In a world saturated with filtered narratives and manufactured silence, few voices have emerged with as much authenticity and impact as those of Mona and Mohammed El-Kurd. The twin siblings from occupied East Jerusalem have become symbols of Palestinian resistance—not through weapons or politics, but through words, presence, and unwavering courage
Mona Nabil El-Kurd was born in 1998 in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, a flashpoint of Israel’s aggressive settlement expansion. From a young age, Mona and her family were subjected to continuous harassment and threats of eviction by Israeli authorities. In 2009, settlers seized half of their home under the pretext of lacking a building permit. Today, the El-Kurd family, along with 11 others, is facing a looming eviction order issued by an Israeli court—despite ongoing legal appeals. The court ruling, favoring settler organizations, cited a decades-old claim and the so-called “statute of limitations” as justification for displacing Palestinian families.
Mona studied media at Birzeit University in the West Bank and quickly became one of the most prominent young Palestinian journalists. Her documentation of the forced expulsions in Sheikh Jarrah in 2021 brought international attention to the Israeli state’s broader project of ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem. Her footage, interviews, and on-the-ground updates circulated rapidly, bypassing mainstream media filters and giving voice to a silenced people.
Her brother, Mohammed El-Kurd, a poet and writer, complemented her activism with sharp, articulate commentary and literary resistance. Together, they transformed their family’s struggle into a global cry for justice, courageously confronting the Israeli narrative and demanding accountability.
Their influence did not go unnoticed. In 2021, TIME Magazine included both Mona and Mohammed in its annual list of The 100 Most Influential People in the World—a testament to their powerful role in reframing the Palestinian story for a global audience.
At a time when Gaza suffers under siege and bombings, and Jerusalem remains at the center of settler-colonial expansion, the El-Kurd siblings stand as reminders that resistance is not always armed. Sometimes, it is a camera. A sentence. A refusal to be erased.
And in their voices, millions hear the echo of a people who will not be silenced.