Aziz Abu Sarah

Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem who divides his time between Jerusalem and Washington D.C.

Aziz is a columnist with Al Quds newspaper and is the co-executive director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Aziz runs alternative tours to the Middle East with a focus on Israel and the West-Bank through MEJDI a social enterprise he co-founded.

Recent Articles

Noor Inyat Khan, a Muslim of Indian and American origin, provided critical support for the anti-Nazi resistance. She was executed in Dachau concentration camp. (I Am Your Protector)

Jews stand up for Muslims, as Muslims once stood up for them

Muslims once protected Jews from Nazi persecution. Today, American Jews are standing up for Muslims in the face of President Trump’s draconian ban. These are everyday stories of resistance — even if they are hardly reported. Over one million dollars were collected by Americans who were disgusted by the recent arson attack on a mosque in Victoria,…

By Aziz Abu Sarah February 4, 2017

A protester holding a poster with Nelson Mandela's portrait, during a demonstration in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, December 7, 2013. The demonstration marked four years to the Popular Struggle in Nabi Saleh, while commemorating the killing of Mustafa Tamimi and Rushdi Tamimi by Israeli army forces, and twenty six years since the first Intifada.

Will there be peace if Palestinians lay down their arms?

The world expects millions of people in Gaza and the West Bank to happily and quietly live under occupation. While laying down arms is a positive step towards peace, it is not enough to end this conflict. Written with Dr. Marc Gopin In the past few weeks the pro-Israel pundits have been recycling an argument…

By Aziz Abu Sarah July 30, 2014

WATCH: Whole Gaza neighborhood destroyed in an hour

A video posted Tuesday by Al Arabiya shows the destruction of the Gaza neighborhood of Beit Hanoun in one hour. According to the Israeli army, residents are given at least three minutes to evacuate their homes before they are bombed. (In some cases, Gazans are given a 24-hour notice to evacuate the entire neighborhood.) Watching…

By Aziz Abu Sarah July 29, 2014

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Jerusalem on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. (photo: U.S. Embassy)

Gaza becomes Syria: Middle East geopolitics 2.0

The bickering between countries over who has the right to negotiate over the Palestinians is nothing new. We’ve been here before. By Aziz Abu Sarah and Dr. Marc Gopin There are two main camps involved in negotiating a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. However, the players are not within the camp that most would…

By Aziz Abu Sarah July 28, 2014

Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian journalist (photo: Activestills.org)

Who will protect Palestinian journalists?

Between shootings, beatings and arrests, Palestinian journalists are subject to violence and restrictions that their Israeli counterparts generally avoid. Last week at a protest in the West Bank city of Beitunia, a group of Palestinian protestors attacked Israeli journalist Avi Issacharoff and photographer Daniel Book. According to Issacharoff, he was told to leave the protest…

By Aziz Abu Sarah May 24, 2014

Amneh (11) and Arwa (8) participate in the Syrian refugee educational camp. (photo: Aziz Abu Sarah)

At summer camp, Syrian child refugees recall a lost homeland

SYRIA-TURKEY BORDER – Last week, my colleagues and I started a summer camp for hundreds of Syrian child refugees on the Syrian-Turkish border. While pundits and self-proclaimed “experts” are debating what to do in Syria, or whether the US should strike or not, we decided to act rather than talk. After all, over a 100,000…

By Aziz Abu Sarah August 29, 2013

WATCH: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Zone series produced by National Geographic

Just over a year ago I started filming for a web series produced by National Geographic. My goal was to highlight the conflicting narratives and the different points of view while inspiring hope. As Obama is visiting the region, I no longer believe that he or other leaders will bring an end to this conflict.…

By Aziz Abu Sarah March 21, 2013

Ras al-Amud, East Jerusalem (photo: Activestills)

Watching elections I cannot vote in

Until few days ago, I wasn’t able to vote. According to the Israeli system, I still cannot vote. However, my friend Liel Maghen asked to vote in my place, an act that if taken en masse, has the potential to shock and challenge Israel’s policies of oppression like never before. Many Palestinians in Jerusalem are watching…

By Aziz Abu Sarah January 22, 2013

Palestinian activists lifting the Palestinian flag in the "Bab Al-Shams" village. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills)

Eviction of Palestinian outpost exposes double standard on settlements

The consequences of the the Israeli government decision go beyond the action against the Palestinian community in Bab Al-Shams. By evicting the residents, Netanyahu has made a mockery of the Israeli High Court and, in turn, the rule of law. In the early hours of Sunday morning, hundreds of Israeli soldiers stormed the newly-founded Bab…

By Aziz Abu Sarah January 13, 2013

Ruins of three buildings consisting of a factory for building equipments and 2 homes, belonging to Al Adad family, in the al-Shujaiya neighborhood, Gaza city, November 18, 2012. The family escaped after the Israeli army fired three warning rockets which were followed 5 minutes after by an F16 which destroyed the buildings.

Life in Gaza: Letter from a Palestinian woman

My friend Oded Adomi Leshem from Tel Aviv sent me an email he received from a friend of his in Gaza. She writes about what she is going through and what she does when missiles hit her neighborhood. She puts a human face on the suffering of people in Gaza. After all, it is ignorant to…

By Aziz Abu Sarah November 20, 2012