Resources

                NEW EVENTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED

Link to VFHL March 17th Online Film Salon video on Israeli Apartheid in Action: Water Control

 https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/salonrecordings

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Fridays 10:30 AM Eastern: KKFI Radio

KKFI Radio Show: "Understanding Israel Palestine" 

Featuring: Weekly radio interview show with Jamie Jackson and Margot Patterson.  Archived episodes at www.kkfi.org/program/understanding-israel-palestine/  

   For more info: http://www.kkfi.org  

Read CAIR’s annual civil rights report, “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate”

   For more info: https://islamophobia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_Fatal_The_Resurgence_of_Anti-Muslim_Hate-1.pdf?ms=Dev_CivilRightsReport_4.2.24&sourceid=1041570&emci=79375101-28f1-ee11-aaf2-002248223353&emdi=fadaa002-e4f1-ee11-aaf2-002248223353&ceid=51078  

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Link for podcast

Al-Shabaka podcast, “Rethinking Palestine”

Featuring: Tariq Kenney-Shawa, Al-Shabaka’s US policy fellow, joins host Yara Hawari to discuss Israel’s information warfare tactics, used to influence public perception of its ongoing genocide in Gaza.

   For more info: https://rethinkingpalestine.buzzsprout.com/1433386/14761306-israel-s-disinformation-apparatus-with-tariq-kenny-shawa  

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Link for recording

Jerusalem Fund Discussion, “How the World Failed Gaza: The Great March of Return Six Years On - A Conversation With Dr Norman Finkelstein”

Featuring:

   For more info: https://thejerusalemfund.org/2024/04/how-the-world-failed-gaza-the-great-march-of-return-six-years-on-a-conversation-with-dr-norman-finkelstein-2/  

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Wednesdays, beginning 4/3/24: Link to video

The Episcopal Church Global Partnerships, seven video series, “Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus: An Easter Journey with Palestinian Christians”

Featuring: The goal of this series is to explore and understand the Easter Gospels through the unique voices of Palestinian Christians. The videos will include English and Arabic readings of the Gospel passages, as well as insights shared from each speaker about the Scripture and information about their respective contexts.

   For more info: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/global-partnerships/easter-video-series/?fbclid=IwAR3524yeMZHvu9jCFxjt4uAeqA_K_WdE72x7qYdy8IDbIiyNNVZ5PkNEpIM_aem_AUIEzHSVom8z_xTIRN568E_pjSYr37hQ0os16DAmX1cMPS5yMBAr92dQcsjNJ4awsuyrqJ0XmIvTruRKCK-hpxe8  

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4/8/24 2:00 PM: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007

Rally for Gaza at the German Embassy

Featuring: On April 8 and 9, the World Court will hear Nicaragua's case against Germany for aiding and abetting genocide in Gaza. On Monday at 2pm, a team from WILPF and Codepink will deliver a letter in support of Nicaragua, South Africa, and Palestine.On Tuesday, April 9, please drop by whenever you can. The embassy sits on two busy rush-hour arteries, so morning or evening presence would be good, or whenever you're available throughout the day.

   For more info: https://www.codepink.org/germanconsulaterally  

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4/8/24 5:00 PM: online and in-person at American University, Abramson Family Room, School of International Service; see link for registration

Nonviolence International presents hybrid discussion, “Global Solidarity and Resistance for Justice in Palestine”

Featuring: Join us on our youtube live channel, Youtube/nonviolence to watch this discussion of activist leaders on global solidarity and resistance for justice in Palestine.

   For more info: https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/palestinian_justice_panel?utm_campaign=flotilla_and_au_panel&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nonviolenceinternational  

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4/9/24 All day: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007

Rally for Gaza at the German Embassy

   For more info: https://www.codepink.org/germanconsulaterally  

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4/8/24 & 4/9/24: Register for event

Christians for a Free Palestine hosting training session and peaceful action

   For more info: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJmzzXentPSWF-xHrenlQ1SVThHNeW1gz8EJYu-PE3ZYTG-w/viewform  

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4/9-11/24: For more info

2024 CMEP Advocacy Summit

   For more info:  www.cmep.org

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4/9/24 12:00 PM: Register for event

Women’s National Democratic Club Speaker Luncheon presents “Bill Quandt: Jimmy Carter and Middle East Peacemaking, 1977-79”

Featuring: As a staff member on the National Security Council, Bill Quandt was actively involved in the Carter administration’s negotiations that led to the Camp David Accords in 1978 and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979. Quandt will try to explain Carter’s motivations, assess his partial success, and discuss the most obvious shortcoming: Carter’s inability to forge a workable framework for lasting peace.

