Arab Talk with Jess & Jamal

Jess and Jamal dissect Jared Kushner’s interview on Axios/HBO. His interview with journalist Jonathan Swan revealed Kushner's underlying Zionist and Western attitudes toward the Palestinian people and oppressed people of color in general, as well as his utter lack of credibility or experience in diplomacy. Kushner questioned the Palestinians' right to self-determination, putting the burden on them to prove they are deserving of freedom, justice, equality and their human rights.

Jess & Jamal discuss one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s biggest setbacks of his political career, as he missed a deadline to form a new coalition government, pushing the Israeli Knesset to dissolve itself, and setting the stage for new elections in mid-September. Jess and Jamal make the case that Trump-Kushner’s so-called Deal of the Century may be the first casualty of Netanyahu’s sinking ship. They also discuss Robert Mueller’s surprise press conference as calls for impeaching President Trump ramp up.

Jess & Jamal discuss the political future of Syrian Kurds, after the US Syria envoy James Jeffrey told a press briefing on Wednesday that the Trump Administration did not support Kurdish independence from Syria, instead it envisioned their future as part of “a democratic, peaceful government” in Damascus. They also provide an update on the so-called Deal of the Century.

Jess & Jamal discuss the influence of National Security Adviser John Bolton within the Trump Administration to drag the US into war with Iran. Bolton has a history of abusing U.S. intelligence to justify his foreign-policy goals. Perhaps most notorious was a May 2002 speech at the Heritage Foundation, in which Bolton, then the State Department’s Under Secretary for arms-control issues, accused Cuba of developing biological weapons. Later on, Bolton helped sell the lie that Saddam Hussein was building nuclear weapons.

Jess & Jamal discuss some of the details of leaked content of Trump-Kushner’s so-called Deal of the Century. The deal, according to leaked documents, will be signed between Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to bring about the creation of “New Palestine.”

Jess & Jamal interview Zeiad Abbas from the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) about their upcoming event: Indigenous, Palestinian and Black Liberation, Commemorating the Palestinian Nakba. They also discuss the rise of hate, racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia in the US since Trump took office.

Jess & Jamal provide their own take on the Redacted Mueller Report. They also discuss Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan a/k/a Deal of the Century and the increased incitement and verbal attacks targeting Representative Ilhan Omar.

Jess & Jamal analyze the results of the recent Israeli election, guaranteeing Benjamin Netanyahu his fifth term as Prime Minister. They also discuss Airbnb’s decision to backtrack on delisting properties located in Israeli Colonial Settlements on stolen Palestinian land to end lawsuits brought by the hosts.

Jess & Jamal discuss and analyze some of the Democratic candidates in the crowded 2020 U.S. Presidential race. They also interview Michael Malek Najjar, the director of Scenes from 71 Years, a play about Palestinian life under occupation.

Jess & Jamal discuss “separation of church and state” as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in a televised interview that his boss President Trump, like the Bible’s Queen Esther, may have been put on Earth to save the Jews. They also discuss Trump’s presidential proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Syrian Golan Heights.