Best Occupied Thoughts FMEP Podcasts (2025)

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The Holocaust, the Nakba, the Genocide in Gaza & How the I.H.R.A. Definition of Antisemitism Censors Scholars 58:28

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3d ago58:28

58:28

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Marianne Hirsch, Professor emerita of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. Professor Hirsch made news recently when she withdrew from classroom teaching because Columbia instituted the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, telling the Associated Press that “‘A…

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How Israel Targets Palestinian Journalists in Gaza 27:57

6d ago27:57

27:57

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Laila Al-Arian, the executive producer for Fault Lines, an award-winning current affairs program on Al Jazeera English. They discuss what it's like to be a journalist in Gaza and how Western journalists have failed their Palestinian colleagues. They also talk about remember…

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Necroviolence: On Israel's Corpse Captivity Policy and Palestinian Practices of Dignity & Defiance 46:54

13d ago46:54

46:54

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with researcher Randa Wahbe about the Israeli policy and practice of holding Palestinian corpses as part of the broader Israeli regime of control over Palestinians. At present, Israel holds more than 740 Palestinian bodies. Randa describes this practice of control, which can be…

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"No Way But Forward": Life in the Gaza Strip 35:11

17d ago35:11

35:11

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, former FMEP President Matt Duss speaks with professor & author Brian Barber, who recently published No Way But Forward: Life Stories of Three Families in the Gaza Strip. The book tells the stories of day-t0-day life under decades of military occupation, building on the close relationships Brian built there thro…

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Palestinian Citizens of Israel, the Future, and Inconsequential Palestinian State Recognition: a conversation with Diana Buttu 46:36

19d ago46:36

46:36

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and analyst Diana Buttu. They discuss Palestinian citizens of Israel, who have long navigated Israeli racism and have faced accelerated repression over the last 22 months that has included arrests, threats, and efforts to impeach Palestinian Kne…

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Destroying the Conditions of Life: Physicians for Human Rights-Israel on Israel's Genocide in Gaza 30:59

26d ago30:59

30:59

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Aseel Aburass, Director of the Occupied Palestinian Territory Department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel and one of the authors of PHRI’s newest report: “Destruction of Conditions of Life: A Health Analysis of the Gaza Genocide.” Peter and Aseel discuss PHRI's Israel'…

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Music & Dance in Jerusalem: The Power of Culture in the Face of Israeli Repression 1:14:13

1M ago1:14:13

1:14:13

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Rania Elias, former director of the Yabous Cultural Centre and the Jerusalem Festival. They speak about Palestinian culture in Jerusalem, both the powerful potential for activities like dance and music to revive Palestinian society as well as the challenges of maintaining …

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Destroying Palestinian Life in Gaza in a Systemic, Deliberate Way: "Our Genocide" 36:06

1M ago36:06

36:06

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Yuli Novak, executive director of the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, about how and why B'Tselem has concluded that Israel is now and has been committing genocide in Gaza for nearly two years. Yuli describes Israeli leaders' statements of intent, Israeli military officers' orders and actions, and th…

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Humanizing and Historicizing the World in a Time of Genocide 28:09

1M ago28:09

28:09

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with UC Berkeley History Professor Ussama Makdisi, who was personally named and targeted by Members of Congress in the recent House of Representatives hearing ostensibly on antisemitism in higher education. Beinart and Makdisi discuss the "surreal" experience of being denounced …

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A conversation with Stefanie Fox, Executive Director of JVP 1:04:26

2M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Executive Director Stefanie Fox about the evolution of JVP as a Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the US, strategies for growing the movement, and navigating uncomfortable coalition partners, including on the political far-right. They also discuss how JVP thinks thinks about accounta…

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Iyad El-Baghdadi on "Late Stage Zionism" & What it Suggests for the Future of Israel and Palestine 31:49

2M ago31:49

31:49

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Palestinian political analyst Iyad El-Baghdadi about Israel's regional military campaigns, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and how it's current aggressive posture reflects the attitudes of Israel's founders. Looking forward, the two discuss how the bigger picture provides a f…

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How Western journalists are complicit in Israel’s effort to silence Palestinian journalists 47:39

2M ago47:39

47:39

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Palestinian American journalist and writer Jennifer Zaccharia about the treatment of Palestinian journalists and reporting by Israel and Western media, building on Jen’s recent Boston Review piece,”Can Anyone Hear Me? Palestinians are only allowed to exist if we don’t cause discomfort for those who seek to erase u…

