Symbol and personification of the Palestinian people
Fictional character
Handala
Handala, the Palestinian defiance symbol
First appearance
'Al-Seyassah'
13 July 1969
Last appearance
1987
Created by
Naji al-Ali
In-universe information
Full name
حنظلة
Gender
Male
Occupation
10 year old child
Affiliation
Justice, steadfastness (see sumud), poverty
Origin
Palestinian refugee
Nationality
Palestinian
Handala (Arabic: حنظلة, romanized: Ḥanẓala), also Handhala, Hanzala or Hanthala, is a prominent national symbol and personification of the Palestinian people.[1][2]
The character was created in 1969 by political cartoonist Naji al-Ali, and first took its current form in 1973. Handala became the signature of Naji al-Ali's cartoons and remains an iconic symbol of Palestinian identity and defiance. The character has been described as "portraying war, resistance, and the Palestinian identity with astounding clarity".[3]
The name comes from Citrullus colocynthis (Arabic: حنظل, romanized: Ḥanẓal), a perennial plant local to the region of Palestine which bears a bitter fruit, grows back when cut and has deep roots.[4]
Handala's impact has continued in the decades after al-Ali's 1987 assassination; today the character remains widely popular as a representative of the Palestinian people, and is found on numerous walls and buildings throughout the West Bank (notably as West Bank Wall graffiti art), Gaza and other Palestinian refugee camps, and as a popular tattoo and jewellery motif. It has also been used by movements such as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and the Iranian Green Movement.[4]
^Faber, Michel (10 July 2009). "Review: A Child in Palestine: The Cartoons of Naji al-Ali". The Guardian.
^Alazzeh, Ala (2012). "Abu Ahmad and His Handalas". In LeVine, Mark; Shafir, Gershon (eds.). Struggle and Survival in Palestine/Israel. University of California Press. pp. 427–444. ISBN 978-0-520-26252-2. JSTOR 10.1525/j.ctt1ppwdk.34. …one of the most popular symbols of Palestinian nationalism.
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