A special night of programming that examines the seemingly intractable Middle East conflict from a personal and media perspective.  The evening, broadcast in 2 parts, includes Occupied Minds, the story of two journalists - Jamal Dajani, a Palestinian-American and David Michaelis, an Israeli - who journey to Jerusalem to bring their unique insight to the problem.  After the film, Jamal and David answer questions from viewers. Also included are excerpts from Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land, an incisive look at how the Israel-Palestine conflict is presented in the U.S. media, oftened filtered through an Israeli perspective.  Tune in to find out how to acquire a DVDs of both films and other special gifts.

PART 1

Occupied Minds
Occupied Minds is the story of two journalists, Jamal Dajani, a Palestinian-American and David Michaelis, an Israeli citizen, who journey to Jerusalem, their mutual birthplace,  to explore new solutions and offer unique insights into the divisive Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film takes viewers on an emotional and intensely personal odyssey through the streets of one of the world’s most volatile regions.

PART 2

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land
Excerpts from Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provide a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This pivotal documentary exposes how the foreign policy interests of American political elites work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies to exercise a powerful influence over how news from the region is reported.

Through the voices of scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land carefully analyzes and explains how--through the use of language, framing and context--the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media, and Israeli colonization of the occupied terrorities appears to be a defensive move rather than an offensive one. The documentary also explores the ways that U.S. journalists, for reasons ranging from intimidation to a lack of thorough investigation, have become complicit in carrying out Israel's PR campaign. At its core, the documentary raises questions about the ethics and role of journalism, and the relationship between media and politics.

DIALOGUE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Jamal Dajani and David Michaelis - Directors of Occupied Minds answer questions from viewers