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Journalist calls for action
Lecture series presenter brings Palestinian voice to topic of heated conflict
KATE BRENNER/Herald photo
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Former lead journalist for Ma’an News Agency, Amira Hanania called for global involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and challenged people to become responsible future leaders Monday at the Distinguished Lecture Series.
Twenty-seven-year-old Hanania is the subject of the recent documentary film “Live from Bethlehem” about the conflict in Palestine and Israel and the importance of truthful reporting of both sides of every news story.
Hanania drew from her experience as a journalist from the age of 17, when she became the host of a youth radio talk show.
“I wanted to find the news, not just report it,” Hanania said. “It’s so important for Palestinians to have good news that comes from our country… for us to become a strong nation, we must tell our own stories.”
UW sophomore Stephanie Connors said she heard about Hanania through a friend and was impressed with the documentary and talk.
Connors said unlike television broadcasts on the conflict, Hanania’s live presentation brought the topic to life.
“Even the question-and-answer session, she was very wise, giving holistic answers to everyone that worked towards respect and peace,” Connors added.
Hanania talked about the struggles of being a journalist as well as a woman and a mother of twin boys in Palestine.
According to Hanania, women’s lives are framed with conflict. They are constantly caught up in the struggles of motherhood and often fear for their sons and husbands.
“I could report the news all day, but nothing I could say would make the loss and death of an innocent person any less terrible. I think Israel was wrong because the war killed so many innocent people, and I can’t forgive that,” said Hanania. “It is not self-defense to kill defenseless people.”
DLS co-organizer Chun-See Tsao said he felt Hanania was a direct and tactfully blunt speaker, and her unique position in Palestine gave her great insight.
Hanania also spoke addressing President Barack Obama. She said she has faith in his abilities as president, and urged students to push him and all leaders to prioritize human rights.
UW junior Mike Farron said he liked the talk and was impressed with the leadership of the Ma’an News Agency as the only independent news network in Palestinian territories.
He said Hanania’s words conveyed a strong message.
“I think it’s not the faith in journalism, it’s the faith in leaders in our world. … History repeats itself,” Hanania said. “If we didn’t talk or report what was happening here, who would know? Who would make the change? I work hard to show this — try to tell the story that people will understand when rights are violated.”
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Hey Amira, does it make sense to fir rockets into Israeli towns where many innocent Israelis live? Yeah, like you actually believe in honest, unbiased reporting. Try lecturing somewhere else besides and ultra-liberal town in the US and see how fast people jump up to the microphone and give you and earful. Sorry, but we Americans are not as gullible as you like to think we are, sweetie!
Hamas and Hezbollah, get out of Gaza now!
I feel that the people accounted in this article all agreed with Hanania and how Israel was wrong on this topic of war. I feel that for an unbiased article, it would have been necessary to find someone who disagreed with her statements and the fact that Israel was wrong. Moreover, if this newspaper truly wanted to do an unbiased article, it would have been simple to leave out the quote of how she felt Israel was wrong and that “self defense was not killing defenseless people” and solely focusing on her life and struggles as a journalist in a conflict zone
How can Israel call their action in Gaza as self-defence, when Gaza is a defenceless country? Israel did not have the justification to kill thousands of people in Gaza and they will find themselves on the wrong side of history.
“Hey Amira, does it make sense to fir [sic] rockets into Israeli towns where many innocent Israelis live?”
You mean the qassam rockets, which are about as long and wide as a baseball bat and killed maybe 3 or 4 Israelis in the years leading up to the Gaza conflict? No doubt these attacks are acts of terrorism and should be vehemently condemned, but by no means do they justify the outrageously misguided offensive into the Gaza strip, in which hundreds of innocent Gazans were killed.
The fact of the matter is that the conflict is fundamentally lopsided. Gazans have no organized army so their (justly) angered civilians are compelled to form terrorist organizations. Don’t mistake it…what Hamas is doing when they launch rockets into Israel is NOTHING compared to the brutality the Israeli regime has forced the Gazans endure with unlawful port blockade and total marginalization of Gazan citizens.
Is the BH journalist, Ms Poussant, aware that the gentleman pictured in the cover photo is in fact UW’s own Matt Sienkiewicz, who was also one half of the production team for the film Live From Bethlehem.
Is there a reason this was not mentioned? Oh, shoddy journalism? Check.
I don’t even care what Israel does the the Palis! They deserve it!
1:49pm: Is it Israel’s fault that the Palestinians brought a knife to a gunfight?
-Journalists arent always aware of which photos are being paired with their pieces.
what the hell you are talking about mr no one , palestinian deserve a better life in gaza and i believe that you are stupid enough to believe that israel in defending itself … sham on you