20 Photos of Snow in Palestine

As you may have gathered, it doesn't snow often in Palestine, so when it does, its kind of a big deal. Social media has been filled with images of snow in Palestine and Palestinians enjoying the rare event. Below we've compiled a variety of images that not only depict iconic scenes in pristine snow cover, but also bring forward Palestinian expressions through snow sculpture.

For many around the world, a white Christmas is commonplace, but in Palestine it is truly a thing of dreams. For Eastern Christians who celebrated Christmas just a couple of days ago, the snow was a fitting surprise.

Here is Manger Square in Bethlehem where the church of the nativity, the site of the first Christmas, is seen in the background along with a snow dusted Christmas tree.

 

Not too far from Manger Square snow accumulates on an iconic key above the entrance to a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem.

 

The snow fell on both sides of the Apartheid wall. Even nature refuses to recognize such separation.

 

Moving north, Bab Al-Amood, or the Damascus Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem, which has withstood much throughout its long and storied history, face flurries in this shot.

 

Bab al-Khalil, or the Jaffa Gate, is seen here.

  

 Through the gates and behind the walls, the crown jewel of Jerusalem's skyline, the Dome of the Rock, can be seen here amidst surrounding snow covered domes.

 

What is more majestic than that moment when the sunlight hits Jerusalem? That same moment in the snow.

What's this? A Palestinian snow man visits the Dome of the Rock.

To the north, a Palestinian stands atop the iconic lions of Ramallah covered in snow.

While snow is certainly a welcome distraction for life under occupation, it is also a vehicle for political expression. This Palestinian snowman commemorates the Nakba, or the depopulation of Palestine in 1948.

 

Here, a kufiyeh wraps the image of a Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike atop the snow.

Some took to creating snowmen to express loyalty to one Palestinian political faction or another. Here is a Hamas snowman.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was also represented

Another snowman, draped in a Fateh scarf, comes complete a with kufiyeh on its head shaped the way Yasser Arafat made famous.

While some used the snow to show their party allegiance, others used it as a call for unity and reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

This was a recurring theme

Some snowmen wanted nothing to do with politics at all. This one preferred to smoke the water pipe.

 

And why should men have all the fun? This snow woman, or snowmaneh as the Facebook caption on her photo reads, chills in the shade in Bethlehem.

Here, a snowmama is very stylish with scarf, sunglasses and earings

Goodbye from snowy Palestine

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