America's Forever Wars in the Middle East" on US imperialism at the People’s Forum
2025-12-09 15:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Without understanding the imperialist system that underlies the ongoing drive for war, and that has attempted to destroy the Palestinian people and those who stand with them, we cannot understand how to confront it. Join popular educators from the Palestinian Youth Movement in a rigorous study of the history and present of US intervention in the Middle East to understand US imperialism, Israel’s role within it, and its consequences for working people in the US and around the world.

For nearly half a century, the United States has been involved in endless wars in the Middle East that have claimed the lives of millions of people. These wars have ballooned the US’ military budget and lined the pockets of wealthy warmongerers as conditions for working people deteriorate. Over the same period, the US government has financially, politically, and militarily backed Israel’s occupation and colonization of Palestine, including through its full support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. In turn, people across the political spectrum have begun to question the US government’s continued commitment for a foreign policy predicated on endless war, devastating interventions, and unconditional support for Israel, regardless of the administration in power.
This 4-part course from the Palestinian Youth Movement will study the history and present of US intervention in the Middle East to equip participants with a deeper understanding of US imperialism, Israel’s role within it, and its consequences for working people in the US and around the world. It seeks to illuminate how it is the imperialist system, and not just the ideological positions or policies of any one politician in office, that keeps America at war and invested in the destabilization of the Middle East. Without understanding the imperialist system that underlies the ongoing drive for war, we cannot understand how to confront it.
This course is organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), a grassroots, international movement that organizes Palestinian and Arab youth to struggle for Palestinian liberation
WHEN
America’s Forever Wars in the Middle East is a 4-part hybrid course from Dec. 2 – 11, meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET. Here is the schedule:

Session 3: America’s War of Terror on Iraq| December 9, 6:30 -8:30 PM ET
Session 4: Imperialism and the Anti-War Struggle in the US | December 11, 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET

America's Forever Wars in the Middle East" on US imperialism at the People’s Forum
2025-12-11 15:30 - 17:30 | Virtual
Without understanding the imperialist system that underlies the ongoing drive for war, and that has attempted to destroy the Palestinian people and those who stand with them, we cannot understand how to confront it. Join popular educators from the Palestinian Youth Movement in a rigorous study of the history and present of US intervention in the Middle East to understand US imperialism, Israel’s role within it, and its consequences for working people in the US and around the world.

For nearly half a century, the United States has been involved in endless wars in the Middle East that have claimed the lives of millions of people. These wars have ballooned the US’ military budget and lined the pockets of wealthy warmongerers as conditions for working people deteriorate. Over the same period, the US government has financially, politically, and militarily backed Israel’s occupation and colonization of Palestine, including through its full support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. In turn, people across the political spectrum have begun to question the US government’s continued commitment for a foreign policy predicated on endless war, devastating interventions, and unconditional support for Israel, regardless of the administration in power.
This 4-part course from the Palestinian Youth Movement will study the history and present of US intervention in the Middle East to equip participants with a deeper understanding of US imperialism, Israel’s role within it, and its consequences for working people in the US and around the world. It seeks to illuminate how it is the imperialist system, and not just the ideological positions or policies of any one politician in office, that keeps America at war and invested in the destabilization of the Middle East. Without understanding the imperialist system that underlies the ongoing drive for war, we cannot understand how to confront it.
This course is organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), a grassroots, international movement that organizes Palestinian and Arab youth to struggle for Palestinian liberation
WHEN
America’s Forever Wars in the Middle East is a 4-part hybrid course from Dec. 2 – 11, meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET. Here is the schedule:

Session 4: Imperialism and the Anti-War Struggle in the US | December 11, 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET

Threads of Resistance Webinar Series: Blacklisted
2025-12-15 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
This session spotlights individuals who are not new to speaking out against the occupation, and who have been fired, silenced, de-platformed, shadow banned or publicly targeted for speaking the truth. Hear firsthand accounts from people who have endured retaliation for standing in solidarity with Palestinians and learn how censorship shapes movement work globally. Together, we will explore the consequences of suppression, and imagine collective strategies to resist attempts to fracture, intimidate, or silence the movement. Ticket: $15

End the year on an inspiring note and join us this December for “Threads of Resistance,” a powerful week-long series of online events uplifting voices across the global movement for Palestinian liberation. Throughout the week, we’ll feature artists, organizers, public figures, spiritual leaders, and past Eyewitness Palestine delegates who have witnessed the occupation on the ground firsthand. What unifies our speakers is their commitment to standing firmly in truth, even when doing so comes at personal cost.
Each session offers unique perspectives, bringing together stories, experiences, and acts of resistance that span communities and continents. We invite you to be part of these conversations, to learn, to reflect, and to engage in meaningful dialogue with us.

