NEW EVENTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED
May VFHL Online Film Salon recording will be available for viewing in the next several days
Featuring: Q&A panel discussion on Nakba 75 - moving words from a survivor, a Gazan and Alice Rothchild.
For more info: http://www.VoicesFromTheHolyLand.org/online-film-salon-videos/online-film-salon
***
"Wrapping Ourselves in the Light of Today's Judaism: Part 2 'The Jews as Chosen People?'"
Featuring: Leading rabbi says AIPAC-J Street squabble is ‘dangerous for the Jewish people’. Rabbi David Wolpe (Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple) joins visiting lecturer Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson (Dean, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies) for a presentation that looks at the evidence and arguments that point to the Jews being the "chosen people."
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVF_AwDK9PE
***
"On the Brink: Jenin's Rising Resistance"
Featuring: A 20-minute video report from Mondoweiss. "The Israeli campaign to quash armed resistance in the West Bank continues to intensify. However, a new generation of fighters says they will continue to resist due to the reality of living under occupation."
For more info: https://mondoweiss.net/2023/03/on-the-brink-jenins-rising-resistance/
***
See details
CMEP is seeking a Development Intern
Featuring: CMEP is seeking a Development Intern to support the Development Portfolio of CMEP, including conducting funder research, contacting donors, administrative support for grants, maintaining our donor database, producing data reports, meeting project-based needs as they arise, and offering day-to-day administrative support.
For more info: https://cmep.org/connect/work/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b2c2abf2-a6a1-48fc-a152-04851b2bc14a
***
Available to rent or buy
“Walled Off, The Movie”
Featuring: A secret museum in an art hotel sparks intrigue when it's revealed to be a creation of controversial artist, Banksy. Using art as a form of political resistance, the hotel highlights the reality of life underIsraeli military occupation.The film journeys through the hotel, Palestine, and a relevant past to dismantle the mainstream media's bias towards the Palestinian struggle for freedom and equality."
For more info: https://www.walledoff.org/
***
YouTube
MECA short film highlighting project to enhance food sovereignty in Gaza
Featuring: A new video highlights some of the incredible women MECA and partner the Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agricultural Platform (GUPAP) supported during a special project to enhance food sovereignty in Gaza.
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCW7QHdcxtQ
***
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
***
Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon Recordings
Featuring: Panel discussions focusing on focusing on “Marketing the Israeli Occupations: Part One”, “The Law and the Prophets”, "Til Kingdom Come", “Is Israel an Apartheid State”, "Come and See; Go and Tell", "BOYCOTT", "Skies Above Hebron", "How to Make a Revolution", "Journalism Under Occupation - In Memory of Shireen Abu Akleh", "Palestine Poster Project", "Art & Resistance", "Of Land and Bread", "Advocate", "Soldier on the Roof", "Gaza: Still Alive", "Christians in Palestine", "1948: Creation & Catastrophe", "Bethlehem Today", "Valentino's Ghost: Why We Hate Arabs", "Stitching Palestine", "Gaza Fights for Freedom", "Radiance of Resistance", "MAYOR", "On the Side of the Road", "Occupation of the American Mind", "We All Live in Gaza", "Next Generation's Perspectives on the Occupation: Three Student Films", "Detaining Dreams" and "OBAIDA", "Objector", "The Ruins of Lifta", “Roadmap to Apartheid”, “Rock the Boat: Anatomy of a non-violent action", “Naila and the Uprising”, “It’s What We Do”, and “Home Front: Portraits from Sheik Jarrah”.
For more info: https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/online-film-salon-videos/online-film-salon
***
5/22/23 6:00 PM: Register for event
4-part Book Discussion on Rashid Khalidi's "The Hundred Years' War on Palestine"
Featuring: As part of a series to commemorate the 75 years of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, the beginning of the greatest Palestinian catastrophe by Israel, Rohester Witness for Palestine will be holding a book club series designed to educate the community on Palestinian history. Please join the multi-week Book Club series to discuss and read the book The Hundred Year's War on Palestine.
For more info: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ww2sWicjB2BE7uewZ7o4JCYzET69x9Zyx9-JXoJpFqk/viewform?edit_requested=true
***
5/22/2023 7:00 PM: Register for event
Book Talk, “Invited to Witness: Solidarity Tourism Across Occupied Palestine”
Featuring: Dr. Kelly is a former Eyewitness Palestine delegate and included her experience in her new book Invited to Witness: Solidarity Tourism Across Occupied Palestine. In her book, Dr. Kelly argues that delegations like the ones we facilitate here at Eyewitness Palestine are a form of solidarity tourism, which is part of a broader local Palestinian political strategy.