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How to think about Gazans' mental health during this genocide 47:11

2M ago47:11

47:11

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei, psychiatrist and Director General of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), Gaza's leading mental health organization. They discuss the how GCMHP has continued to serve Gazans, train mental health providers, and offer critical services an…

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The Urgency of Telling Palestinian Stories 48:14

2M ago48:14

48:14

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with author & architect Suad Amiry and film & TV director/actor/producer Cherien Dabis. They discuss Cherien's latest film, All That's Left of You, an intergenerational story that goes back to the 1948 Nakba and arrives at the present and premiered at Sundance in early 2025. Th…

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Jewish Anti-Zionism and the American Left 1:01:53

2M ago1:01:53

1:01:53

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with author Benjamin Balthaser about the history of Jewish anti-Zionism, its current forms in the US - whether it emerges from a more religious Jewish tradition or a more socialist, internationalist tradition - and what it means for the emerging Democratic socialist coalition in th…

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How Iranians Have Reacted to the US & Israeli Attacks 18:03

2M ago18:03

18:03

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with journalist Negar Mortazavi about Iranian reactions to the recent U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. They discuss how Iranians rallied around the nation, not the regime; Iranian anger at Israel; and the level and manner of control that the Iranian regime maintains.Negar Morta…

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Daily Life while Committing Genocide: the Lexicon of Brutality in Israel 1:04:32

3M ago1:04:32

1:04:32

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with sociologist Assaf Bondy and human rights researcher and historian Adam Raz about what they call the "lexicon of brutality," drawing from a recent book the pair published in Hebrew on the language that Israelis use to discuss Palestinians and, specifically, the Israeli war on G…

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What an American Doctor Saw in Gaza 42:06

3M ago42:06

42:06

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, who recently returned from spending the month of March, 2025, in Gaza as a trauma and critical care surgeon. The March trip was Feroze's second medical mission to Gaza in the last year. Peter and Feroze discuss why children in Gaza are shot in the head, w…

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What Harvard’s Antisemitism and Islamophobia Reports Get Wrong 49:14

4M ago49:14

49:14

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Dr. Lara Jirmanus and Professor Atalia Omer about the Harvard University's two new reports, one on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias and the other on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. They discuss the quality of the reports, how the antisemitism report erases Jews who…

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What's happening between the U.S. and Iran? 58:36

4M ago58:36

58:36

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with analyst Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute about Iran and the U.S. Their conversation spans from exploring decision-making authority and processes in Iran to the impact that U.S. sanctions have on ordinary people in Iran, where poverty has risen dramatically. They speak in de…

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After Nonviolence and What Comes Next in Palestine: A conversation with Ben Ehrenreich 57:30

4M ago57:30

57:30

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor and author Ben Ehrenreich cover a range topics reflecting Ben's reporting and analysis on Israel/Palestine and U.S. policy, including West Bank Palestinians' relationships to affecting change through nonviolent action, the Biden Administration and Democratic Party's approaches to Palestin…

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"One hour after an attack, we prepare to be attacked again": Survival in Masafer Yatta 1:10:14

5M ago1:10:14

1:10:14

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with writer and activist Ali Awad about life in Masafer Yatta, the part of the West Bank where he lives, which is subject to ongoing and escalating state-backed Israeli settler attacks. Ali describes life in his rural village, Tuba, on "a good day," a day without settler attacks,…

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Memory Culture, Israel and Genocide: Criminalizing Speech in Germany 49:32

5M ago49:32

49:32

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with German journalist Hanno Hauenstein about Germany's memory culture and the treatment of the Holocaust as a unique historical event, as compared to the genocide of the Herero and Nama people and others. They discuss the idea of Germany's Staatrason - or reason for being - which …

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Why are there so many child amputees in Gaza? 38:17

5M ago38:17

38:17

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor about child amputees in Gaza, now estimated to number 3,000-4,000, the highest number of child amputees per inhabitant in the world. They discuss how Israel’s denial of medical supplies leads to amputation and what it's like to be a doctor in Gaza, an…

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Protect Students, Don't Repress Them: The Hostile Environment for Human Rights on College Campuses 48:13

5M ago48:13

48:13

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Gina Romero, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, about the many human rights - including freedom of expression, assembly, association, and the right to education - that have been both invoked and repressed as …

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Analyzing & Shifting U.S. policy towards Israel and Palestine 54:35

