Rome: For Mr. Kassis, housing is not a privilege - it is survival. "We resist," he says, "by simply existing on the land. Occupation is not only the tank and the soldier. It doesn't only restrict your movement, but also your thoughts, plans, aspirations, and your vision."
According to EMM, basic services in Ramallah also bear the weight of the occupation. The city's wells are located in Area C of the West Bank, where security is controlled by Israel. This area is populated by Israeli settlements, and settlers have been known to attack these water sources, threatening the already limited supply. Despite these challenges, settlers in the area enjoy amenities like swimming pools.
In response, Ramallah has invested in wastewater treatment and irrigation projects, utilizing recycled water to green the city. "When you see green, you see hope. And when you see hope, you go after hope," Mr. Kassis explains.
As mayor, Mr. Kassis believes that resilience must be nurtured at the grassroots level through education, green spaces, and instilling pride in the land. "We built it up through years of hard work and education for the children to cherish life, to cherish the beauty of the city, to love the land, to belong to the land. These are things that we do, that is part of our DNA at the municipality," he asserts.
The United Nations has long advocated for a two-State solution as the framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: an independent State of Palestine coexisting with Israel in peace and security. Key issues that remain unresolved include borders, settlements, the status of Jerusalem, refugees, and security arrangements.
Until that vision is realized, Mr. Kassis emphasizes that the people of Ramallah will continue to hold on to hope, one home, one family, one tree at a time.