8. Palestinians Outside Palestine: The Diaspora with Dina Arouri

In this episode of the Save the Olive Tree Podcast, I have a discussion with Dina Arouri about the Palestinian diaspora. There are currently nearly 14 million Palestinians worldwide with about half of them living outside of historic Palestine. Dina is one of them. Her grandfather was forced to flee his home at gunpoint in 1948 and she tells the story of her family roots in Palestine and navigating her Palestinian identity having been born and raised in the United States.  We discuss: – Dina‘s family roots in Palestine and her grandparents’ survival of the Nakba in 1948. – What it means to be a Palestinian and how to understand that identity as an American.  – Where the Palestinian diaspora is located around the world and how many Palestinians are there in different places. – The current state of Palestinian activism in the United States and the challenges faced speaking up for Palestine.  Guest intro: Dina Arouri is a Palestinian-American advocate, activist, and licensed attorney. She proudly identifies as the granddaughter of four 1948 Nakba survivors and has dedicated her academic career to understanding the complexities of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. She earned her Bachelor’s degree with honors distinction in International Relations from Rollins College. Continuing her education at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, she served as a Managing Editor of the Florida Law Review and was published in the Florida Law Review Forum for her work on Universal Jurisdiction. Throughout her time at UF, she excelled in her coursework surrounding International Criminal Law and Counterterrorism, ultimately earning her Florida Bar License in September 2019.