Podcasts about East Jerusalem

New settlements in East Jerusalem could further threaten prospects of a Palestinian state. Lebanon is on the cusp of a move to disarm Hezbollah. At least five people were killed by Israeli troops while waiting for aid in Gaza on Wednesday. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Lebanon approaches critical juncture in push for Hezbollah disarmament Hunger and heartbreak as families struggle to survive war in Gaza This episode features Thomas Helm, Jerusalem correspondent; and Jamie Prentis, Beirut correspondent. Editor's note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

In this episode, I sit down with M. Lazslo to discuss his evocative novel 'Anastasia's Midnight Song.' We delve into the creation of a richly detailed, cross-genre tale set during World War I, where characters grapple with schizophrenia and blurred lines between reality and fantasy. Laszlo shares insights on historical settings, the impact of music and technology on the human psyche, and his own experiences living in East Jerusalem. Don't miss this dive into the mind of a writer who masterfully blends the real and the surreal.Books of his we discuss: Anastasia's Midnight SongFurther info on this and other episodes can be found at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AlternateFutures.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're on Wordpress.com, you can follow the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alternatefuturespodcast.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Finally, you can also find the podcast, and follow my articles on science fiction, socio-technological issues, and futurism at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alternatefutures.substack.com⁠⁠

East Jerusalem is one of the most contested pieces of land in the Middle East. International law says it is an occupied Palestinian Territory. Israel claims it is an essential part of the Jewish state. But for the Palestinians and Jewish people who live in East Jerusalem, side by side, it’s often a daily struggle to feel safe. If not physically, then psychologically. And since the war in Gaza began nearly two years ago, an increasing number of Palestinians have been evicted from their homes there. Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, on the battle for statehood that is being fought in this area, house by house. And the Australian-Israeli man who’s at the centre of it all.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

East Jerusalem is one of the most contested pieces of land in the Middle East. International law says it is an occupied Palestinian Territory. Israel claims it is an essential part of the Jewish state. But for the Palestinians and Jewish people who live in East Jerusalem, side by side, it’s often a daily struggle to feel safe. If not physically, then psychologically. And since the war in Gaza began nearly two years ago, an increasing number of Palestinians have been evicted from their homes there. Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, on the battle for statehood that is being fought in this area, house by house. And the Australian-Israeli man who’s at the centre of it all.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Faith and Activism series, Abeer speaks with Thanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese American peacebuilder and researcher currently working with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in East Jerusalem. They discuss how colonial histories and theological frameworks shape global understandings of justice in Palestine/Israel. Drawing from Thanh's experience in faith-based organizing and decolonial research, the conversation explores how theology can be reimagined through the lens of justice, indigenous worldviews, and collective liberation.For our Patreon supporters, Thanh shares one of her original poems reflecting on displacement, belonging, and resistance—and reflects on how art can become a powerful tool in movements for justice and healing. To access this extended conversation and others, consider supporting us on ⁠Patreon⁠.Thanh Nguyen is a peacebuilder and researcher working at the intersection of religion and development. Currently a Project Coordinator at Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in East Jerusalem, she leads strategic partnerships, hosts educational programs, and supports peacebuilding delegations to Palestine/Israel. As a first-generation Vietnamese American whose own history is situated in colonial war, Thanh's peace work prioritizes subaltern knowledge,  resistance to historical amnesia, and indigenous political perspectives. While pursuing a B.A. in political science and international peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, she explored issues of religion, secularity, and coloniality. Her research, commitment, and leadership earned her the Kroc Institute's 2023 Peter Yarrow Award in Peace Studies. Beyond her academic and advocacy work, Thanh is also a poet and writer, with work on colonial displacement and belonging featured in Re:Visions Magazine, Silk Road Review, Decolonial Passages, and independent film/art productions. Moving forward, she aims to continue merging scholarship, activism, and storytelling in her pursuit of collective liberation.If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting our work on Patreon at ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide⁠⁠ Follow Across the Divide on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠Across the Divide partners with ⁠⁠Peace Catalyst International⁠⁠ to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.Show Noteshttps://www.peacecatalyst.org/blog/2024/9/12/meet-2024-rick-love-young-innovator-award-recipient-thanh-nguyenhttps://thedecolonialpassage.net/2024/03/23/a-song-about-living/https://subalternarchives.substack.com/https://sabeel.org/

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli settlements have increased rapidly; a fast-moving fire on the outskirts of Marseille has destroyed homes and forced hundreds to evacuate; and an Australian Commission has ruled that British colonists committed genocide against the Indigenous population of Victoria.