   For more info: 

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4/10/24 2:00 PM: Register for event

Join Jim Zogby for Coffee and a Column, “Even When It Seems Hopeless, We Must Never Quit”

   For more info: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0oc--hrz4vGNKcVtr5uaUZA2pxc7fd1Rt3?emci=56f8a5a7-acf5-ee11-aaf0-7c1e52017038&emdi=24c8a64b-b0f5-ee11-aaf0-7c1e52017038&ceid=752519#/registration  

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4/10/24 3:00 PM: Link to YouTube-live

National Council on US-Arab Relations presents “The American Response to the Crisis in Gaza”

Featuring: Registration is not required to view the program. Submit questions to “questions@ncusar.org". The program will be live-streamed on the National Council's YouTube channel and can also be accessed from the National Council's website.

   For more info:  www.ncusar.org

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4/12/24 2:00 PM: RSVP for event

Foundation for Middle East Peace Zoom presentation, “Resigned: The Former Biden Admin Officials Who Left Their Jobs Over Gaza”

Featuring: Join us to discuss the Biden Administration’s policy and decision-making, and the possibilities for changing course, as well as the personal stakes, choices, and costs of public protest against the U.S.’s close embrace of Israel and its brutal war on Gaza.

   For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DECElPRmTmW5UMrdgE-gxQ?utm_source=General+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=c609a6894c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_11_14_05_33_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2b686ac441-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]#/registration  

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4/14/24 8:00am & 10:00am: Register for event

Livestream of The Most Rev. Hosam E. Naoum, Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem and Primate of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, preaching at Christ Church Greenwich, CT

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4/14/24 12:00PM: Register for event

Israel Palestine Confederation presents AbuZayyad, member of the Palestinian National Council

   For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuceitrD8oHNKQdTUESPc_ryck8Kppk6SE#/registration  

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4/14/24 9:00AM: Wasena Park, 1001 Winchester Road SW, Roanoke VA 24015

Middle East Children’s Alliance, Ride for Palestine Virginia

Featuring: Please join us to walk or ride your bike on Sunday, April 14, 9 a.m., Wasena Park, 24015.  Please donate for Palestinian children's care.  The event is on the Roanoke River Greenway.  The ride is 8 1/2 miles round trip.  The walk is an hour.

   For more info: https://rideforpalestine.akaraisin.com/ui/461B5F9830A44946AA878CAC8643117D/t/4a710c57a0b54d6b839e86c6d28a0922?fbclid=IwAR2Xj2CrzYA1pxq3ANwbd6PUpsT549OBxKz7LFk1E6u6J_ic3PVol5VwxTw&emci=1a7a1970-65ec-ee11-aaf0-002248223794&emdi=2f43b7b4-43ed-ee11-aaf0-00224  

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4/14/24 4:00PM: Franciscan Monastery, 1400 Quincy Street, NE, Washington DC 20017-3041

Music@Monastery presents organist Nathan Ringkamp of St Domiinic Church, Washington DC

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4/16/24 10:00 AM: Register for event

Balfour Project Webinar, “What Price the Two-State Solution?” With Sir Vincent Fear

Featuring: Sir Vincent advocates equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians, and British Government recognition of the state of Palestine alongside Israel on pre-June 1967 lines. He is a Trustee of the Balfour Project.

   For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T2OVO2PYQh-wIueyPPwobQ#/registration

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4/17/24 9:00 AM: Register for event

Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy Annual Conference, “Democracy Denied: Political, Human Rights, and Policy Implications”.

Featuring: The CSID Annual Conference is the international conference on Islam & Democracy, held in Washington DC, attended by experts & policymakers.

   For more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/democracy-denied-political-human-rights-and-policy-implications-tickets-861032420147?aff=oddtdtcreator  

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4/17/24: For more info

Middle East Institute 77th Gala Dinner, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Featuring: MEI’s Annual Gala Dinner honors individuals from the United States and Middle East whose achievements embody our mission to foster peaceful and prosperous cooperation. This year’s event recognizes five exemplary individuals whose contributions as peacebuilders, philanthropists, and trailblazers have set a precedent for peace, established a platform for innovation, and ushered in a future of unbounded possibility.

   For more info: clobel@mei.edu  

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4/17/24 6:00 PM: Busboys & Poets, 450 K Street NW, Washington DC 20001; Register to attend

Arab Center Washington DC presents “Dismantling Green Colonialism: Energy and Climate Justice in the Arab Region”

Featuring: Join us to learn about how colonialism has contributed to the deterioration of natural resources in North Africa and the Middle East

   For more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dismantling-green-colonialism-a-busboys-and-poets-books-presentation-tickets-872794942167  

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4/17/24 6:30PM: For more info

Iqraa Hybrid Info session at United Palestinian Appeal

   For more info: https://iqraadc.org/ or kirkcruachan@yahoo.com  

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4/18/24 12:30PM: Register for event

Bethlehem Bible College and Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East webinar, “International Law and the War in Gaza” with Jonathan Kuttab

   For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2WQsiSFxRSyp6RWVx46AOA#/registration  

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4/18/24 5:30PM: UDC Theater, 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; Register for event

National Arab American Heritage Month: Tribute to the Palestinian Heritage

Featuring: Come and celebrate Palestinian Heritage and Identity with food, cultural performances, stories of resilience and creativity.

