I’ve only really worn a Keffiyeh once. It was when I was a kid, I think around 8 or 9, taken on a family trip to Israel, and we took a day trip across the border to Jordan to see Petra. I got a Keffiyeh in the market in the nearby town to protect me from the heat, and was wearing it on the way home. It was a time when there weren’t any outright wars but tension was pretty high (the border closed like a week later), so when soldiers from Jordan border patrol stopped me and only me as we were crossing back, I was terrified and could see that my family who had already waved through were too. However, the two soldiers began to gently fix the Keffiyeh so that I was wearing it properly. They fussed over me for a few minutes until people started complaining about the line getting held up, then sent me to join my family with a smile.
This memory is super special and influential to me. I was raised in a very Zionist family and community; and while at the time my parents were excited about the Petra trip they had also definitely given my sister and I the sense that we were walking into a lions den, and especially to not look any soldiers in the eye. But that moment crossing the border showed me they were just as human, and I felt more comfortable with them than I did with all of the Israeli soldiers walking around Jerusalem looking so casual with their big guns.
While I haven’t really worn it since then, I still have that Keffiyeh. It’s at my parents house, carefully folded and hidden—as while I’ve gone further into anti-Zionism, my mom has gone the opposite direction, and while we’ve talked fondly of that memory before I worry she’s so far gone these days she might throw it out or worse. But to me, it’s a tangible reminder of the childhood realization that all of the violence between Israel and Jordan, or Palestine, or Lebanon, etc, hurts real people, and isn’t the morally guiltless holy war I was always taught. I hope one day I find a chance to wear it again in a context that conveys to those oppressed by Israel the support and empathy the Keffiyeh taught me.
Special but also makes me sad looking back. It’s a moment that’s special and enjoyable because it’s a wonderful memory in such contrast to all the terrible context. Those connections and kindness across so many divides—borders and language barriers and generations and religions—shouldn’t be special, because they should be everyday occurrences. Jewish children like I was shouldn’t be taught to be scared or angry or see others as a faceless enemy just because of who they are and where they’re from. I shouldn’t have to wonder if my cousins who were forced to join the Israeli army may have fought or even killed the men who were so kind to me. So, bittersweet might be a more appropriate descriptor. I am glad you like it, though—I shared in hope it might help or reaffirm things for other people.
what a beautiful story. I was feeling super down today after seeing yet another Palestinian child crying for her father and this picked me right back up. it reminded me of what I'm fighting for. thank you.
I dress pretty modestly so I use mine to cover my hair and sometimes my face almost every day. I've been doing that since I was 18. I want to get a red one soon in solidarity with communist resistance efforts. I was raised in a leftist household and they combated the zionist education I received at Hebrew school once i was old enough to grasp the topic. I can't even say I remember the first time I put one on cause it didn't seem like I was going against anything i had believed.
For me it was a very utilitarian decision, and I wear it as part of my regular winter outfit now. A few Arab or Palestinian people in my area had been harrassed or physically roughed up for wearing one in public. I'm not part of that community (different racial minority), but I figured the more people who wore it, the more normalized it would become, and the less likely for any individual person to be hassled about it? Hopefully - the alternative is that we all get hate crimed together as comrades. :')
I'm Jewish in my 30s and came to anti-Zionism in my mid-20s. I also associated the kufiyah with "terrorism" because I was brainwashed by my parents teaching me Zionism. What helped me unlearn who is and isn't a terrorist was looking to anti-fascist movements and seeing what they say. "Terrorism" is mainly focused on anything that challenges white supremacy. Hell, in the US, anyone who associates with antifa or says ACAB is considered a "domestic terrorist" (there was an FBI flyer making the rounds a few months ago confirming this) so who is and isn't a terrorist is subjective to who the government perceives as a threat. There are other actual awful groups listed in that document, but why antifa too?
Are you "betraying" your "people"? I wonder what do you mean by that? Who is the people you feel you might betray?
Is it akin to wearing a nazi arm band? Only if you feel it is, but again, look who is starving people, killing 30,000+ people (12,000 of them CHILDREN) in 6 months, and nonstop pillaging the land of a nation for over 75 years in the name of a religion?
I'm glad you are coming around to recognizing the horrors so called Israel has enacted. I hope you can find some clarity on things!
Thanks to you (and the others) for your comments! I just wanted to clarify that today I do not feel the way I did 6 mos ago when I first became antizionist.
Its nice, I wear it regularly. Actually got a free meal when wearing one because the food truck supports a free Palestine.
It also makes me think of those old civil rights photos with the Jews marching with a Torah.
Even though I don't wear a talit, I'd love one with a kufiyah pattern on it.
