| 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 (seesumud), poverty |
| Origin | Palestinian refugee |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
Handala (Arabic:حنظلة,romanized: Ḥanẓala), alsoHandhala,Hanzala orHanthala, is a prominentnational symbol andpersonification of thePalestinian people.[1][2]
The character was created in 1969 bypolitical cartoonistNaji 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 thecolocynth (حنظل,ḥanẓal), aperennial plant native to theLevant 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 theWest Bank (notably asWest Bank Wall graffiti art),Gaza and otherPalestinian refugee camps, and as a popular tattoo and jewellery motif. It has also been used by movements such asBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions and theIranian Green Movement.[4]
Handala appeared for the first time on Kuwaiti newspaperAl-Seyassah on 13 July 1969,[1] and first turned his back to the viewer and clasped his hands behind his back from 1973 onwards.[5]
Handala's age – ten years old – represents Naji al-Ali's age in 1948 whenhe was forced to leave Palestine; Handala will not grow up until he canreturn to his homeland.[6] Al-Ali wrote:
Handala was born 10 years old and he will always be 10 years old. It was at that age that I left my homeland. When Handala returns, he will still be 10 years old, and then he will start growing up.
His posture, with his turned back and clasped hands, symbolises the character's "rejection at a time when solutions are presented to us the American way" and as "a symbol of rejection of all the present negative tides in our region."[4] His ragged clothes and standing barefoot symbolise his allegiance to the poor.[4] Al-Ali described Handala as "the symbol of a just cause":
He was the arrow of the compass, pointing steadily towards Palestine. Not just Palestine in geographical terms, but Palestine in its humanitarian sense—the symbol of a just cause, whether it is located in Egypt, Vietnam or South Africa.[6]
Al-Ali stated in an interview prior to his assassination that: "Handala, whom I created, will not end after I die. I hope that this is not an exaggeration when I say that I will continue to live in Handala, even after I die". Current usages of the Handala motif include:
…one of the most popular symbols of Palestinian nationalism.