   For more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-arab-american-heritage-month-tribute-to-the-palestinian-heritage-tickets-855004640897?aff=oddtdtcreator  

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4/18/24 7:00PM: Register for in person event

IPF Atid DC Policy Roundtable Discussion, “UNRWA Reforms and a Humanitarian Plan for Gaza”.

Featuring: Join IPF Atid D.C. for a roundtable discussion on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Examining the current moment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we will explore the strategies that need to be implemented by Israel, the U.S., and the Palestinian Authority in order to secure a stable and viable future, while also delving into the imperative of UNRWA reforms and a comprehensive humanitarian aid plan for Gaza.

   For more info: https://ipfatidapril18dc.rsvpify.com/?securityToken=gOPLU7l7AL35BR2MwCP7lwJDCmyudGj9  

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4/20/24 1:00PM: For more info

Iqraa Hybrid Info session at United Palestinian Appeal

Featuring: Iqraa (Read! in Arabic), a local running group that supports Palestinian university students in Palestine and Jordan.

   For more info: https://iqraadc.org/  or kirkcruachan@yahoo.com  

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4/21/24 3:00 PM: Register for event

Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon presents “Destroying Healthcare: Israel’s War on Gaza Hospitals”

Featuring: This month’s salon will focus on Gaza healthcare and hospitals through three videos.   Panelists will discuss the destruction of hospitals, collapse of the healthcare system, shortages of medical supplies, unimaginable working conditions, international laws regarding hospitals in war zones, and the needs for rebuilding medical capacity. Register for link to films, which can be watched in advance of salon.

For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlcOihqzMsE9Bc65FTlhiBeczgNtUyMIYL?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN+March+2024_COPY_02)&mc_cid=28aec283be&mc_eid=2b0ad08474#/registration

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4/27/24 11:00AM: Register for event

Middle East Peace Now presents Forum, “Anti-Zionism is Not Antisemitism: Examine the History of Jewish Opposition to Zionism”, with Allan Brownfeld

   For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V9xyY4yUSOytGYrViNTeZw#/registration  

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5/4/24 8:00AM: Meet at Lock 5 on C&O Towpath

Iqraa first training run

   For more info: For more info: kirkscruachan@gmail.com; https://iqraadc.org/  

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5/5/24-6/23/24: Register for event

Partners for Progressive Israel Spring 2024 Israel-Palestine Symposium, “The Day After: Towards a Shared Future”

Featuring:

   For more info: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/OVvODwGAiXDUmlfUO43JAg  

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5/8/24 - 5/18/24: Rescheduled from Oct 2023 - Contact Laurie Salameh for more info: lauriesalam@gmail.com

Seraj Tour of the Holy Land

Featuring: Seraj Executive Director Laurie Salameh and her staff have set the date for the 2024 Seraj Tour. View a short (9 minute) video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=easOKBPYViE from the 2022 tour, shot in various locations, with heartfelt testimonies from several participants. Clear your calendar for the tour dates and we’ll send more information soon.

   For more info: lauriesalam@gmail.com  

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5/9/24 9:00 AM: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington DC; more info to come

Save the Date for Arab Center Washington DC, “Covering Palestine: A Shireen Abu Akleh Memorial Symposium”

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6/23/24 - 7/6/24:

"Living Stones" Solidarity Tour - Palestine and Israel

Featuring: Pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land. Dr. Spath is Executive Director of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace and has led over 30 trips to Palestine/Israel.

   For more info: Contact Dr. Michael Spath, lmichaelspath@gmail.com  

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Other Items

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Weekdays 3:00 PM: Link to YouTube

Jewish Voice for Peace - Power Half-Hour for Gaza

Featuring:

   For more info: https://www.youtube.com/@JewishVoiceforPeace/streams.  

