In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with writer and activist Ali Awad about life in Masafer Yatta, the part of the West Bank where he lives, which is subject to ongoing and escalating state-backed Israeli settler attacks. Ali describes life in his rural village, Tuba, on “a good day,” a day without settler attacks, and also looks at the history of Masafer Yatta under Israeli occupation, including decades of being unsettled and facing forcible transfer and the threat of continued expulsion. Ali describes the escalations in attacks and threats against these communities since October 7th, 2023, including recent attacks targeting his village and family. Looking at the multi-pronged Israeli efforts to force Palestinians out of Masafer Yatta, Ali talks about the loss of any sense of security, hope, or the possibility of a future on the land he and his families have inhabited for many generations. And he speaks about efforts to support children traumatized by settler/soldier violence, to connect with human rights activists fighting these injustices, and to achieve the security and freedom needed for more “good days” in Masafer Yatta.
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Recorded on April 3, 2025
Ali Awad is a human rights activist and writer from Tuba in the South Hebron Hills. He has a degree in English literature. Read more of Ali’s work here:
- Starving Palestine: Israeli colonialism and the struggle for food sovereignty in Masafer Yatta. Words by Manal Shqair. Photographs by Ali Awad. Vittles, 2/10/25: https://www.vittlesmagazine.com/p/starving-palestine
- Ali Awad: “Many West Bank Palestinians Are Being Forced Out of Their Villages. Is My Family Next?” New York Times 11/20/25: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/20/opinion/israel-west-bank-palestinians.html
- Ali’s many articles on +972 Magazine: https://www.972mag.com/writer/ali-awad/
- Ali Awad in Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d432-a77f-df3fa13f0000
- Humans of Masafer Yatta: https://humansofmasaferyatta.substack.com/
For more on the attacks in Jinba, Susya, and Tuba, see:
- Israeli settlers attacked Jinba — then came back in army uniform (Oren Ziv, +972 Magazine, 4/2/25): https://www.972mag.com/jinba-pogrom-israeli-settlers-soldiers/
- In Masafer Yatta, we need more than awards — we need protection (Ahmad Nawajah, +972 Magazine, 4/8/25): https://www.972mag.com/susiya-masafer-yatta-oscars-protection/
- On the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land and ongoing attacks in Masafer Yatta, see https://www.972mag.com/search/?q=no%20other%20land
For more on Masafer Yatta: https://savemasaferyatta.com/
To watch the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land: https://nootherland.com/
Sarah Anne Minkin, PhD, is FMEP’s Director of Programs & Partnerships. She is an expert on the intersection between Israeli civil society and Palestinian civil rights and human rights advocacy as well as the ways that Jewish Americans approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She leads FMEP’s programming, works to deepen FMEP’s relationships with existing and potential grantees, and builds relationships with new partners in the philanthropic community. A graduate of Yale University, Sarah Anne earned her doctorate at the University of California-Berkeley.