Permission To Narrate

Jerusalem-born designer Natalie Tahhan hopes to revive traditional Palestinian embroidery with a modern twist in her collection ‘Prints of Palestine’.

At least 72 countries are set to meet on Sunday in Paris for the most recent effort in reaching a two-state solution in Palestine and Israel, neither of which are expected to be represented at the meeting.

The United Kingdom has Brexit. The United States, an incoming president Trump. And Israel now has Elor Azaria. It may not have the same ring, but ultimately the turning point could prove as decisive.

The Obama administration’s decision on Dec. 23 to abstain from vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory marked the end of the longstanding U.S. monopoly over the negotiations process, and the acceptance of greater international ownership of a solution.

It’s here where battles over international campaigns for boycotts of Israeli products often clash with the reality of local economics. It’s really hard for Palestinians in the West Bank to boycott Israeli goods because the country controls and saturates the market with products, and local and imported alternatives are limited for the average cash-strapped Palestinian.

A feat of engineering, maqluba means ‘upside down’ in Arabic. It’s a pot of stewed chicken, tender vegetables and richly spiced rice, cooked and then flipped to reveal itself in aromatic glory, a layer cake for dinner. When I asked Maha why she calls it ‘her favorite,’ she wasn’t shy. ‘You’ll taste it,’ she said, sizzling cauliflower to a dark caramel. ‘You’re going to see.’