***
5/23/2023 10:00 AM: RSVP for webcast
Webinar, “Policing the Religious Message in MENA: Has it Worked and What are the Outcomes?”
Featuring: For decades, and particularly since the Arab uprisings of 2011-2012, countries in the Middle East and North Africa have struggled to balance democratic principles and religious beliefs. This panel will explore what religious freedom means to societies in MENA, and whether state authorities with vested interests in how religion is interpreted guarantee the rights of all citizens, even those at odds with their respective governments.
***
5/23/2023 12:00 PM: Register for event
Webinar, “Palestinian Children and Families Act - H.R. 3103”
Featuring: Learn everything you need to know about the Palestinian Children and Families Act, reintroduced by Rep. Betty McCollum on May 5, 2023 as H.R. 3103. This bill prohibits Israel from using U.S. funding to detain and torture Palestinian children, demolish Palestinian homes, and further annex Palestinian land. Understand the details of this legislation so you can be an effective advocate for pushing it forward in Congress.
For more info: https://nwttac.dci-palestine.org/nwttac_webinar_20230523?utm_campaign=may_webinar_invitation&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dcipalestine
***
5/24/2023 9:10:00 AM: Register for event
Webinar, Annual MEI-CENTCOM Conference Keynote Address
Featuring: The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to host Dr. Mara Karlin, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, US Department of Defense, to deliver a public keynote address on the latest challenges and opportunities facing the United States and its Middle Eastern partners in the year ahead.
For more info: https://www.mei.edu/events/third-mei-centcom-annual-conference-keynote-address-mara-karlin-assistant-secretary-defense
***
5/24/2023 12:00 PM: Register for event
APN Webinar, “What’s Next for al-Walaja”
Featuring: Al-Walaja is a picturesque Palestinian village between Jerusalem and Bethlehem that lives under the constant specter of home demolitions. Since 1967, the Israeli authorities have refused to design and approve a zoning plan for the village, thus rendering it impossible to receive building permits in the part of the village that Jerusalem has annexed. The Israeli Supreme Court has stayed the demolition orders for 38 homes and the villagers have hired a planner who is preparing the plan. Still, demolitions continue in al-Walaja. Spread the word through your networks and join us in learning about the planning process and how we can help fund it.
***
5/24/2023 2:00 PM: Register for event
Join Jim Zogby for Coffee and a Column, “Nakba Denial”
Featuring: Jim’s early research on the stories of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon in the 70s and his presentations being shut down by the college.
***
5/24/2023 5:30 PM: Register for event
2023 Hisham Sharabi Memorial Lecture, “Navigating Anti-Imperialism and Anti-Authoritarianism: the Syrian Uprising and the Question of Palestine”
Featuring: This year, we are honored to have Bassam Haddad, Associate Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, as our keynote speaker. Professor Haddad's lecture will focus on the intertwining themes of anti-imperialism and anti-authoritarianism, particularly as they relate to Syria and Palestine amid more than a decade of uprising, counterrevolution, and international intervention.
For more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-hisham-sharabi-memorial-lecture-featuring-professor-bassam-haddad-tickets-638100615117
***
5/25/2023 8:00 PM: Join Event
Webinar, “Apartheid-Free Communities Campaign”
Featuring: Find out how your congregation, presbytery, or community can resist apartheid and support freedom, justice, and equality for all. IPMN members Katie Archibald-Woodward, Mina Haddad, Marietta Macy, and Bob Ross will each share what they saw and heard during their recent trips to the region. They will discuss how our communities can take action to end complicity in human rights abuses and instead work for a future where all can flourish.
For more info: https://zoom.us/j/98353095564?mc_cid=b71c3c7b59&mc_eid=08b88e62bd#success
***
5/27/2023 9:00 AM: Register for event
Forum, “Acing locally, Thinking globally”
Featuring: Join Representative Ruwa Romman (GA-HD97) who will cover how local legislation can have international implications on an economic, social, and political level. She will discuss her experience as a Palestinian State House Representative, international programs like GILEE, and the changing political landscape around these issues.
For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-EbaXXIfRyuuExmUKaDdhw#/registration
***
5/29/23 6:00 PM: Register for event
4-part Book Discussion on Rashid Khalidi's "The Hundred Years' War on Palestine"
Featuring: As part of a series to commemorate the 75 years of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, the beginning of the greatest Palestinian catastrophe by Israel, Rohester Witness for Palestine will be holding a book club series designed to educate the community on Palestinian history. Please join the multi-week Book Club series to discuss and read the book The Hundred Year's War on Palestine.
