I first heard of Jeff Halper at Israel-Palestine-related events, where people would ask me if I was related to him. It took me 30 seconds of Googling to realize that I’d love to be related to this Minnesotan anthropologist, activist, writer, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and founder and coordinator ofIsraeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions (ICAHD).

It’s not often that a movie’s theatrical release is an historic moment. But Miral, which opens today in LA and NYC, is the first Hollywood film to look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of Palestinians Palestinian women, at that. The film is based on the autobiographical novel of Rula Jebreal, the Palestinian journalist, who was born in Haifa, raised in East Jerusalem, has lived in the Middle East, Europe and, most recently, New York. Directed by the New York-based Jewish-American artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, Miral offers glimpses of history, as experienced by Palestinian women, starting with the formation of Israel and ending with the Oslo Accords. It premiered at the UN’s General Assembly, on March 14th, drawing stars from Robert de Niro to Sean Penn, along with a storm of protest. Schnabel’s Jewish credentials are true blue–and white. His mother was the President of the Brooklyn Chapter of Haddassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization, in 1948, during the establishment of Israel as a state. Schnabel recalls seeing Exodus at Manhattan’s Rivoli Theater with his parents: “Everybody stood up when they sang ‘Hatikvah,’ and put their hands on their chests. My mother and father were very proud.” But Schnabel’s history and his film’s vision mattered little to the film’s critics. Seeing the movie, in fact, mattered little to the Israeli Government, the American Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation League, who, on principle, (unsuccessfully) called on the UN to cancel its March 14th screening. This week, days before Miral’s release, I talked to Rula Jebreal about her life, her story, the film, violence, and her optimism for a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Katie Halper: Were you surprised by the response of the Israeli government and by American Jewish organizations like the AJC and the ADL?

Rula Jebreal: No, not at all. No, no, no, no. Absolutely not. No, no, no, no. After every screening, I see the fear in people’s eyes. This is their censorship response, their way of avoiding the truth. The movie is really about one thing: peace. And I’m not sure this is on their agenda. I’m more dangerous than Hamas. Hamas responds in such a stupid way–with violence. But people like me–artists, writers, intellectuals, journalists–raise awareness and consciousness. You can’t label them as the enemy. These are the people that build bridges.

KH: When I saw the film I kept waiting for something that people could construe as anti-Israeli or anti-Semitic, which is the charge made by the film’s most vocal critics, sadly without even seeing the film. But what I saw was a film filled with thoughtfulness and sensitivity. It certainly challenges the idea that we hear all the time–that all Palestinians hate all Jews.

RJ: I have to thank you very much for this interview. Many people shy away from interviewing a Palestinian. They avoid talking to me. In this country where there is supposed to be so much freedom of expression, there is still a fear of considering a certain perspective. I know what is important and that is telling stories. What I’m interested in is telling the story of civil society in war time. What are the implications of war on women in terms of security, in terms of freedom, in terms of sexual harassment? I think all of that is breaking the wall of silence. I know that’s not easy. The fact that in America, the land of freedom of expression, I see this concern, this fear of considering that point of view, makes me think there’s an issue here that needs to be addressed. There are always two sides to every story, and if we don’t listen to each other, how can we find a solution? This culture of demonization has been creating more violence.

KH: You collaborated with a director who is Jewish. So much for your being an Anti-Semite. But I guess there are those who can’t believe a Jew and a Palestinian can or should work together. Or more specifically, what kind of Jew would work with a Palestinian?

Continue reading “Miral’s Rula Jebreal: The Palestinian Woman Who Wrote the Book That Started This Big Screening War” →

That’s why on February 18th, so-called “pro-life” members of the House of Representatives, voted 240 to 185 to defund Planned Parenthood, a premier women’s healthcare provider for nearly a century serving 3 million women a year in its 800 centers across the country. The leader of the crusade, Representative Mike Pence (R, Indiana), prides himself on being “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order,” promising during his campaign, ” to deliver … legislation that will prevent abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from receiving a single dime from the federal government.” The fact that abortion is legal aside, 97% of Planned Parenthood’s services are NOT abortions, but rather cancer screening and prevention, STD testing and treatment, contraception and general women’s health care, ranging from high blood pressure to urinary tract infections. But Pence apparently, didn’t get the whole Jesus healing the sick thing–the lepers, the blind, the deaf, the mute, the blood-disease afflicted, the dropsy-sufferers, the hand-withered, etc. (which in all fairness you miss if you blink while reading the bible, since Jesus’s healing appears only 22 times and only in the Book of Matthew… and Luke… and Mark… and John). But Pence has decided to throw out the unaborted baby out with the healing bath water. The resolution still has to pass the Senate. In order to get the Vote Yes to Life and No to Health! campaign going in the Senate, here are our top 10 names for the amendment.

