In the wake of a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian freedom fighters, the conference “Talking about (the Silencing of) Palestine” held in Frankfurt on January 16-17 provided a vital platform for critical discussions on apartheid, occupation, and the repression of Palestinian voices. The event emphasized that a just peace in the region can only be achieved when these injustices, along with the silencing of Palestinian narratives, are brought to an end.
The conference was organized by a student-academic coalition with support from Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Palestine Frankfurt. Medico International provided the venue, hosting more than 350 attendees in person and drawing approximately 7,000 online streams. Over €12,000 in donations were raised during the event.
International guests from Palestine, Australia, Denmark, the UK, Lebanon, the US, and Austria contributed to the discussions. Despite defamatory statements from German officials, including Anti-Semitism Commissioner Uwe Becker and Volker Beck of the German-Israeli Society, the event succeeded in its mission to highlight Palestinian struggles and encourage solidarity.
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The opening address was given by NYU scholar Hazem Jamjoum, who explored ways of narrating and archiving Palestinian history. Drawing parallels with other settler-colonial projects like South African apartheid, Jamjoum declared: “Apartheid doesn’t end until Zionism is dismantled.” Similar topics resurfaced and were deepened later in the conference, particularly in discussions on Europe’s colonial legacies.
Another major panel brought together Ghada Karmi, Mayssoun Sukarieh, and Rami Salameh discussing the rebuilding of hope through resistance and decolonization, the right of return and the one state solution as the only democratic future for Palestine. However, Salameh cautioned against complacency, warning that the recent ceasefire might have signaled Israel’s defeat but that the cycle of violence could easily be renewed.
The first evening panel on scholasticide in Palestine examined epistemic violence as an integral part of genocide. German professor Helga Baumgarten, who teaches at Birzeit University in Palestine, commemorated Palestinian writers murdered by Israeli forces.
The conference included workshops spanning a wide and interdisciplinary spectrum, including Palestinian narratives in images and film, discourse in the (German) education system, legal perspectives on migration and genocide, queer-feminist approaches, and the instrumentalization of antisemitism.
Read more: That strong spirit of Palestinian emancipation
Despite the spirit of resistance shared by the participants, the conference faced significant external obstructions in its organization, a reflection of the systematic attempts to stifle solidarity with Palestine in Germany. These attempts continued beyond the academic sphere in the days that followed, including through a police crackdown on activists from Network Palästina.
Although the conference had been booked well in advance through academic channels and enjoyed widespread support among academic staff, the Goethe University Frankfurt rescinded its offer of space close to the day, very likely for political reasons. This irony was not lost on participants, considering that broader restrictions on academic freedom was a key focus of the conference. Participants called out the university for interpreting academic freedom selectively, especially in light of its history of hosting controversial, Islamophobic conferences like Susanne Schröter’s 2016 “Headscarf Conference.”
Fittingly, the final panel, hosted by the Alliance for Critical and Solidary Science, addressed growing restrictions on academic freedom. A heated debate emerged on the role of scholars within social movements, touching on alliances, responsibilities, and the role of universities in reproducing power hierarchies and oppression.
During the conference, American scholar Kevin Potter commented on the relationship between academia and activism, criticizing the artificial separation between the two: “Dismissing academic discussions on Palestine as mere activism reflects an epistemically violent discourse and should instead be taken seriously to challenge supremacist and one-sided research.”
Despite the repressive environment, the conference successfully created a space for critical engagement and scholarly exchange. Participants emphasized the urgency of organizing, educating, and resisting narratives that seek to marginalize Palestinian voices. They made it clear that the struggle for Palestinian liberation goes beyond territorial sovereignty; it includes reclaiming the right to speak, teach, and imagine alternative futures. The discussions represented a step towards breaking the “silencing of Palestine:” the responsibility to continue these debates lies with all who are able to speak up in the context of the struggle against imperialism.
Emma Reimann lives in Berlin, where she is currently pursuing a master’s in education science. She was a member of the organizing committee of the conference “Talking about (the Silencing of) Palestine.”
