Prisons are not always surrounded by walls and iron bars. Sometimes, prison is a life lived under endless restrictions, where even the simplest choices are no longer yours to make. Imagine waking up every morning knowing that your movement, your safety, and even your future are controlled by others. For many Palestinians, this is not a metaphor; it is daily life.
On my Facebook bio, there is a quote that says: “There is a place for me in the sky between the stars.” To me, these words reflect the freedom every human being is born deserving: the freedom to dream, to live with dignity, and to exist without fear. Yet reality often says otherwise. Living in Palestine can feel like serving a life sentence without entering a prison cell. Oppression follows you into your streets, your home, your memories, and even your prayers.
In the Hebron area, the Tamimi family lives on top of a mountain surrounded by three settlements, including Jabal Jalis. Their home stands amidst constant pressure, fear, and isolation. During Ramadan, Israeli settlers raided the area and took over four nearby homes. To reach these houses, families must pass either through the Tamimi family’s home or through a dangerous road controlled by settlers and soldiers.
When the families tried to stand their ground and protect their homes, soldiers raided the Tamimi house for nearly four days. They left the family without food and cut them off from basic necessities. Men were separated from women, and children were separated from their parents. A mother was denied access to her infant for breastfeeding, and only after two days of pleading was the mother finally allowed to hold and feed her child. No family should ever have to beg for a mother to comfort her baby.
As Palestinians, we learn how to survive even when survival itself becomes exhausting. Sometimes we begin to ask ourselves difficult questions: do we really deserve a normal life? Is freedom real, or is it just a word repeated in speeches, movies, and television screens? Still, one truth remains clear: no one is truly free while others live under oppression.
So today, pray for freedom. Pray for dignity. Pray for a life where children grow up without fear and where families are not punished for existing on their own land. And remember, our smiles do not erase the occupation. Even when we smile, we are still carrying pain, loss, and restriction. But we still deserve to smile. We deserve freedom, safety, and humanity, just like every other person in this world.
Do not become part of the cycle of silence and injustice. Stand against oppression wherever it exists. Because freedom that belongs only to some is not freedom at all.
