Western media has played a central role in justifying and whitewashing Israel’s assault on Gaza—just as it has done in past U.S.-backed wars from Iraq to Syria. Journalists who claim to champion press freedom are silent as activists and students face unprecedented repression for speaking out on Palestine. Why does the media function as a propaganda arm for empire, and how do we push back?Rania Khalek is joined by Assal Rad, a scholar of Modern Middle East History, a non-resident fellow at DAWN, and the author of State of Resistance: Politics, Culture & Identity in Modern Iran, to break it all down.Full episode available exclusively for Breakthrough News members. Support independent media and watch the full conversation at Patreon.com/BreakthroughNewsRead Assal Rad’s latest piece: https://dawnmena.org/how-western-media-has-manufactured-consent-for-atrocities-from-iraq-to-gaza/ Like, share, and subscribe to help Breakthrough News challenge mainstream propaganda!Music Bed License:MB01LVVE0BBVFNN

The past several days have seen horrifying sectarian massacres in Syria. Over 1,000 people have been killed, mostly Alawites and some Christians, in Latakia and Tartus. The perpetrators? Sectarian death squads from HTS, led by Syria’s new president, Mohammed al-Jolani—formerly the leader of Al-Qaeda in Syria.Western media is whitewashing these atrocities, falsely framing them as “revenge” against pro-Assad remnants. But the truth is clear: Syria is now controlled by Salafi jihadists who openly target minorities. How did this happen? What is the reality on the ground? And why is the media complicit in covering up genocide?Veteran war correspondent Elijah Magnier joins Dispatches for a special live episode to break down the facts the media won’t tell you.

Trump’s people are reshaping the US political system, gutting institutions, while selling scores with all enemies foreign and domestic. But is their push for mass deportations, and the abolition of DEI, the Department of Education, USAID and other soft power institutions really in the ruling class’s long term interests. Are we witnessing the collapse of an empire, or simply a reactionary reconfiguration of power? And how should those of us who oppose U.S. imperialism make sense of these contradictions?To break it all down, Rania Khalek is joined by Breakthrough News editor-in-chief Ben Becker.Watch the full episode by becoming a patron: Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews

The field of psychoanalysis has long colluded with Zionism, justifying Israeli crimes while pathologizing Palestinian resistance. Lara Sheehi, an assistant professor of clinical psychology and author of “Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine,” was targeted for being unapologetically anti-Zionist. She joins Rania Khalek on Dispatches to discuss Zionist repression, psychological warfare, and the fight for decolonization.📢 Watch the full interview exclusively on Patreon:

Trump’s return isn’t just chaos, it’s a calculated strategy. While liberals dismiss him, Trump understands raw economic power in a way centrists fail to grasp. What is his master plan, and how could it backfire?Meanwhile, Musk & other billionaires are the new ruling class. As capitalism dies, we enter technofeudalism, where corporate overlords control entire infrastructures of power.And in Europe, elites literally cried over the U.S. pivoting away. Does Europe have any real sovereignty left?Yanis Varoufakis joins Rania Khalek to break it all down.

Syria is entering a new phase, and the regional balance of power is shifting. Gulf states, Turkey, and Israel are recalibrating their strategies, while the U.S., Russia, and China assess their next moves. Iran and Hezbollah, once deeply entrenched in Syria, are now facing new challenges. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its presence in the occupied Golan Heights, and Trump is pressuring Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians expelled from Gaza.Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, joins Rania Khalek to break down these developments and what they mean for the region.📢 Full episode available for Breakthrough News members. Support the show and access exclusive content at Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews.🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications to stay updated!

Matt Kennard, an investigative journalist and co-founder of Declassified UK, sheds light on the U.S. and UK’s imperial tactics. He reveals how organizations like USAID masquerade as development partners but often enforce American dominance. Kennard discusses the implications of recent funding cuts on global power dynamics, the media’s complicity in propagating imperial narratives, and how intelligence operations intertwine with conflicts like Gaza. His insights prompt a re-evaluation of U.S. soft power strategies and their real-world consequences.

Following the Gaza ceasefire, Israel is already preparing for its next round of ethnic cleansing with full Western backing. Pro-Palestine activists are facing escalating repression, Trump is pushing a new ethnic cleansing plan, and Israel’s increasing resemblance to fascist regimes is impossible to ignore.Rania Khalek speaks with Tony Greenstein, a Jewish anti-Zionist, Marxist, and anti-fascist activist, about the historical roots of Zionism, the weaponization of the Holocaust, and the imperialist crackdown on Palestine solidarity.🚨 The full interview is available exclusively to Breakthrough News members. Support our work and access the full episode by becoming a member at Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell icon so you never miss a new episode!

The Palestinian resistance has defied overwhelming military force in Gaza, adapting and surviving despite Israel’s strategy of genocide and starvation. What does this war teach us about asymmetric warfare, military resilience, and the future of anti-colonial resistance? Why has Israel failed to eliminate Palestinian fighters despite its apocalyptic destruction of Gaza? And how has the regional Axis of Resistance, from Yemen to Lebanon, reshaped the battlefield?To discuss all this and more, Rania Khalek is joined by author and host of the Anti-Empire Project Justin Podur on Dispatches.💡 Full episode available exclusively to Breakthrough News patrons. Support independent media at Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews.

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined by author, historian, and journalist Vijay Prashad to discuss how the West’s increasing reliance on violent repression, from Gaza to Cuba, signals not strength, but desperation. Prashad dissects the moral collapse of Western imperialism and the challenges facing the Global South as they navigate an era of “hyperimperial” aggression.👉 Listen to the full episode by becoming a Breakthrough News member at https://www.patreon.com/BreakthroughNews