Thursday May 27, 8:00 pm Beirut | Jerusalem time 

Mariam Barghouti - Palestinian-American journalist and writer

Salem Barahmeh - Executive Director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy

This discussion is part of a two-part series, the second will be a debate exploring Lebanon’s role in the Palestinian struggle. 

On the 21st of May, a ceasefire was reached ending 11 days of fighting between Palestine and Israel, which have led to more than 250 deaths (around which 95% are Palestinian). This ceasefire, however, doesn’t touch upon any of the roots of the problem.

The last round of violence was triggered by an anticipated decision of the Supreme Court of Israel on the eviction of six Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, an act that many activists qualify as “ethnic cleansing”. The Supreme Court is yet to issue a ruling. On the 27th of April, a report by Human Rights Watch argued that Israel’s policies toward the Palestinian population in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel have met the definitions of apartheid and persecution—and thus, of crimes against humanity.

During this event, we will try to have a wider understanding about what it actually feels like to live in Palestine today. Has it always been as bad, or are human right abuses now “too normalised”? What goals should be achieved as a result of the global awareness campaigns that have taken place on social media? How do we translate popular support into an effective tool to counter Israel’s practices?