Asmaa and Saja are twin sisters. Both study architectural engineering at their local university, and in their free time, they produce short videos for their joint Facebook page. Their aim is to document everyday life in the place they live: Gaza City.
Visibly inspired by the most successful vlogger of the region, Nas, who runs the legendary vlog Nas Daily, Asmaa and Saja’s channel is called Khalidi Twins, from their last name, Khalidi. Their 2-minute videos, which focus on the food, places, people, and traditions of the Strip, are a refreshing take on this battered region, which is usually mentioned in the news only in relation to war, poverty, and death.
In one episode, the Khalidi sisters filmed the industrial production of the shatawi, a local chocolate-coated marshmallow treat, which Israelis know as Krembo and Danes as flødebolle:
SHATAWI MAKING IN GAZAAs the “Shatawi’ basically tasts very good- this national industry sends hope messages, that people of Gaza; carry on their lives, and hoping for a better economic situation, and a normal life circumestances.
Many thanks to شركة أسكمو العروسة for letting us film this video at their factory!
Khaldi Twins
Posted by Khaldi Twins on Saturday, March 10, 2018
Asmaa and Saja also portray the life conditions in Gaza, including the blockade that exists on both the Egyptian and Israeli borders. Although they seem to be careful not to mention Hamas, the terrorist organization that has been ruling the Strip since 2007, it’s still worth following their page just to get a glimpse of their world.
TRAVELLING TO AND FROM GAZASince we get so many questions on how to travel to Gaza, or do WE as GAZANS have the opportunity to travel as easy as anyone in the world?
-Well, this video was made to clarify everything related to travelling; from and to Gaza Strip.We hope this to be informative!
Khaldi Twins
Posted by Khaldi Twins on Saturday, February 3, 2018
Know of any other vloggers based in Israel, the West Bank or Gaza? Send me a note at [email protected]
Simone Somekh is a New York-based author and journalist. He’s lived and worked in Italy, Israel, and the United States.