“In so many cases, as is the case of October 7, there are no direct victims who are able to speak – for the very grim reason that Hamas made sure to kill almost each and every one of them. The very few that did survive are too traumatized to speak . . . “ Shortly after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, witness accounts emerged of women brutally raped and mutilated before they were murdered and silenced forever. For Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Professor of Law at Bar-Ilan University, that silence was deafening. And the silence of the international community unwilling to hold Hamas accountable, disturbing.  ”Does that mean that [Hamas] can walk away without being prosecuted, without being charged, and without being pointed to as those who perpetrate sexual violence and use it as a weapon of war?” she asks. In this episode, Halperin-Kaddari explains how she and her colleagues have erased any doubt to make sure Hamas is held accountable.  Their initiative The Dinah Project, named for one of Jacob's daughters, a victim of rape, just published A Quest for Justice, the most comprehensive assessment to date of the widespread and systematic sexual violence that occurred during and after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists and their allies.  The report demonstrates that sexual violence was widespread and systematic during the October 7 attack, that there are clear patterns in the methods of sexual violence across geographic locations, and that sexual violence continued against hostages in captivity. It concludes that Hamas used sexual violence as a tactical weapon of war during and after the October 7 attack.  Resources: Read: The Dinah Project's groundbreaking new report, A Quest for Justice Read: Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  Journalist Matti Friedman Exposes Media Bias Against Israel John Spencer's Key Takeaways After the 12-Day War: Air Supremacy, Intelligence, and Deterrence Iran's Secret Nuclear Program and What Comes Next in the Iranian Regime vs. Israel War Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman: Shortly after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, witness accounts emerged of women brutally raped and mutilated before they were murdered and silenced forever. For Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Professor of Law at Bar Ilan University, that silence was deafening. And the silence of the international community unwilling to hold Hamas accountable, disturbing.  In response, Ruth and colleagues, former military prosecutor Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas and retired judge Nava Ben-Or founded The Dinah Project, an effort to seek justice for the victims of sexual violence during conflicts, particularly in Israel, on October 7, 2023. This week, together with visual editor Nurit Jacobs-Yinon and linguistics editor Eetta Prince-Gibson, they released A Quest for Justice, the most comprehensive report yet on the sexual violence committed on October 7 and against hostages afterward. Ruth is with us now. Ruth, welcome to People of the Pod.  Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   Thank you very much for having me on your podcast. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, it's really an honor to have you. I should note for our listeners that you are also the founding Academic Director of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women, and you've served on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. So you're no newcomer to this subject matter.  You know, we've talked a lot about how Hamas sexually assaulted women and men during the October 7 terror attacks on Israel. Without getting too graphic, or at least getting graphic enough to make your point clear and not sanitize these crimes, what new information and evidence does this report offer?  Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   The specific new finding in the report is to actually take all the already published and existing information and put it together and come down with the numbers that prove that sexual violence on October 7 was not sporadic. Was not isolated. It was systematic. It happened in at least six different locations, at the same time, with the same manner, the same patterns.  And the, I think, most significant finding is that there are at least 17 survivors who witnessed the sexual violence, and they reported on at least 15 different cases. So there were 17 people who either saw or heard, in real time, the rapes and the gang rapes, some of them involving mutilation, some ending, and the witnesses saw, the execution at the end of the assaults. And this is the first time that anybody came with the actual aggregation and the classification and the naming of all the various sexual assaults and all the various cases that occurred on October 7, and then also later on in captivity. What we did is to, as I said, take all the testimonies and the evidence and the reports that people had already given, and they published it, either on social media or regular media, in addition to some information that was available to us from from other sources, and grouped it into specific categories according to their evidentiary value.  So the first group is, of course, those who were victims or survivors of sexual violence themselves, mostly returned hostages, but also one survivor of an attempted rape victim, attempted rape, on October 7, who had actually not spoken before. So that's the first time that her testimony is being recorded or reported.  But then the returned hostages, who also report on repeated and similar patterns of sexual abuse and sexual assaults that they had been subjected to in captivity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So the United Nations has acknowledged that women were raped, mutilated, murdered, executed, as you said, but did it attribute responsibility to Hamas? Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   We have to differentiate between the first report of the Assistant Secretary General, Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict, Ms. Pramila Patten, who refrained from specifically attributing these atrocities to Hamas, saying that there needs to be more or follow up examination or investigation into the question of attribution.  