Scholars at the 4th annual Palestine Forum highlighted major shifts in global research on Palestine amid growing disinformation and political pressures, during the forum’s second day of parallel academic sessions and workshops.
Organised by the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies in co-operation with the Institute for Palestine Studies, the forum’s second day Sunday featured two sessions, each comprising four parallel sub-tracks and two workshops.
The first track of the opening session, titled “Research Trends and Sources in Palestine Studies”, was presented and moderated by Rami Rayess, the director of the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut.
A joint paper by Fadi Zaraqat and his colleagues at the Arab Centre – Hadi Hammoud, Shadi Abu Shakra, and Ayat Hamdan – examined shifts in research interests and discourse surrounding Palestine.
Hanna Alsheikh, co-ordinator of the Palestine Project at the Arab Centre, presented Palestine Explained, a digital educational platform designed to organise and provide reliable resources on the Palestinian issue for a broad audience.
The initiative was launched amid escalating media disinformation, censorship, and digital repression, particularly in the US since the outbreak of the war on Gaza.
Mahmoud al-Qaysi, professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Baghdad, presented his paper on The Shift in Trends of Palestinian Studies in Japan: From the Shock of October 1973 to the Nakba of Gaza 2023.
Using a comparative historical approach, al-Qaysi analysed the development of Arab and Middle Eastern studies in Japan and their impact on Palestinian studies, identifying the post-1973 period as a turning point in Japan’s political, economic, and academic engagement with the region.
The second session, titled “Western Universities and the Production of Knowledge about Palestine”, was moderated by Ibrahim Fraihat, professor of International Conflict at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
The discussion shifted focus from disciplinary transformations to the Western university as an institutional space where knowledge and power intersect.
Amanda Najeeb, a PhD researcher at New York University’s Department of Education and Learning, presented on “Palestinian Crit”, or Palestinian Critical Theory.
The forum will continue Monday with discussions on regional and international contexts shaping the Palestinian cause, reinforcing its centrality in academic research amid rapidly evolving political and humanitarian developments.
Particular attention is being given to expanding research on the repercussions of genocide on Palestinian society and analysing its broader ramifications.
Through its diverse sessions and activities, the forum aims to foster high-quality scholarly discourse that contributes to building a sustained body of knowledge on the Palestinian cause, engaging both academic circles and the wider public while supporting ongoing research efforts.