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Wednesdays 12:30 PM: Register for event

Churches for Middle East Peace, Praying for Peace

Featuring:

   For more info: https://cmep.org/wednesday-prayer/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=211d3879-592c-4157-b9b9-cee364656004  

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Thursdays 10:00 AM: Register for event

Churches for Middle East Peace, Weekly Briefings

Featuring:

   For more info: https://cmep.org/thursday-briefing/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=211d3879-592c-4157-b9b9-cee364656004  

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Fridays 10:30 AM Eastern: KKFI Radio

KKFI Radio Show: "Understanding Israel Palestine"

Featuring: Weekly radio interview show with Jamie Jackson and Margot Patterson.  Archived episodes at www.kkfi.org/program/understanding-israel-palestine/

   For more info: http://www.kkfi.org  

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Fridays 12:00 PM: Register for event

AFSC Action Hour- Ceasefire Now

Featuring: Join AFSC staff every Friday at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT to hear updates from Gaza. Then, take action with us as we contact our elected officials and call for an immediate cease-fire and humanitarian access to Gaza. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us.

   For more info: https://afsc.org/events/action-hour-cease-fire-now  

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Link to Spotify

PalCast - One World, One Struggle hosted by Yousef Aljamal and Helena Cobban

Featuring:

   For more info: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ds0A1iqsArKTeNEOiRWEE  

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Link for information

Read “Kolot: Voices of Hope” series from Partners for a Progressive Israel

Featuring: Kolot: Voices of Hope features those remarkable Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, in the West Bank and Gaza and/or within the Green Line, who continue to stand up for these progressive principles and for the communities most endangered by their erosion.

   For more info: https://www.progressiveisrael.org/what-we-do/kolot-voices-of-hope/  

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Link for recording

Watch video recording of Partners for Progressive Israel webinar “Keeping the Peace During the Gaza War: Preventing Jewish-Arab Violence within the Green Line”.

Featuring:

   For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrnETLKWZc  

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Link to article

Mohammed El-Kurd in The Nation, “What Was Palestine Before The Nakba?”

Featuring: A stunning photo archive reveals a time before the walls and checkpoints, when Palestine was not defined by its ailments but by its industries and cultures

   For more info: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/palestine-before-the-nakba/    

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Link to video

Balfour Project recording of webinar, “Resist! Palestinian Women and Non Violent Resistance to Occupation” with Rula Salameh

Featuring: Rula Salameh is a veteran journalist, community organiser, and the Education and Outreach Director in Palestine for Just Vision, an organisation that fills a media gap in Israel-Palestine through independent storytelling and strategic audience engagement.

   For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9dGtuxf9yk  

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Link for podcast

Arab Center of Washington DC podcast, “An Insider’s View on US Weapons Sales to Israel”.

Featuring: Josh Paul and Yousef Munayyer discuss US weapons sales to Israel during the war on Gaza. Paul is the former director of congressional and public affairs at the US Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which oversees arms transfers to foreign nations.

   For more info: https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/an-insiders-view-on-us-weapons-sales-to-israel/  

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Link for podcast

Podcast, “Hamas, Explained” with Tareq Baconi and Max Freedman

Featuring: In this episode, originally published in 2019, producer Max Freedman speaks with Tareq Baconi, author of the book Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance. They discuss the origins of Hamas, how Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, and its complicated relationship with the state of Israel.

   For more info: https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/2021/5/17/tareq-baconi-hamas-explained  

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Link for information

Video tool tracking damage to Gaza

Featuring: A new tool, originally developed to estimate damage in Ukraine, has now been adapted and applied to Gaza. The tool can estimate the number of damaged buildings and the pre-war population in a given area within the Gaza Strip.

   For more info: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/11/15/a-new-tool-allows-researchers-to-track-damage-in-gaza/  

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Link to video

Middle East Institute video, “US Diplomacy and the Israel-Hamas War: Policy Options and Preparing for the Day After”

Featuring:

   For more info: https://www.mei.edu/events/us-diplomacy-and-israel-hamas-war-policy-options-and-preparing-day-after  

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Link to article

“Listening to the Voices of Young People From Gaza”, article by Zeina Azzam about We Are Not Numbers

Featuring:

   For more info: https://time.com/6330411/young-people-gaza-storytelling-essay/?fbclid=IwAR21QuYnZ3ACoITTE4mZmx3XIA9ojpEVBjw6g1YDEaKesa4fi5a7ZTXnZE0  

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Link to video

Arab Center of Washington DC recording of discussion with Hanan Ashrawi and ACW Executive Director Khalil Jahshan, “The Gaza War, the West Bank, and the Day After”

Featuring:

   For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E3kUf08m7s  

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Link for information

Samidoun Calendar of Resistance for Palestine - Events and Actions around the world

Featuring:

   For more info: https://samidoun.net/2023/10/calendar-of-resistance-for-palestine-events-and-actions-around-the-world/  

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Middle East Books and More book list for understanding history of Gaza and US support for Israel

Featuring:

   For more info: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGtxdZHmqXQQfqwGKWpqvdQLhxH  

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PALESTINE TOUR INFORMATION

as of March 17, 2023

Information compiled by Voices From the Holy Land. 

