Raja Shehadeh's Palestinian diaries archived in Edinburgh

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Palestinian author and lawyer Raja Shehadeh transferred his personal archive of approximately 5 million words to the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Research Collections. The collection spans nearly 60 years of journals, including records from the 1967 Six-Day War and materials from his father, Aziz Shehadeh. The decision to move the archive to Scotland in late 2023 was driven by Shehadeh’s concerns regarding the potential destruction of his records amid increased Israeli incursions into the West Bank and the war in Gaza.

Consequences

The archive is now stored in a secure, climate-controlled facility in Edinburgh, protecting the materials from potential loss or damage. The preservation of these documents ensures that Shehadeh’s detailed, multi-decade account of life in the West Bank remains available for historical study.

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