Save the Olive Tree

Nida Abubaker is the daughter of Shukri Abubaker, one of the five men unjustly imprisoned in the United States as part of the Holy Land Foundation Five case. Shukri Abubaker, a Palestinian humanitarian, was sentenced to 65 years in a federal penitentiary in Beaumont, TX after leading the largest Muslim charity in the U.S., which provided aid to Palestinians and many others in need, especially children.

Nida shares her father’s story, the FBI raid on her house, the devastating impact of his imprisonment on their family, and how this case set a dangerous precedent for criminalizing Palestinian activism and humanitarian work in America. We also discuss the broader implications for freedom, justice, and the ongoing Palestinian struggle.

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Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction

3:40 – Nida's family story

5:50 – What was The Holy Land Foundation?

12:30 – FBI Raid on Nida's house

21:30 – The case and trial verdict

25:25 – Shukri's status in prison right now

31:30 – How Shukri keeps hope continuously

38:55 -- Poetry reading

43:00 -- Audience Q&A

Guest Intro:

Nida Abubaker is a force: an artist, poet, and fearless activist whose voice rises from the heart of struggle. Her lifelong fight for justice ignited 21 years ago, when she was just 10, after witnessing the violent raid on her home by the FBI, taking her father away.

By 15, Nida was on stages across the country, exposing the criminalization of humanitarian aid and the silencing of her people both in Palestine and the diaspora.

Since then, she has spoken at top universities and conferences, amplifying the voices of the incarcerated, including her father who is serving a 65 year sentence in a maximum security federal prison for his charity work.

Through words and art, Nida turns personal tragedy into collective power, carrying forward a legacy of resistance. Her work embodies the struggle for liberation and the unshakable call to not only free her father, but to free them all.

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Courageous Gaza journalist Nadra Tibi shares her experiences living in Gaza during a genocide and continuing to report on the truth despite significant personal risk. Many of her colleagues including Anas Al-Sharif were murdered due to their reporting on Israeli war crimes. Despite the risks, Nadra and her colleagues remain committed to sharing the truth to the world.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

02:40 - Current situation in Gaza

06:50 - Starvation in Gaza

10:28 - Risks of Airdrops

11:55 - Targeting of Journalists

16:03 - Nadra hopes for the future

20:13 - Conclusion

Guest Intro:

Nadra Tibi works as a freelance journalist and translator, fluent in both English and Arabic. She has lived her entire life in Gaza and experienced war under fire from start to finish, and continues reporting to this day. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and has completed one year of her Master’s in International Media and Communication, which she is still pursuing despite the difficult circumstances faced in Gaza.

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In this moving episode of Save The Olive Tree, I speak with Dr. Nacera Belala, a doctor and humanitarian who is the Medical Director of Gaza Kinder Relief, about the urgent mission to evacuate injured children from Gaza and secure lifesaving medical care for them abroad.

Dr. Belala sheds light on:

1. A little bit about her background.

2. What is Gaza Kinder Relief and what does it aim to do.

3. What are the challenges you face from beginning to end in evacuating kids from Gaza.

4. What are the ongoing challenges once the kids exit Gaza

5. What are the best ways people can support Gaza Kinder relief

6. A brief discussion about what is happening in Gaza for the audience to remain aware.

🎙️ This is an urgent call for international medical intervention, justice, and hope for the next generation of Palestinians.

👉 Watch, share, and amplify the message. Every voice matters.

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Guest Intro:

Dr. Nacera Belala, PhD in Sport Neuroscience, joined Kinder Relief in early 2024 and was appointed Director of Medical Missions after joining the organization. In this role, she oversees the coordination of medical operations with the ground team in Gaza, manages and supervises medical evacuations, and directs the treatment abroad program. Dr. Belala also maintains ongoing collaboration with surgeons worldwide, facilitating the review, acceptance, and treatment of children from Gaza under Kinder Relief’s care.

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Nurse Lana, a courageous American nurse who volunteered on two medical missions to Palestine in Gaza, describes what she witnessed firsthand in the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Lana shares harrowing stories from inside Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals—of wounded children, amputations without anesthesia, and the resilience of a people under siege.

We discuss:

- The humanitarian crisis and war crimes unfolding in Gaza.

- What it’s like working in hospitals bombed and besieged.

- The trauma and strength of Palestinian patients and doctors.

- The complicity of Western governments and media silence.

- Why Palestine advocacy in the United States is more urgent than ever.