Table of Contents

Scheduled Tours for 2023 ........................................................................................................................1 Tour Organizations..................................................................................................................................4 Virtual (Online) Tours..............................................................................................................................6 Handbooks, Maps, and Guides ................................................................................................................6

Scheduled Tours for 2023

1

2

3

Tour Organizations

Kairos Recommended trips to Israel/Palestine

https://www.kairosresponse.org/recommended_trips-1.html

Adventure tours

Abraham Palestine HeritageTrail

https://phtrail.org/trail/

Amos Trust Palestine Marathon

https://www.amostrust.org/amos-travel/run-palestine-2023/

Amos Trust Travel

https://www.amostrust.org/amos-travel/

Amos Trust

https://www.amostrust.org/amos-travel/experience-palestine-2023/

Bike Palestine

https://bikepalestine.com/

Siraj Center

https://sirajcenter.org/

Walk Palestine

https://www.walkpalestine.com/en

Human Rights/Factfinding Tours

Alternative Tourism Group

http://atg.ps/

Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (3-month stays, coordinated by the  World Council of Churches)

https://www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/eappi

Eyewitness Palestine

https://eyewitnesspalestine.org/

The Palestine Committee (Norway)

https://palestinakomiteen.no/ [website is in Norwegian]

To Be There

https://tobe-there.com/

Travel2Palestine (UK)

https://travel2palestine.org/

UCC Palestine/Israel Network

https://www.uccpin.org/witness-trips

USPCR

https://uscpr.org/activist-resource/ethical-travel-to-palestine-challenging-apartheid-tourism/

4

Wi’am

https://www.alaslah.org/tours/

YMCA and YWCA

https://www.jai-pal.org/en/advocacy-visits-trips/advocacy-programs-palestine/journey-for-justice

Zaytoun (UK)

https://zaytoun.uk/visit-palestine/

Responsible Religious Pilgrimages

Center for Jewish Nonviolence

https://cjnv.org/

Churches for Middle East Peace

https://cmep.org/travel/

Community Peacemaker Teams

https://cpt.org/delegations

Footsteps of Jesus (Disciples of Christ)

http://www.footstepsofjesustour.org/

Friends of Sabeel Witness Trips)

https://www.fosna.org/come-see-visit-the-holy-land friends@fosna.org

Holy Land Franciscan Pilgrimages

info@holylandpilgrimages.org

Laila Tours & Travel (Bethlehem)

https://www.lailatours.com/

Lightline Pilgrimages (UK)

https://www.lightline.org.uk/

Living Stones (Holy Land Trust)

https://www.fosna.org/come-see-visit-the-holy-land  

Living Stones Pilgrimages (Pilgrims of Ibillin)

https://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org

Living Stones Tours (United Methodists for Kairos Response)

https://www.kairosresponse.org/tours.html

McCabe Pilgrimages (UK)

https://www.mccabe-travel.co.uk/

Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East

https://neme.network/

Pilgrimage People (UK)

https://pilgrimagepeople.org/

RCA Immersion Tours of Israel-Palestine

https://www.rca.org/global-mission/missionaries/josh-sally-vis/

5

Tangney Tours (UK)

https://www.tangney-tours.com/

Tree of Life Journeys (First Congregational Church of Old Lyme)

https://tolef.org/

Virtual (Online) Tours

Green Olive Tours

https://greenolivetours.com/online-events/

Visit to Deir al Balah, Gaza (ANERA, video)

https://www.anera.org/blog/a-visit-to-deir-al-balah-gaza/

We Are Not Numbers (video shorts)

https://www.youtube.com/@wearenotnumbers2698

Handbooks, Maps, and Guides

“Palestine & Palestinians” Guidebook (ATG)

http://atg.ps/guidebook

Comprehensive information on Palestinian culture, history, archaeology, religion, architecture, and  politics, along with practical information (transport, hotels, cafes, restaurants, museums, hiking routes,  cultural centers, etc.) to travel responsibly.

Wujood “Existence/Presence” (Grassroots Jerusalem)

https://www.grassrootsalquds.net/wujood

Political tourist guide of Jerusalem, emphasizing the city’s unique attractions while drawing a picture of  the realities of Palestinian Jerusalemite communities from a grassroots perspective. It invites visitors to  take an active role in supporting Palestinian freedom by supporting the Palestinian economy or  volunteering.

Interactive Map of Jerusalem (Grassroots Jerusalem)

https://www.grassrootsalquds.net/

Profiles the neighborhoods, history, stories, businesses, and local organizing of Palestinian  Jerusalemites.

