For episode 150, Lebanese journalist Justin Salhani guest hosts Lebanese researchers Michelle Eid and Karim Safieddine to talk about the under-reported and overlooked war in southern Lebanon. They look at the human impact of this conflict on Lebanon - a country that in just over four years has experienced a stunted revolution, one of modern history's worst economic crises, and the destruction of large parts of its capital due to a port explosion. They dissect media narratives, share personal anecdotes, and tie the current conflict to history, recalling the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, and more. 

Michelle Eid is a researcher focused on socio-economic rights and development in the Levant, with a focus on food sovereignty and agricultural politics. She is also the editor-in-chief of Al Rawiya, a digital magazine covering the Levant. Karim Safieddine is an organizer and researcher from Lebanon; he's completing his PhD in Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pieces by Salhani:

• Waiting for Nasrallah for The Dial
• Survivors of Israel’s siege of Beirut see history repeating itself in Gaza for Al Jazeera
• Palestinian refugees in Lebanon mourn, fear for family in war-torn Gaza for Al Jazeera
• ‘No work back home’: Lebanon’s foreign domestic workers fear Israel war for Al Jazeera
• Israel-Hamas war sparks south Lebanon exodus, as people flee border areas for Al Jazeera

Pieces by Eid:

• Israel’s Environmental and Economic Warfare on Lebanon for TIMEP
• (In)Sovereign Soils: Lebanon’s Entrapment in a Global Monopoly on Agriculture for Al Rawiya
  

Joey's Note: "October 17" isn't to be confused with "October 7". October 17 refers to the 2019 uprising in Lebanon whereas October 7 refers to the 2023 Hamas attack which was followed by Israel's ongoing genocidal war in Palestine.

Book Recommendations: 

• House of Many Mansions - Karim Salibi
• Return to Haifa - Ghassan Kanafani
• Being Arab - Samir Kassir
• The New Left - Fawaz Traboulsi

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Credits Host: Justin Salhani Producer: Ayman Makarem Guests: Karim Safieddine, Michelle Eid Music: ⁠Rap and Revenge⁠ Sound editor: Ayman Makarem Episode designer: Joey Ayoub