In a joint online event organized by dis:orient and the Network for Critical Communication Studies,
Alon Sahar will present his study, “The Campaign Against UNRWA and the Palestinian Right of Return in Germany: Pro-Israel Actors, Narratives, and their Political Resonance,” published in July 2026.
Gil Shohat, Director of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s Israel Office, writes about it: "This study, commissioned by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, provides a systematic insight into the advocacy work of pro-Israel political actors in the USA, Germany, and Israel for the first time. It's central concern is the political campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has existed since 1949. The study traces the strategies and argumentative patterns used to discredit UNRWA and its work within the German political landscape, with the medium term aim of ending the agency's funding. Using this case as an example, the study makes an important contribution to a fact-based and systematic understanding of the working methods as well as the personal and political networks of pro-Israel organizations. It becomes clear how these actors influence political, social, and media debates in Germany, and what impact they have had on decisions made by governments and parliaments regarding Israel-Palestine policy.“
You can download the study here in German or in English.
About Alon Sahar: Alon is a German-Israeli independent researcher, strategic consultant, and filmmaker. His analyses and commentaries have been published in leading international media outlets, including Der Spiegel, EUobserver, The Jerusalem Post, and Verfassungsblog. He has collaborated on research projects with Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem and is the founding editor of the Staatsräson Monitor.
The event will be hosted by disorient chair and researcher Dr.des. Henriette Raddatz and media and communications scholar Dr. Sevda Can Arslan from KriKoWi.
Online: https://eu01web.zoom.
