The Interview Raja Shehadeh Believes Israelis and Palestinians Can Still Find Peace
Dec 20, 2025
Raja Shehadeh, a writer and human rights activist from Ramallah, shares his insights on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shaped by his family's exile from Jaffa in 1948. He discusses the power of storytelling in documenting injustices and hopes for mutual recognition of rights. Raja advocates for understanding and friendship across divides, emphasizing that peace can stem from acknowledging shared histories. He critiques the harmful policies of both sides and highlights growing international support for Palestinian statehood as a beacon of hope.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Family Flight From Jaffa
- Raja Shehadeh's parents fled Jaffa for Ramallah in April 1948 after bombing made Jaffa unsafe.
- He grew up with an 'exile's consciousness' imagining Ramallah as temporary and yearning for Jaffa.
Describe History To Undo Mystification
- Raja says documenting the landscape and legal history undoes the mystification of colonization.
- He argues precise description helps younger Palestinians understand what was lost and how settlements emerged.
Separation Replaces Shared Daily Life
- Raja notes present Palestinians often only meet settlers or soldiers, not everyday Israelis.
- He says checkpoints, the wall, and settler roads have erased past everyday interactions between peoples.