Understanding Palestine and Israel, with Phyllis Bennis

Presented by United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR) and Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA)

Phyllis Bennis stands among the world's most knowledgeable and insightful analysts on the Middle East. The author of an indispensable primer on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, she has a gift for providing clear and accessible explanations for complex issues.

In this very special webinar, we will explore with her some of the most challenging questions that people around the world are grappling with, including: What are the root causes and the purpose of Israel's genocidal war that has raged since Oct 7, 2023? What should we know and understand about Hamas? In light of the ever-worsening horrors unfolding in Gaza, what are the most useful actions we can take? What to think of various plans that are arising for Gaza's future?

With alarming developments in the West Bank, is formal annexation to Israel looming and what would that mean for the future of Palestine? What has been the impact of U.S. policies, in particular during the Biden and Trump administrations? How significant are recent shifts in U.S. politics and society regarding Palestine/Israel, and what might we expect in the year to come? How helpful (or not) are recent developments in Europe and at the United Nations, and what is needed from them?

This Webinar was recorded on October 15, 2025

SPEAKER:
Phyllis Bennis is an American Jewish writer and political commentator and a leading advocate for Palestinian rights. She directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington D.C., and she is a fellow of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She also serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace, and, in 2001, she helped to found US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Bennis has served as an informal adviser to several top UN officials on the Middle East, and she has been short-listed twice for the post of UN Special Rapporteur. She writes and speaks widely across the US and around the world, and she is the author of numerous books on Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine, and US foreign policy.

Her most recent book is Understanding Palestine and Israel (2025).

From the publisher: "The book cuts through the noise and delivers clear, accessible answers to the most pressing questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — questions that many have never had the opportunity to ask. In an easy to read, FAQ-style format, it covers the origins of the Israeli state, the movement for Palestinian liberation, U.S. foreign policy, and much, much more — including the events of October 7, 2023, the war that followed, and the role of the conflict in 2024 presidential election in the United States."

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RELATED RESOURCES

Stay informed about the program Phyllis directs, The New Internationalism Project, by signing up for email:
https://secure.everyaction.com/2oJ8yD6-ZEyQCTF0mK1Yww2
 
Phyllis Bennis's new book: Understanding Palestine and Israel
 
Latest article by Phyllis Bennis: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/trump-netanyahus-gaza-plan/
 
BOOKS BY PHYLLIS BENNIS
 
Understanding Palestine and Israel (2025)
by Phyllis Bennis
 
No Place Left to Go: Why Palestine Matters (2025)
by Donald Wagner and Phyllis Bennis
Foreword by Rev. Munther Isaac
 
Understanding ISIS and the New Global War on Terror: A Primer (2015)
by Phyllis Bennis
 
Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer (2010)
by David Wildman and Phyllis Bennis
 
Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power (2005).
by Phyllis Bennis and Erskine Childers
 
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
See many pieces by Phyllis Bennis on a wide range of topics –
 
At In These Times:
https://inthesetimes.com/authors/phyllis-bennis
 
At Common Dreams:
https://www.commondreams.org/author/phyllis-bennis
 
VIDEOS
Phyllis Bennis: Trump, Netanyahu, and the Real Estate Logic of Genocide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp8MPtQANbk
 
Has Israel Gone Rogue?
In a series of interviews with Al Jazeera, Phyllis Bennis explains Israel's attack on Qatar amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
https://ips-dc.org/video-has-israel-gone-rogue/
 
Take action to contact U.S. leaders, to stop arming Israel: https://umkr.salsalabs.org/blockthebombs/index.html