Naji Al-Ali

About the Author

Naji al-Ali (1936-1987) was a pioneering Palestinian cartoonist whose incisive illustrations captured the struggles and resilience of his people under occupation, blending sharp political satire with profound humanism. Born in the village of Shajarah near Nazareth, he was displaced during the 1948 Nakba, an experience that profoundly shaped his lifelong commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights through his art. Working for newspapers across the Arab world, al-Ali created over 40,000 cartoons, with his iconic character Handala—a barefoot, spiky-haired boy symbolizing the Palestinian everyman—becoming a global emblem of resistance and innocence lost. Despite facing censorship, threats, and ultimately assassination in London, his work endures as a testament to the power of visual storytelling in the face of oppression, inspiring generations to confront injustice with wit and unflinching honesty.