Seated amongst the ruins of an Israeli demolition, a Palestinian grandmother repurposes that which was intended for division as something to unite; weaving together the cultural foundation of Palestine’s heart and soul. Embroidered Tatreez plays a cultural importance in Palestinian society and has come to symbolize women’s resistance, identity, and heritage. Before 1948, embroiderers often used luxurious materials such as silk, linen or brocades from Syria that were adorned with stitching made of gold or other precious metals. These costly materials were much harder to acquire following the expulsion of Palestinians into refugee camps. Cheaper cotton threads and functional fabrics replaced the traditionally luxurious textiles and in this situation, razor wire becomes the ‘precious metal’ interwoven. Every Tatreez is unique and tells a story by its patterns.
Haloed by its spotlight, a watchtower looms above the prickly West Bank wall, paint splattered, burnt and with layers of graffiti; an endless menacing facade of discrimination and intimidation. Nestled within the bulldozed debris of rebar, splintered boards and demolished concrete the grandmother cradles the South Hebron village of At-Tuwani in her lap. Like a hen brooding over her chicks, the woman shields her nest from the hostile wall and its threatening armed soldiers as she embroiders a blanket around the village. There is a long history of women’s resistance in Palestine.
I was a guest in At-Tuwani for a week in 2019 and the grandmother of my host very much inspired the woman in this drawing. She was an activist along with her whole family and spent a lifetime resisting the illegal occupation of her community and the South Hebron Hills.
