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FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Dr. Lana Tatour about the recent Israeli Supreme Court decision that opens a legal path for the Israeli government to revoke citizenship of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and what this decision both reflects and demonstrates about the fragile status of Israel's Palestinian citizens. Dr. Tatour is an assistant professor in global development at the School of Social Science, University of New South Wales, Australia. She was the 2019–20 Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University. She is currently completing a book provisionally titled Ambivalent Resistance: Palestinians in Israel and the Liberal Politics of Settler Colonialism and Human Rights. Follow her on Twitter at @Lana_Tatour. Links to articles mentioned in this podcast & further resources can be found here: https://fmep.org/resource/israeli-supreme-court-opens-door-to-legalized-ethnic-cleansing-inside-the-green-line

In mid-July, President Biden is expected to make his first visit as President of the United States to Israel and the Persian Gulf. What is the point of his visit? What does it mean for U.S. policy vis-a-vis Israel and the Gulf? What does it mean for Palestinians? To explore these and other questions, FMEP and Jewish Currents held a conversation with U.S.-based experts Peter Beinart (CUNY), Dana El Kurd (University of Richmond), Lara Friedman (FMEP), and Trita Parsi (Quincy).  Participants:  ​​Peter Beinart teaches national reporting and opinion writing at the Newmark J-School and political science at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is editor-at-large for Jewish Currents, an MSNBC political commentator, and a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a nonfiction author and former Rhodes Scholar. His first book, The Good Fight, was published by HarperCollins in 2006. His second book, The Icarus Syndrome, was published by HarperCollins in 2010. His third, The Crisis of Zionism, was published by Times Books in 2012. Peter tweets at @PeterBeinart Dana El Kurd is an assistant professor at the University of Richmond, a non resident senior fellow at the Arab Center Washington, and non resident fellow at the Middle East Institute in the Palestine program. Her work focuses on authoritarianism, international intervention, and state-society relations in the Arab world. Her book, Polarized and Demobilized: Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine, was released in January 2020 with Oxford University Press. She tweets at @danaelkurd. Lara Friedman is the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP). With more than 25 years working in the Middle East foreign policy arena, Lara is a leading authority on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, with particular expertise on Israel/Palestine and the role of the U.S. Congress. In addition to her work at FMEP, Lara is a Contributing Writer at Jewish Currents and a non-resident fellow at the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP). Prior to joining FMEP, Lara was the Director of Policy and Government Relations at Americans for Peace Now, and before that she was a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, serving in Jerusalem, Washington, Tunis and Beirut. She holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service; in addition to English, Lara speaks French, Arabic, Spanish, (weak) Italian, and muddles through in Hebrew. Lara tweets at @LaraFriedmanDC Trita Parsi is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored three books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. He was named by the Washingtonian Magazine as one of the 25 most influential voices on foreign policy in Washington DC in both 2021 and 2022, and preeminent public intellectual Noam Chomsky calls Parsi “one of the most distinguished scholars on Iran.” He tweets at @tparsi. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with Ali Awad about Masafer Yatta and particularly Firing Zone 918 and what has changed there since the Supreme Court handed down its decision in May authorizing the Israeli military to expel the Palestinian residents of the firing zone. Ali's most recent article on +972,"'They're not arriving with trucks to deport us, but the goal is the same'," was published on June 29, 2022. Ali Awad is journalist and activist from the village of Tuba in Masafer Yatta. He is co-founder of the new media project Humans of Masafer Yatta. Sarah Anne Minkin is Director of Programs & Partnerships at FMEP. Resources mentioned in this podcast: Humans of Masafer Yatta on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansofmasaferyatta/ Humans of Masafer Yatta on Substack: https://humansofmasaferyatta.substack.com/ #SaveMasaferYatta campaign: https://savemasaferyatta.com/en/ Youth of Sumud on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthofsumud/?hl=en Youth of Sumud on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youthofsumud/ Ali Awad on Twitter: @Ali_awad1998 Ali Awad's archives on +972 Magazine: https://www.972mag.com/writer/ali-awad/ Ali's newest article on +972, "'They're not arriving with trucks to deport us, but the goal is the same'" FMEP's recent podcast with Sameeha Hureini, activist with Youth of Sumud and resident of A'Twani village, "'It's our responsibility to turn on the light': Masafer Yatta, Apartheid, and Youth Activism": https://fmep.org/resource/its-our-responsibility-to-turn-on-the-light-masafer-yatta-apartheid-and-youth-activism/ Original Music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Lara Friedman speaks with preeminent journalist Dalia Hatuqa about the killing of her friend and fellow journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11, 2022, the myriad investigations that have been carried out, and the imperative of getting justice, which requires accountability. For resources related to this podcast see: https://fmep.org/resource/the-imperative-of-accountability-for-shireen-abu-aklehs-killing/