But then in June of 2024, the Commission of Inquiry on Palestinian Authority, Gaza, Israel, and East Jerusalem, did attribute in their report, they did attribute the sexual violence to Hamas in at least two different places in their report. So in our view, this is already a settled issue. And the information that we gathered comes on top of these two reports. We have to bear in mind the issue of time that passes, first of all, with respect to those survivors, mostly of the Nova music festival, who themselves were victims of the terror attack. And as can be expected, took time before they could recount and speak in public about what they had seen, what they had witnessed, suffering also from trauma, being exposed to such unbelievable acts of human cruelty. And then the other group of the returned hostages, who, some of them, were freed only after 400 or 500 days. So obviously we could not hear their reports before they were finally freed. So all these pieces of information could not have been available to these two investigative exercises by the United Nations. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And when the UN Secretary General's annual report on the conflict related sexual violence, when it comes out in August, right, it's expected out next month, there is going to be more information. So do you have high hopes that they will hold Hamas accountable for using sexual violence as a tactical weapon of war, and that this will be included in that report? Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   So this is, in fact, our first recommendation request, ask, if you want to put it that way. We call upon the Secretary General to blacklist Hamas, to include Hamas in the list of those notorious organizations, entities, states that condone or that actually make use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, side by side with ISIS, with Boko Haram, with other terrorist organizations and terrorist groups around the world.  And expose them, finally, for what they are, not freedom fighters and not resistance fighters, but rapists and terrorists that use the worst form of violence of human cruelty, of atrocities to inflict such terror and harm on the enemy. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You know, we talk about the dangers of nuclear warfare, especially lately, in the context of Iran, we talk about cyber attacks. What are the broader implications of sexual violence when it's used as a weapon of war? Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   Perhaps this is where we should clarify the sense in which sexual violence as a weapon of war is different from the regular term of sexual violence, and from the phenomena of, for lack of a better word, everyday sexual violence. It's really very important to bear this in mind when thinking about those broader implications and when seeking justice for victims of sexual violence when used as a weapon of war. It is directed not against the individual. It is directed against the community as a whole. Against the group of the enemy, the nation of the enemy. So the bodies of women, and sometimes also of men, are used as vessels, as symbols, symbolizing the body of the whole nation, and when the specific body is targeted and when the specific woman is invaded, conquered, violated, it is as if the whole body of the of the nation, of the enemy's nation, is being invaded and conquered.  So the target is the total dehumanization and destroying of the whole community, of the whole group of the enemy. And these are the ramifications of using sexual violence as a weapon of war. It inflicts such a degree of terror, and then also of shame and of stigma, so as to paralyze the whole community. And it goes on and on. And we know from sadly, from other cases of the usage of sexual violence as a tool of war that it is transmitted to generation after generation, this collective trauma. And it's important, not just in understanding and perhaps being prepared for treatment, for healing, etc. But it is also important in the sense of seeking justice. Of attempting to prosecute for these crimes of sexual violence in conflict or in war. We know that it is always a very difficult challenge for the legal system, for institutions, legal institutions, institutions of justice, to prosecute perpetrators of CRSV, of conflict related sexual violence, because of the of the unique aspects and the unique nature of this kind of crime, which are different from everyday sexual violence. In so many cases, as is the case of October 7, there are no direct victims who are able to speak for the very grim reason that Hamas made sure to kill almost each and every one of them so as to leave no traces, to silence them forever. And the very few that did survive, are too traumatized to speak, are unable to come up and say what they had been through.  But this is very often the case in CRSV. And then the next challenge is that it is almost always impossible to identify or to point to a specific perpetrator and it's almost impossible to know who did what, or to connect a specific perpetrator to a specific victim. In the case of October 7, the victims were buried with the evidence. The bodies were the evidence and they were buried immediately, or as soon as it was possible, according to Jewish tradition.  So does that mean that they can walk away without being prosecuted, without being charged, and without being pointed to as those who perpetrate sexual violence and use it as a weapon of war? That is why we, in our work at The Dinah Project and in the book that we had just published this week, on top of the evidentiary platform that I already described before, we also develop a legal thesis calling for the prosecution of all those who participated in that horrific attack, all those who entered Israel with the genocidal intent of total dehumanization and total destruction. And we argue that they all share responsibility. This is a concept of joint responsibility, or joint criminal enterprise, that we must make use of, and it is a known concept in jurisprudence, in criminal law, and it has to be employed in these cases. In addition to understanding that some of the usual evidence that is sought for prosecution of sexual violence, namely the evidence, the testimony, of the victim herself or himself is not available.  But then those eyewitnesses and ear witnesses in real time, 17 of them reporting 15 different cases, these are no less credible evidence and acceptable evidence in evidentiary, in evidence law. And these should be resorted to.  