PreOccupation: A Not-So-Brief History of Palestine

The Great Revolt of Palestine (1936-1939) stands as the greatest challenge to British imperial rule in the interwar period. This is a story of how the peasants of the Palestinian countryside, in partnership with urban radicals, overcame insurmountable obstacles in their struggle to drive out the British Empire from their land. While most accounts of the revolt place it as a stop on the Palestinian people's linear march toward the Nakba, this talk will focus on the innovative modes of resistance that the revolutionaries deployed in their struggle for liberation.

I will be taking a hiatus from posting new episodes for a little while, but I will still be traveling, speaking, and writing. Follow me at PreOccupationPod on Instagram for updates.

This short episode explores how the axis of resistance will respond to the assassination of Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after 300 days of genocide.

Many people around the world first came to learn of Hamas on October 7th. Others may be old enough to conjure up memories of the Second Intifada. This final episode of the "History of Resistance" mini-series dives into the origin of Hamas and its first 15 years of existence.

After the Nakba, the Palestinians found themselves dazed, displaced, divided. Part three of this mini series looks at how Palestinian resistance rose from the ashes of the Nakba, and internationalized the Palestinian struggle in the process.

There is perhaps no name more synonymous with Palestinian resistance than that of Izzidine al Qassam. In part two of this mini-series, we explore the life, death, and legacy of Palestine's first martyr.

As British Imperialism and Zionist setter colonialism descended upon Palestine, why was there no Palestinian Mao, Che, or Ho Chi Minh? Why did no single Palestinian figure emerge to unite the Palestinians and (successfully) stave off this threat?

This mini-series opener takes a very close look at the learning landscape of Ottoman Palestine, and the learning journeys of the Palestinian notables, in an attempt to answer this question.

The PreOccupation podcast is back, this time with some reflections on the difficulty of telling the Palestinian story, and a deep dive into one of the most neglected and ignored segments of Palestinian society. Enjoy!

In this episode we look at the relationships between Bedouin, peasant, and urban Palestinians in late Ottoman Palestine. The episode will also introduce you to one Palestinian's decades long game of cat and mouse with Ottoman authorities.

This three part mini-series explores the ways that resistance factions carry out their side of the information war, and the impact of the "resistance industry" on the culture of the Arabic speaking world. It is a story that will take you from Beirut to Gaza and back. Enjoy!

This three part mini-series explores the ways that resistance factions carry out their side of the information war, and the impact of the "resistance industry" on the culture of the Arabic speaking world. It is a story that will take you from Beirut to Gaza and back. Enjoy!