Image courtesy of Nahid Hagigat

 
During the 1999 People of the Book Festival, a panel of Arab and Jewish scholars and activists addressed the subject of "Arab and Jew: Relationships in the New Millennium" at the Westside Jewish Community Center. While renewed negotiations take place between Palestinians and Israelis, with continued U.S. diplomatic efforts to arrive at a conclusive peace accord with the question of Palestinian statehood and in-gathering of refugees yet to be resolved, the panel examined the future of Arab/Jewish relationships both in the Middle East and in the United States.

Stanford historian Joel Beinin, author of The Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry and co-editor of Political Islam (both from UC Press), argued that to have cultural normalization between Arabs and Jews, "there must be a politico-cultural reconciliation," and Palestinian historian Najwa Qattan, of Loyola Marymount, discussed these relationships in light of the Palestinian/Israeli reality on the ground. Gabi Piterberg, an Israeli historian at UCLA, author of the forthcoming The Politics of History in Israel, discussed the continuing problem of "orientalism," and Jordan Elgrably, a writer and community activist, discussed Arab/Jewish relationships, particularly cultural interactions, in the United States. The panel was moderated by Harold Meyerson, executive editor of L.A. Weekly and a specialist on the American left and progressive politics. The public was invited to participate, and a variety of alternative viewpoints were expressed..

This program is the fourth in a series, is curated by Ivri-NASAWI in partnership with Open Tent Middle East Coalition. The series includes "Arabs and Jews Beyond Boundaries" (June '98); "Middle East Film Fest: A Cultural Conversation" (May/June '99); "The Poetry of Peace, Spiritual Music of the Middle East" (Oct. '99); and the
Middle East Poetry Slam."Arab and Jew" was free to the public.

For more information on this and other programs, please call 323.650.3157.