A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the
current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike
any other film ever produced on the conflict -- 'Occupation 101' presents a
comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never
ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and
misconceptions. The film also details life under Israeli military rule, the role
of the United States in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the
way of a lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict are explained
through first-hand on-the-ground experiences from leading Middle East scholars,
peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose
voices have too often been suppressed in American media outlets.
The film covers a wide range of topics -- which include --
the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880's, the 1920
tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace
Process, Settlement expansion, the role of the United States Government, the
second Intifada of 2000, the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from
Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy.
Featured Speakers --
-
Dr. Albert Aghazarian: Director of Public Relations
at Bier Ziet University. He is the most prominent Palestinian Armenian figure
-- Headed press centre during Madrid conference.
-
Ambassador James Akins: Former (1963-1965) Attache
at the US Embassy in Baghdad; Former (1973-1975) US Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia.
-
Rabbi Arik Ascherman: Executive Director of Rabbis
for Human Rights - an organization of Israeli rabbis committed to defending
the human rights of all people in Israel and in the territories under Israeli
control.
-
Dr. William Baker: Former Professor of Ancient
History and Biblical studies. Founder of Christians and Muslims for Peace.
-
Bishop Allen Bartlett, Jr.: Assisting Bishop
(2001-2004) of the Diocese of Washington. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington
comprises 93 Episcopal congregations in the District of Columbia and the
Maryland counties of Montgomery, Prince George's, Charles and Saint Mary's.
-
Phyllis Bennis: Fellow at the Institute for Policy
Studies. An author, analyst, and activist on Middle East and UN issues. Helped
found and co-chairs the U.S. Campaign to End Israeli Occupation.
-
Peter Boukaert: Director of Emergencies at Human
Rights Watch -- the largest human rights organization based in the United
States. He has conducted extensive fact-finding investigations into human
rights abuses in the West Bank (Israeli Occupied Territory).
-
Sharon Burke: Former Advocacy Director with Amnesty
International -- a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with
over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International undertakes research
and action focused on preventing and ending grave human rights abuses
worldwide.
-
Noam Chomsky: Institute Professor Emeritus of
linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An Author and
Analyst of Global Affairs including, US foreign Policy, and the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Author of "The fateful triangle: the United
States, Israel, and the Palestinians."
-
Father Drew Christiansen: Former director of the
Office of International Justice and Peace, United States Catholic Conference
(91-98) and served as counselor on international affairs from (98-04). He
traveled to the Holy Land numerous times to investigate the on-the-ground
reality facing the Palestinian Christian community.
-
Cindy and Craig Corrie: Parents of late peace
activist Rachel Corrie -- who was killed by an Israeli Bulldozer while
protesting the destruction of a Palestinian doctor's home. Founders of the
Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.
-
Douglas Dicks: Visitor Outreach program director
Catholic Relief Services in Jerusalem. His work brings him in direct contact
with patriarchs and priests as well as with elected government officials,
human rights groups, and prominent members of both Palestinian and Israeli
societies.
-
Richard Falk: Served on the United Nations Human
Rights Fact-finding Commission (2001) to investigate international law
violations and human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza. Author and
former Professor of International Law at Princeton University.
-
Paul Findley: United States Congressman (1961-1983).
Founder and Chairman of the Council for the National Interest. Author of "They
Dare to Speak Out" and other books.
-
Thomas Getman: He served as director of World
Vision's programs in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (1997-2001).
Currently, he is director of humanitarian affairs and international relations
-- and is responsible for diplomatic relations with UN government member
missions in Geneva.
-
Neta Golan: Israeli peace activist and co-founder of
the International Solidarity Movement. A peace movement committed to resisting
the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action
methods and principles.
-
Jeff Halper: Co-founder of the Israeli Committee
Against House Demolitions and a Professor of Anthropology at Ben Gurion
University. He has researched and written extensively on Israeli society and
Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands.
-
Amira Hass: Israeli Journalist living and working in
the occupied territories, she writes for Ha'aretz -- an Israeli daily
newspaper. She is the author of "Drinking the Sea at Gaza: Days and Nights in
a Land under Siege."
