en hébreu et anglais
From: Zochrot <zochrot@netvision.net.il>
Date: 2009/11/30
Subject: NEWSLETTER: Movie and discussion; Exhibit opening; Petition to save Lifta
To:

English follows

סרט ודיון: קורותיו של פליט (Chronicles of a Refugee, 2009)
“קורותיו של פליט” היא סדרה של ששה סרטים תיעודיים הבוחנים את חוויות הפליטות והגירוש של הפלסטינים מאז 1948 ועד ימים אלה. הסרט צולם ב 17 מדינות, 18 מחנות פליטים, 36 ערים ומתבסס על יותר מ 300 ראיונות עם פלסטינים ופלסטיניות.
במאים: פירלה עיסא, אסיל מנסור ואדם שפירא.

בערב נצפה בקטע מתוך הפרק “מולדת ללא זהות”, הבוחן את מעמדם החוקי-כלכלי-חברתי-פוליטי של הפליטים במקומות שונים בעולם ובייחוד במדינות ערב. הפרק דן בדרך שבה המדינות המארחות מתייחסות לפליטים בתוכן מתוך תפיסה “ביטחונית” ולא מתפיסה של זכויות האדם.
לאחר הצפייה, נקיים דיון על הסרט ועל המונח “עדות”, שיתבסס על סדנא מתוך ערכת הלימוד “איך אומרים נכבה בעברית?” (הוצאת זוכרות, 2008).
הנחייה: רנין ג’רייס ועמיה גלילי.
הסרט בערבית עם תרגום לאנגלית. הדיון יתקיים בעברית.

יום חמישי, 10 בדצמבר 2009, בשעה 20:00
זוכרות, רח’ אבן גבירול 61, דירה 2, תל אביב – יפו (כניסה מרח’ מאנה 13), טל’ 03-6953155 כניסה חופשית.

למידע נוסף:

http://www.palestineonlinestore.com/films/chroniclesofarefugee.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPyXTW3bjyI


Movie & Discussion: Chronicles of a Refugee

Chronicles of a Refugee is a 6 part documentary series that looks at the Palestinian expulsions and refugee experiences from 1948 until today. Filmed in 17 countries, 18 refugee camps, 36 cities, with more than 300 interviews by Perla Issa, Aseel Mansour and Adam Shapiro (2009).

We will watch a part of the episode Homeland Without Identity that deals with the refugees’ legal, social and political status in different places around the world and especially in the Arab world. This episode details how host countries treat Palestinians from a “security” perspective, rather than a human rights perspective.
After the movie, we will hold a discussion around the concept of “testimony” based on the workshop from the Study Guide “How do we say Nakba in Hebrew?” (Zochrot, 2008).
Facilitation: Raneen Jeries and Amaya Galili.
The film is in Arabic with English subtitles. The discussion will be in Hebrew.

Thursday, 10 December 2009, 8 p.m.
Zochrot, 61 Ibn Gabirol St., apt. #2, Tel Aviv-Jaffa (entrance from 13 Mane St.) Tel: 03-6953155

For more information: www.chronoclesofrafugee.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPyXTW3bjyI

________________________________________________________

מצורפת הזמנה לפתיחת התערוכה “צילומים חטופים”, אוצרת חגית קיסר . יום חמישי 3 בדצמבר 2009 בשעה 20:00 בזוכרות, אבן גבירול 61, כניסה ממאנה 13. Attached invitation to exhibit opening “Snapshots” (curator Hagit Keysar) at Zochrot: Thursday December 3rd 8 pm. 61 Ibn Gvirol St, entrance from 13 Maneh St. __________________________________________________ We ask that you please take a few moments to sign a petition that will be sent to the World Monuments Fund so that Israeli plans to destroy the ethnically cleansed village of Lifta can be stopped and that this site can be added to the list of cultural patrimony that must be protected. Please pass this along and publicise the project. The date for final collection of signatures is nearing, so let’s spread the word. They required 250 signatories (with names) by next week in order to attach the petition to the project application, and Antoine asked for help and in a day we went well over that! Good work everyone, let’s hope that this action can put a REAL FREEZE on israeli expansion of themselves and destruction of the Palestinians.
Lots of love
Carlos

http://palestinethinktank.com/2009/11/26/help-save-the-palestinian-village-of-lifta-from-total-destruction/

