Azmi Bishara, General Director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, gave the opening lecture of the 2023 Annual Palestine Forum on Saturday, 28 January. Bishara’s remarks focused on the value of an annual forum for researchers and intellectuals who dedicate their work to the Palestinian question and on the challenges facing the struggle for justice for the Palestinians. Bishara reflected on the role of the forum as providing a space that bridges the distance between Palestinians all over the world and that allows researchers and activists from all nationalities who focus on the Palestinian cause to have a rational and responsible discourse about Palestine, its history, and its struggle. The lecture also looked at the crisis of the current framework of the Palestinian national project. In summary, the lecture addressed three main questions: what are the main considerations that went into launching the Annual Palestine Forum? How present is the Palestinian cause on official Arab and international agendas? Did the public opinion towards Israel and the Palestinian cause change? How can we understand the crisis of the Palestinian National Liberation movement in light of the changes of the regional context and the politico-geographic fragmentation of the Palestinian people? What is to be done and what are the alternatives that can allow us to overcome this crisis?