Occupied Thoughts

In this new episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” Peter Beinart interviews Sulaiman Khatib and Penina Eilberg-Schwartz about their new book, In This Place Together, which the publisher describes as a “narrative meditation on joint nonviolence, opening a window to the questions of power, multiple narratives, and imagination that touch on struggles for justice everywhere.” More information at fmep.org Orinigial music by Jalal Yaqoub

The Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) hosted an eight-part webinar series for members of the House and Senate and Congressional Staff discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. policy. The series is co-moderated by FMEP’s Lara Friedman & MEI’s Khaled Elgindy. Access the series at FMEP.org Original "Occupied Thoughts" music by Jalal Yacoub

Ft. Peter Beinart, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Diana Buttu, and Orly Noy. Last week, Israelis went to the polls for the fourth time in two years to elect a new government. In parallel, Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem are now — for the first time in nearly 15 years — preparing for presidential and legislative elections, scheduled for May and June. What are the prospects for these elections bringing about real, positive change for either people or an opening to confront Israeli apartheid, annexation, or occupation? In what ways are these elections a distraction that enable the continuation of the current status quo, which includes the increasingly illiberal nature of Israeli politics and society, and the continued authoritarian and unaccountable nature of Palestinian leadership? More info, including panelist biographies, can be found at fmep.org “Original ‘Occupied Thoughts’ music by Jalal Yaqoub”

In this episode of “Occupied Thoughts,” Peter Beinart interviews Nathan Thrall about Thrall’s new essay in the New York Review of Books, “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama.” The essay describes a Palestinian father’s search for his son following a bus accident, detailing layers of neglect, danger, and abuse faced by Palestinians living under Israeli control, whether in the Jerusalem, the West Bank, or inside the Green Line.

When Israeli citizens go to the polls on March 23rd, one thing they will be voting on is whether to bring followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane into the Knesset as part of a new party, “Religious Zionism.” The sudden political ascent of the Religious Zionism party was orchestrated by Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for its support for keeping him in power, leading one Ha’aretz commentator to name him a “lobbyist for the Kahanist party.” featuring Amjad Iraqi (+972 Magazine), Professor Rabbi Shaul Magid (Dartmouth College and author of the forthcoming Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical), Natasha Roth-Rowland (University of Virginia) in conversation with Lara Friedman (FMEP). For the resources shared during the webinar, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/18777/ Original music by Jalal Yaqoub

Ft. Lara Friedman (FMEP), Ahmad Daraldik (FSU), Dima Khalidi (Palestine Legal) & Sherene Seikaly (UCSB) For more information, including speaker biographies and a list of resources shared during this conversation, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/the-ihra-definition-the-fight-against-antisemitism-part-6-implications-and-impacts-of-the-ihra-definition-on-palestinians/ Original music by Jalal Yaqoub

In this new episode of Occupied Thoughts, Peter Beinart interviews Sawsan Zaher, Deputy Director of Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, about the recent decision by the International Criminal Court that opens the door for investigations into alleged war crimes perpetrated by “members of the Israeli Defense Forces, Israeli authorities, Hamas, and Palestinian armed groups.” Zaher, who has litigated multiple landmark cases before the Israeli Supreme Court on discrimination against Palestinians, offers a primer on Israel/Palestine and the ICC -- what the new decision means, who might face investigation and potential prosecution (with special attention to Benny Gantz and Gaza), and how the different states & leadership - including Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the U.S., and others - are responding and why.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, Peter Beinart interviews Jerome Slater about his new book, Mythologies Without End: The U.S., Israel, and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1917-2020. Beginning in the British Mandate, covering the Partition plan, and decades of war and dispossession, the conversation reaches the 21st century negotiations, dynamics, and opportunities.

Peter Beinart speaks to Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor from 2009-2017, about working on Israel, Palestine, and Iran in the Obama Administration. Rhodes draws insights from interactions with different lobby groups, presidential travel to Israel and a memorable meeting with young Palestinians in Ramallah, and talks about navigating the assumption by Israel advocates that Blackness translates into sympathy for Palestinians living under oppression. Beinart and Rhodes end the conversation with a discussion of the Biden administration and Democratic foreign policy advisors' approaches to the IHRA definition of antisemitism and Democrats' longstanding commitment to the concept of the two state solution. Ben Rhodes's new book, After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made, will be out in June 2021.

In the latest episode of "Occupied Thoughts," host Peter Beinart speaks with James Zogby about a regional approach to the conflicts, problems, and politics of the Middle East. Building on Zogby's recent article in The Nation, "Biden Should Think Big in the Middle East," the discussion addresses the interconnected conflicts throughout the Middle East - from the Gulf to Turkey, Yemen to Iran, and Israel/Palestine - and describes the need for and potential of a coordinated international approach.