Occupied Thoughts

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Saudi researcher and analyst of Saudi foreign policy Aziz Alghashian about the impact of Israel's now more than 4-month-long war on Gaza on the political calculations and policies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Aziz is a fellow at Sectarianism, Proxies & De-sectarianisation (SEPAD) and at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO). He earned his PhD from the University of Essex, where he taught International Relations, Politics and Middle Eastern Studies. And most important for the purposes of today’s podcast, the focus of Aziz’s current research and writing is Saudi policy towards Israel, and Arab-Israeli relations. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Dr. Yara Asi speaks with Nathan Thrall, author of the recently-released A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, about the systems of separation and dehumanization in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israeli state violence, and what has and hasn't changed in Israel/Palestine over the last four months. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub

FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Tariq Habash, a Palestinian American who was a political appointee in the Biden Administration's Department of Education. Habash resigned from his position in early January in opposition to the Biden Administration's approach to Israel's war in Gaza. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of FMEP's Occupied Thoughts podcast, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Middle East foreign policy/national security expert Jasmine El-Gamal about Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, US policy and national security, implications for international law and peace/security mor broadly, and prospects for regional escalation.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Rabea Eghbariah speaks with Sarah Anne Minkin, FMEP's Director of Programs & Partnerships, about his former client Attiya Nabaheen, a Palestinian teenager from Gaza who sued the Israeli Ministry of Defense for compensation for injuries caused by Israeli soldiers while he was walking, unarmed, on his family's land in late 2014, during a time of ceasefire, or "status quo." Deciding against Attiya, the Israeli Supreme Court "set a chilling precedent such that no one in Gaza can seek compensation for any damages caused by Israel," as Rabea Eghbariah wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed. This conversation discusses the case and its implications for Gazans and Palestinians more broadly. After surviving four wars in Gaza, Attiya Nabaheen was killed, along with his family, in an Israeli airstrike on October 8th.  See Rabea Eghbariah's NYT op-ed: "An Unarmed Teen Was Shot During a Cease-Fire. Israel Was Never Held to Account."https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/opinion/unarmed-teen-israel-gaza.html Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

Featuring Hassan Jabarin (Adalah) and Ghousoon Bisharat (+972) in conversation with Peter Beinart (FMEP) While waging war on Gaza, the Israeli government has simultaneously moved to criminalize criticism of Israel’s war or identification with Palestinians. New legislation, incitement, and arrests are creating a climate of fear and silencing. Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jewish Israelis who advocate for Palestinians face threats, intimidation, and severe restrictions on freedom of speech. Two of the leading organizations in the fight against government repression are the civil rights organization Adalah and the news organization +972 Magazine. For resources, please visit: https://fmep.org/resource/27842/

FMEP Non-Resident Fellows Dr. Yara Asi and Rabea Eghbariah are joined by Dr. Ardi Imseis (Assistant Professor and Academic Director, International Law Programs at Queen’s University Law School) to talk about international law - how it applies in the current crisis, the obligations it imposes on Israel, Hamas, and the international community, and how it can be used to envision and shape next steps.

Featuring Yahav Erez, Yesh Din; Anat Litvin, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI); Jessica Montell, HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual; Tamara Newman, Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI); and  Tal Steiner, Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) in conversation with Lara Friedman (FMEP) FMEP is pleased to host representatives from five of Israel’s leading human rights groups for a collective call to examine the widespread violation of Palestinian rights across all areas under Israeli control. While the international spotlight is on Gaza, Israel’s extreme-right government has pursued a radical agenda to violate the rights of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, in the West Bank, in Jerusalem, and within Israel. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with 2023 FMEP Palestinian Non-Resident Fellow Dr. Yara Asi about public health in Gaza. The conversation addresses the deficiencies in public health infrastructure due to Israel's blockade before the current war as well as the the current total public health catastrophe, including the bombardments, displacement, collapse of hospitals, and threats to the population in the absence of food, water, fuel, and electricity. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts" FMEP non-resident Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Craig Mokhiber, who recently resigned from his post as a Director at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Mokhiber talks about the culture of the UN and how powerful member states operate to shield Israel from criticism, and if/how international laws against genocide should be applied to Israel and Hamas.