The
olive tree is more than a tree in Palestine, it is a heartbeat, a
witness, a rooted elder holding centuries in its branches. When Israeli
forces and settlers tear these groves from the earth, it is not only
roots that are severed, but memory, heritage, and the quiet dreams of
generations. Yet even uprooted, the olive carries a stubborn truth: that
belonging cannot be erased, and that the land remembers those who loved
it.
"Holy Family in an Olive Grove, 2020" painted by Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour
A wild flower from Galilee (وردة برية من الجليل), acrylic on canvas, 2020
"Sometimes,
it’s the quietest encounters that remind us to keep going; to speak, to
feel, to share beauty, even when the world is burning. In the shadow of
famine and under skies thick with grief, we still reach for one
another, not to escape, but to stay human. It’s that one quiet moment
that gives us the push to keep showing up; to hold on to the land, to
memory, to whatever still softens us. Somewhere between the olive trees
and the ash, something in us still reaches back." Sliman Mansour, Palestinian
Born in 1947, Mansour spent his childhood around the verdant hills and
fields of Birzeit — where he was born — and later his adolescence in
Bethlehem and Jerusalem. These experiences left a significant mark on
his work, heightening a sense of gradual loss in Palestine, especially
after the occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem in 1967. His early
experiences also presented him with the symbols and images he would
later use to preserve and highlight Palestinian identity. https://slimanmansour.com/about-the-artist-sliman-mansour/
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On
Easter, the story of Jesus — born in Bethlehem, living under
occupation, crucified by empire — echoes the Palestinian experience: a
people who face oppression, loss, and injustice, yet refuse to be
erased. Just as resurrection followed crucifixion, Palestinians hold
onto hope, dignity, and resistance, believing that even from the darkest
tombs, life and freedom will rise again.
Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper, marks a profound moment when Jesus shared a final meal with his disciples in Jerusalem, breaking bread and offering wine as symbols of his body and blood—a gesture of love, sacrifice, and unity. This sacred event, rooted deeply in the land of Palestine, took place among olive trees, stone streets, and communities that still exist today.
For many Palestinians, especially Palestinian Christians, Maundy Thursday is not just a memory of faith but a reminder of their enduring connection to the land where Jesus walked.
In a time when access to holy sites is often restricted and daily life is marked by struggle, the Last Supper becomes a symbol of resilience, hospitality, and hope—a sacred moment echoing through centuries of steadfast faith under occupation.
Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour on Fathi Ghaben, Gaza and art during war
Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour has had trouble focusing on his work.
“I haven't been able to produce much art," he tells The New Arab. "I
have only made three or four paintings in the last couple of months.
Usually, I do much more, but then I listen to the news and it becomes
hard to concentrate."
Ghaben,
like Mansour, was a renowned Palestinian artist, and aside from their
love of art, the two friends also had other things in common.
Both were born a year before the declaration of the establishment of Israel and
Israeli authorities have imprisoned both throughout their lives because
of their paintings which address Palestinian identity.
“I
have been detained twice in my life, but only for two to three weeks
each time; they just kept me for interrogation. Fathi, on the other
hand, spent three months in prison because he had painted his nephew,
who Israelis had killed. He was still a boy.
"Fathi
painted him wrapped up in the colours of the Palestinian flag. So, they
confiscated the painting with a couple of other artworks and imprisoned
him," Sliman tells The New Arab.
"The
Israeli court gave him a prison sentence of six months. I, along with
other artists, demonstrated against the court’s decision, and they
finally agreed to let him out after three months under the condition not
to repeat his actions. I think that was in 1983.”
The shift in colours: Art during the war
The few paintings Mansour has produced since the war are less colourful than before.
A couple of months ago, the 77-year-old artist held a group exhibition in Ramallah and realised that most of his colleague's paintings also contained more grey tones.
"The paintings used to be more colourful before the war, maybe because we were more hopeful then," he says.
The artist, who must go through time-consuming and humiliating checkpoints every day to get to his studio in Ramallah, still wants to convey hope with his art, even if it seems difficult now.
Symbol of Hope, one
of Mansour’s most famous artworks from 1985, shows the residents of a
Palestinian village looking up to the sky and seeing a dove of peace.
Framed print versions are seen often in Palestinian cafés and bookstores in East Jerusalem, where Mansour lives.
