West Bank talk in Portland on Sept 24

 

Ex-Mainers Returned From West Bank To Speak September 24 in Portland On Witnessing Ethnic Cleansing 

Two former Maine professors recently returned from the West Bank will speak at The Apohadian Theatre in Portland on September 24 from 6:30 to 8pm. Melody Shank and Ken Jones were in the West Bank region of Palestine in February 2025 to witness Israel’s ethnic cleansing and to hear stories of Palestinian resistance and steadfastness. 

The event is sponsored by Peaceworks of Greater Brunswick, the Maine Coalition for Palestine, and Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights.  

Ken Jones and Melody Shank are retired professors of teacher education at the University of Southern Maine who now live in Asheville, North Carolina and organize with Reject Raytheon AVL 

According to Jones, “On a daily basis, Palestinian homes are demolished, their land is stolen, their homes invaded, their loved ones dragged off to be tortured in prisons.  Their very presence is made precarious by constant harassment and humiliation from the Israeli army and violent armed settlers.” 

Shank said of their recent trip , “We went as part of a delegation in Hebron with Community Peacemaker Teams” an organization with the goal of witnessing and documenting events where Palestinians are threatened with violence. 

“The genocide in Gaza has been front and center in the struggle for human rights for Palestinians, and rightly so,” said Jones. “Every day we see Israel's bombing, sniping, imprisoning, and starving of the civilian population. Less visible, but also deadly and inhumane are the military occupation and settlement in the West Bank.” 

Jones coordinates a national organization of groups opposing war profiteers. War Industry Resisters Network presents monthly webinars on various aspects of the military-industrial complex. Recently he hosted a webinar with journalist Jasper Nathaniel about Israel's continued and accelerating ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. 

Both the big picture and specific incidents will be discussed, highlighting the urgency of the humanitarian crisis at the Sept 24 event. 

The Apohadion Theater is an event venue located at 107 Hanover Street in Portland, Maine. The program will run from 6:30pm to 8pm on Wednesday, September 24 and there will be a cash bar open for refreshments. 

 

Melody Shank and Ken Jones bannering in Asheville as they have done for the past 20 months.