So there has to be a paradigm shift in the understanding of the prosecutorial authorities and the law in general. Justice systems, judicial systems in general. Because otherwise, perpetrators of these crimes have full impunity and there will never be accountability for these crimes. And any terrorist organization gets this message that you can do this and get away with it, as long as you don't leave the victims behind. This is a terrible message. It's unacceptable, and we must fight against it. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Ruth, can you explain to our audience the origins of The Dinah Project? How old is it? When did you found it, and why? Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   The Dinah Project is really a very interesting case. Can be seen as a case study of the operation of civil society in Israel, from the bottom up, forming organically, without any plan, at first, without any structure. Each of us found ourselves working in parallel channels immediately after October 7. I was very much involved and invested in the international human rights arena.  My colleagues were more invested on the national front in seeking to, first of all, to raise awareness within the Israeli authorities themselves about what had took place, and then collecting the information and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. And then we realized, as we realized that we are all working towards the same goal, we first of all formed a WhatsApp group. This is how things are being done in Israel, and we called it: Sexual Atrocities War Room.  And then we understood that we have to have some kind of a structure. And it was only natural that the Rackman Center that I established, and I'm still heading more than 25 years ago, would be the natural organization to host The Dinah Project.  As an organization that has always been leading justice for Israeli women, for women in Israel, gender justice, we realize that we are now facing a new front of where justice needs to be done for women in Israel. And we also can utilize the human power that we have in the academia, in the university, of course the organizational structure. So we expanded The Rackman Center, and for the past almost year and a half, The Dinah Project is part of the Rackman Center. And the book that we published now is really the culmination of a very, very careful and meticulous work, thousands of hours, as I said. I would like to add that we are, I'm trying to think of the proper words. It's actually a subject matter where you so often find yourself looking for the proper words. So I want to say we're pleased, but it's really not the right expression. But we see, we acknowledge that there is a huge amount of interest in our work since we launched the book this week and handed it over to the First Lady of Israel, Michal Herzog, at the presidential residence.  And I hesitate to say that perhaps this demonstrates that maybe there is more willingness in the international media and in the world at large to hear, maybe to accept, that the situation is more nuanced than previously they prefer to believe.  And maybe also because more time passed on. Of course, new information was gathered, but also when this is a work by an academic institution, coming from independent experts and a very solid piece of work, maybe this is also what was needed. I'm really, really hopeful that it will indeed generate the change that we're seeking. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In other words, that denial that we encountered in the very beginning, where people were not believing the Israeli women who said that they were sexually assaulted, you find that that is shifting, that is changing. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   I hope so. I hope that this media interest that we are experiencing now is a signal for some kind of change. It is our aim to refute the denialism. Manya Brachear Pashman:   There are some that point to Israeli Forces as well and say that they are also using sexual violence as a weapon of war. Does The Dinah Project address that, has it worked with the IDF to try to figure out . . . in other words, is it a broad application, this report? Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   This is not our mission. Our mission is concerned with the victims of Hamas. We are aware of the allegations against Israeli soldiers, against IDF. We are aware, and we made some inquiries to know the facts that investigations are ongoing against those who are being accused of perpetrating sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.  But we must point out a major difference, at least in our understanding. Hamas entered Israel on October 7 under a genocidal indoctrination. Just reading the Hamas charter, going through those writings that were found in the vessels of Hamas terrorists here in Israel, or later on in Gaza, the indoctrination there is clear.  And they all entered civilian places. They attacked civilians purposefully, with the intent of total dehumanization and destruction. Whatever happened or not happened with respect to Palestinian detainees, and I do trust the Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and to hold those accountable, cannot be compared to a structured and planned and ordered attack against the civilian population. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And total lack of accountability as well. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   Obviously there is absolutely no accountability on the part of the Palestinian people, of Hamas leadership, or Palestinian Authority, if that's relevant. Obviously there are no investigations there and no accountability, no acceptance of responsibility on their part. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Ruth, thank you so much for producing this report, for continuing to investigate, and keeping the fire lit under the feet of the United Nations and authorities who can hold people accountable for the crimes that were committed. Thank you so much. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari:   Thank you. Thank you very much. Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for a replay of a conversation with award-winning journalist Matti Friedman at AJC Global Forum 2025. He breaks down the media bias, misinformation and double standards shaping global coverage of Israel.  