As shown by this pie chart from Planned Parenthood’s annual report, 97% of the services they provide are not abortions. The non-profit offers STD testing and treatment, contraception, cancer screening and prevention, and other women’s health services.

Planned Parenthood provides nearly one million Pap tests each year.Pap tests screen for HPV (Human papillomavirus), a disease which at least 50%of sexually active men and women get at some point in their lives. Approximately 20 million Americans currently have HPV and another 6 million people become newly infected each year. But this amendment means that even more people would contract the virus and the genital warts it causes!

Pap tests also screen for, help prevent and lower rates of cervical cancer, which, though highly preventableand treatable, is one of the top 5 killers of women.

Planned Parenthood also provides 830,000 breast exams and mammograms each year.

These exams screen for breast cancer, which approximately 200,000 women will be diagnosed with and 40,000 women will die from this year. But if this bill passes, we will be able to get those numbers up even higher! As fewer women have access to these life and breast-saving exams, more women will lose their breasts and lives to cancer!

Planned Parenthood services help prevent more than 612,000 unintended pregnancies each year. But if the Pro-Unwanted Pregnancy Bill passes, there could be 612,000 more unplanned or unwanted pregnancies and countless more women without access to contraceptives, resources and education!

Just as Planned Parenthood helps women avoid unplanned pregnancies, it helps those who want to be pregnant get pregnant with male and femaleinfertility tests, resources and information. But if the Anti-Fertility Bill passes, who knows how many hopeful would-be parents will be hopeless and child-less!

Planned Parenthood also provides general health care, such as anemia testing, cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, physical exams, flu vaccines, help with quitting smoking, high blood pressure screening, tetanus vaccines, and thyroid screening. This Amendment would increase rates of disease and even death for countless women! In all fairness, at least the Republicans are consistent in their anti-health care stance.

Planned Parenthood tests and treats UTIs or Urinary Tract Infections, which 1 of 5 women have at least once, and consist of burning pain during urination, an urge to urinate when your bladder is nearly empty, feeling like you need to urinate all the time, difficulty controlling when you urinate, lower abdominal pain or back pain, and blood and/or pus in your urine! This amendment would mean more pain and more pus! What could be better?

Yesterday, Philadephia DA, Seth Williams, announced he would no longer seek the death penalty for Mumia Abu Jamal, who has been on death row for nearly 30 years. Abu Jamal, who was convicted of shooting Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981, will serve a life sentence, with no possibility of parole, behind bars. This is a bitter sweet victory–bitter  […] read the rest of the post of Feministing here

As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.

So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.

I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,

“I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!”

Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

From National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Dear Fellow Abolitionists,

Just a few minutes ago, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles issued its denial of clemency for Troy Davis. As disappointing as this is, the famous Joe Hill quote from before he was executed comes to mind: “Don’t waste any time in mourning. Organize…!” NCADP’s statement is here and below.

But first, Troy Davis is not dead yet!

Right now, please immediately act and urge the parole board to reconsider their decision. Please politely e-mail the board members at or fax their office at (404) 651-8502.

Then, click here to join us in calling on the Board to reconsider its decision, and on the Chatham County (Savannah) District Attorney Larry Chisolm to do the right thing. They have until the final moments before Troy’s scheduled execution to put the brakes on this runaway justice system.

Then, join a local demonstration, or initiate one yourself. Today is a Day of Protest to express our outrage at the recent decision to deny Troy Davis clemency. And on Wednesday (Sept. 21), we’re calling for a Day of Vigil on Troy’s impending execution date.

If you are able to organize locally for either of these events, please click to tell our partners at Amnesty International USA about your plans. Continue reading “Clemency Denied for Troy Davis but we Can Still Act!” →