For more info: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ww2sWicjB2BE7uewZ7o4JCYzET69x9Zyx9-JXoJpFqk/viewform?edit_requested=true
***
5/31/2023 6:30 PM: Register for event
Interfaith Leadership Forum Zoom, “Interfaith Engagement with the Environmental Crisis”
Featuring: The 4th Interfaith Leadership Forum will focus on the moral, spiritual, and religious urgency of the wider environmental crisis. The event aims to explore the overlap between faith and ecology with pioneers who are strongly grounded in their particular faith traditions and who take the lead in making faith a driving force in addressing urgent environmental challenges.
For more info: https://givebutter.com/ILF4?blm_aid=343954
***
6/4/2023 11:30 AM: Sign up to play and volunteer
MD2Palestine Soccer Tournament ‘23
Featuring: Proceeds from this tournament will be split to support MD2Palestine’s grassroots efforts for the movement and the village of Wadi Foquin in Palestine. Registration deadline is May 26, 2023. Tournament held at Gunners Lake Park, Germantown.
For more info: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RGNkfkAzt-WFZejIFsOQcJ8uEYX4-nMCT10Mvg7Ch9M/viewform?edit_requested=true
***
6/5/23 6:00 PM: Register for event
4-part Book Discussion on Rashid Khalidi's "The Hundred Years' War on Palestine"
Featuring: As part of a series to commemorate the 75 years of the ongoing Palestinian Nakba, the beginning of the greatest Palestinian catastrophe by Israel, Rohester Witness for Palestine will be holding a book club series designed to educate the community on Palestinian history. Please join the multi-week Book Club series to discuss and read the book The Hundred Year's War on Palestine.
For more info: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ww2sWicjB2BE7uewZ7o4JCYzET69x9Zyx9-JXoJpFqk/viewform?edit_requested=true
***
6/6/2023 10:00 AM: Register for event
Balfour Project Webinar, “EA Eye Witness account of the West Bank”
Featuring: Ann Wilson (ex CAFOD employee in the Diocese of Salford and previous chaplain of Loreto College, Manchester) returned from monitoring human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law in East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank in November 2022. She spent 3 months on the EAPPI programme https://eappi.org/en/ which is The World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI). Ann will provide an eye witness account of what she observed.
For more info: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EhS3au-XQrasOr_DtZjtbQ#/registration
***
6/11/2023 12:30 PM: Purchase tickets, Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, 1400 Quincy Street NE, Washington DC
Spring Luncheon to support the mission in the Holy Land
Featuring: Join the Holy Land Friars in the Cloister Garden and support their mission in the Holy Land. This is a revival of a much loved tradition Please purchase tickets by June 1.
For more info: https://myfranciscan.org/spring-luncheon-2023/
***
6/11-24/23:
“Living Stones” Tour of Palestine-Israel with Dr Michael Spath
Featuring: Dr. Spath is founder of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace https://indianacmep.org/
For more info: lmichaelspath@gmail.com
***
7/11-20/23: Link for information
FOSNA and Sabeel hosting witness trip to Palestine, “Witness Injustice: Connecting Struggles”
Featuring: A witness trip with Sabeel led by Jonathan Kuttab this July! Experience the resilience and struggle for liberation of the Palestinian people. If you are curious and interested in joining please click the link and fill out the form. Share it with anyone who may be interested in being part of this journey.
For more info: http://bit.ly/3FGDczS or https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgzGslkjXqHvtxgqQwdfpZBDRzQrS?projector=1
***
7/17/23 7:00 PM: Zoom
Washington Episcopal Holy Land Committee meeting
Featuring: Bi-monthly committee meeting
For more info: Contact tojo@att.net for link
***
9/18/23 7:00 PM: Zoom
Washington Episcopal Holy Land Committee meeting
Featuring: Bi-monthly committee meeting
For more info: Contact tojo@att.net for link
***
9/29/23-10/11/23: First link for pilgrimage information; second link to sign up
St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square and Christ Church, Georgetown co sponsored pilgrimage
Featuring: Christ Church, Georgetown, and Saint John’s Church, Lafayette Square, will co-sponsor a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The voyage will offer pilgrims the opportunity to visit many of the major sites of our faith. The group will be guided by Iyad Qumri, a Palestinian Christian who has been leading pilgrims through this special place for more than 25 years.
For more info: https://www.iyadqumripilgrimages.com; https://stjohns-dc.org/contact-paulbarkett/
***
9/22-24/23: Register for event
Palestine Writes Literature Festival
Featuring: Held at University of Pennsylvania, this is the only North American literature festival dedicated to celebrating and promoting Palestinian writers and artists. Panel discussions, workshops, music, children’s programming, readings, dance and much more. Alice Rothchild will be there.
