An Interview with Neda K.: Empowering Animal Rights and Veganism in Palestine
Since this year, we have conducted several interviews with animal rights activists from all over the Arab world. Today, our interview is with Ms. Neda K., an animal rescuer affiliated with Baladi Palestine Animal Rescue. She is based in Jerusalem and is known for her passion for animal welfare and veganism. In her free time, she enjoys exploring topics related to veganism and feminism through reading and experimenting with new and various vegan recipes.
What inspired you to start vegan in palestine?
Together with a group of Palestinian vegan animal rescuers who share a commitment to animal liberation, I founded Vegan in Palestine.
Our aim is to raise awareness about animal suffering in factory farms, testing facilities, entertainment industries, and beyond. In addition, we provide care and support to vulnerable cats and dogs living on the streets of Palestine.
As there had been no vegan organization in Palestine before, we believed it was necessary and timely to create a local consciousness about veganism. We also believed it had benefits for animals and the environment.
What kind of activities do you do?
Vegan in Palestine has 7 regular activities but our most active ones are vegan events, Baladi Palestine Animal Rescue and Shelter, and business and municipality consultancies.
The Baladi Palestine Animal Rescue Team is a rescue project that helps vulnerable street animals in Palestine who are sick, injured, or facing abuse.
We also offer virtual support and logistics to animals and rescuers we cannot physically reach.
Neda (left) and Ahlam (right) take a snap with a dog named Fulla. The car is turned off [Baladi team]
Our efforts include operating a dog shelter that currently houses five dogs and three puppies. In addition, we host monthly events that feature vegan food, providing people with plant-based versions of their favorite traditional non-vegan meals, such as Shishbarak and Shawarma. These events serve as a physical space to build a vegan community. They discuss and explore vegan philosophy, and demonstrate that there is nothing to miss out on when going vegan.
We also operate a vegan food bank that provides cruelty-free food to Palestinians living with food insecurity. The Vegan Food Bank challenges societal notions that doing good and "religious sacrifice" must include dead animals. Our project exemplifies Palestinian cuisine's compatibility with a vegan diet. This includes vegan culinary staples such as olive oil, tahini, seeds, nuts, molasses, zaatar, spices, beans, lentils, halawa, freekeh, bulgar, rice, fruits, vegetables, and much more.
We work with local restaurants seeking to incorporate more vegan options into their menus. We advise municipalities on their newly established spay and neuter projects while also educating public school children about animal and environmental rights. Additionally, with the talent of our vegan chef, Ahlam Tarayra, we launched La2baneh, a vegan labneh that combines the Arabic word "La'" meaning "no" with labneh, a dairy-based spread eaten as a mezze and in sandwiches. We sold the vegan labneh at summer farmer's markets and sold it out every week. Our goal is to produce La2baneh on a larger and more efficient scale to make it available year-round in the Palestinian market.
What challenges would animal rights activists face in Palestine?
Our biggest challenge has been changing the local viewpoint that animals are not here for human exploitation but are autonomous, sentient beings deserving of respect. One instance of this challenge occurred when a municipality's mayor announced a 20 shekel (5 Euro) bounty on anyone who brings him a murdered dog. Fortunately, the local population rejected the mayor's announcement. The resulting outrage created a necessary conversation about street animals' treatment in Palestine.
Ameed holds one rescue dog in his arms as another looks up at him [Baladi team]
In addition to changing perspectives, we face the challenge of institutional support's lack. Our funding comes primarily from modest crowdfunding efforts and proceeds collected at vegan events and vegan food sales.
How can veganism help the Palestinian community?
Palestinians can greatly benefit from veganism. In addition to the significant health benefits of a plant-based diet, adopting a vegan lifestyle can also help Palestinians rediscover their ancestral plant-based cuisine and traditional culinary plants. Dr. Michel Khoury and I discuss this in more detail here.
What is the strategy you follow to work with local restaurants to incorporate more vegan-friendly options into their menus?
We personally reach out to restaurants to inquire about their vegan options since Palestine is not easily searchable online, and many people rely on word of mouth to learn about new vegan-friendly establishments. If a restaurant indicates that they do not have vegan options, we offer them free advice and ideas on how to incorporate vegan dishes into their menu. In one instance, a restaurant reached out to us after seeing the success of our events at other restaurants. They asked for our assistance in hosting their own vegan event.