"The
Israeli government's main aim is to take our hope from us and
dehumanise us. But we hope to live in this land peacefully and freely,
with the same rights," Mansour explains.
"The only way you can fight these campaigns of dehumanisation is through art and culture," he continues.
During the First Intifada, Mansour started using mud for his artwork, as he took part in demonstrations.
When I mention to him that he has also lived through the previous Israeli wars, he laughs. "Yes, just my great luck."
"Even if you make a small mistake, you might end up dead for absolutely nothing"
Nevertheless, he believes there has never been as much hatred in society as today and Mansour senses the constant tension.
“Of course, the situation was always tense, but now the tension has increased," the artist says.
"When
I am in Jerusalem, I feel less comfortable. Even if I am just in the
hospital, I feel it. Recently I wanted to take a shorter route to my
studio in Ramallah from Jerusalem, but we missed a sign because it was
dusty and dark. We were warned by other Palestinians that the Israeli
military might shoot us if we went further because they had closed the
street. So, even if you make a small mistake, you might end up dead for
absolutely nothing," he explains... READ MORE https://www.newarab.com/features/sliman-mansour-fathi-ghaben-gaza-and-art-during-war
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As
we commemorate Easter, reflecting on the profound sacrifice and
persecution of Jesus Christ, parallels can be drawn to the ongoing
situation in Palestine. Just as Jesus faced oppression and persecution
at the hands of powerful forces of his time, Palestinians today endure
similar struggles against injustices and occupation. Like Jesus, they
are marginalized, their rights denied, and their voices silenced.
The
Easter story reminds us of the resilience and hope that emerge from
suffering, offering a beacon of light amidst darkness. Just as
Christians celebrate the triumph of life over death, there is a yearning
for peace and justice to prevail in the land where Jesus himself once
walked. Easter calls us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed,
advocating for a world where all people can live free from persecution
and injustice.
Weapons for Israel bring a few jobs to America by escalating war in the Holy Land.
Help create a just and lasting peace for all people (here &
there), regardless of supposed race or religion: Don't arm Israel's sky
rocketing religious extremism and its relentless persecution &
displacement of the native non-Jewish men, women & children of historic
Palestine.
Religion should be a personal, private choice, not a state funded project.
I do not like or support HAMAS, but I do understand why they
exist, & why HAMAS will not go away even if all HAMAS fighters
are killed this week by Israeli snipers & bombs: You simply can
not stop people who are seriously oppressed from doing all they
can to shake off their oppressors.
Every young person in Gaza and the West Bank
today, plus many
outsiders on social media, are witness to racist Israel's crimes,
and they will- we will- find a way to Free Palestine.
Don't let our tax dollars pollute the Holy Land with more bullets & bombs... & racist hate.
If you are addicted to violence please just go play a video game or watch an action adventure movie- don't hurt real people.
The UN Mediator for Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, believed that the
Palestinians displaced had a right to return to their homes and
wrote several UN reports to that effect.
"It would be an offence against the principles of elemental
justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the
right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into
Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent
replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land
for centuries."
Bernadotte was assassinated on Friday 17 September 1948 by members of the group Lehi, a Zionist terrorist organization, commonly known in the West as the Stern Gang
sliman.mansour "A cover i painted for Al-Awda magazine in the 1980’s, depicting the settlers attacks on olive groves during olive picking season, mixed media on paper, 1980’s"
Holy Family art work is by the Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour
A Christmas Message for our World
Rev. Imad Haddad
As we sing “silent night holy night” this Christmas let us remember the nights in which the silence was shattered by the sounds of bombs, gun shots, and aircrafts.
The only silence people in Gaza can hear these days is the horrendous silence of death.
There is nothing holy in the nights or the days in which human life is desecrated. The only holy thing during those days are the sound of prayerful cries that comes out of a broken heart rising up to disturb the evil silence of death.
As we sing “Away in a manger” this Christmas let us direct our attention to those kids in Gaza whose only manger is a coffin, and their crib is a tomb under the rubble. The “stars in the sky” cannot “look down where [they]lay” for the smoke of bombed and shattered houses cover the scene of the sky.
This Christmas, as we celebrate reading from Luke: “Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Let us think of those who take refuge in Churches, mosques, schools, hospitals, or in the open air for the only thing that shines around them are light bombs. They try to find life away from home but even their shelters are bombed. The only words that speak to them from this reading is the status of the shepherds who were terrified. For terror and fear describe the story of the present days in Gaza.