For more info: https://pfp.networkforgood.com/events/52172-palestine-writes-2023?utm_campaign=dms_email_blast_2361684
***
10/8-18/2023: Contact Laurie Salameh for more info
2023 Seraj Tour of the Holy Land
Featuring: Buoyed by the success of the inaugural 2022 tour, Seraj Executive Director Laurie Salameh and her staff have set the date for the 2023 Seraj Tour: October 8-18. 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: https://www.serajlibraries.org/2023-tour
***
10/27-29/23: Register for event
USCPR National Conference, “Seize the Moment”
Featuring: Seize the Moment! The worldwide movement for Palestinian liberation is growing. Together we're building toward a vibrant future where all people can be free, in defiance of Israeli repression and U.S. imperialism. Join us at the USCPR National Conference in Houston this October to mobilize for our collective liberation. We'll convene at a critical moment, in solidarity with the Palestinian people resisting 75+ years of ethnic cleansing. Seize the moment with us and reimagine a liberated future, beginning with the demand to end U.S. military funding to Israel, once and for all.
***
11/20/23 7:00 PM: Zoom
Washington Episcopal Holy Land Committee meeting
Featuring: Bi-monthly committee meeting
For more info: Contact tojo@att.net for link
***
2/2024:
St. Anne’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Featuring:
For more info: Contact Rev. Jon Musser, frjon@stannesdamascus.org
***
Other Items
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Available on Soundcloud
Podcast, “Living Memory: Palestinian Artists Mark 75 Years of the Nakba”
Featuring: Foundation for Middle East Peace & Project48 proudly present a very special podcast commemorating 75 years of the Palestinian Nakba. We are honored to share the voices of 10 powerful Palestinian artists, sharing their works and that of other iconic Palestinian creators.
***
Available on YouTube
View film, “1948 Remember: Israeli Jewish Voices of Conscience on the Nakba @75”
Featuring: ICAHD remembers the Nakba on its 75th anniversary by giving voice to critical Israeli Jews who speak about Zionism, the ongoing ethnic cleansing and how it is time for all Israelis and Jews to acknowledge the Nakba and take responsibility for it.
With Jeff Halper, Livnat Konopny, Anat Matar, Gideon Levy, Rachel Beitarie, Tom Pessah, and Haim Bresheeth.
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p_Pkuebrig
***
More information and application link
Just Vision, position open, Director of Public Engagement
Featuring: Just Vision is seeking a Director of Public Engagement (DPE) to develop and drive strategic audience engagement campaigns around the organization’s storytelling efforts including its documentaries, journalism, digital media, and other projects. The DPE will ensure that Just Vision’s work is reaching strategic and broad audiences, from thought leaders and policymakers to journalists, faith leaders, students, educators, activists and beyond, and is contributing to Just Vision’s larger impact goals. They will be responsible for managing Just Vision’s events, outreach and communications with support from our Public Engagement Associate and in tandem with our Communications team. Externally, they will develop and maintain strategic relationships, building partnerships in order to advance our mission. They will also play a vital role in shaping Just Vision's internal culture through thoughtful, collaborative and effective supervision of the public engagement team (which includes outreach and communications staff).
For more info: https://justvision.org/jobs/director-of-public-engagement
***
Application link
The Arab American Foundation, “40 Under 40”
Featuring: 40 Under 40 is a celebration of accomplished young Arab Americans.
The program spotlights professionals in all fields, including but not-limited to: education, law, public service/politics, non-profit, business, entrepreneurs, engineers, medical professionals, artists, entertainers, writers, and media representatives.
Applications accepted May 17-June 18, 2023
For more info: https://arabamericafoundation.org/40-under-40/
***
: Link for information
Israel Policy Forum multimedia “explainer page” on West Bank Settlements
Featuring:
For more info: https://israelpolicyforum.org/west-bank-settlements-explained/
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Review of Dr Shawki Harb’s memoir “A Surgeon under Israeli Occupation”
Featuring:
For more info: https://mondoweiss.net/2022/12/resisting-israeli-military-occupation-as-a-surgeon-in-palestine/
***
Available on Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon and Vimeo on Demand
“Boycott” now streaming worldwide
***
"Farha"
Featuring: Jordan's Academy Award entry available on Netflix. Inspired by a true story of a young girl's Nakba experience, the film, released on Netflix earlier this month, includes the depiction of atrocities committed by Israeli forces in1948. It has been condemned by the Israeli government. CNN gave it a positive write-up (https://cnn.it/3FV8en5).
For more info: Screen via Netflix
***
Register for event
Season 4 of Meet Us on the Abraham Path: Books from the Path
Featuring: Authors Matthew Teller, Stephanie Saldaña, and Leon McCarron will chat about their travels, recent and upcoming releases, and the opportunities - as well as the challenges - of researching and writing about the complex region we call "the Middle East".