Timestamp

0:00 - Introduction

02:50 - Why Lana Went to Gaza

05:08 - Details of each mission trip

10:45 - Doctors and healthcare workers abducted

11:55 - Patients Nurse Lana saw

18:30 - Palestine Advocacy in the US

22:20 - Americans apathy to Palestine

27:18 - Conclusion

🎙️ Whether you’re new to the Palestinian cause or deeply involved in advocacy, this conversation is a raw and emotional eyewitness account you won’t forget.

Guest Intro:

In February 2024 and 2025, Nurse Lana was given the opportunity to participate in two life changing medical mission trips. Both trips were to provide critical care to those affected by the humanitarian in Gaza. With a heart forever marked by genocide, she’s turned her pain into purpose and has since become a passionate voice and vowed to fight for every life lost, every voice silenced, and every truth buried beneath the rubble.In nursing, there’s a rule: if it wasn’t documented, it wasn’t done… And because silence helps no one—and this is too important to forget, Lana documented it the only way she could—by writing it all down and releasing it in a book called Healing Under Fire.

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🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts

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Palestine - The Gaza Genocide, Iran's influence in the region, Western Media Complicity and how Assal Rad's fixes their headlines.

In this episode of Save the Olive Tree, we sit down with renowned Middle East expert Assal Rad to explore the unfolding genocide in Gaza, the role of Iran in regional resistance, and how Western media distorts headlines to favor the Israeli narrative.

🔍 From misleading terminology like “conflict” instead of occupation, to the weaponization of language that dehumanizes Palestinians, this episode takes a hard look at how news is shaped, spun, and sold — and why it matters.

💣 We also unpack Iran’s political stance on Palestine, its complex relationship with the West, and why the alliances forming in the Global South are critical in challenging the status quo.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

03:00 - Iran's modern identity

08:40 - Spectrum of political opinion in Iran

14:05 - US's failed military interventions of the past

24:25 - Media complicity and Headline fixing

33:15 - Short/Long term thoughts on Palestine

40:35 - Concluding remarks

🧠 Key Quote:“Palestine is our litmus test. If we can’t name a genocide when we see one, what does that say about our global conscience?” – Assal Rad

Guest Intro:

Assal Rad received her PhD in Middle Eastern history from the University of California, Irvine. She is currently a non-resident fellow at the Arab Center in Washington DC. She has written for Newsweek, the Independent, Foreign Policy, and more. Her book is titled The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture and Identity in Modern Iran. She has been a fierce voice in calling out western media complicity in the ongoing Gaza genocide.

📢 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode to amplify Palestinian voices and challenge biased narratives.

Links:

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Journalist and Author Azad Essa uncovers the hidden alliance between India and Israel—and how this partnership is shaping global politics, surveillance, and the expansion of authoritarian regimes. He discussed how Zionism and Hindutva are linked ideologically and dives deep into the occupation of Palestine and drawing eye-opening parallels with the occupation of Kashmir.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

03:15 - The Two Partitions

12:08 - History of India-Israel alliance

26:01 - Hindutva and Zionism similarities

32:30 - Recent events in Kashmir

44:50 - Conclusion

🔍 Topics We Cover:

• The history of the two partitions, both in India and Palestine which occurred very close together including Kashmir.
• The history of connection between Hindutva and Zionism ideologically
• How Israeli tactics in Palestine are being exported to Kashmir.
• Discussing the current tensions that occurred between India and Pakistan and how they're linked to Israel.
• Media narratives and propaganda in both conflicts.
• The global normalization of occupation and settler colonialism.
• The influence of both the Indian and Israeli lobby within the US.
• Why solidarity across movements is more critical than ever.

💥 Whether you’re a student of global politics, a human rights advocate, or someone seeking clarity beyond mainstream headlines, this episode will challenge, inform, and empower.⸻

⏯️ Watch till the end for Azad Essa’s insight on how resistance movements are connecting across borders.

📚 About the Guest:Azad Essa is a senior reporter for Middle East Eye based in the New York Metropolitan area. His reporting and commentary range from US foreign policy and its impact on Muslim and Arab communities, to India and Hindu nationalism. He previously worked for Al Jazeera English between 2010-2018 covering southern and central Africa for the network. He is the author of 'Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel'.⸻

🗣️ Join the conversation: What are your thoughts on the India-Israel alliance and its impact on Kashmir and Palestine? Drop your comments below.