5M ago54:35

54:35

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Josh Paul, former State Department official who resigned in October 2023 in protest against the Biden Administration's military support for Israel. They discuss Josh's decision to resign as well as how defense and foreign lobbying work in the United States. They also speak abo…

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Palestinian Politics Under Israeli Occupation 1:06:16

5M ago1:06:16

1:06:16

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Tahani Mustafa, Senior Palestine Analyst for the International Crisis Group, about Palestinian politics and the challenging predicament of cooperation or confrontation with Israel. The two discuss the evolution of the Palestinian Authority and its legitimacy today, including t…

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Israeli Detention and Torture of Palestinian Medical Workers: Testimonies, Patterns, and Analysis 35:28

6M ago35:28

35:28

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Naji Abbas, Director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department for Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), about Israel targeting medical workers in Gaza for arrest and detention inside of Israel, an effort that is part of the overall destruction of the infrastructure fo…

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Staying home or Having "Gaza on their mind in the ballot box": Revisiting the 2024 Elections 54:35

6M ago54:35

54:35

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with political strategist and former FMEP Fellow Rania Batrice together with Maya Berry, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute, and Margaret Zaknoen DeReus, Executive Director of the IMEU Policy Project. They discuss the role of Israel’s genocide in Gaza – and the U.S.’…

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Gaza Genocide, Disinformation, and the Death of Truth, ft Assal Rad & Marc Owen Jones 1:00:57

6M ago1:00:57

1:00:57

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Dr. Assal Rad and Professor Marc Owen Jones -- two of the most prominent voices and most astute analysts of the role that media and disinformation have played post Oct 7, 2023 -- and continue to play through the present day, in manufacturing consent for Israel’s war on G…

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Ceasefire Possibilities, Political Dynamics, Regional Aspirations, and the Trump Administration 42:09

6M ago42:09

42:09

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with analyst Mouin Rabbani about the current state of affairs, including: the potential for Gaza ceasefire negotiations, Palestinian political dynamics and possibilities, Israeli aspirations and actions in Syria and the Syrian regime's response, and the Trump administration's "u…

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Harvard Professors on Censorship, Repression, and Opportunities for Speaking Up on Palestine 39:40

6M ago39:40

39:40

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP non-resident Fellow Peter Beinart talks with two Harvard professors - Dr. Eman Ansari & Dr. Aaron Shakow - about censorship on college/university campuses and how scholars can respond.For more information, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/harvard-professors-on-censorship-repression-and-opportunities…

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The Boomerang Effect: Power and Resistance in the U.S. and Palestine 58:43

6M ago58:43

58:43

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with human rights attorney Professor Noura Erakat about her relationship to Palestine, the movement for Palestinian freedom, and the how she sees the ties among different and overlapping movements for justice and liberation. Drawing upon Noura's recent article in the Boston Review,…

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Criminalize, Censor, Surveil: Escalating Repression Against Advocates for Palestinian Rights 41:26

6M ago41:26

41:26

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Dima Khalidi, the founder and director of Palestine Legal, the leading organization defending the civil and constitutional rights of people in the U.S. speaking out for Palestinian freedom. They discuss the different mechanisms that the Trump administration uses criminalize…

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Dissent & Resigning from Harvard 46:39

7M ago46:39

46:39

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Jay Ulfelder, a political scientist and former Program Director of the Nonviolent Action Lab at Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. The two discuss Jay's decision to resign from Harvard Kennedy School after the school adopted the IHRA …

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Sumūd: Poetry, Art, Steadfastness, and Joy 38:14

7M ago38:14

38:14

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Malu Halasa and Jordan Elgrably, editors of the new book Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader. They discuss the meaning of sumūd to different people -- how it encompasses steadfastness, coping with ongoing oppression, as well as joy and celebration of Palestinian identity -- an…

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"Centering Human Life, Disrupting Injustice Without Replicating It:" 2025 FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi 41:15

7M ago41:15

41:15

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with Hilary Rantisi, one of FMEP's 2025 non-resident Fellows. They discuss Hilary's work as a longtime educator seeking to teach the critique of power, her childhood and many years living in the West Bank, and how she understands the dynamics of the current moment in the context …

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Mapping Life & Land: Beirut Urban Lab 1:06:01

7M ago1:06:01

1:06:01

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Dr. Nour Joudah speaks with Ahmad Gharbieh, professor at the American University of Beirut and co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab, an interdisciplinary research space. They discuss the process and value of critical cartography, which analyzes maps as instruments of power, looking at who has the auth…