For more info: https://www.abrahampath.org/experiences/webinars/books-from-the-path/
***
Palestinian Congressional Scorecard
Featuring: A scoring system by which to rate the positions of Members of Congress on Palestine, both in absolute terms and in comparison to each other
For more info: https://ajpaction.org/scorecard/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=eda8e2d3-e86d-4bfb-ba08-ef70187ab59b
***
Podcast
Podcast: "Palestinian Views on Antisemitism from the 19th Century to the Present Day"
Featuring: Recorded 12/22/22, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with FMEP Fellow Jehad Abusalim about Palestinian views on antisemitism, from 19th century Palestinian intellectuals to 20th century responses to the Holocaust and Zionism, from the first Hamas charter to today’s rising accusations of antisemitism to delegitimize Palestinian rights.
For more info: https://fmep.org/resource/25013/
***
Al Jazeera video
"Why are Palestinian Christians Leaving Jesus' Birthplace?"
Featuring: Al Jazeera recently released a 12-minute video on this topic. The video features Tent of Nations and other areas around Bethlehem.
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6igKc1M9s
***
The Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question is live!
Featuring: If you subscribe to Netflix, watch it; invite friends to join you.
For more info: https://www.palquest.org/en/home
***
Palestinian Museum recording of interview with Amira Hess
Featuring:
For more info: https://palestinemuseum.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a920851419e209a6827bc7ec4&id=85dd46c140&e=2b146b21f5
***
Link to podcast on Soundcloud
Riyada podcast featuring Palestinian filmmaker and poet Hind Shoufani
***
Link to video
ANERA video on visit to Deir al Balah, Gaza
Featuring:
***
YouTube
Understanding US Military Funding to Israel, from webinar No Way to Treat a Child
Featuring:
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fszS3LKVsVg
***
Link to photos
Photos by Palestinian artists marking the Balfour Decision - “Promise of Heaven”
Featuring:
For more info: https://www.palestinechronicle.com/promise-of-heaven-palestinian-artists-mark-the-balfour-declaration-photos/
***
YouTube
Watch video, “Water Discrimination in the West Bank”
Featuring:
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nol8PXahZEQ
***
Produced by AlJazeera
Watch Fault Lines, “The Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh”
Featuring:
For more info: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/fault-lines/2022/12/1/the-killing-of-shireen-abu-akleh
***
Kairos Document, “A moment of truth - a word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering”
Featuring: This statement was produced by Kairos Palestine and Global Kairos for Justice Coalition at the November conference in Beit Sahour.
For more info: https://files.constantcontact.com/9a33c36c001/ec20582c-6fef-46d9-b580-680a7de84eec.pdf?rdr=true
***
Email Neil Rothenberg to apply
Part time work opportunity, Fundraiser/Development Officer, Abrahamic Reunion
Featuring:
For more info: nrothenberg@rogers.com
***
Link for film and educational resources
Watch Mondoweiss short film, “Love Under Occupation”
Featuring: Watch this short film by Mondoweiss about a fictional Palestinian-and-foreigner couple taking the next big step in their relationship, and then read on to learn how Israeli apartheid regulations impact Palestinian people, their partners, and their families.
For more info: https://uscpr.org/loveunderoccupation/?emci=76df50c9-a071-ed11-819c-000d3a9eb474&emdi=b1a29c0d-c174-ed11-819c-000d3a9eb474&ceid=1624131
***
Link for more information
Visit exhibit on Tatreez and evolution of thobes after 1948, Museum of the Palestinian People
Featuring: This exhibit traces the evolution of thobe embroidery after 1948 as a way of tracing Palestinian exile.
For more info: https://mpp-dc.org/visit/?mc_cid=cec39cf30d&mc_eid=1929de19c8
***
Link for recording
Webinar recording, “Confronting the Israeli Government’s Attack on Democracy with ACRI’s Rabbi Noa Sattah
Featuring: Noa Sattath, executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, is also a Reform rabbi and a prominent LGBTQIA+ rights activist.
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qnStF_nSCw
***
Link for YouTube
Listen to “Democracy Now” discussion of Harvard University rescinding post of Kenneth Roth
Featuring: Harvard University faces outcry for rescinding post of ex head of Human Rights Watch.
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1AYKz_42sc
***
Link for application
Israel Policy Forum position open, Asst. Director of Government Relations
Featuring: This is a full time position at IPF
For more info: https://israelpolicyforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Job-Description_-Assistant-Director-of-Government-Relations.pdf
***
Link for YouTube and on line course
Makan sponsored film ,“Palestine: A Story of Colonialism and Resistance”, and online course, “Understanding Palestine”
Featuring: ‘Understanding Palestine’, has been created in cooperation with The Institute of Palestine Studies. It gives a cohesive and complete story of Palestine through the lens of history, identity, and politics. Via expert speakers and in-depth research, learn about key issues such as the Nakba, refugeehood and Israeli apartheid that affect Palestinians today.
