In this episode of NARA podcast, they share their hopes and grief, as the destruction of Gaza continues. Michael studies computer engineering at Vilnius Tech and wants to return to his home city of Ramallah, the de facto capital of Palestine, where he has founded a data science start-up. Noura is a master's student of International Communication at Vilnius University, aiming to work in the field of human rights or academia.
A granddaughter of a Palestinian refugee, she grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon. For the last few years, their life stories continue in Vilnius where, for many locals, they became the first Palestinians they have ever met. After the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's military retaliation in Gaza, the topic of Palestine became central for many people around them.
Michael and Noura feel that they have to constantly confront the existing view on Palestinians and Arabs in general. They also think about themselves as being very privileged, which brings a feeling of guilt.
For Michael and Noura, the city of Vilnius has also become a place to build new connections β the ones that wouldn't be possible back home. In an interview, Michael shared a story of how he met a Jewish girl on a dating app, despite having a Palestinian flag on his bio. The mutually suspicious meeting turned into a three-year-long relationship.
When Michael went to his then-partner's graduation in a Jewish school in Vilnius, everyone thought he was Jewish. The hope of a brief absence, a mere week away from their homes, transformed into a decades-long exile.
