On the Nose

The podcast explores the contradictions within the US labor movement regarding the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the role of union-made weapons. It discusses the complex debates within the labor movement regarding Palestine, the historical support of labor unions for Zionism and Israel, and the connection between workers' demands and Palestinian rights. It also highlights the importance of the labor movement's stance on Palestine, the need for divestment, and the collaboration between labor and DSA for a just transition.

Many months ago, we solicited questions from you, our listeners, for our first-ever mailbag episode. The result was a wide-ranging conversation that wandered from the serious (Torah study) to the relatively frivolous (HBO’s Girls). We planned to release the episode in early October, but shelved it in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel and amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. We’re sharing it now as a piece of bonus holiday content because many of your questions still feel relevant—even if we might have answered them differently from within this moment. In this episode, editor-in-chief Arielle Angel, executive editor Nora Caplan-Bricker, managing editor Nathan Goldman, and associate editor Mari Cohen discuss, among other things, how to deal with right-wing family members and what we say when people ask us why we care about Jewishness.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).” And many thanks to everyone who sent us such thoughtful questions.Articles Mentioned and Further Reading:JewBusDaf Yomi“A ufologist claims to show 2 alien corpses to Mexico's Congress,” Eyder Peralta, NPR“In the sky! A bird? A plane? A ... UFO?,” Jon Hilkevitch, Chicago Tribune “Former Israeli space security chief says aliens exist, humanity not ready,” Aaron Reich, The Jerusalem PostHBO’s Girls “Old Loves (feat. Rebecca Alter),” Girls Room“On Loving Jews,” Arielle Angel, Jewish CurrentsHora Haslama!, Habiluim

Peter Beinart interviews political analysts Khalil Sayegh and Muhammad Shehada, who discuss growing up under Hamas rule, how Hamas governs, the motivations behind the October 7th attack, and the future of Hamas in Palestinian politics.

In late October, we received a letter: “In almost every conversation I have with young Jews on the left, I find that we are all currently struggling with the same question: What do we do with our families? How do we relate to our parents and grandparents or relatives who are supportive of and complicit in pogroms and genocide? These conversations are feeling fruitless. I’m going home this weekend to visit my family and don’t know what I’ll do.” Around Thanksgiving, we asked listeners to call in and tell us about how they’re navigating conversations with their families, friends, and communities in this moment. What has worked in getting through to loved ones who are attached to a destructive Zionist politics, and what hasn’t? We wanted to know how people are managing these relationships or coping with their feelings about them. On this episode—a collaboration between On the Nose and Unsettled—editor-in-chief Arielle Angel, associate editor Mari Cohen, and Unsettled producer Ilana Levinson listen to clips from callers describing the ruptures in their families, their attempts to repair relationships while sticking to their values, and their strategies for getting through to stubborn loved ones. We explore questions of when it is our obligation to keep arguing, and when it’s better to take a break—or give up completely. And we zoom out to think about what this moment says about the future of Jewish American institutional life. Thanks to Max Freedman, Ilana Levinson, and Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”

Naomi Klein, leftist public intellectual, discusses her book on 'doubling' in politics. Topics include internet culture, vaccine conspiracism, Israel/Palestine conflict, settler colonial denialism, and the importance of solidarity on the left.

Cori Bush, a representative calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to collective punishment, discusses the need for a ceasefire and criticizes the lack of support among Congress members. They also emphasize unity and solidarity among communities, examine potential electoral consequences, and address smear campaigns while fighting for justice.

In the weeks since October 7th, when Hamas attacked the south of Israel and Israel began bombing Gaza, American Jewish institutions that had previously expressed alienation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government have mostly united around a pro-Israel position. At the same time, however, record numbers of progressive American Jews have joined the anti-occupation organizations Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and IfNotNow in taking to the streets to call for a ceasefire. In the last three weeks, Jewish protestors have blocked entrances to the White House, occupied a Capitol Hill building rotunda, and shut down New York City’s Grand Central station to protest US support for bombings that have already killed more than 8,000 Palestinians in Gaza, 3,000 of whom have been children. In this episode of On the Nose, associate editor Mari Cohen discusses this surge in Jewish left organizing with Elena Stein, director of organizing strategy at JVP; Eva Borgwardt, national spokesperson for IfNotNow; and Emmaia Gelman, guest faculty in social sciences at Sarah Lawrence College and longtime Jewish left activist. They discuss mourning Israeli civilians killed on October 7th—some of whom were family members of IfNotNow and JVP staff—while simultaneously organizing against Israel’s onslaught on Gaza; they also consider the comparative strategic value of speaking out specifically as Jews versus joining broader antiwar coalitions. Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”   Articles Mentioned and Further Reading:  “Jewish Groups Rally at White House Urging Biden to Push for Gaza Ceasefire,” Robert Tait, The Guardian “Jewish Activists Arrested at US Congress Anti-Israel Protest Amid Gaza War,” Al Jazeera staff, Al Jazeera“‘Let Gaza Live’: Calls for Cease-Fire Fill Grand Central Terminal,” Claire Fahy, Julian Roberts-Grmela and Sean Piccoli, The New York Times “Survey: A Quarter of US Jews Agree That Israel ‘is an Apartheid State,’” Ron Kampeas, JTA “The Rise of ‘If Not Now’ and the Collapse of the Pro-Israel Consensus,” Alex Kane, Mondoweiss“The Anti-Democratic Origins of the ADL and AJC,” Emmaia Gelman, Jewish Currents “The ADL Doubles Down on Opposing the Anti-Zionist Left,” Mari Cohen and Isaac Scher, Jewish CurrentsAnti-Defamation League DC tweet and Jonathan Greenblatt tweet about IfNotNow and JVPADL and Brandeis Center letter to presidents of colleges and universities #DroptheADL campaign 

Attorney Michael Sfard, alongside Sally Abed and Yair Wallach, discuss the loneliness of the Israeli left amidst global left responses and Israeli society's support for vengeance in Gaza. They delve into recent events' impact, the challenges faced by activists, the struggle for unity, commitment to humanistic values, and the danger of political violence in Israel.

Topics discussed include the surprise Hamas attack on Israel, the reasons behind it, the Great March of Return, living conditions in Gaza under the Israeli siege, hopes for peace and prosperity, and the difficult decisions faced by families during evacuation orders.

Elon Musk, billionaire owner of X, targets the ADL over a proposed ad boycott. The ADL's response draws criticism from the left and far-right. The podcast explores the ADL's alliances and internal tensions, challenges in a polarized political climate, contradictions surrounding criticisms of Israel, and the suppression of criticism and anti-Palestinian bigotry in American political discourse.