For more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T3kNTu9CXE; https://www.makan.org.uk/online-courses/
***
Link for podcast
Podcast “Palestine, Israel and the rule of law”
Featuring: In January, just before the tragic killings in Jenin and Neve Yaakov, Arab Digest editor Bill Law talked with Palestinian journalist and commentator Nour Odeh about the deteriorating situation on the ground and the prospects for 2023.
For more info: https://arabdigest.org/podcasts/palestine-israel-and-the-rule-of-law/
***
Link for podcast
Podcast “Challenging Anti-Boycott Laws in the US” with Tariq Kenney-Shawa
Featuring: Tariq Kenney-Shawa, Al-Shabaka's US policy fellow, joins host Yara Hawari to discuss the escalating legal attacks on the right to boycott in the US led by the Israeli regime's defenders. He highlights the multifaceted nature of this assault on social and political expression in the country.
For more info: https://rethinkingpalestine.buzzsprout.com/1433386/12130238-challenging-anti-boycott-laws-in-the-us-with-tariq-kenney-shawa
***
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
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RCA Immersion Tour of Palestine Nov. 5-18, 2023 This trip will be led by Rev. Joshua Vis, Ph.D., who serves as Church Engagement Facilitator in Israel and Palestine with RCA Global Mission. He stands alongside Palestinian and Israeli individuals and organizations who seek an end to the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, in a ministry of peace with justice. He leads immersion tours that include a deep dive into both the history and archaeology of the Bible and the history and current realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. https://www.rca.org/global-mission/missionaries/josh-sally-vis/ Register here: https://sforce.co/3y0mxDe For more information and to request flyer, contact Stephanie: ssoderstrom@rca.org |
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Joint Advocacy Initiative Youth Journey for Justice - Palestine July 8-16, 2023 Youth, 17 - 30, from all over the world are invited to join the Journey for Justice in Palestine. https://www.jai-pal.org/en/advocacy-visits-trips/advocacy-programs-palestine/journey-for-justice |
1
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9-Day Architectural Tour of Palestine (Siraj Tours) Oct. 6-15, 2023 Visiting: Nazareth, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, Jerusalem. Tour covers Palestine's architectural heritage and “the architecture of the occupation.” It will be centred in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem but will also include a couple of days in Nazareth (a predominantly Palestinian city in Israel), where guided by a Palestinian architect we’ll visit the site of Palestinian villages destroyed in 1948 and explore the newly regenerated old city. Link to photos from previous tours: https://bit.ly/Palestine_snapshot Contact: karena.batstone@gmail.com |
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Travel2Palestine Tours Encounter Palestine Tour May 28 – June 1, 2023 Aug.27 – 31st, 2023 Oct. 29th – Nov. 2, 2023 Palestinian Citizens of Israel Tour Nov. 5 – 9, 2023 We run small expert-led tours. Our mission is to educate and inform on the situation in Palestine and Israel, specifically on the impact on human rights. We have Palestinian and Israeli guides and UK organisers. We focus mainly on occupied Palestine, but also look at human rights of Palestinians living within Israel. We take you to refugee camps, settlements, checkpoints and villages under attack by settlers. You get top-level briefings from Palestinian and Israeli NGOs and from the United Nations. You meet politicians and experts and activists. The focus is very much on the occupation and the conflict, with only basic sightseeing (tour participants can stay on to do sightseeing on their own). https://travel2palestine.org/bookvisit/ Contact: Martin director@t2ptravel.com or Mary organiser@t2ptravel.com |
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St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square and Christ Church, Georgetown Co-sponsored pilgrimage Sept. 29 - Oct. 11, 2023: The voyage will offer pilgrims the opportunity to visit many of the major sites of our faith. The group will be guided by Iyad Qumri, a Palestinian Christian who has been leading pilgrims through this special place for more than 25 years. For more info: https://www.iyadqumripilgrimages.com Sign up: https://stjohns-dc.org/contact-paulbarkett/ |
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Holy Land Franciscan Pilgrimages 12 pilgrimages planned for 2023 When you travel with us, your pilgrimage benefits the Christians who live in the Holy Land in a couple of ways. First, you can support their livelihood because we’re able to direct you to Christian-owned businesses and restaurants. And secondly, any support to the Holy Land Friars supports the work they do in the Holy Land, work in providing education, healthcare, care for children and the elderly, and maintenance of the holy shrines themselves. https://holylandpilgrimages.org/upcoming-pilgrimages/ For more info: info@holylandpilgrimages.org |
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“Living Stones” Tour of Palestine-Israel June 11-24, 2023 Featuring Dr. Michael Spath, founder of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace https://indianacmep.org For more info: lmichaelspath@gmail.com |
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Americans for Peace Now Dual-Narrative Tour of Israel, Palestine And Morocco March 2023 The tour will combine the traditional elements with new, exciting programming that takes advantage of MEJDI Tours' expertise. Meet Israeli and Palestinian elected leaders and other officials at the Knesset and in Ramallah, and Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan. For more info: kpaul@peacenow.org |
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Community Peacemaker Team Delegation Visits to Palestine Nakba Day May 10-22, 2023 Multifaith Peacemaking Sept. 27 – Oct. 9, 2023 Olive Harvest Nov. 3-15, 2023 CPT sends short-term (7-14 day) peacemaker delegations into crisis settings around the world. These delegations link communities experiencing violence with individuals and groups. Delegations offer participants a first-hand experience of CPT’s on-the-ground experiment in non-violence. https://cpt.org/delegations/palestine |
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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/
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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/
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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.
