Was Live Fri, Oct 13, 2023 | 11 am PT
Guest Speakers
- Jamal Dajani, Palestinian-American Journalist, and an award-winning producer. Co-founder of Arab Talk Radio. He served on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (2009-2011) (PRE RECORDED)
- Estee Chandler, Jewish voice for Peace, Los Angeles Chapter Organizer
- Brian Levin, Esq. Founder, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, Professor Emeritus Criminal Justice, California State University, San Bernardino
- Fatin Jarara (she/her), New York-based Palestinian community organizer, having organized with Al-Awda NY: Palestine Return Coalition for 20 years.
Event Overview
The bloody conflict now underway in Israel is escalating fast. Many fear it threatens a broader regional war with troubling and unknowable ramifications. Meanwhile, social media is inundated with horrific images of the ongoing violence, much of it designed to inflame anger and to cast blame on one side or the other. But the horror is real: according to experts, more Israelis died during Hamas’ initial assault than on any previous day in Israel’s history, including all of its wars. Dozens — some say up to 150 — Israelis are believed to be held hostage by Hamas militants.
The destruction currently being inflicted on Gaza and its civilian population is increasing by the hour, with talk of a ground invasion imminent and with few places of refuge for Palestinian civilians who are now under a state of siege. All of this comes as acts of hate and bigotry targeting Jews and Muslims have reached record highs in recent years, particularly here in the US, where anti semitic and Islamophobic rhetoric have become almost “mainstream,” according to experts who study the far right.
Our panel of experts will discuss the roots of the current conflict in Israel, what it portends for communities here in the US already confronting the impacts of hate, and whether the violence in the Middle East could ultimately deepen fault lines between and among communities here.
