In this episode, I speak with Yuli Novak, Executive Director of B’Tselem, Israel’s leading human rights organization documenting and opposing state violence and apartheid in the Palestinian territories. Yuli is among the few public voices in Israel who continue to insist on accountability and equality as civil society faces unprecedented pressure.

Before joining B’Tselem in 2023, she served as Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, leading the publication of soldiers’ testimonies from the occupied territories — work that made her a frequent target of political attacks. Her memoir Who Do You Think You Are traces her journey from Israeli Air Force officer to outspoken critic of militarism and Jewish supremacy.

In our conversation, Yuli explains why B’Tselem has now named Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, and describes how decades of occupation and apartheid have created a society increasingly desensitized to violence. She also reflects on becoming a parent during this political moment and how personal responsibility fuels her activism.

We discuss international solidarity, the shrinking space for dissent, and the role queer and feminist activism can play in resisting systems of domination.

Guest: Yuli Novak

Host: Shai Hoffmann

Links:

https://www.btselem.org/node/215035

https://www.medico.de/blog/wenn-nie-wieder-jetzt-ist-20208

https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/israel-menschenrechtsorganisation-begruesst-deutschen-lieferstopp-a-90bd7e19-07e0-4396-8851-664f5dc202e6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9eASwQIq40

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/yuli-novak

Special thanks to OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, Jordi Kuragari (video snippets), Lea Volz and 365 Sherpas (editorial), Simon Eichinger (post-production).

This podcast is a project by Gesellschaft im Wandel gGmbH and funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

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