Palestine Open Maps (Visualizing Palestine and Columbia University Studio X Amman) https://palopenmaps.org/

An online interactive map of the geography of Palestine, including present-day Palestinian localities and  the hundreds of destroyed Palestinian villages often erased from official government maps.

VisitPalestine.tech

https://visitpalestine.tech/

Itineraries, logistical support, and more for travelers interested in the Palestinian technology and startup  sector.

Welcome to Palestine

https://www.welcometopalestine.com

A website offering comprehensive destination guides, broken down by city and village.

6

A Short Bibliography on

Israel & Palestine

This bibliography is meant as a starting point, a listing of books that some have found useful in seeking to better understand the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis

People at the birth of modern Israel, the human side of the story, a good starting place

Elias Chacour, Blood Brothers

Father Elias Chacour is a Catholic priest and the Archbishop of the Melkite Church in Israel. Born in a village in the Galilee, he and his family were expelled in 1948 as part of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist forces. Father Chacour has stayed in Israel, devoting himself to peace through the education of Palestinian children and working for reconciliation between Palestinians and Jews. This is the memoir of an extraordinary man

Tolan, Sandy, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East

The histories of two families, a Bulgarian Jewish family that barely escapes the Holocaust and a Palestinian family forced to flee their home during the establishment of the state of Israel, bound together in a house lived in and loved by both.  Meticulous endnotes anchor the human narration firmly in the history and events of the time.

Historical works

Gershom Gorenberg, The Accidental Empire

An essential and well-written book. An Israeli journalist and historian, Gorenberg recaps Zionist History as the preamble to conditions that set up the Occupation of the Palestinian territories post-1967. He then tells the whole tragic story of fanaticism, political cowardice, and failed opportunities. A unique and courageous window into Israeli society and politics.

Ilan Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

Pappe is an Israeli historian. He is among a group of Jewish revisionist historians called the “New Historians” who have documented the actual actions of Zionist and then Israeli forces at the time of the founding of the State of Israel. This book relies greatly on material from Israeli military archives.  It is often emotionally difficult to get through.

Allis & Ronald Rodash,  A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel. 

This book studies the politics and decision making process that led President Truman to support the founding of the modern state of Israel.

Avi Shlaim, The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World since 1948

Shlaim,  Jewish revisionist historian and professor at Oxford, covers in detail relations between Israel and the Arabs from Israel's 1948 War of Independence to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In doing so, he shatters the “David vs. Goliath” view of the conflict so common among Israelis and the West.  Criticized for being too simplistic in presenting Arab side of the conflict.

Jewish experience:

Alice Rothchild,  Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience

Dr. Rothchild, a medical doctor who worked throughout the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem shares what she witnessed there and carefully describes how her views evolved because of what she saw.

Brant Rosen, Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi’s Path to Palestinian Solidarity

Shocked by what he read about the 2008 Israeli military campaign in Gaza, American Rabbi Rosen began to publically question his long held "liberal Zionist" beliefs in his blog Shalom Rav.

Miko Peled. The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine

In 1997, a tragedy struck the family of Israeli-American Miko Peled: His beloved niece Smadar was killed by a suicide bomber. That tragedy propelled Peled onto a journey of discovery. It pushed him to re-examine many of the beliefs he had grown up with, as the son and grandson of leading figures in Israel’s political-military elite.

Other

Jimmy Carter, Peace Not Apartheid, and We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land

The former president reflects on the actions necessary to bring a true peace to a troubled region he knows well.

Mitri Raheb, I am a Palestinian Christian

Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, he conveys an “active hope” even through the long Israeli military occupation.

Phyllis Benni’, Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer

Helpful to those who want to know the basic story of the conflict. She provides a great deal of information in a very short book – unfiltered by ideological lenses. This is an excellent book for someone who wants a brief but thorough overview.

Rashid Khalidi, Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. has Undermined Peace in the Middle East

Dr. Khalidi has written a relatively short, readable and frankly depressing overview of the more than 35 years of U.S. diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The noted Columbia University historian provides important empirical evidence and sobering analysis that shatters the mythology that the United States has a genuine desire for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Dr. Naim Ateek, Justice and only Justice: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation

This work sets the biblical foundation for Palestine’s liberation theology movement. Dr. Ateek is the Canon of St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem and founder of Sabeel, an ecumenical and international organization committed to shedding light on the occupation and providing a Christian nonviolent response to it

SELECTED DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Voices Across the Divide - 57 min. Filmmaker Alice Rothchild is an American Jew raised on the tragedies of the Holocaust and the dream of a Jewish homeland in Israel. The film follows her personal journey as she begins to understand the Palestinian narrative while exploring the Palestinian experience of loss, occupation, statelessness, and immigration to the US. The documentary is both a personal journey to understand the Palestinian narrative as well as the implications and contradictions of deeply held cultural beliefs in the Jewish community. Rothchild interviews those who participated in the Nakba – and those affected by it.