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE HOLY LAND
- ABOUT VFHL & HOW ONLINE FILM SALONS OPERATE
- PLACES & PEOPLE FROM PAST FILM SALONS
- FILM SALONS COMING UP IN 2021
- LET’S HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS
PLEASE SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER
ABOUT VFHL AND HOW FILM SALONS OPERATE
Voices from the Holy Land is a coalition of over one hundred interfaith (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Quaker, and Unitarian) and interdenominational organizations. Since the 51-day Gaza bombing in 2014 VFHL has sponsored film presentations at physical locations around the Washington, D.C. area. It had also started spin-off series in six other cities. After most in-person gatherings were closed in March 2020, VFHL turned to an online format. Each month registrants receive a link to watch a film at their convenience. Then, on an assigned Sunday at 3 pm/EST registrants gather via a Zoom link to join with panelists to discuss the film followed by 'Breakout' rooms where smaller gatherings discuss the film. See an archive of our film events.
PLACES & PEOPLE FROM PAST FILM SALONS
(Watch recordings of all VFHL Online Film Salons]
Obaida Jawabra, 17, shot dead by IDF on May 17, 2021
In Matthew Cassel’s documentary Obaida, shown at our December 2020 Online Film Salon [https://bit.ly/3gVTol5 ], then 15-year-old Obaida spoke about his daily fear of the Israeli military as he travelled to school. Like thousands of Palestinian children in the West Bank who are detained or imprisoned under Israeli military law, Obaida had already been imprisoned on four separate occasions for allegedly throwing stones. In May he was shot dead by the IDF in the al-Arroub refugee camp located near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. Obaida was shot in the chest, and witnesses say Israeli soldiers blocked an ambulance from reaching the teenager. https://bit.ly/3qrJevA
Israeli authority plans housing development on the “Ruins of Lifta”
In The Ruins of Lifta, Menachem Daum’s documentary shown at our October 2020 Online Film Salon, the filmmaker discovers that his views about Israel/Palestine may have been distorted by his parents’ Holocaust experiences. Lifta, the only Arab village abandoned in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that has not been completely destroyed or repopulated by Jews, is now threatened by an Israeli development plan that would convert it into an upscale Jewish neighborhood. The Israeli land authority is seeking bids for the construction of 259 buildings as well as commercial and business units, including a luxury hotel at the ruins. Lifta was declared as one of 25 endangered sites on the 2018 World Monuments Watch list. It also appears on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites, which has led to threats from Netanyahu that Israel would withdraw from UNESCO. ,https://bit.ly/3wW3kAs
Muna and Mohammed El-Kurd face eviction from their Sheik Jarrah home
In Rebekah Wingert-Jabi’s 2011 short film Home Front: Portraits From Sheik Jarrah shown at our May 2021 online salon [https://bit.ly/35Tbe1B] we met Mohammed El-Kurd, then a Palestinian teenager forced to give up half his home in Sheik Jarrah to Israeli settlers. In May 2021 the Israeli court’s impending ruling to uphold evictions of families in Sheik Jarrah
in part triggered the 11-day exchange of hostilities between Hamas and Israel. Despite the ceasefire that followed, Mohammed El-Kurd and his neighbors continue to face eviction
in the East Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. On June 6, 2021 Mohammed and
his twin sister Muna, now prominent Palestinian activists fighting the proposed evictions, were detained by the Israeli police for several hours. https://reut.rs/3A0Kzh7
“We All Live in Gaza” plans screening in Washington, D.C
Maurice Jacobsen, Director/Producer of We All Live in Gaza www.we-gaza.com shown at our February 2021 online salon, is adding a prequel and epilogue to the final edited film to reflect events in Gaza in May of this year. Upon completion of the final edit, a premiere screening, along with a display of Gaza artwork, is being planned for an outdoor presentation in Sept. on the Washington, DC Capitol Mall. The documentary will then be entered for festival and theatrical distribution.
http://www.studioresolution.net/projects
FILM SALONS COMING UP IN THE 3RD QUARTER 2021
In July VFHL will highlight Gaza Fights for Freedom, Abby Martin’s film about the Great March of Return protests between March 2018 and December 2019.
