Against All Odds

September 2025 Bulletin

This issue does not come with empty questions. It carries the steady heartbeat of a people facing threats older than memory. These challenges go beyond battles on the ground. They reach deep into the soul of what it means to be Palestinian: the language we speak, the stories we tell, the very ways of being stretched thin by displacement, occupation, and erasure. From the frontlines of land confiscation and settler violence to the daily realities of hunger and death, and the calamities of exile and displacement, these forces try to unravel the very fabric of a people’s life.

But if you listen closely, there is another sound beneath the weight. It is grit and warmth, a stubborn hope that refuses to be crushed. The voices here carry echoes of resilience, sumud, and defiance. You might not hear it in one bold statement, but it lives in quiet determination and in the words that keep identity and belonging alive when everything else feels at stake.

Just like the olive tree and the phoenix, two symbols Palestinians hold dear, the voices in this bulletin carry the same quiet strength. The olive tree’s roots run deep through generations in soil both sacred and contested. Its gnarled limbs have weathered many storms. It mirrors the steadfast spirit of Palestinians, a spirit that refuses to be uprooted or silenced. The phoenix, linked to Gaza’s history and archaeology, rises anew from ashes time and again. It carries the promise of rebirth, hope, and relentless renewal even after devastation.

Can a people live on words and hope alone? They have to. For these words are more than words; they are lifelines carrying the strength of a people who refuse to disappear.

At Scene48 this story continues. It is a place where the many faces of Palestinian existence are heard, honored, and celebrated no matter the hardships. This bulletin is not just an account of threats faced. It is a testament to the deep roots and enduring spirit that keep a community standing strong, against all odds.