Best Occupied Thoughts By Fmep Podcasts (2025)

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The International Solidarity Movement and the Freedom Flotillas 57:54

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3d ago57:54

57:54

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with civil rights attorney and activist Huweida Arraf about Huweida's work to co-found the International Solidarity Movement as well as the different flotilla efforts, including the 2008 Freedom Flotilla, which arrived in Gaza; the 2010 Mavi Marmara, which was stormed by Israeli tr…

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Media, BDS, and Lessons from 25 Years of Solidarity Work 53:58

8d ago53:58

53:58

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Mondoweiss editor Adam Horowitz about the role that Mondoweiss, an independent news organization, has played in the struggle for Palestinian rights over the past 25 years. They also discuss the moral case for the cultural boycott of Israel and what constitutes justice after ge…

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Attacks on the First Amendment Continue 39:14

12d ago39:14

39:14

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Jenin Younes, National Legal Director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). They focus on Freedom of Speech in the United States, looking at the Covid pandemic and speech restrictions at that time and the acceleration of the assault on speech by Israel advo…

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The Starvation Regime and Plausible Deniability for War Crimes 54:11

15d ago54:11

54:11

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with human rights attorney Sari Bashi and policy expert Bushra Khalidi about the current state of humanitarian aid in Gaza, the bureaucracy of restrictions -- including the stated purpose of restricting aid -- and whether international law continues to carry meaning after two years…

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Accountability After Genocide and the Emerging Left-Right Consensus on Israel in America 54:05

19d ago54:05

54:05

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Matt Duss, Executive Vice-President at the Center for International Policy and former foreign policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders. They discuss the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the new ceasefire; changes in public assessments of Israel's standing in the U.S. and political…

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MAGA & the FBI Break Up with the ADL 57:20

24d ago57:20

57:20

and scholar Emmaia Gelman about the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), including the history and current activities of the ADL and the ADL's approach to advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticism of the state of Israel. They also discuss the ADL's relationship with the U.S. government, including including the ADL surveilling Americans and FBI Directo…

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On the new 20-Point-Plan, Recognition of Palestinian Statehood, and Popular Pressure to End the Genocide 35:20

1M ago35:20

35:20

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with analyst Mouin Rabbani about political and diplomatic developments relating to the Israeli genocide in Gaza. They discuss the "20 Point Plan" that President Donald Trump released today, as well as his joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as…

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UC Berkeley’s Betrayal of Academic Freedom in this Time of Genocide 23:46

1M ago23:46

23:46

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with UC Berkeley Professor Ussama Makdisi, who was recently informed that UC Berkeley shared his name, along with those of 159 other Berkeley faculty & students, with the federal government for "alleged incidents of antisemitism." Peter & Ussama discuss the absurdity of experien…

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FMEP Fellows Peter Beinart & Ahmed Moor on Palestinian statehood & US politics 25:02

1M ago25:02

25:02

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellows Ahmed Moor and Peter Beinart speak about the new developments with Palestinian statehood and their meaning and implications. They also discuss American politics and culture, discussing the shifts on the Right regarding Israel and looking ahead at the 2026 midterms.Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fe…

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Poetry of the Camps: Poems from Gaza on Homeland, Miracles, and Freedom 47:28

1M ago47:28

47:28

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with zehra imam, who launched Poetry of the Camps, a poetry program in Gaza with young writers. Basman Aldirawi and Duha Hassan Al Shaqaqi, former participants in the program who have become co-leaders of it, joined in the conversation. Basman and Duha shared what it meant for …

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On the Global Sumud Flotilla Heading for Gaza 39:39

1M ago39:39

39:39

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with David Adler, co-general coordinator of the Progressive International, who is currently on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy currently on its way to Gaza. They discuss the remarkable cross-section of people who have joined the flotilla and what they hope to ac…

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Apartheid, Genocide, and the Growing Chasm in the Right's Support for Israel 36:17

2M ago36:17

36:17

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Daniel Levy, President of the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP). They discuss Levy's argument that the way that Israel withdrew Israeli settlements from Gaza in 2005 set the stage for today's genocide; as Levy put it in a recent +972 Magazine piece, the current Israeli paradigm…

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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

2M 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

2M 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

2M 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

3M 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

3M 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

3M 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

3M 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

3M 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

3M 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

4M 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

4M ago31:49

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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

4M 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

4M 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

4M 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

4M 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

4M 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

5M 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

5M 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

6M 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

6M 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

6M 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

7M 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

7M 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

7M 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

7M 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

7M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

8M 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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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…