‘Families Interrupted’ Photography Exhibition in Jerusalem
Dozens of visitors attended the opening of the photography exhibition ‘Families Interrupted’ in Jerusalem on Wednesday, 23 October 2013. The exhibition aims to raise awareness about the racist Israeli Citizenship Law that bans the unification of tens of thousands of Palestinian families from either side of the Green Line, and aims to increase pressure on the Israeli government to cancel the law. The event was held at the Dar Issaf Nashashibi for culture, arts and literature in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of Jerusalem and was organised by Adalah and the Society of St. Yves. Among the guests were diplomats and consulate representatives, as well as representatives from NGOs in Jerusalem and people directly affected by the ban.
After spending a week at the Dar Issaf Nashashibi, the exhibition was split in two and is currently being displayed at ‘Al-Marsa Center’ in Sheikh Jarrah and at ‘The Soup Place’ in 4 Koresh St., Jerusalem. It will remain in these two locations until November 28.
The photographs displayed in the exhibition, which were captured by Jenny Nyman, Adalah's Multi-Media Coordinator, show the reality of Palestinian families who are forced to live in the shadows because of the Israeli Citizenship Law. By photographing these families in their homes and personal spaces, it offers glimpses of their day-to-day human existence as families in order to dismantle the distorted image of these families that has been created by Israel’s security discourse. The exhibition includes 11 personal testimonies from the photographed families that have been collected in Adalah’s exhibition booklet, which was distributed during the event.
The opening event began with a welcome from the Director of St. Yves, Mr Raffoul Rofa, who discussed the impact of the law on thousands of families in East Jerusalem. A discussion panel was opened by St. Yves attorney Hazzar Hadi, who explained the workings of the law, focusing on the impact on women in East Jerusalem. Attorney Hadi also discussed the Israeli government’s decision in April 2013 to renew the law for another year.
The discussion continued with an interview of a family which has been directly affected by the Citizenship Law, and who are represented by the Society of St. Yves. The interview touched on the difficulties that the couple has faced in their 17-year struggle to live together as a family, during which they were unable to obtain legal permission for the husband to reside with his family in Jerusalem. The couple discussed how their suffering was ongoing due to the husband’s being denied permanent residency status and other basic rights such as the right to work and to have a driver’s license.
The exhibition is curated by Rula Khoury.
For more information and to organise interviews:
Salah Mohsen (Adalah): 052-595-09222
Yara Jalajil (St. Yves): 052-245-5753
The attached images have been taken by Adalah and may be used and disseminated.
