The Take

As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: The number of bodies found in a series of mass graves rose to nearly 400. Israelis continued to protest for the release of captives held in Gaza. Protests continued to grow on college campuses across the US. It is day 205 of the war. At least 34,300 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed.

In this episode:

• Akram Al Satarri, Freelance journalist
• Hamdah Salhut, (@hamdahsalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Zeina Khodr, (@ZeinaKhodrAljaz), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Phillip Lavelle, (@phillavelle), journalist for Al Jazeera
• Shihab Rattansi, (@shihab_rattansi) Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. 

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

 

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 13, 2021. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. 

Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison was once a front-page headline in the “war on terror.” Today, public knowledge of the torture that made it infamous is starting to fade – but one US lawsuit for its victims is still going on. It centers on private contractors: companies that became an integral part of the US military efforts post-9/11 attacks, which changed the way war is fought – and accountability is sought.

In this episode: 

• Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov), human rights activist
• Katherine Gallagher (@katherga1), senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights
• Majid, Abu Ghraib plaintiffs’ legal team member in Iraq

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Negin Owliaei. The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Negin Owliaei, Priyanka Tilve, Amy Walters, Dina Kesbeh, Ney Alvarez, Ruby Zaman, Tom Fenton, Stacey Samuel, and Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

The US Supreme Court is hearing opening arguments on whether or not Donald Trump has presidential immunity in two of his current criminal cases. But what does that mean for future presidents and this year’s US elections?

In this episode: 

• Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, (@ProfCiara), Professor at Stetson University College of Law

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li and Fahrinisa Campana with Kevin Hirten, in for our host Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

University encampments have spread across the US since New York police first came onto Columbia University’s campus last week. In the second of a two-part series, The Take takes a look inside the Columbia encampment and the impact it’s having on campus.

In this episode: 

• Fadi Shuman, Columbia University Student
• Talia Jane, @taliaotg, Freelance Journalist
• Jonathan Ben-Menachem, @jbenmenachem, Columbia University Student

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Fahrinisa Campana, Tabish Talib, Negin Owliaei, and Khaled Soltan with our host Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Tensions have been mounting at Columbia University for months, even before the school called police to clear a Gaza solidarity encampment. Pro-Palestine students say the administration hasn’t prioritized their safety. In the first of a two-part series, The Take goes behind the protests at Columbia.

In this episode: 

• Asiya Ahmed (@_asiyahmed), Senior Producer, AJ+
• Mohsen Mahdawi, Co-President, Columbia Palestinian Students Union
• Chris Mendell, Staff Writer, The Columbia Spectator

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with our host Malika Bilal. David Enders, Zaina Badr, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Certain Israeli military units could be sanctioned by the US State Department for the first time over allegations of serious human rights abuses. Those allegations made their way to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December, according to a report from US news outlet ProPublica, but hadn’t been acted on until now. 

In this episode: 

• Brett Murphy (@BrettMMurphy), ProPublica Reporter

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Chloe K. Li with our host Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Lubna Al Rayyes dreamed about having a child. When she found out that meant having a Caesarean section in Gaza, her dream became a nightmare. Israel’s war on Gaza meant maternity wards were shut down. She had two choices: deliver on her own, or find a way out.

In this episode: 

• Gabrielle Berbey (@gabrielleberbey), Reporter and Producer, Reveal
• Salman Ahad Khan (@salmanahadk), Reporter and Producer, Reveal

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Chloe K. Li with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: The US voted against granting Palestinians full UN membership. Israel attacked Iran. The US Congress approved more military aid to Israel. 

It is day 198 of the war. At least 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed.

In this episode:

• Gabriel Elizondo, (@elizondogabriel), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Akram Al Satarri, Freelance journalist
• Dorsa Jabbari, (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Shihab Rattansi, (@shihab_rattansi) Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. 

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

 

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on February 3rd, 2020. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. 

At the beginning of 2020, under the presidency of Donald Trump, the US and Iran stepped back from the edge of war. But Trump did bring more than a thousand sanctions, and for Iranians, that has meant normal life often feels like war.

In this episode: 

• Dorsa Jabbari (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Lili Ghazian, Founder and Owner at Aroosi

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Dina Kesbeh, Amy Walters, Ney Alvarez, Priyanka Tilve, and host, Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

The world’s largest election begins Friday in India, with close to one billion registered voters. Narendra Modi, the incumbent, remains extremely popular, but his Hindu nationalist agenda has come at the expense of minority rights. So, what would a third term of Modi mean for India?

In this episode: 

• Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah), Founding Editor, The Wire

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Fahrinisa Campana with Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Manahil Naveed and Catherine Nouhan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube