Occupied Thoughts

In this episode of FMEP's Occupied Thoughts podcast, Kristin McCarthy (FMEP's Director of Grants & Operations) speaks with Ziv Stahl (Executive Director of Yesh Din) about the phenomenon of settler violence, including it's goals and utility, the totality of its affect on Palestinians, how it is used as a means for land takeover, and the complete lack of accountability or protection provided by the Israeli police and army.

For resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/settler-violence-more-than-criminal/

Welcome to the first episode in a new webinar series co-hosted by Al Shabaka and the Foundation for Middle East Peace: Learning and Unlearning Palestine Part 1: Who Can Speak on Palestine? Featuring Nour Joudah (UC Berkeley), Dina Matar (SOAS, University of London), in conversation with Maha Nassar (University of Arizona). This conversation examines the history and current reality of the erasure of the Palestinian narrative, the delegitimization of Palestinian voices in mainstream spaces, and possibilities for change. Recorded on January 30, 2022. Go to www.fmep.org for more on this conversation and to hear the rest of the series.

Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Hebron-based activist Issa Amro and Israeli activist & playwright Einat Weizman about the new documentary play that Einat wrote based on transcripts from Issa's trial in the Israeli Ofer Military Court. In January, 2023, Issa and Einat came to New York for a staged reading of the play. In this podcast, they speak with Peter about justice and injustice, occupation and oppression, activism and art, and the possibilities for liberation.

Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts -- which comes in the context of ongoing violence in Palestine that only lately broke through to mainstream headlines when the casualties were Israelis -- Inès Abdel Razek (Executive Director, the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy) speaks with FMEP's Lara Friedman about what journalists need to keep in mind when reporting on Palestine, and what the public needs to keep in mind as they consume Palestine-related news.

For notes/links related to this podcast see: https://fmep.org/resource/commonsense-rules-for-reporting-consuming-news-on-palestine/

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Kristin McCarthy talks to Dr. Suhad Bisahara - the Legal Director of Adalah - about the new Israeli government coalition agreements that spell out it's policies of domination, suppression, annexation, and control.

Resources:

"Adalah’s Analysis of the New Israeli Government’s Guiding Principles and Coalition Agreements and their Implications on Palestinians’ Rights" - https://www.adalah.org/uploads/uploads/37_govt_position_paper_Eng_100123.pdf

"Israelis are not demonstrating for democracy" by Dr. Yara Hawari - https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/1/16/israelis-are-not-demonstrating-for-democracy

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks to Francesca Albanese -- international legal expert and the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 -- on ongoing and escalating actions by Israel to forcibly eject more than 1200 Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank region known as Masafer Yatta, located in the South Hebron Hills.

For resources related to this podcast, see: https://fmep.org/resource/a-war-crime-in-the-making-the-uns-francesca-albanese-on-ethnic-cleansing-in-the-south-hebron-hills/

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” FMEP Non-resident Fellow Peter Beinart is joined by Ken Roth (formerly Human Rights Watch) and Harvard professor Kathryn Sikkink to discuss the recent controversy over Harvard's decision to cancel its offer of a fellowship to Ken Roth, based on accusations of anti-Israel bias by both Human Rights Watch and by Ken.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP Non-resident Fellow Peter Beinart is joined by Ziv Stahl (Yesh Din) to sketch out what the new Israeli government has said - and in some cases already started to implement - its policy on settlements, outposts, and Palestinian life in Area C will be. In addition, Ziv discusses the deepening challenges facing human rights organizations and their employees.

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with FMEP Fellow Jehad Abusalim about antisemitism, ranging from the views of 19th century Palestinian intellectuals to responses to the Holocaust and Zionism, from the first Hamas charter to today's rising accusations of antisemitism to delegitimize Palestinian rights.

Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNBC Political Commentator. Follow Peter: @PeterBeinart, peterbeinart.substack.com.

Jehad Abusalim is a 2022 Palestinian non-resident Fellow at FMEP, the Education and Policy Coordinator of the Palestine Activism Program at the American Friends Service Committee, and is completing his PhD in the History and Hebrew and Judaic Studies joint program at New York University. He tweets @JehadAbusalim.

Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with Rebecca Vilkomerson, author of the recent report "Funding Freedom: Philanthropy and the Palestinian Freedom Movement." They speak about the trends, impediments, and dynamics around funding Palestinian rights, how and why funding decisions are political, and how funders - both institutional and individual - can begin or deepen their engagement with the movement for Palestinian freedom with strategy, humility, and courage.

Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.