May 2026

Oakland, California

Dear All:

As we close out May, the reality on the ground in Silwan, Jerusalem, has become increasingly stark. This month has been marked by a relentless wave of home demolitions and forced expulsions, pushing Palestinian families to the brink of total displacement. The threat of erasure is no longer a distant possibility; it is happening in real-time, block by block. It’s ethnic cleansing. 

Among those caught in this crisis is Zuheir Rajabi and his 6 younger brothers, whose lives have been plunged into a state of agonizing limbo. Their homes have been under constant threat of demolition for over a decade their family is facing the prospect of being uprooted once again. Zuheir represents the thousands of Palestinians living in a suspended state of existence, waiting for the next order, the next bulldozer, the next loss.

In this context, the question "What does return mean?" transforms from a theoretical concept into a desperate, immediate necessity.

Return means the right to stay. It means the refusal to leave. It means holding onto the land even as the structures around us are dismantled.

That is why we are launching a new Chuffed campaign to directly support families in Silwan who are being forcibly expelled and displaced–being charged enormous fines, back "rent" on homes they have owned for generations, plus. Through this campaign, we hope to provide urgent relief, amplify the voices of residents on the ground, and continue documenting the reality unfolding in Jerusalem–the ongoing Nakba.

Your support will help families remain rooted in their homes and community during this critical moment.

Thank you for continuing to stand with Silwan and its people.



In solidarity,

Lana Ramadan

Editor, I Witness Silwan Team

This May, we honor the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, whose final plea for breath became a global rallying cry against police brutality. Our featured I Witness Silwan mural centers on Mr. Floyd's eyes, a haunting, piercing gaze that demands we witness the cost of state-sanctioned violence.

The connection between the police brutality that took Floyd's life in Minneapolis and the militarized oppression faced by Palestinians is not merely rhetorical; it is structural. Both systems rely on the dehumanization of Black and Brown bodies, treating life as expendable and resistance as a crime to be crushed. Whether through the knee on a neck or the bulldozer on a home, the message is the same: you do not belong here.

By painting Floyd's eyes on a wall in occupied East Jerusalem, the artists and the Silwan community assert that the struggle against racism and the struggle against occupation are intertwined. The gaze of George Floyd now watches over Silwan, reminding us that the fight for dignity is a global front.

This mural also serves as a profound counter-narrative to the Nakba. The Nakba was not just a physical displacement; it was an attempt to erase the very existence of the Palestinian people from the map and from memory. Just as the world looked away when George Floyd was killed, the world has often looked away as Palestinian villages were erased and families were expelled. But this mural refuses to let us look away. The mural of George Floyd's eyes forces a confrontation with the truth: that the erasure of the Nakba continues today, and that the eyes of the victims, whether in America or Palestine, are still watching, demanding that we witness, remember, and act.


The current crisis in Silwan is not an isolated event; it is a continuation of the Nakba, the "Catastrophe" of 1948. The expulsions and displacement that began then has never ended. The demolitions we witness today are the modern manifestation of a policy designed to alter the demographic and geographic reality of Jerusalem.

Families in Silwan are not only facing the destruction of their homes, but also crushing financial punishment. Many Palestinians are being forced to pay demolition fines that can exceed $30,000, along with years of back "rent" and legal fees imposed by settler organizations and Israeli authorities. Even after losing their homes, families are often left buried in debt, making displacement not only physical, but economic and generational.

This is why our new Chuffed campaign is so urgent. The campaign will help provide direct emergency support to families facing demolitions, eviction orders, legal costs, and financial penalties designed to push them out of Jerusalem.

The Nakba taught us that memory is our strongest weapon against oblivion. Every time a home is demolished, the community responds by recounting the stories of those who lived there, ensuring that the physical destruction does not lead to historical amnesia.

Supporting this campaign means helping families remain rooted in their community while preserving the history, identity, and collective memory of Silwan for future generations.

In case you missed it:

On May 9th, the streets of Oakland echoed with the footsteps of hundreds of walkers united for peace. The third annual Interfaith Pilgrimage for Palestine transformed a 12-mile route into a moving testament of solidarity, calling for an immediate end to military cargo shipments from Oakland to Israel.

This year, the visual message was particularly striking: organizers brought the "Silwan Eyes" to Oakland. Inspired by the murals in occupied Jerusalem, the signs featured the gaze of the "Blind Man Who Consented to be Given Sight at the Silwan Pools," echoing the words of Silwan community leader, Jawad Siyam: "The staring eyes say that we are here, we see you, and you should see us."

In the quiet rhythm of needle and thread, Palestinian embroidery (tatreez) tells a story of resistance that spans centuries. Each stitch is a declaration of identity, a way to preserve culture when physical spaces are threatened.

This Friday, May 29th (11 AM - 1 PM), one of our resident muralists, Jackie Romero, is leading a special tatreez workshop at Cafe Alma in San Francisco, inviting community members to learn these traditional patterns. Beyond the technique, the workshop is a space for intergenerational connection, where elders pass down motifs that carry the names of villages and the colors of the land. Through tatreez, we stitch together our memories, creating a tapestry that cannot be easily torn, even as our homes are threatened. RSVP is required.

RSVP HERE

The exhibition Jerusalem Through the Seams of Memory is currently on view at Uptown Autobody Shop, an alternative gallery in Uptown Oakland. The exhibit continues the vital work of centering Palestinian voices and resisting erasure.


Drawing from the collections of the Endangered Palestinian Memories initiative, this immersive installation invites you into a world shaped by movement, memory, and resilience. Through powerful oral testimonies, evocative photography, historical maps, and multimedia installations, the exhibit presents Jerusalem not as a static concept, but as a place that is actively lived, remembered, and invoked by its people.

This is more than an art display; it is a testament to the persistence of community. By bringing these stories to the Bay Area, we are creating a space where Palestinian narratives are heard on their own terms, challenging attempts to silence them.

The situation in Silwan is critical. Families like Zuheir's are living in limbo, facing imminent expulsion. We cannot stand by while Palestinians are forced from their homes. Your support provides immediate relief, legal aid, and the resources needed to resist demolition orders. All donations go directly to the residents of Silwan.

Please donate to our campaign on Chuffed to help sustain the community during this intense period of pressure.

Your contribution is a direct act of solidarity, helping to keep families in their homes and preserving the memory of Silwan.

As we move forward into June, let us remember that our solidarity is not passive. It is active, deliberate, and rooted in the daily struggles of our people. As poet Nida Liftawiya writes:


What is Revolutionary Love?

We show love in deeds: we witness, we act, we support, we write, we perform, we uplift, we struggle, we embody. This concept is exemplified and can be seen in everyday actions in Palestine.

Not empty words.

Let this be our guide. Let our donations and our voices be the deeds that prove our love is real.

With urgency and hope, 

The IWitnessSilwan Team