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Screening will start at 12:00 PM US EDT; 19:00 Palestine, 18:00 Europe, UK 17:00; Running Time 48 minutes, 2023 English language. The film screening will be followed by Q&A discussions with audience.

"The Hidden History of Israel" is a thought-provoking video featuring a conversation between Ghada Karmi, a Palestinian author, and Avi Shlaim, a Jewish professor. Both individuals share their unique perspectives, shaped by their personal experiences, on the complex history of Israel. Ghada Karmi fled her home during the Nakba, while Avi Shlaim served in the Israeli army. Their discussion sheds light on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, challenging dominant narratives and offering insights into the region's tumultuous past.

This video is part of the content created by Double Down News, a platform known for its in-depth journalism and nuanced explorations of complex issues. The conversation between Karmi and Shlaim highlights the importance of understanding the multifaceted history of Israel and its impact on the Palestinian people. By sharing their expertise and personal stories, they encourage viewers to think critically about the region's past, present, and future.

About Ghada Karmi

Ghada Karmi is a Palestinian-born academic, physician, and author born in Jerusalem in 1939 to a Muslim family. Her father, Hasan Sa'id Karmi, was Palestinian, while her mother was Syrian. Karmi's family fled Jerusalem for Damascus, Syria, in April 1948, after Israel seized their villa, and eventually settled in Golders Green, London, where her father worked for the BBC Arabic Service as a translator and broadcaster.

Karmi studied medicine at the University of Bristol, graduating in 1964, and initially practiced as a physician specializing in the health and social conditions of ethnic minorities, migrants, and asylum seekers. She later gained a doctorate in the history of Arabic medicine from the University of London. Since 1972, Karmi has been politically active for the Palestinian cause, advocating for Palestinian rights and challenging dominant media narratives that marginalize Palestinian perspectives.

As an academic, Karmi has held research and teaching positions at institutions such as the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on Middle Eastern politics, identity, migration, and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Karmi is an associate fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and a visiting professor at London Metropolitan University. She is also vice-chair of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU).

Karmi's writing often explores themes of displacement, identity, and the Palestinian struggle for justice. Her notable works include "In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story," a memoir recounting her family's forced displacement and her struggle to reconcile her Palestinian identity with life in Britain, and "Return: A Palestinian Memoir," which documents her visit to Palestine after decades of exile. Karmi's advocacy extends to public debates and documentaries, where she consistently argues for Palestinian rights and critiques Israeli policies.

About Avi Shlaim

Avi Shlaim is a renowned Israeli-British historian and Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford. Born on October 31, 1945, in Baghdad, Iraq, to a wealthy Jewish family, Shlaim's family emigrated to Israel in 1951, but he later moved to England at the age of 16 to study at a Jewish school. He served in the Israel Defense Forces from 1964 to 1966 before returning to England to pursue his academic career.

Shlaim studied history at Jesus College, Cambridge, earning his BA degree in 1969. He then earned an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics in 1970. Later, he obtained his PhD from the University of Reading in 1980 with a thesis on "The United States and the Berlin Blockade, 1948-1949: A Study in Crisis Decision Making."

Shlaim's research focuses on the Arab-Israeli issue, and he is considered one of Israel's "New Historians," a group of scholars who offer critical interpretations of Zionism and Israel's history. He has taught international relations at the University of Reading and the University of Oxford, where he was Alastair Buchan Reader in International Relations from 1987 to 1996 and Professor of International Relations thereafter.

Shlaim has written several notable books, including "Collusion Across the Jordan: King Abdullah, the Zionist Movement, and the Partition of Palestine" (1988), which won the 1988 Political Studies Association's W. J. M. Mackenzie Book Prize. His other notable work is "The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World" (2000), a comprehensive history of Israel's relations with the Arab world. More recently, he published "Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew" (2023), a memoir that explores his Iraqi Jewish heritage and experiences, which won the 2024 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize.

Shlaim has received several awards and recognitions for his work. He was elected Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 2006. In 2017, he was awarded the British Academy Medal for lifetime achievement. His memoir "Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew" also won the 2024 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize.