The Predicament of Gaza and Palestine:
US/Israeli policies and the role of Academia

Preamble

It has been almost two years since the last FFIPP conference in Ramallah.
Since then, the situation in the Occupied Territories has deteriorated with the
rapidly worsening conditions in Gaza, the continued construction of the Wall
and the settlements, continued violence— mainly against the Palestinians- and
the lack of any progress in the ‘negotiations’. The tensions between Hamas and
Fatah continued as well and the isolation of Hamas contributed to the general
deterioration. The Annapolis conference has failed to produce any positive
change in the region and the occupation of Iraq is now threatening to escalate
into, potentially, a major confrontation with Iran.

This turbulent political environment in Israel, Palestine and the region, coupled
with the devastating socio-economic conditions in Gaza, urgently call for better
understanding, cooperation and positive plan of joint action among
Internationals, Palestinians and Israelis. This conference has been designed as
an aid for such an action.

First Day

The Gaza Blockade: (Summary)
Eyad el-Sarraj, President of FFIPP-International, Founder and Director of Gaza Community Mental Health Program
The Architecture of Occupation: (Summary)
Eyal Weizman, University of London
The Sociocide of the Palestinian Society: (Summary)
Saleh Abdel Jawad, Professor of Political Science, Birzeit University
Solidarity and Political Activity: (Summary)
Salim Tamari, director of the Institute for Jerusalem Studies, Board Member of FFIPP, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Birzeit University
Gaza Video Conference
Issam Younis, Director of Al Mizan Center for Human Rights, Gaza (Summary)
Dr. Albert Ahela, Health provider, Gaza (Summary)

Second Day

Moderator: Sari Bashi, Director of Gisha
European Union Policy on the Palestine/Israel: (Summary)
Eric Rouleau, former bureau editor of Middle East for Le Monde, former France Ambassador to Morocco and Tunisia
US Policy in the Middle East - Challenging Pessimism: (Summary)
Richard Falk, FFIPP Advisory Board, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, Visiting Distinguished Professor in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Discussant: Phyllis Bennis, Institute of Policy Studies

Sari Bashi, Eric Rouleau, Phyllis Bennis and Richard Falk (by Georg Hoehne)

There was an extensive participation of the audience in discussions following the presentations