Civic space is shrinking across the globe. Every year, human rights defenders, humanitarians, social justice activists, and their organizations face new threats in their ability to advocate for change, organize campaigns, or protest against oppressive policies. Nowhere is this crisis of civil society more acute than in the context of dissent and speech related to Palestine–Israel.

In this documentary filmed during the Ramadan and the Easter holidays, two residents of Bethlehem, a Muslim observing Ramadan and an Orthodox Christian priest, talk about how they navigate travel to holy sites through obstacles and checkpoints.

As often occurs in conflict zones, Palestinian women and children have paid the highest price of Israel’s military assault in Gaza.

With foreign media barred from entering Gaza, the only working journalists inside the enclave are Palestinians who face the same challenges and dangers as the civilians they report on, including famine, displacement, and the loss of family and friends. This documentary tells the stories of three of these journalists.

PCIs, who are among Israel’s most marginalized minorities, have experienced even more violence and racism after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Too much is at stake: too many Palestinian and Israeli lives, too much U.S. credibility, and too high the risk of regional conflagration.

Join the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace for a conversation about the limits of free speech in times of conflict.

Another escalation between Hamas and Israel has left a staggering number of Israelis and Palestinians dead. Conditions deteriorate, violence escalates in the occupied West Bank, and protests erupt across the Middle East and the world. Join us online to discuss the unfolding situation.

In the midst of conflict, analysts and policymakers should always be aware that words have meaning, and impact on real life events. At home in America, as well as within Israel/Palestine, we have seen how that happens, with disastrous effect.