Censored exhibition finally sees the light of day

A photography exhibition on Palestinian refugees, deemed too hot to handle a couple of years ago, will finally be shown at Leichhardt Town Hall during Refugee Week.

Leichhardt community group Friends of Hebron is launching a Festival of Friendship and photography exhibition at 7pm on Friday, June 25, with the aim of raising funds to support a preschool for Palestinian children. Attractions on offer will include music, food, and, on Saturday, an indoor market.

Moreover, a forum on the censorship of the Palestinian story will take place at 3pm on Saturday, June 26, at Leichhardt Town Hall. Speakers will include journalist and academic Peter Manning, as well as Peter Slezak, co-founder of the Independent Australian Jewish Voices website.

The issue of censorship is close to the heart of the group, since their first attempt to hold this exhibition in 2008 was thwarted when a visit from NSW counter-terrorism police spooked the local library staff.

Jennifer Killen, a spokesperson for Friends of Hebron, said the group was surprised when their first exhibition was taken down.

“The terrorism police didn’t ask the library to take down the exhibition, but it was a matter of concern that one of their exhibitions should draw this attention,” she said.

“I understand that the terrorism police paid their visit without looking at the exhibition so in fact it had nothing to do with the content.

“I think it was more to do with someone not wanting the story of Hebron to be told.”

Ms Killen has visited Hebron on the West Bank and was upset to see people living in extreme poverty, especially in the rural areas surrounding the city.

“If a family builds a home frequently it will be demolished. I visited a village outside Hebron where the mayor was living in a tent because Israeli armed forces had demolished his home,” she said.

The Australian premiere of the documentary film Welcome to Hebron, depicting life under Israel’s military occupation through the eyes of a Palestinian teenager, will take place on June 26 at 7pm.