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In this Episode, Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Mimi Syed describes what she witnessed on her 2 trips to Gaza. She describes details of the genocide in Gaza that's been occurring over the last 20 months, the state of the hospitals in Gaza, the types of injuries she saw. She also discusses free speech implications in the United States and how we must stand up, speak up and protect our children otherwise we have failed as a human race.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

03:33 - What Dr. Mimi saw in Gaza

06:30 - State of Gaza's Hospitals

09:48 - Israel's lies

14:10 - Mass starvation and the GHF

16:33 - Palestinian parents

18:17 - Israeli's celebrate genocide

22:05 - Freedom Flotilla and Gaza March

25:30 - How to have any Mental Health?

28:10 - Free Speech repercussions

33:00 - Concluding remarks

Guest Intro:

Dr. Mimi Syed is an American board-certified emergency medicine physician. She served in Gaza from August 8 to September 5, 2024, and again from December 3 to December 31, 2024, working at both Al-Aqsa Hospital and Nasser Hospital. In addition to her frontline medical work, Dr. Syed has written numerous articles and given multiple interviews to denounce the atrocities she witnessed. Through her testimony, she has courageously exposed the crimes committed against Palestinian civilians—especially children—during the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Links:

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In this Episode, Zachary Foster discusses the history of events in Palestine starting from The First Intifada in 1987, the Oslo accords of the 90s and discussing the second Intifada in the early 2000s. Zach demonstrates his excellent scholarship discussing key issues that shaped events on the ground during this historic time and helps us understand what is happening in Palestine today.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

01:40 - Work-genocide balance

06:33 - Laying the groundwork for First Intifada

16:00 - The Oslo Process

23:02 - Yasser Arafat and the PLO

33:55 - Area A, B, C of the West Bank

38:06 - Worldwide support for Palestinians during first Intifada

47:30 - Palestinian concession in Oslo

53:02 - The Second Intifada

01:03:32 - Final Thoughts

Guest Intro:

Zachary Foster is a Jewish Historian and has a PhD in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University. He is a fellow at the Rutgers Study for security race and rights. He runs a digital archive called Palestine Nexus. He writes a newsletter called "Palestine in your inbox" and he teaches courses on the history of Palestine and Zionism at palestinenexus.com. His PhD was titled "The Invention of Palestine”.Links:

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In this Episode, Elijah and I have a casual conversation discussing the State of Affairs on Palestine both domestically and abroad. This builds off our initial conversation in Episode 10 which was a more detailed interview of Elijah.

Chapters:

00:00 - Elijah's updates

02:00 - Leahy case

05:15 - Discussing Mohsin Mahdawi

08:08 - Gaza updates

13:31 - Liberation within US political system

20:00 - Current ICJ case against Israel

21:02 - Pope Francis passing

24:35 - Louis Theroux documentary

27:30 - Elijah encountering settlers

33:25 - 60 minutes executive producer resigning.

36:00 - State of Hasbara

38:08 - Concluding remarks

Guest Intro:

Elijah Kahlenberg, an undergraduate student and researcher currently studying at the University of Texas at Austin, is the President and Founder of Atidna International-the only organization operating on college campuses dedicated to bringing together Jews and Arabs in pursuit of dialogue and peace building to solidify that both peoples are one family. Elijah is also active as a leader in the Gaza anti-war/divestment protests sweeping college campuses. Elijah is likewise on the Board of Roots (Shorashim/Judur), the only organization dedicated to pursuing joint and civil initiatives in the West Bank between Jews and Arabs. He is a 2024 Truman scholar and has appeared in various media, including CNN, ABC News, Good Morning America, the Forward, Al Jazeera, NPR and others, to discuss his peace-building/dialogue initiatives and/or the protests. He has previously written opinion pieces for Newsday, Times of Israel, International Policy Digest, and other outlets.

Links:

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In this Episode, Yara and I discuss social media advocacy for Palestine. Yara tells us about her background as a Palestinian, how she started speaking up for Palestine online and what challenges she's faced as a result.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

02:55 - Yara's background

04:26 - Did not start on Oct 7th

05:42 - The PR battle

10:05 - Short form vs. Long form content

13:05 - Advice to people wanting to make a difference

15:20 - Not just an Arab issue

22:20 - Difficulty with social media consumption

28:30 - Complete dystopia

29:59 - NIH boycott of Israel

35:55 - Last messages and book recommendations

Guest Intro:

Yara is a Palestinian advocate who uses her platforms to speak out against the occupation and raise awareness about what's happening in Palestine. She focuses on challenging misinformation and uplifting Palestinian voices. Yara studied criminal justice and legal studies and is now earning her master's in cybercrime and digital investigation hoping to use those skills to fight disinformation and support justice through digital spaces.

Links:

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