Threads of Resistance Webinar Series: Breaking Borders: Globalizing Palestine
2025-12-16 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual

Threads of Resistance Webinar Series: Breaking Borders: Palestine Through My Eyes
2025-12-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
In this session, past delegates will share their firsthand experiences from the ground in Palestine. Hear personal reflections, stories, and insights from those who have witnessed the violence of the occupation as well as the strength, creativity, and beauty of the Palestinian people, across the West Bank. Ticket: $15

End the year on an inspiring note and join us this December for “Threads of Resistance,” a powerful week-long series of online events uplifting voices across the global movement for Palestinian liberation. Throughout the week, we’ll feature artists, organizers, public figures, spiritual leaders, and past Eyewitness Palestine delegates who have witnessed the occupation on the ground firsthand. What unifies our speakers is their commitment to standing firmly in truth, even when doing so comes at personal cost.
Each session offers unique perspectives, bringing together stories, experiences, and acts of resistance that span communities and continents. We invite you to be part of these conversations, to learn, to reflect, and to engage in meaningful dialogue with us.

Threads of Resistance Webinar Series: Breaking Borders: Artists for Palestine
2025-12-18 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Hear from artists across disciplines who use their creative platforms to uplift Palestinian voices, challenge injustice, and inspire global solidarity. This session highlights how art can be employed as a tool for resistance, storytelling, and collective liberation.

Ticket: $15

End the year on an inspiring note and join us this December for “Threads of Resistance,” a powerful week-long series of online events uplifting voices across the global movement for Palestinian liberation. Throughout the week, we’ll feature artists, organizers, public figures, spiritual leaders, and past Eyewitness Palestine delegates who have witnessed the occupation on the ground firsthand. What unifies our speakers is their commitment to standing firmly in truth, even when doing so comes at personal cost.
Each session offers unique perspectives, bringing together stories, experiences, and acts of resistance that span communities and continents. We invite you to be part of these conversations, to learn, to reflect, and to engage in meaningful dialogue with us.

Threads of Resistance Webinar Series: Religious Voices for Palestine
2025-12-19 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Religious and spiritual leaders from various traditions come together to discuss solidarity with Palestine through a spiritual and ethical lens. Explore how faith communities interpret justice, liberation, and moral responsibility in the context of Palestine.

Ticket: $15

End the year on an inspiring note and join us this December for “Threads of Resistance,” a powerful week-long series of online events uplifting voices across the global movement for Palestinian liberation. Throughout the week, we’ll feature artists, organizers, public figures, spiritual leaders, and past Eyewitness Palestine delegates who have witnessed the occupation on the ground firsthand. What unifies our speakers is their commitment to standing firmly in truth, even when doing so comes at personal cost.
Each session offers unique perspectives, bringing together stories, experiences, and acts of resistance that span communities and continents. We invite you to be part of these conversations, to learn, to reflect, and to engage in meaningful dialogue with us.

Cultural Production and the Palestine Movement
2026-01-05 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual
Join CODEPINK, Watermelon Pictures, and the Palestinian Youth Movement to talk about cultural production in the Palestine solidarity movement!
We’ll discuss how we can incorporate the fight for Palestinian liberation into our cultural spaces and filmmaker Cherien Dabis will give a short introduction and discuss her new film, All That’s Left of You.
🗓️ Monday, January 5th
🕔 5PM EST
💻 RSVP for Zoom link
codepink.org/wp105 (events calendar in bio)

