When
Why
Palestine Under Siege is a film set on the West Bank in Palestine. It examines the Israeli Occupation through interviews conducted with Jewish activists and Palestinians. This is an online screening being held across zoom at 3.00 PM Adelaide time on 9 November 2025 (2.30 Brisbane time, and 3.30 in Sydney and Melbourne).
The screening of this movie is timely. Many are saying the war in Gaza is over and are therefore questioning why people are still demonstrating and talking about Palestine. It’s because there might be a ceasefire but Palestine has not achieved independence, justice and freedom.
For scheduling updates check the Facebook event or the Humanitix event.
In this film, three Australians—Dr Peter Slezak, Rand Darwish and Lee Rhiannon—take you into the middle of the struggle for Palestinian self-determination. Palestinian people, and Palestinian and Jewish activists, share how they live under the Israeli Apartheid system, as well as sharing their insights. This is done through many interviews.
Peter Slezak is a university philosophy professor while Rand Darwish is an Australian student activist born in Palestine. Lee Rhiannon was a former Senator for the Greens. They travelled to the West Bank to investigate the claim that Israel was an apartheid state. The claim seems outrageous on the surface, but they found much to back up this claim, including the systematic expulsion of Palestinians from various neighbourhoods. In addition, they found a legal system that had separate laws for Palestinians and Jews, favouring Jewish settlers over Palestinians.
The three Australians conducted interviews to get at the truth. Among others, they interviewed:
- Salman Abu Sitta, a Palestinian researcher and survivor of Al Nakba, who sets out a detailed plan that shows how it is possible to reconstruct destroyed Palestinian villages and for Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland
- Dr Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian politician and winner of the 2003 Australian Peace Prize, provides valuable insights into the one state - two state discussion and reflects on the tragedy of Israel's blockade of Gaza.
- Representatives of the Hebron Human Rights Defenders speak and share disturbing videos of the actions of illegal settlers and Israeli soldiers in Hebron, who regularly taunt, spit on, throw rubbish at and attack Palestinians.
This documentary was filmed and edited by Australian filmmakers, John Reynolds and Jill Hickson of Dare to Struggle Films. They partnered with Wattan TV who are secular Palestinian Television service operating on the West Bank and the Hebron Human Rights Defenders. The result was this insightful film.
For scheduling updates check the Facebook event or the Humanitix event.
Screening times
As this is an online event attendees can watch from anywhere. The main time listed above for South Australia. Please take note of the start time for your state or territory:
South Australia & Broken Hill: 3pm
Queensland: 2:30pm
New South Wales, Victoria & Tasmania: 3:30pm
Northern Territory: 2pm
Western Australia: 12:30pm
Tickets
Tickets are available from Humanitix.
Adult $20 (+ $1.97 fee) Family - 2 adults + 2/more children $50 (+ $3.29 fee) Child under 18/Pension/Student/Concession $10 (+ $1.53 fee) Pay It Forward $20 (+ $1.97 fee)
Fundraising
The money raised from this will be split between two refugee causes:
- Hassan
- The Butterfly of Hope Humanitarian Organisation.
It really is the same issue as the rights of Palestinians as refugees are displaced from their country just like Palestinians are displaced off of their land. Both groups are fighting for freedom, justice and liberty and both groups are denied natural justice and as a result, are dying.
Firstly, we are raising funds to #FreeHassan who is a journalist who stood up for women’s rights in Kabul and had to flee. He was shot in the hand in a demonstration in Kabul and fled for his life. He is also registered nurse, and he has been offered a job in aged care in Brisbane and been given a special skilled visa to come to Australia. We still need about $20 000 for final visa expenses, airfares and settlement costs.
The rest of the money will go to #ButterflyOfHope. This is a new charity working with those Afghans who have previously fled Afghanistan but are now being forced back to Afghanistan by surrounding countries. Over 2.5 million people have gone back to Afghanistan since the start of 2025. Most of these are still in danger from the Taliban, but the situation is the most difficult for the women and children. The women have no rights under the Taliban and mothers tell of boiling grass by the side of the road to feed their children. In addition, over 5000 unaccompanied minors were deported in one month by Iran. Many of the children can’t access education and they are at risk of radicalisation by the Taliban. The girls are a target for sex trafficking and forced marriage. This leads to an ongoing cycle of poverty and radicalisation. Butterfly of Hope aims to break this cycle through meeting their basic needs and education.
Contact
Butterfly of Hope Humanitarian Organisation
0459 573 941
chris@schmidt4sturt.au
butterflyofhope.au
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