Break the Silence Mural in Beit Hanoun

Break the Silence is an arts/activist group committed to using creative projects to facilitate social change and a greater awareness of the complexities of the conflict in Occupied Palestine.

In 2003, the Israeli army imposed a 24 hour curfew on the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza strip and then destroyed thousands of acres of orange groves as collective punishment. In response, Break the Silence and the Beit Hanoun community painted a 10' x 25' mural on the Youth Center commemorating the loss of the towns economic livelihood, the orange.



Break the Silence began 12 years ago when four Jewish American women artists traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah and worked on a series of community mural projects with Palestinian community members and artists. Upon returning from that first trip in 1989 the artists presented their work and reflections on their experiences to approximately 100 audiences in high schools, universities, art galleries and community centers across the United States.

The children were particularly excited about a Mural being painted on their center.

Healing Mural

In 2004-2005 the group, Breaking The Silence, worked with the Amer family, including five children, to paint a 8' x 40' mural on the Aparthied Wall built by Israel, that surrounds the family's home on four sides.

The father of the family told Breaking The Silence (BTS) that after the Mural was completed his children played outside for the first time in a year.

He said: “When you come here and paint with the children it makes them feel like they can live.”

Testimony to the power of art!

The children had a fantastic time
working on the mural.



This is the Palestinian and North American crew that worked on the Amer Mural. At one point during the project, the Israeli settlers living illegally next door, complained to the Israeli military that the mural was an act of incitement towards them.




This is Munira Amer standing in her doorway.