Virtual Lecture: Ethical Stewardship of Palestinian Dress
2026-01-09 09:00 - 23:00 | Virtual
Ethical Stewardship of Palestinian Dress: Collecting, Cataloguing, and a Case Study
Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Online, Zoom link will be emailed at 10am EST on event day
Instructor: Wafa Ghnaim, Dress Historian, Researcher & Educator
Registration Fee: Sliding scale
Description: This lecture presents the research and findings of Wafa Ghnaim’s forthcoming article “Archiving the Thobe,” to be published in the Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice (JTDRP). It outlines a reparative framework for the identification, cataloguing, and stewardship of Palestinian dress in American museum collections. Drawing on oral history, regional provenance, and nearly a decade of sustained research with institutions alongside the development of the Tatreez Institute collection, the lecture examines how museum practices and fashion media produced misattribution, decontextualization, and exoticization. It traces how garments were extracted, anonymized, and reframed through biblical and Orientalist lenses, and how these interpretations continue in contemporary digital spaces, priming American and European audiences to adopt dehumanizing views of Palestinians today. The lecture introduces rematriation as a reparative paradigm grounded in Indigenous feminist ethics and matrilineal stewardship. The session invites scholars and cultural workers to cultivate accountable, community-centered practices that safeguard Palestinian cultural heritage in their museum and cultural work.

The World as Palestine: On Advocacy, Activism, and Justice
2026-01-23 09:00 - 19:00 | University of Washington – Thomson Hall, 1911 Skagit Lane, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
Register here: forms.office.com/r/91zmnL3jYm
All morning sessions in Thomson Hall 317
9-9:30am | Welcome | Coffee/tea and light refreshments
9:30-11am | PANEL
Policing Dissent: Reflections from Eastern Washington’s Palestinian Liberation Movement

Panelists:
Andrea Brower (formerly Gonzaga University)
Kathryn DePaolis (Eastern Washington University)
Majid Sharifi (Eastern Washington University)
This panel examines academic dissent, critical thought, and resistance with reflections from Eastern Washington’s Palestinian liberation movement.
11-11:30am | BREAK
11:30am-1pm | WORKSHOP
People’s Justice: Lessons from the Palestinian and Filipino Struggles for Liberation
Panelists: Anna Beyette and Troy Osaki, recent participants in the International People’s Tribunals
International People’s Tribunals (IPTs) are quasi-judicial forums convened to serve as a platform for victims and advocates and their organizations to present evidence and legal arguments related to international humanitarian law. Join this workshop to hear directly from delegates who traveled to participate both in the recent IPTs on genocide in Palestine and war crimes under former Philippine president Duterte and learn about the interconnections between people’s struggles for national liberation and more just futures.
Allen Auditorium
2:30-4:30pm | FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION
The Palestine Exception
Filmmaker in attendance: Jan Haaken (Portland State University)
Join filmmaker Jan Haaken for a screening of The Palestine Exception. The film follows professors and students from across the country as they demand a ceasefire and divestment from companies that do business with Israel and face crackdowns from administrators, the media, the police and politicians.
Thomson Hall 317
5-5:30pm | Light refreshments
5:30-7pm | WORKSHOP
Activism and Civic Engagement in Washington State
Facilitator: Laila Taji (Washington for Peace and Justice)
This workshop examines the vital role of state-level legislative advocacy in protecting civil liberties and ensuring access to truthful, accurate education. Participants will explore how state policies influence individual rights, public discourse, and the integrity of educational systems. Join Laila Taji from Washington for Peace and Justice to discuss current legislative challenges and the importance of civic engagement.

Free Film Screening: Israelism
2026-02-01 12:15 - 14:00 | Quest Church, 1401 NW Leary Wy, Seattle, WA, 98107
Two young American Jews travel to Israel seeking a deeper understanding of the country they were raised to love. What they encounter profoundly impacts them, leading them to join a growing movement to redefine their community’s relationship with Israel in this challenging and emotional journey. Join us for the free screening of this film.
About the film
Two young American Jews – Simone Zimmerman and Eitan – are raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. Eitan joins the Israeli military. Simone supports Israel on ‘the other battlefield:’ America’s college campuses. When they witness Israel‘s mistreatment of the Palestinian people with their own eyes, they are horrified and heartbroken.
They join the movement of young American Jews battling the old guard over Israel’s centrality in American Judaism, and demanding freedom for the Palestinian people. Their stories reveal a generational divide in the American Jewish community as more young Jews question the narratives their synagogues and Hebrew school teachers fed them as children.
The film also features voices like Jacqui, a Jewish educator who says “Judaism is Israel and Israel is Judaism”, and former Anti-Defamation League President Abe Foxman, who claims voices like Simone and Eitan’s represent a small minority. Thought leaders like Peter Beinart, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noura Erakat, Cornel West, and Noam Chomsky also weigh in.
Directed by two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Israelism is produced by Peabody-winner and 4-time Emmy-nominee Daniel J. Chalfen (Loudmouth, Boycott), executive produced by two-time Emmy-winner Brian A. Kates (Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Succession) and edited by Emmy-winner Tony Hale (The Story of Plastic), Israelism uniquely explores how Jewish attitudes towards Israel are changing dramatically, with massive consequences for the region and for Judaism itself.

