Israel and Palestine can feel like quite the unsolvable conundrum. Do you begin with October 7th? 1948? Or 3,000 years ago? For Ciara Shalome and Adam Karramm it all began in 2024, on Instagram.
In the aftermath of the barbaric attacks and kidnappings of Israeli civilians by Hamas, and the subsequent brutal bombardment by the Israeli military on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, Ciara and Adam found themselves isolated in their hopes for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Ciara is a Mizrahi-Jewish citizen of the UK with family in Israel, and Adam is a half Palestinian, half Lebanese citizen of the United States. Both felt surrounded by a growing slurry of dehumanization and misinformation.
As the popularity of peace movements and the hope for coexistence waned considerably, and the pressure to pick a narrative and stick to it became more apparent, an unlikely partnership began to develop behind the scenes.
Ciara is a social media manager and founder of the Instagram page, The Mizrahi Story (@TheMizrahiStory). The page seeks to uplift the stories of the Mizrahi Jews who once lived in the Middle East and North Africa. Ciara found herself hopeless and debilitated after October 7th. Like most Jews worldwide, she was personally affected by the events that unfolded at the Nova Festival and numerous Kibbutzes in Southern Israel. Half of the world’s Jewish population lives in Israel and, as Ciara often says, almost every Jewish person knows or loves someone who lives there.
Adam, living in the diaspora, wretched by the continued suffering of Palestinians and Israelis, felt increasingly desperate to connect with voices for peace within a sea of dehumanization. He, having been a follower of The Mizrahi Story, reached out to Ciara and commented on one of her posts, which was unrelated to the conflict. After some back and forth, both realized that although they fall on opposite sides of the fence, and to many people should be “enemies,” they both shared the same perspective and hopes for a peaceful and more equal future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Their conversations were engrossing. They found themselves talking, debating, and sharing their deepest fears and hopes for hours on end, attempting, in a somewhat futile manner, to solve one of the world’s greatest issues. What started out as a sounding-board of ideas and a cathartic way to soothe the wounds of the past nine months quickly became a tight friendship. Although Ciara and Adam have never met in-person, they have been able to quickly develop a strong relationship based around respect, trust, and shared moral values. With each passing conversation, both began to feel disheartened and hopeless, wondering what the point of having these conversations was if they could not be shared with others.
Instead of giving up, they channeled their hopelessness into creating the Humanity in the Holy Land Podcast. The podcast enables both Ciara and Adam to discuss nuanced topics within the Israeli and Palestinian discourse. Such topics include common tropes, historical narratives, and shared prospects for peace. Additionally, they host guests from across Israel and Palestine with multi-faceted life experiences. They also host guests who have a connection to Israel and Palestine and have done work within the realm of the conflict, but aren’t necessarily directly impacted by it.
One of Humanity in the Holy Land’s most recent guests was Mohamad Jamous, a Palestinian peace activist living in the West Bank city of Ramallah. On the podcast, Mohamad said, “In the end, no one can get out from here. This land is for all of us.” This quote by Mohamad is emblematic of how Ciara and Adam feel about the Holy Land – that it is truly a place for all peoples, neither of whom should ever be displaced or forced to leave, and that humanisation and dialogue is the key to creating a better reality for all.
Since they started the podcast mere weeks ago, Ciara and Adam’s platform has grown steadily. The vast majority of feedback has been positive, with listeners feeling they can relate to the balanced and empathetic content being released. Often, we are made to feel as though picking a side is the “right” thing to do and that picking wisely is of the utmost importance, especially if you don’t want to end up “on the wrong side of history.” Ciara and Adam’s goal is to insist that seeking peace, equality, and non-violent justice is also just as much of a valid side to pick.
Naturally, the podcast has also been met with criticism and those who question the hosts’ loyalty and comprehension of “the facts.” Despite this, they both make it their mission to stay true to themselves, and to grant everybody the space and the grace to reach their own conclusions by seeking balanced perspectives and dialogue.
The Humanity in the Holy Land podcast is not intended to change the mindset of its listeners or to impose a belief system that may not resonate. Its sole intent is to broaden the conversation surrounding Israel and Palestine and, at the very least, to show the world that no matter your background, if your shared goal is to seek a future of humanisation and friendship, it is more than achievable, regardless of the current climate. It is high time that these invisible and also physical iron-clad walls we have built both in the Holy Land and around our own hearts are torn down once and for all.
Ciara Shalome
Adam Karram
Adam Karram is a co-host of the Humanity in the Holy Land podcast. He is half Palestinian and half Lebanese living in the United States working in healthcare. His Palestinian family were directly impacted by the events of 1948 and the Nakba and it is important to him that he shares his family‘s story. He is passionate about interfaith dialogue and works tirelessly to connect with people of all backgrounds sharing his love for peace.