-
Doug Hostetter: He worked as an Interfaith
Peacebuilder for the Fellowship of Reconciliation and took part in delegations
to Israel/Palestine to learn from Palestinian and Israeli peace activists and
experience directly the situation of Palestinians living under military
occupation.
-
Kathy Kamphoefner: She worked with the Christian
Peacemaker Team in Hebron (West Bank) -- which embraces the vision of unarmed
intervention waged by committed peacemakers ready to risk injury and death in
bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through nonviolent means.
-
Adam Keller: Spokesperson of Gush Shalom -- an
Israeli Peace Group which has played a leading role in determining the moral
and political agenda of the peace forces in Israel, as well as in breaking the
so-called "national consensus" based on misinformation.
-
Hava Keller: Israeli peace activist and founder of
Women's Organization for Political Prisoners -- established with the objective
of helping female political prisoners who struggle against Israel's occupation
of Palestinian territory. She was also a soldier who served during the 1948
Arab-Israeli War.
-
Rashid Khalidi: Director of the Middle East
Institute - School of International and Public Affairs/Columbia University.
Author of "Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National
Consciousness" and "British Policy towards Syria and Palestine" -- among other
books.
-
Peretz Kidron: Spokesperson of Yush Gvul -- an
Israeli peace group campaigning against the occupation by backing soldiers who
refuse duties of a repressive or aggressive nature. He is an Israeli peace
activist, freelance journalist, and author of "Refusenik!: Israel's Soldiers
of Conscience."
-
Rabbi Michael Lerner: Rabbi of Beyt Tikkun and
editor of TIKKUN magazine -- A Bimonthly Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture
and Society. In 2002, He founded The Tikkun Community which brought hundreds
of people to Washington, D.C. to a Teach-In to Congress on Middle East Peace.
-
Rabbi Rebecca Lillian: The spiritual leader of
Temple Beth Or in Miami, FL. She was previously co-chair of the Jewish Peace
Forum and, under its auspices, organized Jewish peace delegations to Israel
and the West Bank. She is currently on the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish
Alliance for Justice and Peace.
-
Roger Normand: Roger Normand is co-founder and
executive director of the Center for Economic and Social Rights in New York,
and has led recent human rights missions to Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel and
Palestine.
-
Allegra Pacheco: She is an American-born Israeli
attorney who works on the front lines and defends Palestinians in Israeli
courts against house demolitions, land confiscations, torture, and illegal
detentions. Her litigation won an Israeli Supreme Court banning certain
torture methods in Israel.
-
Ilan Pappe: An Israeli-born lecturer from Haifa
University. Through his life experiences and scholarly research he came to
challenge the common historical narrative of his state. He is one of the so
called 'New Historians' who in the late 1980s exposed the 1948 ethnic
cleansing Israel carried out in Palestine.
-
Dr. Iyad Sarraj: A prominent Palestinian
psychiatrist who has undergone extensive research about the mental health
condition of children living and Gaza. He is the director of the Gaza
Community Mental Health Program.
-
Yael Stien: Research director of B'Tselem, an
Israeli human rights group -- established in 1989 by a group of prominent
academics, attorneys, journalists, and Knesset members. It endeavors to
document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights
violations in the Occupied Territories.
-
Gila Svirsky: An Israeli peace campaigner for more
than 15 years, lives in Jerusalem. She is a founding member of the Coalition
of Women for a Just Peace, a grouping of eight Israeli and Palestinian women's
peace organizations.
-
Ambassador Edward Walker: His diplomatic career
includes positions as US Ambassador to Israel (1997-1999), the Arab Republic
of Egypt (1994-1997), and the United Arab Emirates (1989-1992). He also served
as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs under the Clinton
administration.
-
Alison Weir: American freelance journalist who has
traveled independently throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She founded If
Americans Knew and frequently lectures throughout the United States to
misinformed and uninformed citizens on one of the most significant issues
affecting them today.
