Reporting Live from the Occupied West Bank

And a note on supporting my work.

Hello from the occupied West Bank. I’m back here for the first time in over a year, currently staying with my friend George at his home in Beit Sahour in exchange for one kilogram of Dunkin’ Donuts medium-roast ground coffee. (No, I cannot explain this very specific request.) For the next three weeks, I’ll be traveling around the region, documenting life under the occupation.

It’s sheer luck that my return coincides with the Gaza ceasefire deal. But if history is any guide, “peace” in Gaza could mean a surge of violence in the West Bank, as settlers exact revenge on Palestinians for daring to exist, and the Israeli war machine, which seems to have no off switch, redirects its fire. Yesterday, Israeli forces killed a man and wounded a child during a raid on Jenin, while a settler rampage during an olive harvest near Nablus injured at least 36 people.

So I’m pausing the weekly news roundups and shifting back to field reporting, the origin of this newsletter. The plan is to send out irregular dispatches (and, in time, deeply reported stories) on the world-historic land theft unfolding here, largely ignored by the mainstream media. I know better than to promise a strict publication schedule—I’m still chastened from last year’s travels, when all of my silly little plans were ground to dust by the occupation’s unrelenting cruelty—but for regular, daily updates, you can follow me on Instagram and X.

Merhaba!

Finally, some personal news: With this trip, I’ve taken the plunge into full-time writing and reporting, leaving behind the work that’s paid my bills for the past fifteen years. It’s both exciting and unnerving—journalism isn’t exactly a gold mine these days, and every bit of my reporting, including this trip, is self-funded. But, at risk of sounding sentimental, I’ve never felt more sure of my purpose, so in the end, this feels less like a decision than an inevitability.

To make this sustainable, I’ll be introducing a paywall soon. If you’d like to lock in the lowest rate, I’m offering 20% off this week—$64 for the year, or $6.40 month-to-month.¹

It’s tough out here for independent journalists—especially those committed to holding power to account and covering what the mainstream won’t—so your support truly means the world. And as always, I’m grateful when you share this newsletter with others who you think should be reading it.

Thank you—more soon!

Jasper

1. If you’re a dedicated reader but can’t afford the subscription fee, please email me once the paywall goes up, and I’ll make sure you still have access.