The Mondoweiss Podcast

Last month the U.S. held its midterm elections. A "red wave" never materialized as many predicted, but Republicans did take control of the House. Our U.S. correspondent Michael Arria caught up with author and Georgetown University adjunct professor Josh Ruebner to talk about how Israel factored into the races and what we should expect from the new congress on Palestine. Ruebner is the author of Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State? and Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace. He is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Josh Ruebner’s website Follow Josh on Twitter There are plenty of opportunities for Palestine advocacy following the U.S. midterm elections, Mitchell Plitnick Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head to Podchaser, leave us a review, and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email us Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

Mondoweiss has been covering the “No Tech for Apartheid” movement for over a year now. In October 2021 hundreds of workers at Google and Amazon published an open letter in The Guardian condemning Project Nimbus, a billion dollar contract between the two tech companies and the Israeli government. The deal helps provide cloud services to the Israeli Defense Forces. The letter reads: “We cannot look the other way, as the products we build are used to deny Palestinians their basic rights, force Palestinians out of their homes and attack Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – actions that have prompted war crime investigations by the international criminal court.” A lot has happened since that letter ran, as the No Tech for Apartheid movement has continued to grow. Our U.S. correspondent Michael Arria checked in with two organizers to talk about its current state and what might come next. Ariel Koren is an activist and was formerly a product marketing manager at Google for Education. Earlier this year Koren was forced out of her job after facing retaliation from the company over her activism. Bathool Syed is an activist and content strategist at Amazon. We’ll also hear some testimonials from Google and Amazon workers from a video the campaign published a few months ago. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show No Tech for Apartheid campaign website Organized labor vs. Project Nimbus, Mondoweiss Podcast Google worker says company tried to relocate her to Brazil after she criticized contract with Israel, Michael Arria Google worker who protested Israel contract says she was forced to quit, Michael Arria How Google advances the Zionist colonization of Palestine, Yarden Katz Google and Amazon workers want companies to end contracts with Israeli military, Michael Arria Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email us Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter West Bank Dispatch Follow us on social media Facebook Mastodon Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

Our fall fundraising campaign is underway and generous supporters have agreed to match your donations. Mondoweiss is a reader and listener-funded non-profit news publication. This gives us the independence to report on events in Palestine accurately and comprehensively because we answer to you, our readers and listeners. In the past 3 years we’ve invested pretty heavily to grow our team of reporters and contributors. We now have 4 full-time staff in Palestine, 5 full-time staff in the U.S., and many regular contributors all over the world. And I’ll be honest, growing a non-profit news organization in today’s media landscape is a pretty risky move. But we believe the movement for Palestinian liberation is in a transformative moment. And we believe that Mondoweiss plays a critical role in centering Palestinian and anti-Zionist voices. That’s why we’ve taken this risk to grow our staff in these uncertain times, and it’s why we need your support. Please visit our website at mondoweiss.net to learn more about our fundraising campaign and chip in. Your contribution will be matched, doubling your impact. Thanks so much! The Canadian group Independent Jewish Voices today is releasing a report titled “Unveiling the Chilly Climate - The Suppression of Speech on Palestine In Canada.” Researchers Sheryl Nestel and Rowan Gaudet spent the last year gathering information and testimonials about the repression faced by academics, students and Palestine solidarity activists across Canada. This is the first study to use ethnographic methodology and qualitative analysis to describe both the overarching effects of this repression as well as the deeply personal impact it has on activists, artists, students and professors. While many people active in the Palestine solidarity movement are familiar with the tactics described in the report, it is shocking to read the dozens of testimonials collected and understand the extent and scope of the suppression efforts. I spoke to Sheryl and Rowan last week about the report and what can be done to counter these attacks. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Report: Unveiling the Chilly Climate – The Suppression of Speech on Palestine in Canada, Sheryl Nestel and Rowan Gaudet at IJV The ADL declares war on Palestine solidarity groups, Michael Arria Palestinian students facing increased harassment on Israeli campuses, Jessica Buxbaum UVM president rejects antisemitism charges, but university remains target of pro-Israel groups, Michael Arria The IHRA and The JDA, Michael Arria in The Shift newsletter Professors fight to defend Palestine and protect academic freedom, David Spero The manufactured campus antisemitism hysteria intensifies, David Samel Trump’s executive order on antisemitism is only meant to suppress Palestine solidarity on campus, California Scholars for Academic Freedom Pro-Palestine campus groups are being targeted via federal complaints thanks to the Trump administration, Michael Arria Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email us Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

