On February 5th, Dublin University Law Society (Law Soc) presented the Praeses Elit Award to Gazan photojournalist Motaz Azaiza in collaboration with Trinity Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS). On Instagram, Law Soc highlighted his “courageous and uncompromising photojournalism”, noting that “his images have documented not only devastation, but also resilience, dignity, and the enduring humanity of the people whose stories he tells”. Law Soc also underscored his background: “Raised in the Deir al-Balah refugee camp in Gaza, Motaz has used his platform, now reaching over 15 million followers on Instagram, to ensure that the realities of life under siege and genocide are seen, remembered, and not erased”. On the award itself, they noted that “This award recognises not only journalistic excellence, but courage in the face of fear, truth-telling in the midst of a genocide, and an unwavering commitment to humanity. We are proud to honour Motaz Azaiza with the Praeses Elit Award”.
In the opening statement, Chris Kelly, Law Soc Secretary, noted Azaiza was pronounced GQ’s Middle East Man of the Year (2023) and was included in TIME’s Top 10 Photos of 2023.
Following the introduction from Kelly, Law Soc Auditor, Zoya Kherani, reminded the room of the vital role of journalism and proceeded to interview Azaiza.
Azaiza introduced himself as a simple Gazan man and described living a decent life before the war. He said that one night, when the war started, his life was completely changed. He said that on October 11th, 2023, he lost his colleague. Azaiza described crying with his aunt and her children at Al-Quds Hospital, calling it one of the first shocks of his life. Azaiza continued to describe Gaza as a “prison”, which is “different than growing up anywhere else in the world”.
Responding to a question from Kherani about fame and personhood, he described fame as “hard for [him] to deal with”. Azaiza said the pressure of carrying the amount of attention he received was like “being seen as a symbol, not a person”. He said originally, “I wanted to be a travel photographer for my art, now I don’t take up the camera for myself, I do it to help others. I feel guilty doing it for myself”. He said he was motivated by “the people, dreams, the sea of Gaza, the land, the trees”.
On his work, Azaiza said he felt “conflicted” about capturing the suffering, wanting to capture “the spirit of Gaza” as well as the war. He added, “The message reached the whole world, people all over the world know about what is happening right now”. Azaiza called himself “lucky” for having the chance to leave Gaza, and especially noted the journalists there “facing death every day”.
When Kherani asked about what keeps people going to stay alive in Gaza, Azaiza posed a metaphor, asking Kherani to imagine him standing beside her with a gun. He said she would be too scared to ask herself why she keeps going, comparing the situation to Gaza, calling it “a place where you don’t have any options”. He said “life is not fair to us” and “we need to change for the future right now” and “make a better future for the next generation”.
When asked about the Motaz Foundation, the non-profit Azaiza set up to deliver direct aid to Gaza, he said his dream was to build a school, but noted that it would have to be at the right time. He lamented that “it’s sad that nobody looked over to us without the war”, saying that the war made Palestinians, especially in Gaza, more interesting to the Western media as victims. He said he was “trying to change that”.
Speaking about other countries, Azaiza said, “Iran should be able to speak, Lebanon, Syria, everywhere”, continuing that “each country has something to say”. When questioned about countries aligning with the Palestinian cause, like Qatar, Azaiza said, “[we] are not choosing where to get support, any help is help”, adding “I will take the help”. He continued, “We are in a very bad situation, and the only option we have is the least of the worst”.
Finally, when asked about his message for Trinity students, Azaiza said, “believe in yourself, even if you are in a hard situation”, “don’t stop, continue, don’t be someone who easily breaks, believe in God, and continue”. He added, “Don’t stop, we don’t know who will become a leader and change the world”.
