A principle of international law, the right to return guarantees everyone’s right to return or reenter their country of origin or citizenship.

In 1948, almost 1 million Palestinians were displaced or murdered as Zionist forces ethnically cleansed Palestine to make way for the establishment of the colonial state of Israel. The Palestinians who survived this ethnic cleansing, known as the Nakba, have been denied their right to return for over 75 years now.

Some of these survivors held on to the original keys to the homes they were forcibly removed from all those years ago. This painting is based off of a photograph of one of those survivors holding the key to her childhood home. The picture was taken in May of 2023 on the Gaza Strip, by Anas Mohammed. This woman, who name I could not find, would later witness yet another Nakba begin 5 months after this picture was taken.

The genocide in Gaza is beyond deplorable and shows the extent of the evil humans are capable of inflicting upon one another. This genocide is many things, but one thing it is not, as this woman can attest to, is new behavior from Israel.

Acrylic on Canvas 12" x  16"