Zaki Haj has been pitching for the Palestinian national baseball team since 2021 and has thrown as fast as 91 miles per hour. Haj, whose lineage traces back to Beitunia (a village near Ramallah), notched three strikeouts in three innings on the mound during the West Asia Cup. He most recently pitched for Florida National University.

Tarik El-Abour is the first and only Palestinian to be signed by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Back in 2018, with the help of team advisor Reggie Jackson, El-Abour was signed by the Kansas City Royals to a minor league deal with the opportunity to earn a spot on the major league roster. He is currently a free agent and has been staying in shape by training daily and playing for the Palestinian national team.

Adam Musa is an outfielder and pitcher for the Palestinian national baseball team. Musa pitched seven solid innings for Team Palestine during the West Asia Cup. The team had a small pitching staff, so his performance was a huge stress reliever. He struck out 10 batters and only gave up one hit as he pitched half the team’s innings during the group stage and semi finals.

Rumsey Yasin had an explosive debut with the Palestinian national team last January in Pakistan. Yasin, who currently plays NCAA Division II baseball, led the team with 10 runs batted in and a batting average above .400. The first baseman joined the team late last year, but is already committed to helping this team grow on and off the field.

Yunis Haleem’s performance on the mound against Sri Lanka and his steadfastness against Pakistan in the finals earned him the “Best Pitcher” award at the West Asia Cup. Haleem, who pitched for Chicago State University, is currently team Palestine’s pitcher, infielder, outfielder and captain. Originally from Beitnunia, Palestine, Haleem led the team with nine innings pitched, five of which came in a complete game shutout against Sri Lanka—the 2019 West Asia Cup champions.

Tariq Suboh joined the national team a few weeks before it traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan for the team’s first international tournament, and he quickly became a cornerstone of the team. The catcher hit the first international home run in Team Palestine’s history in the stage-clinching game against Sri Lanka.Suboh most recently played professionally for Nebraska’s Lincoln SaltDogs. His leadership, experience and execution on the field has brought legitimacy to the team.

Ghunim is currently accepting requests for film festivals to screen her most recent and highly anticipated work, Traces of Home, a documentary about her family that “explores migration, trauma and identity through an intimate family journey.” After years in the making, the film is expected to be completed by fall 2023.

Nehad Khader, director and managing editor of Blackstar Film Festival, decided to pursue her dream more than a decade ago when she was invited to curate the DC Palestinian FIlm Fest in 2010. 

Not long after Nizar Wattad earned his Masters in screenwriting from USC in 2006, he was recruited by Walt Disney Pictures to write The United, the first Arabic-language film produced by a major studio. He was also head writer and lead producer of “Aya and Yusef,” an animated series for Muslim children.