In the Palestinian village of Burin in the West Bank, residents have held an annual kite festival every summer since 2009, using the event both as a recreational activity and a form of peaceful protest. The festival takes place on a hillside overlooking the village, where brightly colored kites in the black, white, green, and red of the Palestinian flag soar against the backdrop of nearby Israeli settlements, including Har Bracha, established in 1983. Residents say the land where the festival is held was partly confiscated by settlers, and the event is intended to assert their connection to the terrain and sky above.
Organizers and participants describe the kite festival as a space for children to play amid enduring tensions that mark daily life in the village. While primarily a community celebration featuring music and family gatherings, the festival carries a political message. “We want to tell the settlers that this is our land, this is our sky. If we can’t reach those lands anymore, our kites can,” said Ghassan Najjar, one of the event’s organizers.
The village of Burin, home to several thousand Palestinians, is surrounded by multiple Israeli settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law by the United Nations and other international bodies. The region has experienced frequent settler attacks, including violence against residents and the destruction of Palestinian olive groves. Reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) date back to 2008, highlighting shootings and property damage linked to these incidents. Since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023, there has been an escalation in settler-related violence in the West Bank, coinciding with calls by some Israeli ministers for the annexation of parts or all of the territory.
Despite the tensions, villagers try to maintain a sense of normalcy during the festival. Children participate in face painting and families picnic on the hillside, flying kites that also occasionally feature the colors of the Egyptian flag as a nod to regional solidarity. However, the celebration is carried out cautiously; residents often verify that no settler groups are nearby before gathering.
Some villagers recounted earlier incidents of violence. Fifteen-year-old Sanaa Bashar Najjar said the group once refrained from holding the festival after settlers had attacked the village. Another resident, Dalia Zaban, shared that her parents’ home had been targeted with vandalism, including smashed windows and damaged vehicles. “Today, we just hope they don’t come down here,” she said.
As the afternoon winds down and the kites begin to drift back to earth, the community remains resolute in returning each year. Burin resident Qusai Walid Eid emphasized that attending the festival is a way to reaffirm the village’s enduring connection to the land. “I come every year to strengthen our roots in this land,” he said.
The kite festival in Burin embodies a blend of cultural expression and resistance amid complex geopolitical realities, reflecting the persistent challenges faced by Palestinians living in areas surrounded by Israeli settlements.