How Palestinians Are Building a Digital Archive That Can’t Be Erased
The Palestinian Museum is leading a digital preservation effort to protect cultural heritage sites and artifacts from destruction and looting during the ongoing conflict. This initiative serves as a response to the significant damage verified by UNESCO and the loss of historical sites in Gaza and the West Bank.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of physical conflict and the erasure of cultural identity, emphasizing the role of digital archives in preserving history under threat.
“Within a week, Israel bombed two art galleries, seven museums, two main archives in Gaza, and hundreds of archaeological sites,” says Amer Shomali, a prominent visual artist and general director of the Palestinian Museum. “This battle of trying to erase the Palestinian culture and Palestinian memory—it’s not something theoretical.”
The article focuses heavily on the Palestinian perspective and the impact of Israeli actions on cultural heritage, using emotive language like 'in defiance'.
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