The Q&A discussion is scheduled for July 11 at 3 pm EDT/12 noon PDT with producer Abby Martin and Issa Adwan, Gaza Coordinator for We Are Not Numbers.
This event is co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.
Watch the trailer here: tinyurl.com/FreedomTrailer
In August VFHL will highlight Stitching Palestine. Twelve resilient, determined and articulate Palestinian women from disparate walks of life recall their memories of life before the Diaspora, their dispossession and their unwavering determination that justice will prevail. Their narratives are connected by the enduring thread of the ancient art of embroidery.
The Q&A discussion is scheduled for August 15, 2021 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT with producer Carol Mansour.
This event is co-sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help –St. Louis
Watch the trailer here: tinyurl.com/StitchingTrailer
In September VFHL will highlight Valentino’s Ghost, which explores the ways in which America's foreign policy agenda in the Middle East drives the U.S. media's portrayals of Arabs and Muslims.
The Q&A discussion is scheduled for September 12, 2021 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT with filmmaker Michael Singh.
This event is co-sponsored by Arab America News
Watch the trailer here: tinyurl.com/ValentinoTrailer
LET’S HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS
We would love to know what you’d like to learn from future newsletters or future online film salons. Contact us through the links below.
Any documentaries to suggest? ♦ Any topics/themes you’d like us to consider? ♦ Any panelist or moderator you’d like to hear from? ♦ Would you like to help us to select films, organize screenings or publicize?
Visit us : voicesfromtheholyland.org
Join us: Facebook.com/voicesholyland
Reach us: vfhlonlinefilmsalon@gmail.com
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.
INTERNET RESOURCES
Church-Related Resources
Episcopal Diocese of Washington Companion Diocese Committee for Jerusalem www.edow.org/ministries/overseas/jerusalem/
Episcopal Peace Fellowship/Palestine Israel Network: http://epfnational.org/PIN
Episcopal Public Policy Network: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/eppn
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem: http://www.j-diocese.org/.Kids4Peace: http://www.k4p.org
American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem: http://www.afedj.org
American Friends Service Committee: http://www.afsc.org/office/palestine
Churches for Middle East Peace: www.cmep.org
World Council of Churches: http://www.oikoumene.org (search “Middle East”)
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel – US: http://www.eappi-us.org/
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: http://www.elca.org/middleeast/,
Peace Not Walls http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls.aspx
Presbyterian Church (USA), Israel Palestine Mission Network: http://www.theipmn.org/
United Methodist Kairos Response: https://www.kairosresponse.org
Resources (Washington DC)
The following organizations host numerous interesting events related to Israel and Palestine:
Foundation for Middle East Peace: http://www.fmep.org/
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University: http://ccas.georgetown.edu/
The Jerusalem Fund: http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/
New America Foundation:http://www.newamerica.net/
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/
News, Blogs
Electronic Intifada http://electronicintifada.net/
Ha’aretz (Israeli daily): http://www.haaretz.com/ (subscription)
Institute for Middle East Understanding: http://imeu.net/
Ma’an News Agency: http://www.maannews.net/eng/
M.J. Rosenberg: http://mjayrosenberg.com
Palestine Monitor: http://www.palestinemonitor.org
Philip Weiss: http://mondoweiss.net/
Rabbi Brian Walt: http://rabbibrian.wordpress.com/
This Week in Palestine (monthly): http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/
Tikun Olam: http://www.richardsilverstein.com/
More Information
Adalah (Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israeli): http://www.adalah.org/eng/
Americans for Peace Now: http://www.peacenow.org
B’tselem (Israeli Info. Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories): http://www.btselem.org
Friends of Sabeel, North America: http://www.fosna.org
Jewish Voice for Peace: http://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
Kairos Palestine: http://www.kairospalestine.ps/Kairos USA: http://www.kairosusa.org
Miftah: http://www.miftah.org/
Tent of Nations: http://www.fotonna.org
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights: http://uscpr.org/
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: http://www.ochaopt.org/
Who Profits?: www.whoprofits.org
Zochrot: www.zochrot.org/en