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with Sameeha Hureini, an activist and university student from A-Twani village in Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills. Sameeha is one of the founders of Youth of Sumud and, together with her brother Sami, was recognized with the 2021 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," journalist and FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Waleed Shahid, spokesperson and communications director of Justice Democrats. Bios: Waleed Shahid is the spokesperson and communications director for Justice Democrats, the grassroots progressive organization that recruited and helped elect Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman as well as Congressional candidate Summer Lee, and launched the campaign for a Green New Deal. He is a member of The Nation’s editorial board. Twitter: @_waleedshahid ​​Peter Beinart teaches national reporting and opinion writing at the Newmark J-School and political science at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is editor-at-large for Jewish Currents, a MSNBC political commentator, and a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a nonfiction author and former Rhodes Scholar. His first book, The Good Fight, was published by Harper Collins in 2006. His second book, The Icarus Syndrome, was published by HarperCollins in 2010. His third, The Crisis of Zionism, was published by Times Books in 2012. Twitter: @PeterBeinart. Original music by Jalal Yacquoub.

As Palestinians commemorate 74 years since the Nakba, FMEP’s Palestinian non-resident fellow Dr. Maha Nassar talks with Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb, professor of media studies at California State University, San Bernardino, about her award-winning documentary, “1948: Creation and Catastrophe.“ (www.1948movie.com) Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

Featuring Rania Batrice (Organizer, communications and legislative strategist, mediator, and advisor to elected officials, candidates, and non-profits both domestic and around the globe) & Peter Beinart (Newmark J-School and CUNY Graduate Center; editor-at-large for Jewish Currents, MSNBC political commentator, and fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace) in conversation with Lara Friedman (President, the Foundation for Middle East Peace). Israel/Palestine has long played an outsized role in US politics and elections. Candidates’ views on issues like aid to Israel, the status of Jerusalem, settlements and the two-state solution, and sympathy for Palestinians and Palestinian rights are actively elicited, to be used as levers to mobilize financial and political support for chosen incumbents and challengers, or as cudgels to to attack their opponents. On the Hill, members who express even mild support for Palestinian rights, or criticism of Israeli policies, or reservations about additional aid for Israel, open themselves up to being attacked as anti-Israel or antisemitic. In the run-up to the 2022 mid-term elections, Israel/Palestine has come up over and over, including with the decision by AIPAC’s new political action committee to endorse a long list of Republicans who sought to overturn the last presidential election; the huge investment by pro-Israel organizations and funders in targeted races, including in Michigan and Ohio; and the controversial recent decision by a Jewish Democratic pro-Israel organization to endorse a (non-Jewish) candidate in a primary battle against a (Jewish) incumbent previously endorsed by that same organization, apparently as retribution for the incumbent’s slightly more progressive views on Israel/Palestine. Original music by Jalal Yacquoub.

In this episode of "Occupied Thoughts," FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with Jehad Abusalim (2022 FMEP Fellow) and Dana El-Kurd (University of Richmond) about what the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements with Israel over the last few years have opened up in the Arab world, including state-sponsored efforts to cultivate acceptance of Israel and suppress support for Palestinians. Dana speaks about her research on Arab public opinion as well as pro-Palestine activism, and Jehad draws from the historical context of the long history of Arab Jews as well as Palestinian responses to Zionism and antisemitism before the establishment of the state of Israel.  In February, Dana published this brief, "Pro-Palestine solidarity in the UAE: A view from Emirati activists." See also this article from the Economist in January 2022, "The Arab world is re-embracing its Jews."   Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

Last month, the Israeli Knesset passed a new version of Israel’s infamous “Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law.” This law denies to Palestinian citizens of Israel a fundamental right that Israel’s Jewish citizens take for granted (and, indeed, citizens around the world hold dear): the right to make a life together with one’s chosen spouse, in the country where one hold’s citizenship. Adopted originally by the Knesset in 2003 as a “temporary” measure ostensibly for “security” reasons, the law has been repeatedly renewed for almost 20 years, most recently in March 2022. The renewed law includes explicit provisions referring to its “demographic” purpose, leading Adalah to call it “one of the most racist and discriminatory laws in the world.” In March, Israel’s Minister of Interior Ayelet Shaked celebrated the law’s passage on Twitter, saying; “Jewish & Democratic State – 1; State for all its citizens – 0”. Featuring: Dr. Morad El Sana, who was among the first petitioners against this law when his family was directly impacted by it; Dr. Hassan Jabareen, who leads Adalah’s challenges against this law at the Israeli Supreme Court; Member of Knesset Aida Touma-Sliman, who has fought against this law since its first passage – all in conversation with FMEP’s Lara Friedman. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of the Occupied Thoughts podcast, FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks with Amnesty International’s Saleh Hijazi about the root causes of the violence currently in the headlines -- i.e., Israel's policy of apartheid, and the structural violence they impose against Palestinians. and why Amnesty International is calling for an end to the “cycle of impunity” that supports and enables it. Saleh Hijazi is Amnesty International (UK)’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. He is also advisor to Al-Quds University Human Rights Clinic where he worked as academic coordinator and lecturer, and a fellow at Al-Shabaka. Saleh holds a master's degree in human rights from the University of Essex and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from Lawrence University. Lara Friedman is the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP). Click here to watch this conversation on YouTube  Also see: Amnesty International, Feb. 1, 2022: Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity - https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts podcast, FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks with Aviv Tatarsky about escalating tensions and violence on and around Jerusalem’s Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount. Aviv is a researcher at the NGO Ir Amim (city of nations), which focuses on Jerusalem within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The mission of Ir Amim is to render Jerusalem a more equitable and sustainable city for the Israelis and Palestinians who share it and to help secure a negotiated resolution on the city through sustained monitoring, reporting, public and legal advocacy, public education and outreach to re-orient the public discourse on Jerusalem. More about Ir Amim: https://www.ir-amim.org.il/

