News from Civsy, based on generative AI tools and retrieval-augumented real time data searchLate November 2025, Israeli intelligence and police forces stormed the Palestinian National Theatre , Al‑Hakawati, in occupied East Jerusalem during a performance of the children’s musical “Dreams Under the Olive Trees.” Officers ordered the audience and young performers to evacuate the hall within five minutes, abruptly cutting the show and causing visible fear and confusion among the children on and off stage. The performance was part of a Jerusalem Youth Heritage Forum initiative and brought together around 70 children, many in traditional costumes, to celebrate Palestinian stories, songs and dabke.
Licensed Event with International Funding
Organisers underline that the musical was fully licensed under Israeli regulations and supported by international cultural partners, including the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union, as part of longer‑term programmes to sustain Palestinian cultural institutions in Jerusalem. The event was framed as a heritage‑focused, non‑partisan celebration open to local families rather than a political rally, highlighting how even donor‑backed, compliance‑oriented cultural programming remains vulnerable to sudden closure. Israeli authorities justified the raid by alleging links to the Palestinian Authority, a claim rejected by organisers who insist the funding and programming were transparent and internationally vetted.
Cultural Hub Under Pressure
Al‑Hakawati has for decades been a central stage for Palestinian theatre, festivals and children’s activities in Jerusalem, operating in a city shaped by occupation, settlement expansion and tightening civic restrictions. The theatre has previously faced event bans and threats of closure, illustrating a wider infrastructure of control over Palestinian public life, where cultural gatherings are closely monitored and can be halted with little notice. In this context, the closure of a children’s musical resonates far beyond a single night’s programme, touching the continuity of Palestinian artistic expression in the city.
International Media and Sector Reactions
Regional and international media, including Jerusalem‑focused outlets and critical investigative platforms, highlighted the raid as an emblematic example of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children and cultural institutions. Video clips circulated widely on social media channels, showing security forces entering the theatre and children crying as they left, prompting extensive public criticism and renewed questions about the militarisation of Palestinian childhood.
Theatre and Human‑Rights Solidarity
Theatre companies and cultural networks in Palestine and abroad issued solidarity messages with Al‑Hakawati, denouncing the raid as a direct assault on the right to culture and artistic freedom. Human‑rights groups and advocacy platforms placed the case within a broader pattern of cancelled festivals, banned events and pressure on Palestinian cultural venues in Jerusalem, arguing that such practices systematically erode space for independent cultural life. While no major intergovernmental body has yet issued a stand‑alone statement on this specific raid, the incident is increasingly cited in international discussions on Palestinian children’s rights and on the protection of cultural spaces under occupation.
References
Israeli intelligence forces recently raided the Palestinian National Theatre – Al‑Hakawati – in occupied East Jerusalem, shutting down the children’s musical “Dreams Under the Olive Trees” and ordering families to evacuate within five minutes. The performance was a licensed cultural event, supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union, and designed to give around 70 Palestinian children a safe space to celebrate their stories, songs and heritage on stage.
Cultural organisations, theatre groups and human‑rights advocates now point to this raid as a stark example of how Palestinian children’s cultural rights and artistic freedom are being undermined in Jerusalem.
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