Portrait of a Palestinian Life:
Remembering Ref`at Al-Areer
Ref`at al-Areer is a beloved Palestinian writer, poet, and scholar who was killed by an Israeli strike on 6 December along with his brother and his son, his sister and her three children. His killing reverberated the world over, with his latest poem, “If I Must Die,” translated into more than 200 languages and recited publicly by poets, scholars, and celebrities in Palestine and internationally. He is celebrated as a symbol of Gaza’s steadfastness and conscience. Watch the conversation with Jehad Abusalim, a former student and friend, in conversation with Bassam Haddad.
Questioning Power:
State Department Briefings on Palestine
Parts One and Two
In this conversation, Said addresses comparatively his years of experience during foreign policy briefings, notably on Palestine, at the US State Department and White House, with focus on the current war on Gaza. We will feature heated exchanges with DOS representatives that became emblematic of strategies of evasion, double standards, and misinformation.
As we approach the realm of the absurd regarding the professionalism and veracity of State Department Spokespersons’ responses on Gaza developments, Said Arikat addresses his recent experience during foreign policy briefings at the US State Department. We feature often heated exchanges with DOS representatives that became emblematic of strategies of evasion, double standards, and misinformation employed by spokespersons of the state, including on last week’s flour massacre in northern Gaza, documented on camera.
Flooding New York for Palestine:
Surveillance, Brutality and
Censorship of "Within Our Lifetime"
Organizers and protesters in New York have seen a new wave of government surveillance, brutality, and harassment targeting their communities due to their steadfast solidarity with Palestinians. In this conversation, organizers from Within Our Lifetime will tell their story of four months of mass protest and their efforts to resist a coordinated repression campaign against the movement in New York City by the NYPD, big tech companies, universities, and right-wing journalists.
The Intersection of Academic Freedom and the War on Gaza: A View from the Region
February 5 of this year marked the ninth anniversary of Dr. Sami Al-Arian leaving the US for Turkey after living in America for 4 decades. It was the culmination of a 12 year saga that started in 2003 when he was targeted and arrested by the US government because of his activism on Palestine. After a 6 months trial in 2005, he was not convicted on a single charge. Yet he was kept in prison and house arrest until the charges were dismissed in 2014.
We sit down across an ocean and a sea to discuss a view from the region regarding recent developments in the War On Gaza. Our guest will delve into the current situation ahead of an impending total Israeli invasion of Rafah by the IDF, the ICJ ruling and its (lack of) concrete consequences on the ground, and scenarios for the future of Palestine.
We sit down across an ocean and a sea to discuss a view from the region regarding recent developments in the War On Gaza. Our guest will delve into the current situation ahead of an impending total Israeli invasion of Rafah by the IDF, the ICJ ruling and its (lack of) concrete consequences on the ground, and scenarios for the future of Palestine.
Aesthetics of Return:
Palestinian Poetry with Fady Joudah
In this stream, we discuss Fady Joudah's new poetry collection as it relates to the Palestinian aesthetic in engaging the world and how the poems came about in a time of genocide, and continue to come forth. We will also discuss some of Darwish's final pieces which coincided with the earliest Israeli wars on Gaza in 2006-7, collected in his last book, The Trace of the Butterfly which exists in English as A River Dies of Thirst.
Rawan Damen on The Deadly Precarity of Journalists and Journalism in Gaza
International journalists are barred from entering Gaza. Coverage persists solely through Palestinian Journalists, mostly freelancers, despite the grave risk of losing all their media equipment, and/or their lives. ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism) stepped in to replace equipment for 150 journalists, with the support of ordinary people and organizations like RSF and CPJ. Hundreds of journalists are still in need of support. How might you lend a hand? What methods can be employed to sustain ongoing coverage? What audiovisual resource aids are available? Join us for a timely conversation with ARIJ Director, Rawan Damen.
Students Rising:
Dismantling Repression, Imagining Futures
Student protests against Israel’s Genocide in Gaza have engulfed campuses across the United States, overwhelmingly in the form of peaceful, community-oriented encampments. Yet, they have been maligned to no end via a concerted effort led by corporate media, pro-Israel organizations/groups, and significant segments of the political class. Excessively violent police raids and widespread arrests of both students and faculty ensued. Administrations have been quick to call for shutting down protests and encampments. We address the demands of the students, the world they imagine, and the broader context within which encampments are constructed and dismantled.