The Stream

Hebron: What is life like under occupation?

On Thursday, November 17 at 19:30 GMT

“I’m returning to see with my own eyes what has become of this city that has made my father and me who we are today.” These are the words of AJ+ Senior Presenter Dena Takruri as she journeys through the Old City of Hebron in her new documentary ‘How Israeli Apartheid Destroyed my Hometown’.

This personal documentary sees Takruri retrace her father’s footsteps through her family’s hometown in the occupied West Bank. A once bustling and vibrant cultural center, today Palestinians in the Old City of Hebron endure harassment and violence among other daily indignities under the ongoing Israeli occupation.

Hebron is the second largest city in the occupied West Bank and is where more than 30,000 Palestinians live under Israeli military control. Doctors Without Borders says “it is one of the most restricted areas within the West Bank, and has become an epicenter of violence against Palestinian residents”. For Palestinians who live there, their daily lives are subject to movement restrictions, permanent checkpoints and increasing digital surveillance.

During her visit, Takruri hears from Palestinians about their experiences as well as former Israeli soldiers who now work with Breaking the Silence in an effort to raise awareness and bring an end to the occupation.

On this episode of The Stream we’ll discuss what life is like under occupation for Palestinians in Hebron and the challenges of reporting and speaking out.