TA N YA H A B J O U Q A

Occupied
Pleasures
 INTRODUCTION

More than four million people live in Gaza, the West Bank and
East Jerusalem, under arduous political and economic conditions
with limited freedom of movement. Yet, amidst these constricted
circumstances arising from a 47-year occupation, commonplace
everyday pleasures of the population persevere. Occupied
Pleasures observes these small, but far from insignificant
moments of daily life with a sharp sense of humor, revealing a
narrative which stands in stark contrast to more widely viewed
reportage, focused on violence and conflict.

OCCUPIED PLEASURES

Toy Van, Gaza Beach Highway. 2013

 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

Sabah Abu Ghanem, 14, finally catches a

wave on a slow surf day. Gaza.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

A woman in Gaza without a travel permit,

marches through the silent dark of an
underground tunnel on her way to a party in
Egypt, clutching a bouquet of flowers.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

A woman played with lion cubs born in the

Rafah Zoo. Gazan zookeepers are renowned
for their creativity, famously painted a donkey
as a zebra, smuggling creatures in tunnels
and occasionally stuffing animals that die.
This zookeeper had fed the famous “donkey
zebra” to the lioness, as she was starving and
much more difficult to replace than donkeys.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: A Palestinian youth from Hebron

enjoys a swim in Ein Farha, considered to be
one of the most beautiful nature spots in the
entire West Bank. It, like many other nature
reserves and heritage sites in the West Bank,
is managed by the Israeli Nature and Parks
Authority. Palestinian touristic enterprise is
not allowed.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

The Gaza Parkour team practices in a

cemetery on the outskirts of their refugee
camp in Khan Younis, Gaza. The walls show
damage from past Israeli incursions.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

A young girl plays on the beach in the party

dress she wore the night before at a wedding
at the Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp in Gaza.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: Teenage girls try on dresses for

an upcoming dance in Ramallah.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

A young woman shopped for a wedding

dress in Gaza. Her future husband works in
Libya, where she hopes to join him. Since
the Israeli siege, many Gazans say that girls
are marrying younger and hoping to find a
husband who is based outside or will find
work that will take them away from the
confines of Gaza.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: Hayat Abu R’maes, 25, and

Nabila Albo, 39, have been teaching yoga for
one year now. They call it, “inner resistance”.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

After high school exams, young Gazans

flocked to the sea and fun fairs.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: One young man takes advantage

of the empty Qalandia checkpoint on the
last day of Ramadan to have a cigarette. In
the car is the sheep he just procured to bring
home to his family for Eid. Nicknaming
the sheep “Morsi” (after recent Egyptian
president) and then changing it to Haifa
Wahbi (Lebanese pop star) when he realized
it was a girl, he joked it was the last cigarette
for the sheep too.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: Three little boys splash around

in a plastic swimming pool set up under an
olive tree in Kufr Ni`ma village. The water
supply to Israeli settlers in the West Bank
is abundant and uninterrupted, yet many
Palestinian communities in the West Bank
suffer from chronic water shortages due to
Israeli control and denial of access.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: Two furniture makers take a

break in a pair of plush armchairs (of their
creation) in the open-air in Hizma, against
Israel’s 26-foot high Separation Wall.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

West Bank: Students from the Al-Quds

University javelin team wrap up the last
practice before summer vacation in the West
Bank city of Abu Dis, next to the Israeli
Separation Wall.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

A young boy attempts to bathe his reluctant

donkey in the sea, directly beside his home
on the outskirts of Gaza’s Deir al-Balah
Refugee Camp.
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

Gazan body builders jovially struck poses

after a workout.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

A family car parks on the beach for an

informal get-together by the sea. The people
of Gaza have little space in their living
quarters, and their freedom is limited, but a
popular saying among Gazans is “thank god
for the sea.”
OCCUPIED PLEASURES

Due to limited public and private space,

these women are wearing full hijab while
exercising. Their immobilized feet could
be a metaphor for the limited freedom of
movement in Gaza. The space was provided
by a local women’s organization.
 OCCUPIED PLEASURES

Woman on roller coaster at Gaza fun fair.