Arab Talk with Jess & Jamal

Analyzing the biased media coverage of the Gaza conflict and the support for Israel. Examining the failures and vulnerability of Israel and other countries involved in the conflict. Exploring the tactics used to manipulate public sentiment and dehumanize Palestinians. Discussing the implications of American citizens serving in the Israeli military. Highlighting the lack of protection for Palestinians with American citizenship and the violation of international law.

Adam Shapiro, advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) discusses the federal lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) regarding admitting Israel to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, stating that it is not following the law in applying the definition of reciprocity for Israel. The Waiver has also drawn strong pushback from 4 Democratic Senators who wrote that Israel has failed to meet the requirements of reciprocity for U.S. citizens with Palestinian residency.

Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam discusses his upcoming performance, "Dreaming the Diaspora: An Arab Immigrant’s Journey from Beirut to San Francisco." Georges talks about his story as a Palestinian refugee born in Lebanon, after his family was forced to leave their ancestral home in Haifa, Palestine during the Nakba in 1948. Georges’ journey is presented through the lens of cultural arts. To learn more and purchase tickets: https://dancemissiontheater.org/2023/07/30/oct-20-22-dreaming-the-diaspora/

Human rights attorney and activist Stanley Cohen discusses how it is that media organizations and governmental agencies in the U.S. still consider the ADL to be the standard bearer of human and civil rights, despite its dark history.

Investigative journalist Asa Winstanley discusses his recent book, "Weaponising Anti-Semitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn." Winstanely explains how the most aggressive onslaughts on Corbyn were made by Israel proxies presenting as local British political and community organizations, and were coordinated with either the Israeli Embassy or its other government affiliates.

Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi discusses her recent article in Mondoweiss (co-authored with Dr. Heike Schotten) “Why we created the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism”, and explains why such an institute is long overdue to provide counter narratives to propaganda used by the Israel lobby. The institute will also distinguish between Judaism and Zionism. She also talks about the ongoing campaign by San Francisco State University to muzzle programs and classes about Palestine.

Professor David Miller discusses his recent sacking by the University of Bristol and how Israel advocacy and lobby groups are increasingly weaponizing “anti-semitism” to silence all criticism of Israel in academia. Miller has brought an employment claim against Bristol for unfair termination.

Journalist Amira Hass explains why for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, self-defense against Jewish violence is a criminal offence subject to arrest, trial, imprisonment and heavy fines, while more prominent Israelis label Israel an Apartheid regime.

Richard Silverstein, editor of the Tikun Olam blog, discusses why US politicians are parading their Zionist allegiance with urgency as Israel is in dire need of damage control to shed its racist and apartheid labels.

Professor Avi Shlaim discusses his recent book, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew, as he revisits his family’s idyllic days in Iraq before they were unwittingly swept into the mass emigration of Iraqi Jews into newly-created Israel. The family’s cultural shock was traumatic, and their fortunes were reversed forever.