2017. (Flash90)

For Palestinian filmmakers in Israel, it’s loyalty or silence

Israel’s persecution of actor and filmmaker Mohammad Bakri reflects its desire to censor stories of the occupation while gloating about being a ‘democracy.’

By Suha Arraf January 15, 2021

Hadiya Hussein, mother of Ahmad Jabareen. (Oren Ziv)

‘I pray for him and wait for death’: Mothers of slain protesters reflect on October 2000

Twenty years on, three Palestinian mothers discuss the personal loss that has become a national symbol, the daily struggle of living with the pain, and the fear of another October 2000.

By Suha Arraf October 21, 2020

Palestinian workers from Hebron carry personal belongings as they cross through a hole in the Israeli security fence, after entrance into Israel was banned following the spread of the coronavirus, near the West Bank city of Hebron, March 22, 2020. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

‘I’ve no idea how we’ll survive’: Pandemic pushes Palestinians into poverty

As the COVID-19 crisis wears on, Palestinians in the West Bank are struggling to make ends meet — and some local governors are taking matters into their own hands.

By Suha Arraf August 5, 2020

Twitter screenshot of a video of the explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020.

Palestinians in Israel organize medical aid, raise funds for Beirut

After a massive blast rocks the Lebanese capital, Palestinian leaders in Israel begin raising funds and arranging to send a delegation of medical experts.

By Suha Arraf August 5, 2020

Bedouin families outside their homes in the village of Umm al Hiran, in the Negev desert, southern Israel, August 27, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

‘Total poverty’: Bedouins in Israel struggle to get by under pandemic

The coronavirus crisis has worsened years of government neglect of Bedouins in the Naqab, forcing a once self-sufficient society into deeper destitution.

By Suha Arraf July 21, 2020

"There's nothing like waking up in the morning, picking tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini, and preparing breakfast." (Courtesy of Lajee Center)

Home gardening plants seeds for Palestinian self-sufficiency

Palestinians are digging in their yards and potting plants on roofs to tackle the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis.

By Suha Arraf June 12, 2020