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Genocide and self-involvement: on being Israeli as Israel commits a historic crime 47:22

7M ago47:22

47:22

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor interviews Israeli author, academic, and political commentator Ori Goldberg about how Israeli society reckons - or not - with Palestinians, with committing this genocidal war in Gaza, and with the centrality of the military in Israeli society. The two discuss Ori's path to becoming a diss…

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The Escalation of Israel's Gaza-fication of the West Bank 49:47

7M ago49:47

49:47

In this episode of FMEP’s Occupied Thoughts, FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks with preeminent journalist Dalia Hatuqa about the current realities of Israel violence carried out both by the Israeli military and Israeli civilians (settlers) against Palestinians in the West Bank -- including the situation in the months leading up to 10/7/23; the dangerous …

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A toxic environment for those who dare to question: Prof. Katherine Franke w/ Peter Beinart 48:40

7M ago48:40

48:40

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart interviews Professor Katherine Franke, former faculty at Columbia University’s law school, about student activism and escalating repression at Columbia since October 7th, 2023. Katherine Franke just retired from Columbia, saying “I have come to the view that the Columbia University adm…

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Introducing 2025 Fellow Ahmed Moor: When "the urgency of the need isn't met by the pace of change." 39:31

8M ago39:31

39:31

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP’s Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with writer Ahmed Moor, one of FMEP’s 2025 Palestinian Non-resident Fellows, about his family and background, the values that guide his writing, and how he understands and engages with Palestinian survival in this moment. They also discuss urgent questions around navigating activ…

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Holding Israel & the US Accountable for Gaza 52:06

8M ago52:06

52:06

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's 2025 Palestinian Non-residential Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN, a research and advocacy organization focused on U.S. policy in the MENA (Middle East/North Africa) region. They discuss DAWN's approach to analyzing U.S. interests and policy as well as a range …

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Why Some Israelis Refuse To Serve in the IDF 29:30

8M ago29:30

29:30

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Atalya Ben Abba and Mattan Helman of the Israeli Refuser Solidarity Network. They discuss what makes a person refuse to serve in the Israeli military, how the Israeli military treats refusers, and the surprising solidarity inside military prisons. Resources: Refuser Solidar…

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Phoenix of Gaza: a 360° view of Palestinian agency and life 1:08:35

8M ago1:08:35

1:08:35

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Nour Joudah speaks with Cal State University-San Bernadino Professor Ahlam Muhtaseb. Dr. Muhtaseb is co-founder of the Phoenix of Gaza XR, an interactive virtual reality experience that captures the untold stories of Gaza’s people and its transformation and provides a deep dive into the lives of tho…

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Can Syria Rebuild? 30:44

9M ago30:44

30:44

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart and analyst Maha Yahya discuss the new developments in Syria. They look at how Syria's new leaders governed in the areas they controlled over the last few years, why some Syrian minorities are fleeing to Lebanon, and whether Turkey will pursue the Kurds in Syria.Maha Yahya is director …

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Connecting the Bullets: Guns on the Kitchen Table to Organized Crime to Crimes Against Humanity 1:01:41

9M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with attorney and activist Meisa Irshaid, activist and author Rela Mazali, and Professor Jonathan Metzl about the proliferation of guns in civilian spaces in Israel/Palestine. They discuss the the acceleration of organized crime and gun violence in Palestinian communities inside …

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Eyewitness to Israel's Intentionally Created Health Apocalypse in Gaza 1:25:49

9M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Dr. Tammy Abughnaim, an American physician who has been to Gaza twice since 10/7/23, serving as a humanitarian physician and has worked at Al-Aqsa Hospital and Nasser Medical Complex; and Dr. Yara Asi, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida in the Schoo…

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How and Why South African Care About Palestinians 36:03

9M ago36:03

36:03

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with writer and editor William Shoki about the history of South Africa and Israel, how South Africa's government sees its global role, and how South Africans think about Israel/Palestine in comparison to post-apartheid South Africa. William Shoki is a writer and editor of the on…

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A Cartography of Genocide 38:56

9M ago38:56

38:56

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Non-Resident Fellow Peter Beinart talks to Eyal Weizman about his work at Forensic Architecture and the recently released "Cartography of Genocide" - an interactive platform that maps Israel's genocidal bombardment of Gaza and use of mass evacuation orders to destroy civilian life. Along with the platform,…