The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment:
Join Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment for an evening discussion led by three foremost experts from Eastern Massachusetts on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. at the First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., Watertown, MA.
Amal Bishara — A Palestinian American & Professor of Anthropology at Tufts University & author of Crossing a Line: Laws, Violence, & Roadblocks to Palestinian Expression.
Valentine M. Maghadam — A Professor of Sociology and former Director of International Affairs Program at Northeastern University and a former Section Chief at UNESCO.
Katherine Hanna — A Palestinian American who is currently working to support educational projects in Occupied Palestine. She is a co-founder of the Boston Palestine Film Festival, Watertown for Palestine & Friend of Zahrat Al Yasmeen Kintergarten in Bethlehem.
This event is free and open to the public. Please join us for an informative discussion on this important issue.
Surely there are other “voices” in so-called Palestine? Ms. Bishara’s book features an outline of Israel and the disputed territories (including Gaza), “the river to the sea” in other words, entirely in so-called Palestinian colors. That’s ethnic erasure, even ethnic muting, if not ethnic cleansing. The massacre of civilians in Jerusalem today (Monday, 9/8) shouts down other voices, moderate as they may appear. I ask all involved to raise their voices to insist that Hamas release the hostages and end this war.
“That’s ethnic erasure, even ethnic muting, if not ethnic cleansing” Ironically that is exactly what Israel has been doing to the Palestinians since the British created this area in order to
, as some historians have documented, ride themselves of Jewish people.
I would hope that all supporters of Israeli people could see that supporting the Palestinian people is also supporting the Israeli people. No one ever wins if only one side wins.
Your history is wrong: Britain saw the justice of the Zionist movement to create (recreate, actually) a homeland for the Jewish people—not to be “rid of them”, what a disgusting thought— in land ruled by Ottoman emperors for centuries. Jews had lived in the Holy Land for millennia, except for periods of exile under imperial occupation (now THAT’S irony). There was never an independent “Palestine”, only a Mandate under British rule (replacing one imperial occupation with another), which the British saw fit to divide between Arabs and Jews. Even so, Jerusalem was already a Jewish-majority city, under Ottoman rule, by 1880. Periodic Arab pogroms against Jews slowed immigration to the Land of Israel, but Arab expulsions of Jews in their own countries only reignited it. Zionism is not the “racism” of the vile UN declaration; it is a liberation movement from occupation, exile, and, to use the word properly: genocide.
Do a comparison of land area of Arab/Muslim nations and Israel “from the river to the sea”. As one comedian puts it, Israel is so small on the map (nonexistent on some), its name doesn’t even fit inside its borders. This war isn’t Israel against Gaza, and never was. It’s Israel against ignorance and bigotry, as it had been for all of recorded history. Only today is it called Hamas.
How can this possibly be an impartial forum if all the speakers are Palestinian and/or Arab. If it weren’t so damaging to Jews it would be a joke.
Sometimes the most important part of a discussion is listening.
Perhaps you can go and listen to what people have to say. It may be hard as there are extreme emotions on many sides but with respect for all beings perhaps we can control our emotions.
Isn’t this a basic tenant of the Jewish faith?
It seems to me that any rational person can see that being anti-Palestinian give justice to being anti Antisemitism. I don’t think you would want that.
It is not intended to be impartial. It is not advertised as such as it’s purpose is to promote their side of the story.
Pro-palestinian propaganda on your face.
Is anyone stopping you or anyone else from offering the Israeli perspective? When did advocacy for a cause require the advocates to give equal time to the other side?
It would be so refreshing for critics to once offer to host their own event.
Hi Paul. The newly created Jewish Watertown Action Network (JWAN) has had several events in the past six months. So we are trying!
I suspect that some of the regular commenters here haven’t attended either group’s event and are simply content to criticize from the sidelines.
While I am certain that you have not.
I’m asking how anyone can promote peace and justice, as WCPJA purport to do, from a one-sided perspective. Ultimate peace and justice come about between parties: preferably negotiated; to the harm of many, sometimes decided by war. “Advocacy for a cause”, as you rightly describe this, is terrific, but something else.
But sir, your side is operating on the principle that the humanity of the other side is without value. This has provoked a vicious cycle of violence over decades.
Israels’ actions have only strengthen the resolve of the most extreme elements on Palestinian side.
There is no difference between the arguments on both sides. No one is willing to step into the middle ground. Each new settlement makes the prospect of peace dimmer and the possibility of compromise slimmer.
The lobbying of AIPAC and similar groups is just as one sided.
Wrong. The “most extreme” Palestinians do not need any encouragement. Just read their charter calling for the extermination of Israel. Big, big difference “between the arguments on both sides”, but not if you are a Hamas supporter. No humanity there.
And it is not “resolve”. It is murderous, genocidal intent and purpose.
Not wrong! Both the Israeli right and the Palestinian extremists use the phrase “from the river to the sea”, essentially calling for the eradication of each other.
If there is no humanity in Hamas, neither is there any on the Israeli right.
The actions of the Netanyahu government give Hamas credibility, which is by design. Bibi and his coalition are bent on the genocidal eradication of the Palestinians and the destruction of any possibility of a Palestinian state.
Across a number of issues you seem to argue for the brutal treatment of people you don’t like.
No one is asking for equal time.
We are just calling the event for what it is. Got it?
To critize without a reason speaks volumes as to motivation. But we knew that already.
Bye.
What a boatload of bile!
No. It isn’t. Perhaps you would care to elaborate. Can you?