Budrus (2009) - 70 min. Budrus is an award-winning feature documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier

Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land (2004) - 80 min. This video shows how the foreign policy interests of American political elites-working in combination with Israeli public relations stratgies-influence US news reporting about the Middle East conflict. Combining American and British TV news clips with observations of analysts, journalists and political activists, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a brief historical overview, a striking media comparison, and an examination of factors that have distorted U.S. media coverage and, in turn, American public opinion.

With God On Our Side (2010) - 82 min. With God On Our Side takes a hard look at the theology and politics of Christian Zionism, which teaches that because the Jews are God's chosen people, Israeli government policies should not be questioned, even when these policies are unjust.

Life in Occupied Palestine - 55 min. Anna Baltzer, a Jewish-American Columbia graduate and Fulbright scholar, presents her discoveries as a volunteer with the International Women's Peace Service in the West Bank, documenting human rights abuses and supporting Palestinian-led nonviolent resistance to the Occupation. Baltzer's presentation provides those interested in the Israel/ Palestine conflict with critical information and documentation that can be difficult to obtain through mainstream Western media sources, and to encourage dialog towards taking action on the issue. Topics discussed include checkpoints, settlements, Israeli activism, Zionism, 1948 War & refugees, censorship, the Wall, the ongoing annexation of Palestinian land, and the almost unbearable living conditions under the occupation.

Little Town of Bethlehem (2010) - 75 min. The documentary shares the gripping story of three men, born into violence, willing to risk everything to bring an end to violence in their lifetime. A Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew-shaped by events of their Palestinian and Israeli upbringing-find inspiration in the words and actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. Sami, Ahmad, and Yonatan believe that violence can indeed be stopped but recognize their own struggles will remain. Yet they will struggle together to discover a common humanity through non-violent action. In the city of Bethlehem where it is said God became man, these men stand alongside others whose central desire is to be accepted and treated as fully human.Their story brings fresh hope to the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel while taking a stand against violence throughout the world.

The People and the Olive - 70 min. What do olive trees mean to Palestinian farmers? Olives are their livelihood, their source of sustenance and the way they root themselves, historically and spiritually, to the land. But Palestinians are denied access to nearly 30 percent of their beloved olive trees in the West Bank as they struggle to live under Israeli military occupation. How do they persevere? And what should the international community understand about Palestinian olive farmers, who love their land and harvest it every season to feed their families — just as farmers across the world do?

On the Side of the Road -             103 min. Filmmaker Lia Tarachansky is a Jew who was born in Kiev. When she was six her family moved to the Ariel settlement in the West Bank. Her mother wanted to contribute to Zionism, Lia said. Tarachansky turns the camera on herself as she revisits settlements and interviews current residents. She says her goal is just to examine and narrate.

Occupation Has No Future - 84 min. Through conversations with Israeli conscientious objectors, former soldiers, and Palestinians living under occupation, Occupation Has No Future creates a survey of the current atmosphere in Israel and the West Bank. The film explores the Israeli social environment that creates heightened militarism and leads to fear and aggression; and examines the consequences of Israeli policies for the Palestinian people as well as for Israeli civil society. Additionally, this documentary looks at the Israeli anti-militarist movement and Israeli youth refusing conscription, refusing orders, and partnering with a growing grassroots Palestinian campaign of civil disobedience against the occupation

Checkpoint - 80 min. Documentary filmmaker Yoav Shamir's depiction of the checkpoints that the Israel Defense Forces man in the Palestinian Authority.

Defamation (2009) - 101 min. Intent on shaking up the ultimate 'sacred cow' for Jews, Israeli director Yoav Shamir embarks on a provocative - and at times irreverent - quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?"

Encounter Point  - 85 min. Film follows a former Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who risk their lives and public standing to promote a nonviolent end to the conflict. Their journeys lead them to the unlikeliest places to confront hatred within their communities. The film explores what drives them and thousands of other like-minded civilians to overcome anger and grief to work for grassroots solutions

Occupation 101: Voices of the Silenced Majority  - 90 min. A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. political involvement.

Five Broken Cameras  - 90 min. When his fourth son, Gibreel, is born, Emad, a Palestinian villager, gets his first camera. In his village, Bil'in, a separation barrier is being built and the villagers start to resist this decision. For more than five years, Emad films the struggle, which is led by two of his best friends, alongside filming how Gibreel grows. Very soon it affects his family and his own life. Daily arrests and night raids scare his family; his friends, brothers and himself are either shot or arrested. One Camera after another is shot at or smashed, each camera tells a part of his story.

