The evening’s guest lecturer, Dr. Rashid Khalidi is an American historian of the Middle East and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University in New York.  He is the author of “Palestinian Identity”, “Brokers of Deceit”, and “The Iron Cage,” as well as numerous journal articles.  

In this talk, Professor Khalidi spoke about his latest book “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: a History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance”.  In a fact-based, well referenced presentation, Khalidi traces a hundred years of colonial war on the Palestinians.  He highlighted the key episodes in this colonial campaign, from the 1917 Balfour Declaration to the Nakba and the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, from Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon to the endless and futile peace processes.

The event took place at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) building in uptown Waterloo, Ontario.   It was a hybrid event.  About 250 University students, staff and faculty, and members of the community at large were in the auditorium.  Professor Khalidi’s lecture was broadcast live from his home base with another 400 audience participants virtually attending the event.

Following Khalidi’s lecture, a feature of the evening was a panel discussion with:

• Maissaa Almustafa, Postdoctoral Fellow, Political Science, York University, and Adjunct Professor, Political Science, University of Waterloo.
• Michael Dan, Neurosurgeon, author, “The Two-State Dilemma: A Game Theory Perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”, and philanthropist.
• Renée Worringer, Associate Professor, History, University of Guelph.

The public lecture was made possible through the generosity of donors to the University’s Foundation for Palestinian Studies fund.  As the founding donor, Shawky Fahel, Waterloo businessman and philanthropist, said, “I am proud to have had a role in bringing to life the annual lecture series on Palestinian studies.  This lecture was presented in honour of my very good friend, Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, President Emeritus of UW, who was very instrumental in working with me in establishing the Foundation for Palestinian Studies.”  

Fahel added, “It was important to me, and many others, that the Foundation was established so that meaningful dialogue around Palestine – its history, its culture and the challenges Palestinians face today – can take place in an academic environment free from intimidation and harassment.”