This study examines the correspondence between Hamdi Kanaan and Akram Zuaytir in the immediate aftermath of the June 1967 War. Their exchange highlights how the war disrupted traditional means of communication such as visits and telephone calls but provided the occasion for an alternative form of communication based on personal relationships that helped solve newly arising issues facing the city of Nablus. Often functioning as a kind of diary, this correspondence sheds light on unknown events and documents the formation of political positions and ideas, as well as socioeconomic conditions and shifts under the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The correspondence reveals activities and events that Kanaan concealed in his memoir, such as his covert strategies to bolster the resilience of the inhabitants of Nablus and the surrounding region. The language of the letters conveys the psychological states of both men, the compound factors that shaped their opinions over time, and the impact such supportive personal bonds can have on the ability to persevere and survive.
