Al Aqaba Village, Palestine

Al Aqaba is a small West Bank village located in the Jordan Valley. The village is at a watershed moment under the constant threat of being demolished.

In 2015, Lily Yeh designed the mural entitled, Once Upon A Time, There Was The Land of Palestine, honoring the people’s deep emotion of trauma and loss. Rob Shetterly painted the figures of two children, a boy and a girl, at the suggestion of Haj Sami Sadiq, the Mayor of Al Aqaba, as the symbol of their future.

“When all is lost, what can an oppressed people do but hold on to their history, heritage, and identity…” -Lily Yeh

One must resist injustice, oppression, and the illegal building of settlements on occupied land. While the killing of the innocent is unacceptable at all times, one must refuse armed resistance, which invariably leads to further violence. But one must resist through peaceful means – the arts, culture, economic boycott and divestment.

The world needs to learn from the endurance, wisdom, and the courage of the Jewish people who have suffered for centuries discrimination, subjugation, expulsion, and mass elimination. They have not only survived but have made enormous contributions to the world in the fields of science, law, art, medicine, and humanity. Their sense of deep-rootedness in life is profound. Even in the darkest times, the Jewish people are proud of who they are, always remembering their history, and identity.

I think this mural is trying to do that for the Palestinian people in exile today on their own land. Despite the loss and the suffering, one celebrates life through resisting injustice, and through remembering one’s ancestral land, history, and identity.

Barefoot Artists in Al Aqaba, Palestine, 2015

Barefoot Artists in Al Aqaba, Palestine, 2015

Earlier this year, Barefoot Artists visited Al-Aqaba, a tiny village under the constant threat of being demolished. During the visit, Lily Yeh designed the mural entitled, Once Upon A Time, There Was The Land of Palestine, honoring the people’s deep emotion of trauma...

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Barefoot Artists in Al Aqaba, Palestine, 2014

Barefoot Artists in Al Aqaba, Palestine, 2014

On April 30th 2014, the Barefoot Artists team visited Al Aqaba, a small West Bank village located in the Jordan Valley. The village is at a watershed moment. Palestine is divided into three sections: Section A, B, and C, where A is under Palestinian security and...

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Barefoot Artists in Al Aqaba, Palestine, 2011

Barefoot Artists in Al Aqaba, Palestine, 2011

Visiting Palestine for the first time in 2011, I travelled to the West End to work at the Balata Refugee Camp. It was built adjacent to the city of Nablus, where the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) sponsors a school for 1,200 girls, from kindergarten to high school. There,...

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