In this episode with speak with the co-owner of the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem. Ahmed Muna and his uncle Mahmoud were arrested February. Most of the books containing Palestine or the palestinian flag were confiscated. The attack on the Educational Bookshop has been one in many attacks on palestinian owned businesses and stores in East Jerusalem and Muna shares some of his experiences about life in Palestine and as a book store owner. Follow palestinapodden.norgeBuy your books at The Educational Bookshop

What does international law really say about Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem? In this hard-hitting episode of The Andrew Parker Show, Andrew welcomes one of the world's foremost legal minds on the Arab-Israeli conflict:  Eugene Kontorovich.Kontorovich, Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, director of the Center for International Law in the Middle East at George Mason's Antonin Scalia School of Law, and head of international law at the Kohelet Policy Forum in Jerusalem—cuts through the media noise and legal misinformation surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Together, they explore:The truth about “occupied territories” and the origins of terms like “West Bank” and “East Jerusalem”Why the ICC's indictment of Israeli leaders is legally unfounded and politically chargedThe myth of genocide in Gaza and how international law views civilian casualties in warThe strategic failure of the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) and what recent events mean for peace in the regionWhether real peace is possible with Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and the broader Arab worldIf you're looking for clarity on the legal and historical realities of the Middle East—from one of the leading authorities on the topic—don't miss this episode.Support the showThe Andrew Parker Show - Politics, Israel & The Law. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and X. Subscribe to our email list at www.theandrewparkershow.com Copyright © 2025 The Andrew Parker Show - All Rights Reserved.

