Forthcoming webinars
Demolitions within Israel and the Impact on Women and Children
Wednesday, 12 August
5.00 – 6.15pm (UK)
7-8.15pm (Jerusalem)
Within the state of Israel, communities in the Naqab (Negev) desert and the Galilee that are not officially recognized by Israel are termed unrecognized villages and as a result, they do not benefit from state support for basic services and infrastructure such as roads, water, electricity, schools and health clinics. Of the approximate 200,000 Bedouins in Israel, more than half live in unrecognized villages and many pre-date the establishment of the state of Israel.
Unrecognized villages are especially vulnerable to demolition by the Israeli military which annually can total between 900 – 1000 homes and structures. An acute example of this is al-Araqib that has been demolished in whole or in part over 170 times since July 2010. Another stark case is Umm al-Hiran, which Israeli authorities seek to raze so that the Jewish town of Hiran can be constructed on its ruins.
In this webinar receive the latest information about demolitions and displacement in the Naqab and the impact that this cruel policy has on women and children.
Speakers include:
Khalil Alamour from Al-Sira one of the unrecognised villages in the Naqab. He taught mathematics at Alfarouq Comprehensive High School in the village of Kseyfa. He is an active member of the Al-Sira Community Council and a member of the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev (RCUV) and since 2009 has been a secretariat member of Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality. Khalil Alamour has represented the Bedouins in the Naqab at the UN and the EU and briefs international delegations to the Naqab, including UN Special Rapporteurs. He has served as Field Researcher for Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. In the last few years, he has gained a law degree and is now the Co-Director of Alhuquq Legal Center which advocates for the rights of Palestinians within Israel, promoting their interests and empowering groups and individuals.
Nabila Espanioly was born in Nazareth and is a campaigner for the civil rights of the Palestinian minority in Israel; for peace between Israel and Palestine; and for equal rights for women. In 1989, she founded the Pedagogical Center and Multipurpose Women's Center (Al-Tufula) in Nazareth and has served as its director since then. She is also a founding member of the Mossawa Center, a joint Palestinian-Israeli organization based in Haifa, and she works collaboratively with several other organisations. Nabila has written and edited several books and articles on early childhood care and development, as well as general social and political issues related to women. She lectures on topics including early childhood education, Palestinian women in Israel, violence against women, sex education, women in the media, and women's political participation. Short videos illustrating Nabila's campaign may be viewed via this link.
With closing comments from:
Jeff Halper is the Co-Founder and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. Jeff is an anthropologist, an academic who taught at Haifa and Ben Gurion Universities in Israel, and was the head of Friends World College, an international university program. His books have included Obstacles to Peace, An Israeli in Palestine, and War against the People. As an activist he has protested the demolition of Palestinian homes by standing in front of Israeli bulldozers and chaining himself to Palestinian homes and for this and other activities he’s been arrested and imprisoned. Jeff is on the steering group of the One Democratic State Campaign.
View videos of past webinars here
Please note that videos open in a new window.
End Home Demolitions in the West Bank (22 July)
Demolitions have spiked in recent weeks and it is important to understand what it behind Israel’s demolition policy which has resulted in around 55,000 Palestinian homes and structures vital for living being demolitions in the Occupied Palestine Territory of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, since 1967.
During the webinar, there is special focus on what is happening in the Jordan Valley. Learn about this strategic location which borders on Jordan and with its rich soil and climate it has been known as the breadbasket of Palestine.
However, since 1967 the situation in the Jordan Valley has been serious because Israel’s de facto annexation began then. Where once 300,000 Palestinians lived, they have been reduced to around 60,000 with the Israeli government’s military occupation controlling every aspect of their lives. Not only are Palestinian homes being demolished but so are their animal structures and water pipes. They are scared about what the future holds for them.
Jeff Halper is the Co-Founder and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. Jeff is an anthropologist, academic, author, strategist and he is on the steering group of the One Democratic State Campaign. Jeff is also an activist who has protested the demolition of Palestinian homes by standing in front of Israeli bulldozers and chaining himself to Palestinian homes and for this and other activities he’s been arrested and gone to jail.
Rashed Khudairy comes from a family that originates from Bardala. Rashed is the Coordinator of Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign, a grassroot network of community groups protecting Palestinian existence in the Jordan Valley where the demolition of homes, animal structures and water pipes is an almost daily occurrence.
Avi Shlaim in Conversation with Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian and Jeff Halper as they discuss settler colonialism and decolonisation (8 July 2020)
This webinar took place soon after Israel’s expected formal annexation of great swathes of the West Bank. As well as addressing the current reality on the ground, the bigger picture of settler colonialism versus occupation will be unpacked and there will be discussion about the move towards decolonisation.
Avi Shlaim – Israeli historian, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford, and fellow of the British Academy. He is one of Israel's New Historians, a group of Israeli scholars who put forward critical interpretations of the history of Zionism and Israel. Avi Shlaim is an ICAHD UK Patron.
Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian - Lawrence D. Biele Chair in Law at the Faculty of Law-Institute of Criminology and the School of Social Work and Public Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Global Chair in Law at Queen Mary University of London. As a resident of the Old City of Jerusalem, Nadera is a prominent local activist.
Jeff Halper – Israeli anthropologist, Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). Jeff is an activist and strategist, and his next book is about settler colonialism. He is part of the steering group for the One Democratic State Campaign.
Clare Short in conversation with Jeff Halper and Awad Abdelfattah (27 May 2020)
Former Labour politician, Clare Short has worked internationally with non-governmental advocacy groups across the developing world and has had long-standing interest in Palestine/Israel. She will be conversation with Awad Abdelfattah from the Galilee and Jeff Halper from Jerusalem. Awad is a political writer and former General Secretary of the Balad political party which aims to transform the state of Israel into a democracy for all its citizens, irrespective of national or ethnic identity. Awad Abdelfattah now leads the One Democratic State Campaign (ODSC).
Jeff Halper, Director of ICAHD, has always focussed on the “big” political picture even while engaging in protest, resistance, and informational activities “on the ground.” ICAHD seeks, together with its Palestinian, Israeli, and international partners, to formulate and achieve a genuinely just political settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian “conflict.”
Now both Awad and Jeff are working together within ODSC to help achieve the creation of a single democratic state over the entire country. With Israel’s coming formal annexation of more the West Bank, Clare will ask if this an opportunity to change the reality from colonization, occupation and apartheid into an inclusive democracy for all the inhabitants of the country, including the return of Palestinian refugees.