Margot Saba Abdo: A Photo Pioneer in Jerusalem

Margot Saba Abdo (1901 – 1974) was an exceptional female Palestinian photographer who worked in Jerusalem in the 1930s. Historian, sociologist Salim Tamari says she displayed a skill and mastery of the lens that surpassed Karimeh Abbud, another woman photographer from Nazareth at the time.  Margot was born in Jerusalem to a Greek mother whose brother was the Meltiadis Savvides (Saba), a well-known photographer working there in his Savvides Studios. This is where Margot learned to take pictures in her youthful years.

However, after her education at the Greek Orthodox school where she learned Arabic, Greek, English and Russian she joined her brother’s studio, Daoud Abdo. When he went to work as the chief photographer at the Palestinian Museum, Margot managed the studio. This was from 1930 to 1948 where she worked at family portraits. After the 1948 Nakba, she moved first to Cairo and then to Beirut, again working with her brother in his studio.

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Israel Forces Man, His Son to Tear Down Their Homes

CROSSFIREARABIA – The Israeli Municipality in occupied Jerusalem forces, Wednesday night, a Palestinian man and his son to demolish their homes in Silwan which lies to the west of the Al Aqsa Mosque. Ahmad Noman Al Abbasi and his son, Zeid in the Sweih neigbourhood of Silwan were given the order on the alleged grounds that they hadn’t be given license to build their homes. The homes are built on 140 square meters and that the family had already been fined 130,000 shekels by the municipality. The Al Abbasi family started to tear down their homes to avoid paying more hefty fines according to the Palestine Information Center. Zeid was preparing to get married.

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Peace Now:  2025 Worst ‘Terror’ Year For Israeli Settlements  

The Israeli Peace Now movement revealed 2025 witnessed an unprecedented escalation in Israeli settlement projects in the occupied Palestinian territories. This escalation included the establishment of new settlements and outposts, expansion of existing settlements, and a rise in settler attacks, the demolition of Palestinian structures, and the displacement of entire communities. The report described this as part of an accelerated annexation policy targeting the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The report, titled “A Year of Terror, Displacement, and Annexation – A 2025 Settlement Summary,” explained that the occupation authorities approved the establishment of 54 new settlements during the year, including outposts that were “legalized.” It also noted the approval of 27,941 settlement units, the issuance of tenders for another 9,629 units, and the granting of new municipal boundaries to 27 settlements.

According to the report, a total of 86 new settlement outposts were established during 2025, including 60 pastoral outposts, at a rate of one to two outposts per week. This resulted in the complete or partial displacement of 22 Palestinian communities due to settler attacks.

The report also indicated that the occupation authorities demolished 1,269 Palestinian structures in Area C under the pretext of building without a permit. Meanwhile, 1,828 attacks by settlers against Palestinians and their property were recorded, resulting in the deaths of nine Palestinians and injuries to 838 others.

The movement asserted that the Israeli government, while facing internal crises, continues to pour billions of shekels into expanding the settlement project. It believes these policies aim to prevent any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state and will prolong the conflict, deepen Israel’s international isolation, and increase its economic burdens.

The report noted most of the new settlements were built deep within the West Bank, reinforcing Israeli control over vast areas of Palestinian land and undermining the chances of reaching a political settlement based on a two-state solution.

The United Nations and most countries consider Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law and believe they undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.

The Israeli Peace Now movement estimates that there are approximately half a million settlers in the West Bank, in addition to 250,000 settlers in settlements in East Jerusalem.

Palestinians view these projects as part of an accelerated Israeli policy of expanding settlements, confiscating land, and imposing new facts on the ground according to Quds Press.

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50,000 Palestinians Performed Friday Prayers in Al Aqsa

CROSSFIREARABIA – 50,000 Palestinians performed the Friday prayers in Al Aqsa Mosque despite the strict entry into the holy compound imposed by the Israeli occupation army. Those who wanted to perform the prayers came from all over the West Bank and masses of people entered the mosque despite the fact that Israeli soldiers checked every single one of their IDs.

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