FREE Screening of Oriented
All are welcome!
Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Unitarian Church, 1300 East and 600 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
(Parking—Plenty of on-street parking or visitors may use the parking lot of Friendship Manor at the corner of 1300 East and 500 South. Enter the parking lot from either of Friendship Manor’s two driveways and make your way south towards the church’s 78 parking stalls.)
ORIENTED IS A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY THAT FOLLOWS THE LIVES OF THREE GAY PALESTINIAN FRIENDS CONFRONTING THEIR NATIONAL AND SEXUAL IDENTITY IN TEL AVIV. DETERMINED TO “CHANGE THEIR REALITY,” THE THREE BEST FRIENDS FORM A GROUP CALLED “QAMBUTA”, A NON-VIOLENT, CULTURAL RESISTENCE MOVEMENT FIGHTING FOR GENDER AND NATIONAL EQUALITY. THROUGH THEIR ACTIVISM, THEY ADDRESS WHAT IT MEANS TO GROW UP WITH THE BURDEN OF A MULTI-FACETED IDENTITY.
In the News
…regarding the first ever UN Report that concluded that Israel has established an Apartheid regime
Please note: Opinions expressed in the following articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.
Read previous weeks’ Middle East Notes
Read the PDF versionThe six featured articles and the related links in this issue of the Middle East Notes focus on an UNESCWA report which concluded that the State of Israel has established an apartheid regime; Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s response to the report in which he compares it to a Nazi propaganda publication that was strongly anti-Semitic; the U.S. calling on the United Nations to withdraw this report; the resignation of UN Under-Secretary General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf following pressure from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to withdraw the report; reflections by Peter Falk on the report and reactions to it; and many links to other articles of interest. Links to recent CMEP Bulletins are also provided.
Commentary: For centuries people held the belief that the sun revolved around the earth, until objective facts proving the opposite were finally accepted. Initially those offering such facts were ignored, ridiculed, and condemned. This issue of the Middle East Notes focuses on the crime of apartheid to which the government of Israel stands accused by an array of objective facts. The messengers of these facts are likewise being ignored, ridiculed, and condemned rather than the facts presented being refuted. Personal beliefs and emotional appeals (“post truth”) continue to be used in an attempt to control public opinion.
- A report by UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rima Khalaf concluded that Israel has established an apartheid regime.
- Haaretz notes that this report is the first time a UN body has stated the charge of apartheid against Israel.
- Haaretz also reports that the United States called on the United Nations to withdraw this report.
- Ali Abunimah in Electronic Intifada states that Rima Khalaf resigned, following pressure from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to withdraw the landmark report.
- Ma’an News Agency states that the report, now withdrawn, concluded that Israel is guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt” of imposing apartheid policies upon Palestinians.
- Richard Falk in The Nation writes reflections on the report made by himself andVirginia Tilley noting the degree to which Israel’s supporters, in response to criticism, have sought to discredit the messengers rather than address the message.
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