Group to show films on Israel-Palestine issue

The newly formed Lincoln-based GRALTA Foundation will show the first two films in a series exploring the Israel-Palestine conflict later this month and in October.

“1913: Seeds of Conflict” is a 2015 PBS documentary that offers insights into the events in Palestine that set the stage for the coming century of unrest, with perspectives from a wide range of Arab, Israeli and American scholars. Producer/director Ben Loeterman will lead a discussion and answer questions following both showings of the film at the following times:

• Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m., Bemis Hall
• Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., Lincoln Public Library

“The Other Son” (2012), directed by Lorraine Lévy, is the tale of two young men—one Israeli, the other Palestinian—who discover they were accidentally switched at birth, and the complex repercussions facing them and their respective families. The revelation turns the lives of the two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, values, and beliefs. There will be audience discussions after the two screenings:

• Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m., Bemis Hall
• Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m., Lincoln Public Library

The GRALTA Foundation (Grass Roots Awareness, Learning, Travel and Action) is a nonprofit established by Lincoln residents Steve and Barbara Low. Its goal is to raise awareness of the causes and current status of the Israel-Palestine conflict and investigate regional and international initiatives for ending it. The project includes opportunities for learning and travel, including a fact-finding trip to Israel and Palestine in January 2017.

GRALTA does not advocate a specific political stance or solution for the conflict. “This has become a battle over human rights—it’s as simple as that,” Steve Low said. “We hope that our model, if successful and expanded, will shift the conversation away from anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and partisan politics to an objective discussion of human rights, justice and peace not only for Israelis and Palestinians, but for America’s security as well.”

The Lows’ daughter Shaina Low, a law school student who spent the summer working for the BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights in Bethlehem, recently gave a well-attended talk in Lincoln about the conflict (click here to watch the video).