PCDCR launches a documentary film on hate speech in Palestinian society

The Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution has launched a documentary film entitled "Hate Speech in Palestinian Society", which examines the motives behind this discourse and its effects on the Palestinian social fabric, and explores ways of countering it. The film comes within the project "A Protective Environment against Hate Speech and in Support of Freedom of Expression in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip", implemented by the Centre in partnership with Filastiniyat and funded by the European Union.

The film, which runs for about twenty-five minutes, presents the views of intellectuals, academics, researchers, religious scholars and public figures, alongside testimonies from persons with disabilities, on the rise of hate speech in recent years and its roots in the political division, in attempts to monopolise religion, truth or patriotism, and in the way political disagreement turns into hostility that spills over into the religious, historical and cultural spheres.

The film addresses political, social and family hate speech, and discrimination against persons with disabilities. It also discusses the legal framework for dealing with this discourse and the limits of holding those who engage in it accountable, as well as the role of the family, schools, the media and civil society organisations in spreading the values of love and tolerance.

The film concludes that dealing with hate speech remains the hardest challenge, and that countering it strengthens the collective effort to improve the Palestinian situation politically, socially and on the human level, with a positive impact on the Palestinian cause at home and abroad. It closes with an open question about the responsibility of universities, writers, authors and thinkers in turning the ideas of countering hate speech into literary and artistic works.

The film is available with English subtitles.