As we sing “let every heart prepare him room” remember to see the face of Jesus in every refugee so we can accept, serve, and protect them as we would do for Jesus. Remember that Jesus was a refugee too. His family was first forced to leave their home in Nazareth due to the orders of the empire, then they were also forced to escape and take refuge in Egypt due to political tyranny.
This Christmas as we pray for those who are afflicted in our world, and as we pray for Justice and peace, let us remember that Jesus was incarnate in our world during a situation that does not differ much from our own. The “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” to bring justice and peace to a world that is torn apart. He dwelt among us to be with us, to be one of us, and to free us from the bonds of oppression. The dwelling of the Word among the people has transformed the incarnation to be “intra-carnation.” This is the message of hope that we give to the world as we go through these times of injustice, oppression, and ethnic cleansing: Jesus is with us, he is one of us, he chose to unite himself to us
Christ is born…Halleluiah…. The savior is born…. Halleluiah…. “Let earth receive her king” …. Halleluiah
Sliman Mansour Perseverance and hope (المثابرة والأمل), oil on canvas, 1976 . "Even during the darkest of times, we should not lose hope of a better future with no cruelty and dehumanization."
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Sliman Mansour is an influential and renowned Palestinian artist. His work - which has come to symbolize the Palestinian national identity - has inspired generations of Palestinians and international artists and activists alike. Passionate about the work of Embrace, Sliman has generously gifted some of his artwork to us for use. He recently spoke to us about his life and work.
Born in 1947 and raised in the verdant hills of Birzeit, one of the few remaining Palestinian Christian towns, located in the central West Bank, and later living in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Sliman’s beautifully expressive and emotive artwork embodies steadfastness, reflecting the hopes and realities of a culture in the face of relentless military occupation.
Since the early 1970s, Sliman has translated his experiences of isolation, displacement, community and rootedness using imagery, symbols and natural materials in his artwork. What began as a boycott of Israeli art supplies during the first Intifada (1987-1993) soon became a rich and meaningful expression of Palestinian culture. Local natural materials such as coffee, henna, hay and mud all became tools of choice for Sliman.
Using actual Palestinian land to create artwork allowed him to capture the essence of Palestinian rootedness, juxtaposed with fragmentation in the political and geographical landscape – echoed in the cracks growing in the mud as it dries.
As Sliman reflects, ‘I was moulded by the Palestinian landscape. The land plays an important role in my art and in my nature as a human being. I said to myself ‘rather than drawing the land, I will draw with land.’ People would ‘inhale’ my artwork at exhibitions – they would feel the Palestinian heritage, by touch, by scent, with the senses.’
Passionate about the work of Embrace, Sliman has generously gifted his artwork to us for use on three beautiful cards that we are selling through our webshop. Every penny raised will contribute directly to the work of our partners to transform lives in the Middle East, providing education, healthcare and community development where it is most needed.
These three original works give a glimpse into very different eras of Sliman’s life and creativity – looking at the progression between the pieces, we can trace, with Sliman, the changing landscape of Palestine.
From the river to the sea I (من النهر الى البحر ١), oil on canvas, 2021
"Entire
families were wiped out in Gaza and erased from the civil registry.
Imagine a family’s history, heritage, dreams, and memories are wiped
out. They are not numbers, and as the late Mahmoud Darwish wrote once,
The martyrs don’t resemble one another. Each of them has a distinctive
physique and distinctive features, different eyes, and a different name
and age. The killers are the ones who all look the same." Sliman Mansour
Sliman Mansour painting The immigrant (المهاجرة), oil on canvas, 2017
"The
scene in this painting presents a significant contrast, as though a
woman fled her hometown and found herself estranged in a large and
Western metropolis city. The painting expresses the tremendous
attachment to Palestine that Palestinians in exile hold dear in their
hearts, which only grows the longer they reside in the diaspora. This
picture might also represent the deep emotional connection Arabs across
the world share towards the Palestinian struggle and inherit one
generation to the next." Sliman Mansour
Sliman Mansour: No words or paintings can convey the images of the massacres perpetrated against Palestinians and the destruction that is done to their homes, hospitals, schools, and religious sites with complete impunity by what is called the civilized world.
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