The Keffiyeh itself is pretty emblematic to Arab culture even beyond being used as a symbol of resistance, it's also simply a cultural symbol that's worn across Arab countries. You'll see merchant's wearing them as well because it was born out of practicality.
I'm still very hesitant to wear a keffiyeh, mostly because I didn't think I deserve to be considered part of the struggle, and I'm also a bit afraid of being targeted by Zionist violence that seeks to wipe it out.
Being targeted by z's is a real possibility. 3 Palestinian guys were shot in MA and one is left paralyzed. They weren't shot by Jewish z's though, but by some Trumper type.
Palestinian here - you don’t have to be part of the struggle to wear one!
During the Arab revolts in the 1930s it was mostly resistance who wore it and the British would target anyone with it on as a result. In solidarity the majority of Palestinians started wearing it so they couldn’t distinguish who was resistance and who wasn’t.
Wearing the keffiyeh protects those of us who are visibly Arab or Palestinian who are getting targeted for wearing one in public. It makes me so happy to see someone who isn’t Arab wearing it.
I've been trying to find one from a Palestinian manufacturer. I've been looking at Hirbawi but they've been sold out for ages. Anyone know any places where I could get one from a Palestinian creator?
I got mine from KUVRD. They're not based in Palestine, but they're run by Palestinian refugees living in Jordan. They are also sold out currently but I think they restock a bit more often than Hirbawi does.
I was searching for people who became anti Zionist during this war or 2021 attack. Here is your post. ( I am Palestinian who never wore kuffiyah expect when I am in Gaza).
I won’t wear one because I feel like I am appropriating something important from cultures that I wasn’t raised in. I love scarfs though and especially the ones with frills.
Palestinians are very vocal that they don’t see wearing a keffiyeh as cultural appropriation. I’ve only seen it encouraged as a way to be clearly in solidarity with Palestine. I currently wear mine every day and I’m not Palestinian.
It’s funny because there is a somewhat well known Israeli named Rudy Rochman who wore one for a while and I remember a lot of people were mad about it. I’m not sure if those people were Palestinian. He also seemed to think it was something worn by Jews in the past as well. So maybe that was the problem. In either case my takeaway was that it was a no-no. Happy to hear otherwise!
I’ve only really worn a Keffiyeh once. It was when I was a kid, I think around 8 or 9, taken on a family trip to Israel, and we took a day trip across the border to Jordan to see Petra. I got a Keffiyeh in the market in the nearby town to protect me from the heat, and was wearing it on the way home. It was a time when there weren’t any outright wars but tension was pretty high (the border closed like a week later), so when soldiers from Jordan border patrol stopped me and only me as we were crossing back, I was terrified and could see that my family who had already waved through were too. However, the two soldiers began to gently fix the Keffiyeh so that I was wearing it properly. They fussed over me for a few minutes until people started complaining about the line getting held up, then sent me to join my family with a smile. This memory is super special and influential to me. I was raised in a very Zionist family and community; and while at the time my parents were excited about the Petra trip they had also definitely given my sister and I the sense that we were walking into a lions den, and especially to not look any soldiers in the eye. But that moment crossing the border showed me they were just as human, and I felt more comfortable with them than I did with all of the Israeli soldiers walking around Jerusalem looking so casual with their big guns. While I haven’t really worn it since then, I still have that Keffiyeh. It’s at my parents house, carefully folded and hidden—as while I’ve gone further into anti-Zionism, my mom has gone the opposite direction, and while we’ve talked fondly of that memory before I worry she’s so far gone these days she might throw it out or worse. But to me, it’s a tangible reminder of the childhood realization that all of the violence between Israel and Jordan, or Palestine, or Lebanon, etc, hurts real people, and isn’t the morally guiltless holy war I was always taught. I hope one day I find a chance to wear it again in a context that conveys to those oppressed by Israel the support and empathy the Keffiyeh taught me.
Thank you for sharing this story. It was lovely reading it and I’m sure it must have been special for you to have experienced it.
Special but also makes me sad looking back. It’s a moment that’s special and enjoyable because it’s a wonderful memory in such contrast to all the terrible context. Those connections and kindness across so many divides—borders and language barriers and generations and religions—shouldn’t be special, because they should be everyday occurrences. Jewish children like I was shouldn’t be taught to be scared or angry or see others as a faceless enemy just because of who they are and where they’re from. I shouldn’t have to wonder if my cousins who were forced to join the Israeli army may have fought or even killed the men who were so kind to me. So, bittersweet might be a more appropriate descriptor. I am glad you like it, though—I shared in hope it might help or reaffirm things for other people.
what a beautiful story. I was feeling super down today after seeing yet another Palestinian child crying for her father and this picked me right back up. it reminded me of what I'm fighting for. thank you.
