So, how does this all fit within the political situation in Palestine? PAL largely operates in the West Bank. They’d like to work more in Gaza, but as the “world’s largest open-air prison” it’s almost impossible to run projects there. The 2,183 square-mile area is surrounded by a wall, with each entrance guarded by the Israeli army. For the 3.3 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank, Israeli soldiers and checkpoints are an inevitable part of daily life.

Photo: Renan Qadi

When PAL tours internationally, they’re often asked if they work with Israeli animal rights organizations. The question is consistent with global misconceptions that more dialogue and collaboration is the solution to creating peace in Palestine-Israel. PAL’s position is that such a dialogue can’t work as long as the playing field is so uneven: one is Occupier, the other Occupied.

“No matter what you are doing here, whether you like it or not, whether you want it or not, it will be connected some way or another to the dream of liberation.” Tarayra says, “It’s inevitable, it’s not optional. You cannot just pretend you are living in a normal situation in an independent country, and you can just work on this issue or that issue. It’s connected to the occupation.”

I asked how the animal rights issues are impacted by the occupation, and she gave me an example. On New Year’s Day, someone called PAL about a stray, pregnant dog who had been so badly kicked she could barely walk. The dog was located by Tarayra and treated at PAL’s veterinary clinic. A week later, she gave birth to several puppies, and the family was adopted by a vet who could provide ongoing care.

Photo: Alejandra Mendoza

One day after the dogs left the clinic, Israeli tanks invaded the city of Ramallah where PAL is based. The military was searching for someone responsible for a militant action on Israeli settlers. The search lasted three days. Armed soldiers filled the streets, and all Palestinians were forbidden to leave their homes.

Tarayra imagines “What if the dog and puppies had still been at the clinic? We needed to check on her four or five times every day. For two whole nights, we couldn’t go out. What if there were sick animals? The next day I thought, how could anyone ask me just to focus on animals? You cannot focus on animals because there are things happening, people being killed, another part of Palestinian life is totally disturbed. So how can we pretend everything’s fine?”

The occupation creates many obstacles for the animal rights movement in Palestine. The wall is destroying natural ecosystems. Veterinary supplies have been held at Tel Aviv airport for six months, without explanation. Children from PAL’s youth project have been arrested and tortured by the Israeli military. Bombs and tear gas don’t discriminate between species.

In the press, Palestinians have received terrible publicity in relation to how they treat other animals — for example, the conditions in Gaza Zoo. Condemning Palestinians for this, without considering how the occupation shapes people’s lives and capacities, does injustice to animal activists who are doing their hardest for animals in severe circumstances.