This month marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Second Palestinian intifada or uprising, an uprising sparked when Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon visited the Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem under heavy guard to assert Jewish claims to the site. Party members and 1,000 Israeli riot police accompanied him. To crush protests, Israeli forces used live fire, killing 50 Palestinians in the first week alone, including 13 Palestinian citizens of Israel. Some were shot in the back.

Under the guise of the intifada, Israel ramped up its policy of home destruction, it tightened its closure regime, cutting off the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, and Israel resumed its assassination policy. Israeli forces invaded Palestinian cities and towns, carrying out mass arrests and using Palestinian as human shields.

To discuss the intifada, host Diana Buttu speaks with colleague Amanda Saadeh and veteran Palestinian journalist Nidal Rafa. Nidal was a freelance journalist who worked for a number of US news media outlets during the second intifada. We will hear from Nidal about her experiences during the intifada, her memories and her feelings about it. Amanda also turns the mic on me, asking me about my experiences during the intifada.