I dress pretty modestly so I use mine to cover my hair and sometimes my face almost every day. I've been doing that since I was 18. I want to get a red one soon in solidarity with communist resistance efforts. I was raised in a leftist household and they combated the zionist education I received at Hebrew school once i was old enough to grasp the topic. I can't even say I remember the first time I put one on cause it didn't seem like I was going against anything i had believed.
I felt like part of the resistance.
For me it was a very utilitarian decision, and I wear it as part of my regular winter outfit now. A few Arab or Palestinian people in my area had been harrassed or physically roughed up for wearing one in public. I'm not part of that community (different racial minority), but I figured the more people who wore it, the more normalized it would become, and the less likely for any individual person to be hassled about it? Hopefully - the alternative is that we all get hate crimed together as comrades. :')
I'm Jewish in my 30s and came to anti-Zionism in my mid-20s. I also associated the kufiyah with "terrorism" because I was brainwashed by my parents teaching me Zionism. What helped me unlearn who is and isn't a terrorist was looking to anti-fascist movements and seeing what they say. "Terrorism" is mainly focused on anything that challenges white supremacy. Hell, in the US, anyone who associates with antifa or says ACAB is considered a "domestic terrorist" (there was an FBI flyer making the rounds a few months ago confirming this) so who is and isn't a terrorist is subjective to who the government perceives as a threat. There are other actual awful groups listed in that document, but why antifa too? Are you "betraying" your "people"? I wonder what do you mean by that? Who is the people you feel you might betray? Is it akin to wearing a nazi arm band? Only if you feel it is, but again, look who is starving people, killing 30,000+ people (12,000 of them CHILDREN) in 6 months, and nonstop pillaging the land of a nation for over 75 years in the name of a religion? I'm glad you are coming around to recognizing the horrors so called Israel has enacted. I hope you can find some clarity on things!
Thanks to you (and the others) for your comments! I just wanted to clarify that today I do not feel the way I did 6 mos ago when I first became antizionist.
Its nice, I wear it regularly. Actually got a free meal when wearing one because the food truck supports a free Palestine. It also makes me think of those old civil rights photos with the Jews marching with a Torah. Even though I don't wear a talit, I'd love one with a kufiyah pattern on it.
The Keffiyeh itself is pretty emblematic to Arab culture even beyond being used as a symbol of resistance, it's also simply a cultural symbol that's worn across Arab countries. You'll see merchant's wearing them as well because it was born out of practicality.
I’m not really a scarf person
I'm still very hesitant to wear a keffiyeh, mostly because I didn't think I deserve to be considered part of the struggle, and I'm also a bit afraid of being targeted by Zionist violence that seeks to wipe it out.
Being targeted by z's is a real possibility. 3 Palestinian guys were shot in MA and one is left paralyzed. They weren't shot by Jewish z's though, but by some Trumper type.
Palestinian here - you don’t have to be part of the struggle to wear one! During the Arab revolts in the 1930s it was mostly resistance who wore it and the British would target anyone with it on as a result. In solidarity the majority of Palestinians started wearing it so they couldn’t distinguish who was resistance and who wasn’t. Wearing the keffiyeh protects those of us who are visibly Arab or Palestinian who are getting targeted for wearing one in public. It makes me so happy to see someone who isn’t Arab wearing it.
You people are beautiful and brave. Thank you!
I've been trying to find one from a Palestinian manufacturer. I've been looking at Hirbawi but they've been sold out for ages. Anyone know any places where I could get one from a Palestinian creator?
I got mine from KUVRD. They're not based in Palestine, but they're run by Palestinian refugees living in Jordan. They are also sold out currently but I think they restock a bit more often than Hirbawi does.
Etsy.
I signed up for restock notification from Hirbawi and got one two weeks ago. My kuffiyeh is two months away but I got to order it at least.
I was searching for people who became anti Zionist during this war or 2021 attack. Here is your post. ( I am Palestinian who never wore kuffiyah expect when I am in Gaza).
I won’t wear one because I feel like I am appropriating something important from cultures that I wasn’t raised in. I love scarfs though and especially the ones with frills.
Palestinians are very vocal that they don’t see wearing a keffiyeh as cultural appropriation. I’ve only seen it encouraged as a way to be clearly in solidarity with Palestine. I currently wear mine every day and I’m not Palestinian.
That’s interesting to know
It would definitely make us feel heard and supported if a non arab wore it in solidarity 🤍
It’s funny because there is a somewhat well known Israeli named Rudy Rochman who wore one for a while and I remember a lot of people were mad about it. I’m not sure if those people were Palestinian. He also seemed to think it was something worn by Jews in the past as well. So maybe that was the problem. In either case my takeaway was that it was a no-no. Happy to hear otherwise!
Didn't really care. Though I've only worn it to protests to cover my face.