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The College of St. Scholastica

The College’s free lecture series on the current state of the Middle East continues with a discussion on America’s role in that region.

Phyllis Bennis, an American writer, activist, and political commentator, will speak on the topic “What is America Doing in the Mideast?” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Mitchell Auditorium on the St. Scholastica campus. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Focusing on issues related to the Middle East and the United Nations, Bennis is a critic of Israel and the United States and a leading advocate of Palestinian rights.

She directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington D.C. and is a fellow of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She has written, among other books, “Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.”

“What is America Doing in the Mideast” is part of St. Scholastica’s Alworth Center for the Study of Peace and Justice series. The 2018-2019 theme, “Unraveling the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” focuses on the current state of the Middle East and America’s involvement in the region. Other events, all at the Mitchell Auditorium and all at 7:30 p.m., include:

  • Feb. 12, 2019, “The Idea of Israel,” with Michael Brenner, professor of Jewish History and Culture at the University of Munich and Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Chair in Israel Studies at American University.
  • March 26, 2019, “Stand Up For Peace,” Jewish-American comedian Scott Blakeman and Muslim-American comedian Dean Obeidallah come together for a performance that reflects their philosophy, “if we can laugh together, we can live together.”