Help save the Palestinian village of Lifta from total destruction

By Guest Post • Nov 26th, 2009 at 23:18 • Category: Action Alert, Culture and Heritage, Israel, Newswire, Palestine , Petitions , Zionism

Lifta, a most picturesque Palestinian village, lies on the slopes of West Jerusalem below the highway linking it to Tel-Aviv. It has been abandoned since the invading Hagana underground forces backed by the Stern Gang drove the last of its Palestinian inhabitants in 1948 during the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

It was the one single event which changed the nature of the place and the whole region. Although dozens of houses were destroyed, many of them still remain poised on the landscape.

Lifta is considered by many as a rare and fine example of Palestinian rural architecture with narrow streets aligned with the slopes of the mountains around it. Its cubist forms are a wonderful manifestation of the mastery of the Palestinian stone masons who were the indigenous owners and builders of these houses.

Today Lifta is more or less a ghost town suspended in space and remains deserted despite the fact that most of its original Palestinian inhabitants live in the surrounding communities. The Israeli authorities refuse to allow them to return.

Now the Jerusalem Municipality has produced plans to turn Lifta into a luxurious and exclusive Jewish development – reinventing its history in the process.

The Plan, numbered 6036, was designed by two architectural offices: G. Kartas – S. Grueg and S. Ahronson, as part of the “local space planning of Jerusalem”. The plan was submitted on June 28, 2004, and according to its title refers to “The Spring of National”. The plan, submitted to the Jerusalem Municipality Planning Committee in 2004, was approved by a regional committee.

In 2005, objections to the Plan were raised by several groups, including Bimkom (alternative center for Israeli planning) and the representatives of the regional committee of the organization and construction for the Al Quds-Jerusalem area.

Main Issues:

• The original Palestinian inhabitants of Lifta, their memories of the village, their exile and longing to return to Lifta are not mentioned, or even considered by the Municipality Master Plan.

• Lifta captures the moment of destruction of Palestinian life in 1948. Its 3,000 original inhabitants fled – mostly to East Jerusalem and to the Ramallah area. However, unlike many of the 530 Palestinian villages and towns conquered and bulldozed during the war of 1947/48, a few of Lifta’s houses remain almost intact, yet deserted and declared ‘officially’ resettled.

• These set of circumstances have placed Lifta in a unique position: its original inhabitants are still around, living in the OPT and the Chicago area with a desire that the injustices done in 1948 be acknowledged and repaired.

• In Israel, renovation projects are frequently used to build a national narrative, ignoring the deep contradictions between planning and human rights that inevitably arise out of such initiatives.

• With Lifta, we have a place where a new national transformation results in the erasure of another’ people’s memory as evidenced in the new Masterplan.

• Lifta is a tangible embodiment of the larger context of events in the region during 1947/48. Lifta can be a vital place for contemplating and understanding the concept of historical continuity.

• Lifta’s heritage is a story of a multicultural society, embracing a strong sense of an ethnically and religiously diverse community of Muslims, Jews and Christians which encapsulated a healthy civil equality amongst its inhabitants and the neighbouring communities. If Lifta were to be rejuvenated with due care to preserving its memory, it could offer a unique opportunity for the start of a new dialogue towards a conciliatory outcome.

Petition’s Aim:

This petition aims to save Lifta through the World Monuments Fund , amongst others, and to draw attention to this site which has been threatened by neglect, vandalism and forced occupation by extremist settlers.

Sign the petition

Please also visit the sponsor: http://www.1948.org.uk/