Occupied Thoughts

More than 15 years into Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, and after rounds of devastating Israeli bombing campaigns, life in Gaza continues to become more difficult and traumatic for the two million Palestinians who live there. What is it like to live under such conditions, with no end or reprieve in sight? Join FMEP for a conversation among experts about the current state of mental health in the Gaza Strip, and what it might mean for the future of Gaza’s residents. We will look at the findings from a recent study conducted over two years by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) and the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP).  Featuring Dr. Yasser Abu-Jamei (Gaza Community Mental Health Programme), Ghada Majadli (Physicians for Human Rights Israel), and Razzan Quran (George Washington University) in conversation with  Dr. Yara Asi (FMEP Non-resident Fellow). Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP's Lara Friedman speaks to Amal Thabateh, who is the Michael Ratner Justice Fellow at Palestine Legal, about the stunning attacks that have taken place targeting Fatima Mohamed for her May 12th commencement speech at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law’s graduation ceremony and the broader context of the fight to defend free speech and activism in support of Palestinian rights.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP's Lara Friedman speaks to journalist, filmmaker, and author Antony Loewenstein, about his new book, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, published by Verso books in May 2023.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP 2023 non-resident fellow Rabea Eghbariah speaks to Abed Abu Shehadeh, a political and community organizer from Jaffa who is also an elected city council member in Tel Aviv-Jaffa’s municipality. The conversation explores the historical trajectory of Jaffa and its transformation from a major Palestinian city before the Nakba to a de-developed city annexed to Tel Aviv. We hear from Abu Shehadeh on the major challenges that Jaffa's Palestinian community faces today in light of this history, including gentrification, crime, and education.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with journalists Basel Adraa and Yuval Abraham about the conditions of life in Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills of the West Bank, and how things have changed - and gotten far worse - since the May 2022 Israeli Supreme Court decision that authorized the IDF to expel communities in Masafer Yatta. Basel and Yuval co-authored "The Destruction of This Palestinian Community Was Green-Lighted by Israel’s Supreme Court," the cover article in last week's The Nation magazine (July 10, 2023 edition). In the article, Basel and Yuval write “The mass expulsion of Masafer Yatta’s residents has not yet been carried out, but the lives of all the people of these villages have changed beyond recognition in the months since the ruling. Soldiers have begun detaining children at impromptu checkpoints they’ve erected in the middle of the desert under the cover of night; families watch as bulldozers raze their homes with increasing frequency; and, right next to the villages designated for expulsion and demolition, soldiers are already training with live fire, racing tanks, and detonating mines.” Their article is a joint project of The Nation, +972 Magazine, and Local Call/Sikha Mekomit. Original music by Jalal Yacquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP 2023 non-resident fellow Rabea Eghbariah speaks to Maria Zreik, a street photographer and political organizer from Nazareth who is coordinating the Baladna Youth Center, a Palestinian cooperative in Nazareth's Old City. The conversation delves into the challenges that Palestinians in Nazareth are facing today, how the city's landscape has shifted, and what a youth center in the city can offer to help.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP 2023 non-resident fellow Rabea Eghbariah speaks to Raafat Sub Laban, a Palestinian human rights attorney from the Old City of Jerusalem whose family is under the threat of imminent dispossession from their home. Raafat explains how the dispossession of Palestinians in Jerusalem is enabled by Israeli law and settler organizations who work together to "Judaize" the city and drive Palestinians out. Raafat also shares updates about the Sub Laban family situation and the #SaveNorasHome campaign.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP non resident fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli anti-Zionist activist and solidarity organizer who has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by Israel for his involvement in Palestine solidarity protests in the West Bank. Jonathan is currently facing two charges, and is expected to demand his trial take place in Israel's West Bank military court system, rather than in Israeli domestic courts. Peter explores the history and motivation of Jonathan's activism, and how Israelis can figure into the struggle for Palestinian rights. For biographies and resources, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/musjcy7r

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP 2023 non-resident fellow Rabea Eghbariah speaks to award-winning writer and journalist Mohammed El Kurd about the importance of developing an understanding of Palestine rooted in the experiences and realities of Palestinians on the ground. Who gets the permission to narrate the situation in Palestine? What frameworks do we use and does language really matter? How can Palestinians share and maintain a sense of unity in a deepening state of fragmentation? Is identity politics a way forward? Join us for a conversation about framing and understanding Palestine today. For bios and resources, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/bdz8e8td

In this episode of FMEP's Occupied Thoughts podcast, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) director Giovanni Fassini and ELSC manager of communication and advocacy strategies and campaigns Alice Garcia about ELSC's groundbreaking new report, “Suppressing Palestinian Rights Advocacy through the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism – Violating the Rights to Freedom of Expression and Assembly in the European Union and the UK." This report is the first case-based account of human rights violations resulting from the institutionalization and application of the controversial IHRA definition by the EU and the UK. For links/resources related to this podcast, see: https://fmep.org/resource/how-ihra-definition-of-antisemitism-is-suppressing-palestinian-rights-advocacy-in-the-eu-uk-deep-dive-into-new-elsc-report