Thickets of prickly pear cacti, originally brought from Andalusia after 1492, were often planted by Palestinian farmers and herders as fences to keep their crops and animals safe. Even after the destruction and depopulation of more than 500 Palestinian villages by the Israeli forces during the war of 1948, the cactus plants keep sprouting again and again, encircling the ruins of Palestinian villages. In Palestine, the cactus, sabir, stands for patience and resilience.
