| Handala | |
|---|---|
 Handala, the Palestinian defiance symbol | |
| First appearance |
|
| 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 the Arabic word for the colocynth (Arabic: حنظل, romanized: ḥanẓal), a perennial plant native to the Levant which bears 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.
- ^ Gandolfo 2010, p. 60.
- ^ a b Oweis 2009.