Muhanad al-Qaisy on the Nakba, life under occupation in the West Bank, and the Olive Tree Campaign

Dutch teacher and activist Waldo Swart speaks with Muhanad al-Qaisy, director of the Joint Advocacy Initiative and third-generation Palestinian refugee, about the intergenerational trauma of the Nakba and what it means to grow up in its aftermath.The interview unfolds Muhanad’s story in layers: his family’s forced displacement in 1948, his childhood in Deheisha refugee camp, the realities of Israeli apartheid policies in the West Bank, and his firsthand experiences of military incursions. It ends with a look at the hope he continues to plant through the Olive Tree Campaign. This conversation is more than testimony - it is a testament to resilience, resistance, and the fight to keep hope alive. Recorded ahead of Nakba Day 2025, it reminds us that behind every statistic, there is a life lived, a memory held, and a story that must be heard.This interview was recorded during an event of Plant an Olive Tree at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, titled “From the West Bank to Gaza: The Ongoing Erasure.”Website: www.planteenolijfboom.nlVideo language: English
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