Featuring: Daniel Seidemann (Terrestrial Jerusalem), Dana El Kurd (Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Institute) & Munir Nuseibah (Al-Quds University). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded February 11, 2022. This podcast is Part 1 of an 8-part series of webinars/podcasts. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored issues related to Israeli policies in Jerusalem, including ongoing displacement of Palestinian residents and expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, why Jerusalem continues to serve as a catalyst for Palestinian protest (and Israeli violence in response), and how Jerusalem continues to be at the heart of Palestinian and Israeli national aspirations.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts podcast, FMEP’s Lara Friedman speaks with +972 Magazine’s Amjad Iraqi about recent attacks against Israelis and related Israeli fears that are dominating the news cycle, and as well as the ongoing structural Israeli violence against Palestinians – including both day-to-day policies that implement Israeli apartheid and acts of collective punishment (which Amjad wrote about recently for +972 Magazine -- https://www.972mag.com/edition/collective-punishment-palestinians/) – that rarely makes headlines. Amjad also offers insights into how the current situation is both similar and different from the events that led to the outbreak of major violence and protest last summer.

Featuring Lana Tatour (University of New South Wales, Australia) Dr. Yara Hawari (Al-Shabaka), and Tareq Baconi (Al-Shabaka). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded April 1, 2022. This podcast is Part 8 of an 8-part series of webinars/podcasts. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored how years of fragmentation of the Palestinian people are today being challenged/overcome, both in terms of connections across the Green Line and grassroots engagement and connections around the world.

Featuring Ahmed Abu Artema (Palestinian writer and activist) and Marwa Fatafta (MENA Policy Manager at Access Now). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded March 25, 2022. This podcast is Part 7 of an 8-part series of webinars/podcasts. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored issues surrounding Palestinian civil society, and in particular human rights defenders and democracy activists, and the challenges and threats they face — including direct attacks by Israel, targeting by Palestinian authorities, and apathy/indifference from the international community in the face of these attacks.

Featuring Omar Barghouti (Palestinian human rights defender & co-founder of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement), Brian Hauss (ACLU) and Olivia Katbi (North America Coordinator for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded March 18, 2022. This podcast is Part 6 of an 8-part series of webinars/podcasts. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored issues surrounding growing grassroots protest of Israeli policies, including via support of boycotts, divestment campaigns, and calls for sanctions (BDS) — and the parallel rise in efforts, including in Congress, to delegitimize and legislate against such protests.

Featuring Jawad Boulus (Palestinian human rights lawyer), Sahar Francis (Addameer), and Shibley Telhami (Brookings/University of Maryland). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded March 11, 2022. This podcast is Part 5 of an 8-part series of webinars/podcasts. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored issues surrounding Palestinian public views, and Palestinian Authority/PLO policy, related to Palestinians killed and imprisoned by Israel, and how this issue has become enmeshed in debates in Congress over U.S. assistance for Palestinians.

Featuring Umar al-Ghubari (Zochrot), Hani Almadhoun (UNRWA USA) and Francesca Albanese (Georgetown University). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded March 4, 2022. This podcast is Part 4 of an 8-part series of webinars. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored issues surrounding Palestinian refugees, including the plight of refugees inside and outside of Palestine, the role of UNRWA and the debate it engenders in Congress, and the Palestinian demand for a “Right of Return.”

Featuring Mkhaimar Abusada (Al Azhar University in Gaza City), Jehad Abusalim (American Friends Service Committee), and Tania Hary (Gisha). Co-moderated by Lara Friedman (FMEP) & Khaled Elgindy (MEI). Recorded Feb 25, 2022. This podcast is Part 3 of an 8-part series of webinars. For more information regarding this series, and links to the other sessions, please see: https://fmep.org/resource/2022-congressional-briefing-series-israel-palestine-hot-topics-in-congress/ In this session we explored issues related to Gaza, including the longstanding Israeli blockade and deliberate isolation of Gaza from the rest of Palestine and the world; the competing and complementary roles of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Israel, and Egypt; and how Gaza fits into the broader Palestinian picture.