The Israel Occupation Tech Lab: Voices from the Holy Land Film Salon - October 2025
On Sunday October 19, join the Roundtable discussion, “The Israel Occupation Tech Lab” at 3:00pm. Register for the Zoom link at Tinyurl.com/VFHL-October2025. View the Trailer: Tinyurl.com/VFHL-October2025Trailer. After registering, watch the curated videos for free at your convenience, then join the Roundtable discussion on the 19th. Sponsored by Nonviolence International and Voices From the Holy Land.
NOTE: After you register, you will immediately get an Approved response - BUT then look in your email for an email From: Zoom with the word "Confirmation" at the end of the subject line...there you'll find the link and password to watch the film in advance of the Salon event.
Synopsis:
From spyware and facial recognition to drones and biometric databases, technology has become one of the Israeli occupation’s most powerful tools of control. These systems are not only deployed against Palestinians, but also marketed globally as “battle-tested,” fueling a growing industry of surveillance and repression.
In this Roundtable, we will explore how the occupation has turned Palestine into a testing ground for technologies of domination which have, in the United States, abetted the decay of privacy and other civil rights. Panelists will discuss the global reach of these tools, their impact on human rights, and the urgent need to imagine collective alternatives rooted in justice and freedom.
Panelists:
Omar Zahzah is an Assistant Professor of Arab, Muslim, Ethnicities and Diaspora Studies (AMED) in the Department of Race and Resistance Studies (RRS) at San Francisco State University. He was Education and Advocacy Coordinator of Eyewitness Palestine. A scholar-activist of Lebanese Palestinian descent, Omar has published (or has forthcoming) works in academic journals such as Critical Ethnic Studies, and in journalistic publications such as The Electronic Intifada, Mondoweiss, and Palestine Chronicle. His book, Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital/Settler-Colonialism in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle was just published by The Censored Press in partnership with Seven Stories Press.
Mohammad Natsheh is a long-time Palestinian grassroots activist in the Southern West Bank (Hebron and Bethlehem Governorates). He’s been working in the field for more than 2 decades and has helped communities facing the brunt of the Israeli occupation by meeting their survival needs on a daily basis, including building (and rebuilding) projects, supporting schools and students with special education needs, and alleviating food insecurity in the affected villages. Mohammad and his community cope with the ubiquitous Israeli surveillance and facial recognition technologies daily.
Helga Tawil-Souri is a Palestinian-American scholar and Associate Professor at NYU in the Department of Media, Culture and Communication and the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Her work investigates how media, technology, culture, territory and politics intersect in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Palestine. Helga has published a wide range of articles and chapters on checkpoints, borders, infrastructure, media and telecom, surveillance, and other topics. Helga has also made documentaries such as Not Going There, Don’t Belong Here (2002) and i.so.chro.nism: Twenty-Four Hours in Jabaa (2004), which capture everyday life and resilience under occupation.
Bianca Peracchi (Moderator) is a human rights activist at Nonviolence International, working on projects to raise awareness and solidarity with people living in occupied regions, such as Palestine and Western Sahara. She is the co-founder of Esperança Solidária, a grassroots NGO in Brazil, that supports children and women living in the favelas. She holds a Master’s in International Relations, focusing on Palestinian women’s resistance movement, and a post-graduate degree in International
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Supporter Organizations: Palestine Justice Network (PCUSA) * Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Justice Network * Churches for Middle East Peace * Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace * Quaker Palestine Israel Network * Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East * Indiana Center for Middle East Peace * Disciples of Christ Palestine-Israel Network * Virginia Coalition for Human Rights * Mennonite Palestine Israel Network * US Lutheran Palestine Israel Caucus * Friends of Sabeel North America * Northern New Jersey Jewish Voice for Peace * United Church of Christ Movement for a Free Palestine* Pax Christi USA * Washington Report on Middle East Affairs *
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How this will work:
1 - Register here for the Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon:
Tinyurl.com/VFHL-October2025.
2 – Once you register, you will get a confirmation email from Zoom (no-reply @ zoom.us) with a link to the meeting and a link to watch the film. (Save that confirmation email message. The meeting link is unique to your email address, and you must have your link to enter the Zoom on the day of the event.)
3 - Watch the film at your convenience before the event. Then join us with your thoughts and questions for our speakers at the Q&A Discussion on October 19, 2025 at 3:00pm ET. For questions & comments, please
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