Stefan Christoff is an organizer with Musicians For Palestine. Hundreds of musicians from around the world signed on to their first statement of support for Palestinian freedom in 2021. Today, the group is announcing 700 new signers and releasing a second statement It reads, in part, “As musicians we can contribute to breaking the wall of silence and protest these great injustices taking place against the Palestinian people…We believe that now, more than ever, is the time to respect the Palestinian peaceful picket line by declining invitations to events that are subsidised or sponsored by the Israeli state, its lobby groups or complicit cultural institutions.” I spoke with Christoff about the work to organize musicians, and we listen to a few of the artists that have signed the statements, including Brian Eno, Damon Davis, and Asher Gamedze. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Musicians For Palestine Musicians For Palestine Podcast Over 600 artists worldwide sign #MusiciansForPalestine letter, Open Letter Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email us Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

Dorothy Zellner was 22 years old when she joined the staff of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, in Atlanta Georgia. She recruited student volunteers for the Freedom Summer Project in 1964 and helped design the logo for the Black Panthers, in 1966. Dorothy has been active in feminist movements and the Palestine solidarity movement for  many years. Phil Weiss, founder and senior editor of Mondoweiss spoke to Dorothy recently. This wide ranging conversation covers the threat of fascist movements here in the United States, the importance of organizing for Palestinian liberation within Jewish communities, and the backlash that Jews can face in their own families for criticizing Israel. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Profile of Dorothy Zellner at the SNCC Digital Gateway site Dorothy Zellner oral history interview (video) From Mississippi to Gaza — Dorothy Zellner reflects on 50 years of struggle, Phil Weiss Hillel’s segregated lunch counter, Phil Weiss Palestinian citizens of Israel hold the key — Zellner, Phil Weiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email us Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

On August 18th of this year, the Israeli military raided the offices of seven Palestinian civil society organizations. They ransacked the offices, stole files and other property, and sealed the doors in an attempt to prevent them from operating. Twenty-five United Nations’ “Independent Experts” issued a declaration on August 24th condemning “Israel’s escalating attacks against Palestinian civil society.” The declaration continued, “These actions amount to severe suppression of human rights defenders and are illegal and unacceptable.” These Independent Experts are calling on UN member states “to take effective measures afforded by international law to put an end to these abuses.” David Kattenberg spoke with two of the authors of the August 24th declaration. Francesca Albanese is the “Special UN Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.” Mary Lawlor is “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.” - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Israeli army raids, shuts down offices of 7 Palestinian civil society organizations, Yumna Patel Israel threatens attorneys representing Palestinian civil society organizations, Siham Rashid Six months ago Israel tagged Palestinian human rights groups as terrorists. The Biden administration claims it’s still looking over the ‘evidence’, Michael Arria Podcast Episode 27: The Israeli campaign to shut down Palestinian civil society, Yumna Patel ‘It won’t end with us’: Addameer director warns of repercussions of Israeli ‘terror’ designation, Yumna Patel The banning of human rights defenders: Israel and South Africa compared, John Dugard Israel labels leading Palestinian human rights groups ‘terrorist institutions’, Yumna Patel Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email us Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

On August 5th, Israel launched a three day operation in the besieged Gaza Strip. They dubbed it “Operation Breaking Dawn”. Israel’s acting Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, promote the operation as a preemptive strike to quash what he said were concrete threats by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza. Over the course of three days 49 Palestinians were killed, including 17 children. According to our documentation, while many PIJ members and affiliates were indeed targeted, the majority of those that were killed were civilian noncombatants. The operation was the second major Israeli offensive on Gaza since last year. It also happened to fall just a few months before Israel’s upcoming elections at a time when Israel’s current prime minister and his party are struggling in the polls. In the wake of the attack many Palestinians accused Israeli officials of using Gazans as sacrificial pawns in their political games, while Lapid, and others in his government, hailed it as a success. Amjad Iraqi joins Yumna Patel to discuss Israel’s political motivations behind the Gaza attack. Amjad is an editor and writer at 972 Magazine, based in Haifa. He’s also a policy analyst at the think tank Al-Shabaka and was previously an advocacy coordinator at the legal center Adalah. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Follow Amjad Iraqi on Twitter Follow our coverage of Operation Breaking Dawn and its impacts on the region. Subscribe to the Palestine Letter email newsletter. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email dave@mondoweiss.net Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

