I get a bit riled up when humans are referred to as animals. I’ve put together some of the following sources that you may find helpful if this is bothering you to action.

From a dear and trusted friend in IG, an important list of actions you can take right now to be that person who shows up and makes a difference for Palestinians. Contact your congressional representative now. Here’s the information you need to get that done. https://act.uscpr.org/a/callforgaza

The page also contains a link to donate to the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights https://secure.everyaction.com/LsmZ1X1ZqEqrcXHPysM_Kw2

And inform yourself. As you’re listening to the news, always ask:

• Who is the source of this information? What is their interest in this information?
• Whose story is being told?
• What emotional language and images is being used to influence my thoughts?
• What do I still want to know?

Try using AllSides to get news with less bias.

I’d certainly recommend reading Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter. (Simon & Schuster, 2007). I’d also recommend you follow @gayatrisethi on Twitter or gayatri.sethi on IG (same person) for more recent books for readers of all ages.

Over the years, a few books based in Palestinian culture, politics, and experiences have been on the We Are Kidlit Summer Reading List. They’ll really help broaden the perspective of young readers in your life.

Picture Book

Bashi, Golbarg; illustrated by Golrokh Nafisi. P is for Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book. (Dr. Bashi; 2017). English.
 A child takes readers into an alphabet journey to learn about the rich cultures, traditions, and history of the occupied nation of Palestine.  

Bashi, Golbarg; illustrated by Nabi H. Ali. Counting Up the Olive Tree: A Palestine Number Book. (Dr. Bashi, 2019). English. 
When a woodcutter is planning to cut the last olive tree, a team of soccer players one by one climb up the tree. An uplifting story of community and solidarity while counting children and depending on each other.

Ebeid, Rifk,; illustrated by Lamaa Jawhari. Baba, What Does My Name Mean?: A Journey to Palestine. (Tablo Publishing, 2020)
When Saamidah asks her Baba what her names mean, she learns and remembers the existence and resistance of Palestine and its peoples.

Young Adult

Bsharat, Ahlam; translated by Nancy Roberts. Code Name Butterfly. (Neem Tree Press, 2016) English, Arabic.
A Palestinian teenager under the Israeli occupation experiences first love and loss in this coming-of-age story told through five vignettes that span a year in the unnamed narrator’s life.

Sabaaneh, Mohammad Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine. (Street Noise Books, 2021)
Told by a nameless prisoner in a cell in Palestine, this graphic novel uses symbols and images to explore what it means to be a prisoner. When a bird lands on the prisoner’s window, the two become friends, and exchange stories as a way to share hope. Power Born of Dreams is a powerful story, one I cannot recommend enough.