Photography against occupation: Women’s non-violent resistance on the West Bank
While the world’s attention is rightly focused on the horror and genocide in Gaza, life in the West Bank is also being systematically dismantled. Hebron, and specifically the Tel Rumeida neighborhood (H2, under Israeli military control), is a microcosm of the West Bank: home to some of the most radical settlers. Violence and harassment against Palestinians are daily realities, rarely punished, forcing many families to leave. Yet some remain, resisting through presence.
Among them are Horeya Doufesh (Om Wisam, 54) and her daughter Nidaa (21), who live in Tel Rumeida. They are coming to Belgium for the closing of their photo exhibition Om/Mother at FOMU. Together, they will speak about daily life in the West Bank, especially for women, how things have changed since October 7, and how photography and art can act as tools for resistance and change.
Om (Arabic: أُمّ, meaning “mother”) is a collective photographic project created by nearly 50 women and girls from eight families in Tel Rumeida, in collaboration with photographer Barbara Debeuckelaere. Using simple analog cameras, they documented their homes and surroundings in September 2023—just before the war in Gaza escalated.
In a place where violence, occupation, checkpoints, and daily harassment define life, these images celebrate resilience and the act of creating a loving home as a form of resistance. The project lives on beyond the project: all proceeds from the book (Om/Mother, published by The Eriskay Connection) and related events flow back to the community, funding essentials like water tanks and shared meals during Ramadan.
The moderator of the event will be Dorien Vanden Boer, the Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory Officer at CIDSE.
Join us in Leuven on 16 September at 19:00 for this special evening of conversation, reflection, and solidarity.
Venue: Dekenstraat 2, Aula Gaston Eyskens 00.10, 3000 Leuven
Programme:
19:30 – Welcoming
19:45 – Introduction
20:00 – Talk by Horeya & Nidaa
20:45 – Moderated panel discussion
21:15 – Free Reception
You can register for this event through the link: https://forms.gle/YyqjpbRWpAKLeKmc6
Note: registration is mandatory.