Earlier this month Israel launched airstrikes across Gaza. In our last episode, Mondoweiss’ Palestine-based staff talked about the historical and political context of this attack. Our Gaza Correspondent, Tareq Hajjaj, spoke movingly about what he experienced first hand during the assault. Listen to it here. This week we’re excited to share an episode of the North Untapped podcast, hosted by Alex Cosh, a Canadian journalist and managing editor of The Maple. North Untapped is a weekly show about Canadian politics, foreign policy and history. In this episode, Alex speaks to Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East about Israel’s recent attack on Gaza, and the Canadian government’s non-response. They also talk about the roots of the current situation in Palestine, and how Canada helps Israel act with impunity. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Dig deeper into Canadian politics with the North Untapped podcast. Follow Alex Cosh on Twitter. Follow Michael Bueckert on Twitter. West Bank dispatch: 24 hours of Operation Breaking Dawn, Mariam Barghouti Gaza’s only power plant shuts down as Israeli airstrikes continue, Tareq Hajjaj The aftermath in Gaza, Tareq Hajjaj Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email dave@mondoweiss.net Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Palestine Letter Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

Last Friday, August 5, 2022, the Israeli military launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. In response, hundreds of rockets were fired from Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance group. Most of these were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems. The few that managed to make it through caused relatively minor damage to a few cars and buildings. In contrast, 48 Palestinians died from the three days of Israeli air bombardment. This included 17 children. One of the first Palestinians to be killed was only 5 years old. In this episode, our Palestine news team joins the podcast to talk about what led to the violence this past week, its impact on Palestinian and Israeli politics, and what Palestinians in Gaza lived through over the past week. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Wake me up if I survive this war, Doaa Alremeili West Bank dispatch: 24 hours of Operation Breaking Dawn, Mariam Barghouti Gaza’s only power plant shuts down as Israeli airstrikes continue, Tareq Hajjaj The hunger striker and the ‘lion of Nablus’, Mariam Barghouti The aftermath in Gaza, Tareq Hajjaj Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email dave@mondoweiss.net Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr

We are about halfway through the primary election season in the United States. This cycle has seen an explosive growth in spending from political action committees tied to pro-Israel lobby groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. In this episode Michael Arria and I speak with Beth Miller from JVP Action and campaign consultant Peter Feld about how this direct campaign engagement from Israel lobby groups is affecting elections. But first, I asked Michael to update us on the Michigan primary where Democrat Andy Levin lost in a high-profile race that attracted a flood of money from the Israel lobby PACs. - - - - - Support our work Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate Articles and Links mentioned in the show Stevens beats Levin in Michigan with over $4 million worth of help from AIPAC, Michael Arria AIPAC wins in Maryland, The Shift Newsletter, Michael Arria AIPAC spends millions in Michigan, The Shift Newsletter, Michael Arria AIPAC spends in Dem primaries, but its ads don’t mention Israel, Michael Arria Pro-Israel PACs break down primary strategy, Marc Rod, Jewish Insider Shri Thanedar's campaign position on Israel Jewish Vote for Peace Action Subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this podcast Share The Mondoweiss Podcast with your followers on Twitter. Click here to post a tweet! If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Podchaser and leave us a review and follow the show! Follow The Mondoweiss Podcast wherever you listen Amazon Apple Podcasts Audible Deezer Gaana Google Podcasts Overcast Player.fm RadioPublic Spotify Stitcher TuneIn YouTube Our RSS feed We want your feedback! Email dave@mondoweiss.net Leave us an audio message at SparkPipe More from Mondoweiss Subscribe to our free email newsletters: Daily Headlines Weekly Briefing The Shift tracks U.S. politics Follow us on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Tumblr