Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, this novel was written from inside an Israeli prison. Its protagonist, Nur, an archaeologist living in a Ramallah refugee camp, finds a blue Israeli ID card in an old coat. He dons the mask of “Or,” an Israeli, and joins an archaeological dig in a settlement, attempting to understand the Zionist mindset from within. The novel is a multi-layered exploration of identity, exile, and resistance. Through the internal conflict between the personas of “Nur” and “Or,” and through his research into the story of Mary Magdalene, Khandaqji exposes the Zionist narrative that attempts to erase Palestinian history. The mask is not merely a tool for disguise but a symbol of the identity crisis experienced by Palestinians under occupation, where the search for self becomes an act of resistance.