Occupied Thoughts

In this episode of FMEP’s Occupied Thoughts podcast, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Ahmed Abuznaid (US Campaign for Palestinian Rights - USCPR) and Diala Shamas (Center for Constitutional Rights) about the lawsuit filed by the Jewish National Fund against USCPR -- which was dismissed by a U.S. federal judge in March 2021 and is now being appealed -- as well as about what can be learned from this case about efforts by pro-Israel actors to instrumentalize and weaponize U.S. laws to target and suppress Palestinian activism and solidarity. For resources related to this podcast see: https://fmep.org/resource/lawfare-in-action-attack-on-us-campaign-for-palestinian-rights-as-a-case-study

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, Jehad Abusalim (FMEP 2022 Palestinian Non-Resident Fellow) speaks with Sarah Anne Minkin (FMEP Director of Programs and Partnerships) about the political and historical context of current escalations and his expectations for what the coming weeks and months will bring. The conversation draws from Jehad's recent article, "The West Bank is on the Brink of Collapse" and his Twitter thread on "the gravity of the current situation between the river and the sea." Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this second episode in FMEP and Al Shabaka's four-part series, Learning and Unlearning Palestine, this panelists Dr. Muhannad Ayyash, Dr. Lana Tatour, and Dr. Yara Hawari examine various limiting paradigms that, in spite of their liberal facade, have sought to contain the Palestinian experience and limit critique on the Israeli settler colonial project. This will include a critique of the international law and apartheid frameworks. For more resources on this webinar and to learn about past and future webinars in this series, please visit:https://fmep.org/resource/learning-unlearning-palestine-a-webinar-series/

In this episode of FMEP's Occupied Thoughts podcast, Kristin McCarthy (FMEP's Director of Grants & Operations) speaks with Ziv Stahl (Executive Director of Yesh Din) about the phenomenon of settler violence, including it's goals and utility, the totality of its affect on Palestinians, how it is used as a means for land takeover, and the complete lack of accountability or protection provided by the Israeli police and army. For resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/settler-violence-more-than-criminal/

Welcome to the first episode in a new webinar series co-hosted by Al Shabaka and the Foundation for Middle East Peace: Learning and Unlearning Palestine Part 1: Who Can Speak on Palestine? Featuring Nour Joudah (UC Berkeley), Dina Matar (SOAS, University of London), in conversation with Maha Nassar (University of Arizona). This conversation examines the history and current reality of the erasure of the Palestinian narrative, the delegitimization of Palestinian voices in mainstream spaces, and possibilities for change. Recorded on January 30, 2022. Go to www.fmep.org for more on this conversation and to hear the rest of the series. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Hebron-based activist Issa Amro and Israeli activist & playwright Einat Weizman about the new documentary play that Einat wrote based on transcripts from Issa's trial in the Israeli Ofer Military Court. In January, 2023, Issa and Einat came to New York for a staged reading of the play. In this podcast, they speak with Peter about justice and injustice, occupation and oppression, activism and art, and the possibilities for liberation. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts -- which comes in the context of ongoing violence in Palestine that only lately broke through to mainstream headlines when the casualties were Israelis -- Inès Abdel Razek (Executive Director, the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy) speaks with FMEP's Lara Friedman about what journalists need to keep in mind when reporting on Palestine, and what the public needs to keep in mind as they consume Palestine-related news. For notes/links related to this podcast see: https://fmep.org/resource/commonsense-rules-for-reporting-consuming-news-on-palestine/

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Kristin McCarthy talks to Dr. Suhad Bisahara - the Legal Director of Adalah - about the new Israeli government coalition agreements that spell out it's policies of domination, suppression, annexation, and control. Resources: "Adalah’s Analysis of the New Israeli Government’s Guiding Principles and Coalition Agreements and their Implications on Palestinians’ Rights" - https://www.adalah.org/uploads/uploads/37_govt_position_paper_Eng_100123.pdf "Israelis are not demonstrating for democracy" by Dr. Yara Hawari - https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/1/16/israelis-are-not-demonstrating-for-democracy

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks to Francesca Albanese -- international legal expert and the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 -- on ongoing and escalating actions by Israel to forcibly eject more than 1200 Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank region known as Masafer Yatta, located in the South Hebron Hills. For resources related to this podcast, see: https://fmep.org/resource/a-war-crime-in-the-making-the-uns-francesca-albanese-on-ethnic-cleansing-in-the-south-hebron-hills/

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” FMEP Non-resident Fellow Peter Beinart is joined by Ken Roth (formerly Human Rights Watch) and Harvard professor Kathryn Sikkink to discuss the recent controversy over Harvard's decision to cancel its offer of a fellowship to Ken Roth, based on accusations of anti-Israel bias by both Human Rights Watch and by Ken.