She is of Palestinian heritage; her mother was from Gaza and her father from Jerusalem.[1] She attended The American School of Kuwait, with other Palestinian exiles. The Kuwait of her childhood was a haven for freedom, education, work and a place where she learned to be proud of her Palestinian culture.[2] In 1988, she came to the United States to attend Tufts University and attained a BA in history and international relations. She earned a Master's in 1993 in journalism from Boston University.[1]