The Palestinian Keffiyeh:
A Symbol of Resistance
A mural in Jenin, West Bank, Palestine, depicting a Palestinian woman wearing a keffiyeh.
During my Fall 2022 semester, I had the opportunity to take a Middle Eastern history class. While my focus has primarily been the politics of the region, knowing the history is important in understanding the current issues and political tension. I appreciated this class because it focused on tangible items that are used or seen throughout the region—such as coffee, tea, tobacco, face masks, and technology. It was a nice break from constantly talking about war and bloodshed and human rights abuses.
Our final project for the semester had to be about something tangible that we could (more or less) hold in our hands or touch. From the title of this post, you can see that I chose the Palestinian keffiyeh. It has a rich history dating back 100 years, and it has become a worldwide symbol for resistance against oppression. I learned a lot, and I hope you do, too!
To read my full research paper on the history and significance of the Palestinian keffiyeh, click here to download “The Keffiyeh: A Symbol of Resistance.”
The outside of the Hirbawi Textile Factory in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. This is the last standing keffiyeh factory in Palestine.
A row of keyyiehs at the Hirbawi Textile Factory.
The Significance of Keffiyeh Patterns: Olive leaves represent perseverance, strength, and resilience. Bold routes represent trade routes of natural and cultural merchant exchange. Fishnets represent Palestinian sailors and the Mediterranean sea.
Yasser Arafat wearing a keffiyeh. He was part of Palestinian leadership for decades.
A Palestinian family holding the Palestinian flag and wearing keffiyehs at the 2022 FIFA World Cub in Qatar.
The funeral of Yunus Tayeh with his head wrapped in a keffiyeh, as he was killed by Israeli Defense Forces. His body was carried through the streets of Tubas, West Bank.
An infographic showing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land since 1948.