The powerful new documentary Palestine Under Siege was screened across the country over February 24–25 at sessions organised by Green Left, Socialist Alliance and Dare to Struggle Film Festival.
The film follows former Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon, Palestinian Australian Rand Darwish and anti-zionist Jewish activist Dr Peter Slezak on a trip to the West Bank and East Jerusalem over June-July last year.
It includes critical interviews with leading Palestinian resistance figures including Hanan Ashrawi, former education minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNO) and Jeff Halper, Israeli anti-demolition activist and co-founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
Filmmakers Jill Hickson and John Reynolds from Dare to Struggle Film Festival made the documentary as a resource for the Palestinian solidarity movement and to delve deeper into the struggle by Palestinians for their self-determination.
At screenings in Gadigal/Sydney, Muloobinba/Newcastle, Gimuy/Cairns and Boorloo/Perth Hickson and Reynolds hosted question and answer sessions, discussing the situation in Palestine and the next steps for the solidarity movement internationally.
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More than 50 people attended the Gadigal/Sydney screening at the Resistance Centre in Ultimo on February 24, reports Isaac Nellist.
Following the film, Palestinian activist Ahmed Abdala and Michelle Berkon from Jews Against the Occupation ‘48 discussed Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and explained the history of Hamas, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and the "two state" and "one state" solutions.
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In Muloobinba at the Newcastle Activist Centre, the film screened on February 25 to a near-capacity audience, reports Niko Leka. It provoked discussion about the role of media in forming racist views and the attitudes of Israeli settlers in illegal settlements.
The crowd discussed upcoming actions to stop the genocide in Gaza, including protests outside the office of Sharon Claydon, MP for Newcastle, the visit of Palestinian activist Khaled Ghanam, organised by Mums for Palestine, and a drive to bolster solidarity with Palestine at the University of Newcastle.
Free Palestine Far North Queensland hosted the screening in Gimuy/Cairns on February 25 with about 20 people joining the discussion with Hickson, reports Carla Gorton. The group continued brainstorming how to build the Palestine solidarity movement locally in Far North Queensland.
After the Boorloo/Perth screening there was discussion about how people can get involved in the solidarity campaign in Western Australia, reports Riley Breen. They discussed Unionists for Palestine’s actions blockading Israel’s ZIM shipping line and links to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. About 20 people attended the screening, including several who came from the University of Western Australia O-Day event.
[If you are interested in hosting a screening contact Dare to Struggle Film Festival.]