A coalition in the Hudson Valley screened the documentary Who Killed Shireen? on Sunday, August 3rd at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY.
Shireen Abu Akleh, the namesake of the documentary, was a Palestinian American journalist. Born in East Jerusalem and raised in New Jersey, Abu Akleh provided award-winning coverage of the West Bank for Al Jazeera for 25 years – until 2022 when she was shot and killed by Alon Sacagiu, a captain in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
The film was produced by Zeteo Media, the new independent media company founded by former MSNBC host Medhi Hasan. It follows Zeteo journalists as they travel all the way to Tel Aviv, Israel and Jenin in the West Bank to identify the name and rank of Abu Akleh’s killer for the first time.
The screening was hosted by a coalition of organizations, including Rally Middletown, Jewish Voices for Peace Hudson Valley, Middle East Crisis Response, Mid Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America and Muslims for Muslims International. In support of their mission of raising awareness about the dangers journalists face in covering Gaza and the West Bank, Zeteo provided the documentary to the organizers for free.
Khalid, one of the organizers of the event, talked about why highlighting a story from before October 7, 2023, shows the length and scope of Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and the role the United States plays in it.
“Over the course of the documentary, it becomes very clear that it’s not just about the specific name of the person or soldier who killed her, but rather about the system,” said Khalid. “And unfortunately this is relevant to us in the United States. In the documentary there is mention of how the previous administration, when this was happening, really went out of their way to cover the story and not bring justice to Shireen Abu Akleh.”
The screening was free to attend for anyone in the community and was followed by breakout group discussions led by folks with various ties to this ongoing geopolitical issue. The organizers hope that these conversations can invite more folks into the conversation and reduce polarization.
“ Our mission is to provide participants with an opportunity to connect with the humanity of individual Palestinians, said Mimi Fortunato, local artist and organizer. “Specifically to center Palestinian voices, and to expose the truth of the Palestinian lived experience under Israeli occupation for the past 75 years.”
Since 2023, Israel has targeted and killed over 200 journalists reporting on Gaza, which is a war crime under international humanitarian law. In addition, Israel does not allow foreign media organizations into Gaza.
In a pre-recorded interview shown after the documentary, Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist who was with Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank on the day she was killed and narrowly missed the same bullet by hiding behind a tree, talked about how Israel’s intervening in coverage of Gaza creates a biased perception in Western media.
“For me, there is no journalist in the world who is objective,” said Hanaysha, “To be a good journalist, he or she simply needs to be a human.”
As a group discussion leader after the screening, Shahd echoed the need for western media to center the humanity and lived experience of Palestinians. A freelance journalist and Arabic teacher, Shahd survived Israel’s bombing of Rafah, Khan Younis and Jabalia refugee camp in March 2024. Her family fled to Egypt and she applied to Bard College, where she is about to start her second year.
“I cannot hide what I’ve seen in the Gaza Strip, all of the trauma, all of the times I was nearly killed by Israeli soldiers,” said Shahd. “But my power is in connecting with others. Even though it feels small, I’m sure in the long run it will cause something.”
Listen for more. The coalition will be hosting its next screening of The Teacher at the Old Dutch Church on September 28, 2025.
Image: Sign outside of the Old Dutch Church with a picture of Shireen Abu Akleh in a blue Press vest. (Credit: Genevieve Hartnett)