Sunday May 18, 2025 at 3 pm ET/ 12 noon PT

Invitation to an Online Film Salon Sunday May 18, 2025 

Pogroms & Ethnic Cleansing: Now on Our Watch

“We must expel the Arabs and take their place,” wrote David Ben-Gurion, one of Israel’s founding fathers and its first president, in a 1937 letter to his son.

That objective is euphemistically referred to as “transfer” in Israeli politics and policy. At our May Salon, a panel of experts will compare ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory with other forced removals of indigenous and ethnic groups in the 20th century. What are the legal definitions of “forced displacement”? How does it relate to “crimes against humanity” and “genocide”? What is the role of forced removal in the processes of colonization and nation-building? Does it always involve cultural erasure?

Watch the curated videos for free at your convenience. | Join the Q&A discussion with:

Peter Balakian-Professor, Colgate University; Pulitzer Prize winner for Ozone Journal book of poetry; author, The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response

William A. Schabas-Professor, Middlesex University; author; former Chairman, UN Commission of Inquiry into the Gaza conflict

Omar Haramy-Director of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem

Dina Matar-Director, Centre for Global Media and Communication, School of Law, SOAS, University of London

James Zogby (moderator)--co-founder and President of the Arab American Institute; author; political pollster

How this will work:

1 - Register here for the Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon: :
Tinyurl.com/VFHL-May2025

2 – Once you register, you will get a confirmation email from Zoom with a link to the meeting and a link with to watch the film.  (Save this confirmation letter as the meeting link is unique to your email and you must have this to participate

3 - Watch the film at your convenience before the event.  Then join us with your thoughts and questions for our speakers at the Q&A Discussion on Sunday May 18, 2025 at 3 pm ET/ 12 noon PT. 

Download the event flyer here. (Download the jpg version here)
Download information about the Panelists here.  (Download the jpg version here)

Don't forget to watch recordings of previous Online Film Salon recordings in their entirety here, including for the December 15, 2024 Online Film Salon Living With Zionism: Israel, Palestine, and the United States .  An article in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs on Israel's "End Game" in the West Bank can be found here.  Read about Looking Beyond the Headlines, our May Salon here.

This Salon is Co-Sponsored by

Hindus for Human Rights
and
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace

SUPPORTER Organizations: Palestine Justice Network (PCUSA) ♦ Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace ♦ Quaker Palestine Israel Network ♦ Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East ♦ Indiana Center for Middle East Peace ♦ Disciples of Christ Palestine-Israel Network ♦ Virginia Coalition for Human Rights ♦ Mennonite Palestine Israel Network ♦ Friends of Sabeel North America ♦ Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network ♦ Northern New Jersey Jewish Voice for Peace ♦ United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network ♦ US Lutheran Palestine Israel Caucus ♦ Churches for Middle East Peace ♦ Pax Christi USA ♦