Occupied Thoughts

FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks to political, policy, and advocacy strategist Rania Batrice about the changing political landscape in the grassroots and in Congress with respect to Palestine.

For resources and bios, visit: https://fmep.org/resource/podcast-winds-of-change-in-the-grassroots-congress-on-palestine/

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, Lara Friedman asks Omar Baddar what it is like to be Palestinian American in U.S. politics, government, and media. They also discuss to what extent the issue of Palestine is undergoing a transformation across these fields, and how the Biden Administration is choosing to navigate these changes.

For bios and more info, visit: https://fmep.org/resource/the-alienation-of-palestinian-americans-in-u-s-politics-media/

Original Music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” Lara Friedman speaks with Elizabeth Tsurkov about extremist trends in Israel and how they are manifest in the latest elections and coalition building, in Israeli policies across the Occupied Territories (including Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah), in the violence that swept through “mixed cities” during the recent Gaza War, and in Israel’s relations - and normalization - with authoritarian regime in the region.

For bios and more info, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/the-extremist-through-line-in-israels-domestic-regional-policies/

Original music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," Lara Friedman speaks with Dr. Maha Nassar about changes in the U.S. discourse on Palestine and Israel, shifts in US media that make room for Palestinian voices, and the history and dynamics of Black-Palestinian solidarity.

Original music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” analyst Yousef Munayyer joins FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin to discuss the implications of a potential new government in Israel, in which Naftali Bennett would replace Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister and head a coalition that includes the far-right, the so-called center-left and Zionist left, and Ra'am/the United Arab List. 

Original music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin is joined by Nareman Shehadeh Zoabi, a social and economic rights attorney working with Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, to discuss Israel's mass arrests and militarized policing targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel who participated in recent protests.

Original Music by Jalal Yaqoub

Featuring Amjad Iraqi (+972 Magazine), Ahmed Alnaouq (Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor), Lara Friedman (Foundation for Middle East Peace) with Haggai Matar (+972 Magazine)

While the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has provided some respite from two weeks of death and destruction, there is no calm. We are seeing a new round of police aggression in Jerusalem and cities in Israel, with the authorities carrying out arrests of hundreds of Palestinians who participated in protests this past month. The attempts to displace Palestinian families in Jerusalem neighborhoods like Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan also continue unabated.

But new opportunities have opened up. The Palestinian popular struggle has re-energized between the river and the sea, in a show of unity that could significantly alter the dynamics on the ground. Meanwhile, in the U.S., cracks in the bipartisan consensus, which had long turned a blind eye to Israel’s sustained dispossession of the Palestinians, are rapidly widening.

Original Music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," Kristin speaks with Fayrouz Sharqawi of Grassroots Al-Quds to unpack what is happening in Jerusalem and across Palestinian communities in the wake of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

For resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/podcast-palestinians-rising-from-jerusalem-to-umm-al-fahm-ft-fayrouz-sharqawi-kristin-mccarthy/

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” Professor Sherene Seikaly offers historical framing and comparisons necessary for understanding what’s happening with Palestinians now, from the general strike to the ongoing Nakba to questions of Palestinian leadership.

For full bios, see: fmep.org

Original Music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP's Kristin McCarthy is joined by Salem Barahmeh to discuss the general strike Palestinians across Palestine led on Tuesday, May 18th. Salem Barahmeh is the Executive Director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD).

For bios, please visit: fmep.org

Original Music by Jalal Yaqoub