Michael Arria, Omar Baddar, and Lamis Deek will discuss their thoughts on how the new Biden administration will impact the future of Palestine, how Trump altered the right on the question of Israel, increasing support for Palestine among Democratic voters, and the current dynamics and politics on the ground in Palestine. The discussion will be moderated by Said Arikat.
Michael Arria has covered foreign policy and social movements for the last decade and he’s the author of Medium Blue: The Politics of MSNBC. He’s been the U.S. correspondent at Mondoweiss since 2019.
Omar Baddar is a political analyst, digital producer, and human rights advocate based in Washington, DC. He serves as communications director for the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), and co-host for its podcast This is Palestine. He previously served as deputy director of the Arab American Institute, a producer with Al Jazeera, executive director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of Massachusetts, and former director of the Palestine Cultural Center for Peace in Boston, MA. He holds a master’s degree in political science, with research focusing on U.S. policy toward Palestine and Israel. He has participated in dozens of panels, lectures, and debates on college and university campuses throughout the US. His media appearances include the BBC, MSNBC, Al-Jazeera, Sky News, Voice of America, and other outlets, and his writings have appeared in Salon, the Huffpost, the Daily Beast, and Jadaliyya, among other platforms.
Lamis Deek is a practicing human rights attorney and advocate whose work involves Palestinian, Arab and Muslim civil rights and criminal defense matters ranging from freedom of speech, assembly, and worship, to defense against state repression and predatory policing, surveillance and prosecutions, and manufactured “terrorism” cases. She defended against litigation campaigns to stop mosque construction and cases stemming from the unlawful and secret “demographics unit” which she helped de-code and represents those targeted for harassment and unlawful activity on campuses in the US and the UK . Lamis also specializes, by way of litigation, strategy and policy development in local, domestic, multi-jurisdictional and international matters related to corruption, human/civil rights abuses, and complex civil and commercial matters. Lamis is a member of several Palestinian rights and liberation focused organizations, advises numerous charities, and is a frequent lecturer on matters related to Palestine, militarization, and human rights. She is currently working to advance the growing international movement for accountability and interventions against war crimes in Palestine and the MENA region.
Said Arikat is a Member of the Palestine Center Committee, and the Washington bureau chief for the Palestinian newspaper al-Quds, a daily for which he is a writer, columnist, and analyst. He previously served as spokesman and director of public information for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, and currently teaches as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, DC.
