The Mondoweiss Podcast

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

In May, 2021, fighting broke out between Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza and the Israeli military. Three hundred Palestinian residents of Gaza were killed, including 66 children, and thousands more were injured. The United Nation’s Human Rights Council set up a Commission of Inquiry to identify the “root causes'' of the violence. On June 7th of this year the Commission presented its first report to the UN Human Rights Council. Unlike past UN commissions of inquiry on violence between Israelis and Palestinians, the mandate of this Commission is not time-limited. It is not subject to annual renewal. And it is not restricted to examining the immediate circumstances that led to its formation. Rather, it was told to take its time, and examine the “underlying root causes of recurrent tensions.” In further contrast with past commissions and Special Rapporteurs on the occupied Palestinian territories, this Commission has been tasked with examining the situation in both the occupied Palestinian territories and, in the words of the Commission’s June report, “Israel itself.” The commission is led by several highly experienced leaders in international law, including Miloon Kothari, who served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing with the Human Rights Council. In the wake of the Commission’s first report, Mondoweiss contributor David Kattenburg spoke with Miloon Kothari. His views were both candid and cutting. - - - - - 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 ‘Apartheid’ is not sufficient: an interview with UN Human Rights Commissioner Miloon Kothari, David Kattenburg U.S. State Department statement on the UN Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on the Situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, UN Human Rights Council   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 week U.S. President Joe Biden met with senior Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a whirlwind trip through the Middle East. Biden had several top-level goals for this trip. He wanted to deepen connections between the U.S. and Israeli militaries, continue the so-called “normalization” efforts between the Israeli government and regional Arab states, and convince the Saudi Arabian government to increase oil production in order to lower global prices and offset the economic impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine. He also managed, in classic off-script Biden fashion, to acknowledge that the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation is just like the Irish struggle against the British – although in this case Biden is unconditionally supporting the British. Joining us today are Mondoweiss staff reporters who covered the trip. Phil Weiss is the founder and Senior editor of Mondoweiss. Yumna Patel is our Palestine News Director based in Bethlehem. Michael Arria is our U.S. correspondent and author of the weekly politics newsletter, The Shift. And Mariam Barghouti is our Senior Palestine Correspondent based in Ramallah. - - - - - 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 Biden-Lapid joint declaration takes aim at BDS movement, Michael Arria Biden offers platitudes, ‘confidence building’ measures during meeting with Abbas, Yumna Patel and Mariam Barghouti ‘Zionists not welcome’: Palestinians reject Biden’s Bethlehem visit, Yumna Patel Biden’s visit will serve Israeli view: Shireen Abu Akleh’s life doesn’t matter, 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 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 month a US court of appeals upheld an Arkansas law that prohibits state contractors from boycotting Israel. The 9-1 decision reversed a previous ruling that determined the law was unconstitutional. Despite the fact that over 30 states have adopted similar laws, it was the first full federal appeals court ruling on the subject. The decision was written by Judge Jonathan Kobes, a Trump appointee the American Bar Association rated as unqualified when he was nominated. The Arkansas story dates back to 2018 when a local paper, the Arkansas Times, refused to sign a pledge promising to refrain from boycotting Israel in order to obtain an  advertising contract with a public university. The paper’s publisher, Alan Leveritt, sued the state over the law. He was represented by the ACLU. Leveritt has said he’s not a supporter of BDS, but launched the complaint over First Amendment concerns. U.S. correspondent Michael Arria spoke with Amal Thabateh, the Michael Ratner Justice Fellow at Palestine Legal about the ruling and its potential legal impact going forward. - - - - - 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 Arkansas’ anti-BDS law violates the First Amendment, says court, Michale Arria In landmark ruling, Court of Appeals allows states to enforce anti-BDS pledges, Mitchell Plitnick ‘Boycott’ is a powerful film that needs to be seen, 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 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

In this episode I talk to Nooran Alhamdan, a recent Masters graduate of Georgetown University about the action she and other graduates took to confront Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, over U.S. support for Israel. The audio in this episode is a bit choppy, so thanks for your patience. - - - - - 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 Blinken congratulated me on graduating. I confronted him about Shireen Abu Akleh, Nooran Alhamdan Statement: Arab Studies Georgetown Graduates Protest Blinken, Honor Shireen Abu Akleh Students protest Blinken and honor Shireen Abu Akleh at Georgetown graduation, 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 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

In this episode we’re excited to share an interview with Michael Lynk, the 7th Special Rapporteur for the human rights situation in the Palestinian Territories, appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Michael’s term in that role just ended and he spoke to scientist, author and activist David Kattenburg about the state of things in Palestine and reflections on his service. Before we get to that interview, we wanted to let you know about a new video report produced by our Palestine News Director, Yumna Patel. As readers of the site and listeners of this podcast know, Yumna is based in Bethlehem where she covers breaking news and produces video reports and documentaries. On Thursday, May 5, we’ll premier a new video report titled Inside Israeli Apartheid. For decades Palestinians have accused Israel of the crime of Apartheid, imposing two different legal systems on the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea: one system privileges Jews, and another discriminates against Palestinians. Now, the rest of the world is catching up. In the past year, the leading global and Israeli human rights groups have joined their Palestinian counterparts in calling Israel an Apartheid state. From the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, to Palestinian communities inside Israel, this report looks Inside Israeli Apartheid, explaining how it works, and how it affects the daily lives of Palestinians. This video will premiere on YouTube and Facebook on May 5th at 5pm Eastern Standard Time. - - - - - 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 Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 Israel’s 55-year occupation of Palestinian Territory is apartheid – UN human rights expert Israel’s housing policies in occupied Palestinian territory amount to racial segregation – UN experts Watch our new video report, INSIDE ISRAELI APARTHEID, on May 5 at 5pm EST 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

In this episode we’re going to hear a program organized by the Adalah Justice Project and the American Friends Service Committee earlier this month, marking the Land Day anniversary and the beginning of Ramadan. The first Land Day in Palestine took place on March 30, 1976, when Palestinians organized large demonstrations and a nation-wide strike against Israel's plan to seize Palestinian land to build Jewish-only settlements. They were met with brutal Israeli repression and the massacre of six Palestinians. On Land Day in 2018, more than 100,000 Palestinians joined the historic Great March of Return in Gaza to protest Israel’s inhumane blockade and demand that millions of Palestinian refugees be given the freedom to return to their homes. This year, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began on April 1. The day before, on Land Day, the Israeli government unleashed a new round of violence on Palestinians. In the program you’ll hear Palestinian activists from Gaza, the West Bank, and 1948 Palestine shared their reflections and analyses of the current situation on the ground across Palestine, and what recent moments of popular resistance mean in the broader context of the Palestinian struggle. First, Adam Horowitz, Mondoweiss’ Executive Editor, talks with Sandra Tamari, the Executive Director of the Adalah Justice Project. - - - - - 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 Adalah Justice Project American Friends Service Committee 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