Video: Richard Falk and Ali Abunimah on Palestine

On 2 December, I joined Richard Falk in Santa Fe for an evening of discussion that ranged from the prospects for self-determination in Palestine and the special relationship between Israel and the US, to responses to the rise of Islamic State.

Falk served as special rapporteur for the United Nations on the situation of human rights in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip from 2008 to 2014.

He taught international law at Princeton University in New Jersey for 40 years.

Falk is the author of numerous books on global issues and international law. His most recent works are Palestine: The Legitimacy of Hope and Chaos and Counterrevolution: After The Arab Spring.

After I introduced Falk, he spoke for about 45 minutes, focusing on US-Israel relations and the prospect for justice and peace in Palestine (video above).

This was followed by 30 minutes of conversation (second video), during which I put questions to Falk about the role of international law and boycott, divestment and sanctions in changing the situation in Palestine.

We also discussed responses to the recent Islamic State atrocities in Paris, Beirut and elsewhere.

The event, at the Lensic Center for the Performing Arts, was part of the Lannan Foundation’s In Pursuit of Cultural Freedom lecture series.