The performance is a collaboration between Murad Hassan, Itamar Shapira and myself. It explores the possibilities of direct activism, especially in the West Bank, specifically in the severe times of violence we are part of. The performance Absent/protective Presence brings together the Palestinian actor Murad Hassan, who lives and works in Israel, with the experience of Protective Presence. Through an encounter with Itamar Shapira, a long-time activist and researcher of direct action in the South Hebron Hills, Murad performs simulations and dialogues drawn from testimonies of activists in the area, questioning embodiment of Jewish privilege.

Protective Presence operates in the areas of the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills, struggling together with Palestinians for grazing and agricultural lands, against home demolitions, and for the possibility of living in the face of institutional and independent forces acting against them. 

Protective Presence is an activist practice, carried out mainly by Jewish and international activists, who stand alongside Palestinians in their struggle and amplify their visibility and actions.

Performers: Murad Hassan, Itamar Shapira, Thalia Hoffman

Music: Itamar Shapira

First premiered at Tmuna Festival 2025. Curated by: Erez Maayan Shalev, Itay Doron