The colonial Present
Lydd in Arabic, lod in hebrew
Lydd in Arabic and Lod in Hebrew was a bustling Palestinian city with lots of potential before 1948. Located in the centre of historic Palestine, the British Colonial Government turned the city into a transport hub. The first international airport was built in the city and its railway station connected the country to major cities in the Arab world; Cairo and Beirut. In 1948, the vast majority of its Palestinian residents became refugees. Less than 1,200 remained in their city, some of whom were railway workers whose labour and knowledge of operating the trains were much-needed to the newly established state of Israel. With years, the mixed Jewish and Arab city of Lydd/Lod, especially its Palestinian neighbourhoods, became synonymous with drugs, crime and poverty.
The collection of photographs offers a glimpse into urban neglect in the Palestinian neighbourhoods of the city.