Static Forms: Writing the Present in the Modern Middle East,
2026-02-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Denny Hall, Klickitat Lane, Seattle, WA, 98105
The UW’s Middle East Center invites you to a book talk and discussion by Shir Alon, visiting from the University of Minnesota. In Static Forms: Writing the Present in the Modern Middle East, Shir Alon develops an alternative model for reading Arabic and Hebrew literatures, as two literary systems sharing a remarkably similar narrative of modernization and developing parallel literary forms to address it. In this talk, Alon will discuss the potentials of a paradigm grounded in formal and affective analysis for new understandings of transnational modernism, Middle Eastern literatures, and comparative literary studies at large. She will also explore the limits of this approach, when parallel readings of Hebrew and Arabic literatures obfuscate rather than clarify the conditions of the present.
Shir Alon | On not sharing a present tense: Reading Arabic and Hebrew Literatures together
Friday, February 6
1-3pm
Denny 211
More info: https://jsis.washington.edu/middleeast/events/?trumbaEmbed=eventid%3D192847224%26seotitle%3DOn-not-sharing-a-present-tense-Reading-Arabic-and-Hebrew-Literatures-together%26view%3Devent%26-childview%3D

UW Public Lectures: Palestine to Iraq with Adam Hanieh
2026-03-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
While World War I is often framed as a European conflict, its most far-reaching consequences were profoundly felt far beyond Europe’s borders. In the Middle East, the war sparked a sweeping political crisis that ultimately led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. In its wake, the European victors imposed new borders and mandates, carving the region into fragmented zones of imperial control and influence.
But this was not merely a story of unchecked colonial dominance. In the postwar moment, a spectrum of fluid, intersecting anti-colonial movements emerged. Palestine became a key site in these struggles, as a racialized order of settler-colonial capitalism took shape under British rule. This talk locates those movements within the broader transition from British to American imperial ascendancy, contending that the political history of the region must be understood as integral to the global history of fossil capitalism.
Moving beyond frameworks centered solely on empire, the talk examines how anti-colonial actors envisioned their futures within a rapidly transforming global system—even as new hierarchies of race, empire, and capital were being redefined.

Material Identities: Regional Dress in Late Ottoman Syria
2026-03-13 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Virtual Lecture Registration

Material Identities: Regional Dress in Late Ottoman Syria
Date: Friday, March 13, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Online, Zoom link will be emailed at 10am EST on event day
Instructor: Wafa Ghnaim, Dress Historian, Researcher & Educator
Registration Fee: Sliding scale
Description: This lecture examines the regional styles of embroidered traditional dress produced within the geographic boundaries of present-day Syria during the late Ottoman period, roughly 1850–1922. It centers on historical garments from various villages, towns, and desert regions across Syria, as well as the textile traditions that shaped them. Participants will learn about Syria’s role as a major center of textile production, including the rise and decline of its fabric industries and the historic cloth types most commonly used in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The lecture surveys distinctive village and regional styles, with attention to materials, structure, and surface design, beginning in the Northern Galilee and extending into southern Syria and beyond.
The presentation draws on surviving garments, visual documentation, and the work of leading scholars in the field of Syrian dress history. This research is informed by the expertise of Aida Dalati, Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, Hanan Munayyer, and other leading collectors and historians in the field. Through this focused visual and historical review, the lecture situates Syrian dress within its social, economic, and cultural contexts, highlighting how regional identity was expressed as a broad regional tradition shared by communities of the eastern Mediterranean over centuries. While many have argued that the cultural knowledge of Syrian dress styles is extinct, Wafa argues that new digital archives led by a new generation are ensuring its survival and revival.
