By Carol Burns, Leeds Diocese Pax Christi
At a packed Wheeler Hall on Saturday 17th May, Mahmoud Zwahre, a Palestinian activist from the West Bank, currently a scholar at Coventry University, spoke both eloquently and passionately about his experience of non-violent – or ‘unarmed’ – resistance in the West Bank. He has been active in the area south of Bethlehem – and some of the areas featured in the recent Louis Theroux documentary. After a contribution from Andrew Rigby, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Coventry University, there were buzz groups and then questions to the both of them.
Everyone in the audience was sympathetic to the injustices that are imposed on Palestinians by the Israeli Government. Consequently, the questions focussed on what we could do to show solidarity and what brings Palestinians Hope for the future, given the current circumstances.
Mahmoud thought the Israeli Government were surprised and concerned by the level of global support for Palestine since October 2023. He urged people in this country to keep demonstrating in large numbers. His main source of Hope is that, after 77 years since the creation of Israel and despite the slow erosion of Palestinian land, the Palestinians are still occupying some of it and still have a distinctive culture.
They both made the point that violence only leads to more violence. Equally, Mahmoud said that by using violence ‘you lose some of your humanity’.
Andrew was more cautious. In his view, nothing was going to change until the USA government decided that things should change – and with Trump as President it was very difficult to predict how events might change things on the ground.
Mahmoud showed a short film which can be viewed on YouTube here
This was a partnership event between SPARK Social Justice the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival.