For generations, leadership in Cleveland's Arab-American community have been working to advance equity and peace for Palestinians, and others, in both our city and the region. But the current round of hostilities and headlines coming out of Gaza has put their cause front and center. To date, more than 36,000 Palestinians-more than half of which were women and children-have perished in Israel's military response to the October 7, 2023 deadly attack by Hamas.\r\n\r\nAcross the country, diverse sectors of advocates have demonstrated on college campuses and spoke out at public events to draw attention to the plight in Gaza. This includes Cleveland, where a repeated call for a ceasefire was won in March. Still, at the heart of it all, is the local Palestinian community, neighbors and coworkers, who are grappling with grief and worry of losing family and loved ones; as well as navigating a documented increase in anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hate and sentiment across the country.\r\n\r\nWe invite you to hear from key leadership in Cleveland's Arab-American community who hold Palestinian heritage on how their community is faring, and what is needed to move toward equity and peace.