Living under the Occupation: Daily Life in Occupied Palestine - 27 min. A film made by EFA MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) François Alfonsi, Jill Evans and Ana Miranda during their visit to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Promises (2002) -106 min. Several Jewish and Palestinian children are followed for three years and put in touch with each other, in this alternative look at the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. The three filmmakers followed a group of seven local children between 1995 and 1998. These seven children tell their own story about growing up in Jerusalem. When the protagonists speak out in an epilogue a couple of years later, it becomes apparent that all have lost their childlike innocence.

Salt of the Earth: Palestinian Christians in the Northern West Bank (2004) - 193 min. Marthame and Elizabeth Sanders lived in the Christian Palestinian village of Zababdeh from August, 2000, through December, 2003. Volunteers with the Presbyterian Church (USA), their ministry was one of ecumenical support to the Church in the land of its birth. The film documents the lives of nine Palestinian Christians living in the northern West Bank. This film grew out of a desire among their Palestinian neighbors to share their stories, and a desire among Christians in the West to hear them. The Sanders describe the project as "a labor of love, a response to the graciousness, warmth, hospitality, and welcome we received from our Palestinian neighbors and colleagues."

The Colour of Olives - 97 min. Like many Palestinian families, the Amers live surrounded by the infamous West Bank Wall where their daily lives are dominated by electrified fences, locks and a constant swarm of armed soldiers.  Constructed with a combination of verité scenes and re-enactments, this poignant and richly crafted film offers its audience a much needed opportunity to reflect on the effects of racial segregation, the meaning of borders and the absurdity of war.

The Gatekeepers - 101 min. A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets

The Law In These Parts (2013) - 105 min. What is legal and what is just? The wide gap between the two is explored meticulously by this Israeli investigation of the legal structure created after the 1967 Six Days War, specifically to treat the West Bank and Gaza Strip as occupied territories. Speaking with some of Israel’s most respected lawyers and judges – men who helped to craft and later interpret these laws – filmmaker Ra’anan Alexandrowicz asks tough, pointed questions and gets even tougher answers. He asks his subjects to consider the consequences of their actions in a highly politicized environment. This documentary takes the position that unjust laws create unjust realities. Laws that everyone admits are not perfect but are the best that can be done under difficult circumstances may result in tragedy for everyone: both the judges and the judged.This film is winner of the Best Documentary Award at the Sundance and Jerusalem Film Festivals.

It's Better to Jump - 75 min. There is a centuries-old seawall in the ancient port of Akka, located on Israel's northern coast. Today, Akka is a modern city inhabited by Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Baha'i, but its history goes all the way back to rule of the Egyptian Pharaohs. Young people dare to stand atop the 40' one-meter thick block structure and risk their fate by jumping into the roiling sea. This perilous tradition has continued for many generations, and has become a rite of passage for the children of Akka. "It's Better to Jump" is about the ancient walled city of Akka as it undergoes harsh economic pressures and vast social change. The film focuses on the aspirations and concerns of the Palestinian inhabitants who call the Old City home.

Home Front – Portraits From Sheikh Jarrah - Getting beyond the sensational headlines and broad generalizations that normally dominate discussions of Jerusalem, Home Front captures voices rarely heard, of those struggling to stop settlement expansion in East Jerusalem and build a future of pluralism and equality in the city. Featuring the accounts of a Palestinian teenager forced to give up half his home to Israeli settlers, an American-born Israeli mother who gets drawn into the demonstrations after her children’s arrest, a Palestinian community organizer who brings local women to the forefront of the struggle, and a veteran of the Israeli army who becomes one of the campaign’s leaders, Home Front chronicles the resolve of a neighborhood, and the support it receives from the most unexpected of places.

Censored Voices - The 1967 'Six-Day' war ended with Israel's decisive victory; conquering Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai and the West Bank. It is a war portrayed, to this day, as a righteous undertaking - a radiant emblem of Jewish pride. One week after the war, a group of young kibbutzniks, led by renowned author Amos Oz, recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The recording revealed an honest look at the moment Israel turned from David to Goliath. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing the kibbutzniks to publish only a fragment of the conversations. 'Censored Voices' reveals the original recordings for the first time.

Teaching Ignorance - 2015, 52 Minutes. This powerful film follows several Israeli and Palestinian teachers over the course of an academic year. It asks: How do the Palestinian, Israeli Arab, and Israeli Jewish educational systems teach the history of their peoples? By observing teachers, the film shows us their exchanges and confrontations with students as they transmit the values of religion, politics, and nationalism in the classroom. In Teaching Ignorance, educators from all sides of the conflict debate their peoples’ official curriculum, wrestling with is restrictions. This film offers an intimate glimpse into the profound and long-lasting effect that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict transmits to the next generation.