***This show is a re-run*** While all eyes are now turning to the most recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, the situation in Gaza continues as dire as ever. On Monday alone, more than 30 people were killed while trying to get food at an aid site. In Brussels, the European Union is reviewing its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel. Meanwhile, thousands of people keep showing up in European capitals in support of Palestine. 15 months of war in Gaza have decimated the Strip and left more than 46 thousand Palestinians dead. On the week the World Refugee Day is commemorated, host Catarina Vila Nova spoke with Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Jonathan joined UNRWA shortly after the 7 October attacks and is currently based in East Jerusalem. What he details is an intense campaign against UNRWA by the Israeli authorities. But nowhere is this situation more egregious than in the Gaza Strip. As Jonathan calls it, “it is a war of superlatives” and at no point in the history of the United Nations have so many UN personnel been killed in a war. The staff UNRWA employs in Gaza are local staff and are themselves refugees. During this episode of Policy Voices, Jonathan tells their stories. Like the story of a sanitation engineer who lost his family and kept showing up for work to prevent a worsening health situation in his community. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

While all eyes are on Gaza, another war is being fought for control of Jerusalem. Hundreds of Israeli police officers mobilised Monday for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the city's total conquest by Israel in 1967. It's an opportunity for Israeli nationalists to reaffirm their hold on the city – and, increasingly, for scenes of violence against Palestinians in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces stormed and shut down schools in occupied East Jerusalem run by the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees. Pakistan says its forces killed "40 to 50 Indian soldiers" along the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region. Dubai's Emirates airline has posted some of the biggest profits in its history. Israeli forces storm six UNRWA schools in Jerusalem Emirates posts record $5.2 billion annual profit on bumper travel demand Pakistan claims to have killed '40 to 50 Indian soldiers' This episode features Taniya Dutta, contributor; and Shweta Jain, Assistant Business Editor.  

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Palestine flag (by Makbula Nassar) Mothers hold 24-hour vigil in DC to protest republican cuts to Medicaid, as GAO says millions could lose coverage Democratic lawmakers sound alarm over DOGE plans to cut 80,000 jobs at Dept of Veteran Affairs Democratic senators say republicans want to change rules, weaken CA environmental standards to please Trump and big oil Child malnutrition, starvation on rise in Gaza after 3 months of Israeli blockade of aid Israel shuts 6 UN schools in East Jerusalem, UNRWA chief says storming schools and forcing shut is blatant disregard of international law Recently released Palestinian student activist launches campaign to boost legal aid for immigrants in Vermont The post Mothers hold 24-hour vigil in DC to protest republican cuts to Medicaid; Child malnutrition, starvation on rise in Gaza after months of Israeli blockade – May 8, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Recording of an NJN webinar on April 3, 2025. The conversation, anchored by NJN President & CEO Hadar Susskind, features Hagit Ofran and Lior Amihai from Peace Now. Our guests are on the ground, leading the push against settlements and the fight for for peace.  Lior Amihai is the current Executive Director of Peace Now as well as a previous Executive Director of Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group. He also previously served as co-director of Settlement Watch. Hagit Ofran is the co-director of Peace Now's Settlement Watch program. With two decades of experience tracking developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, she is widely recognized as Israel's foremost expert on Israeli settlements.  Hadar Susskind is New Jewish Narrative's President and CEO. He is one of the American Jewish community's leading progressive advocacy voices with more than 25 years of experience working in Washington DC on both foreign and domestic policy.  To make a (matched!!) donation to Peace Now, click here: https://www.newjewishnarrative.org/give?comments=2025%20Donor%20Match

 His Week That Was – Kevin Healy, Raids on the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem, with co-owner Ahmed Muna, Journalist with Islands Business, Nic Maclellan, focuses on the continuing struggles in the Pacific for self-determination and independence,  Part 2 of the country profile of Suriname in South America – PhD Candidate Sasha Gillies-Lekakis, Longtime activist for Syria, Susan Dirgham speaks about the need for the ABC to greatly improve coverage of conflicts overseas, particularly in the Middle East. Head to www.3cr.org.au/hometime-tuesday for full access to links and previous podcasts

Gaza mourns as Israeli strikes target Palestinians on Muslim holiday "Tragedy strikes Palestinians during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in Gaza. At least 33 Palestinians, including 13 children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, with many more wounded. In a holiday message, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas condemned the attacks as ""brutal Zionist aggression"" and decried the ""siege, starvation, and destruction"" across besieged Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The group accused the international community of remaining silent and blamed the US for supporting Israel amid the ongoing conflict." Netanyahu vows to enforce Trump-backed Palestinian displacement plan "Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to intensify the war on Gaza and advance a contentious, US President Donald Trump-backed plan for Palestinian displacement. Netanyahu's statement comes as an Arab summit proposes a $53 billion Gaza reconstruction plan without displacement—an initiative rejected by Israel and the US. As Israel renews its air strikes on Gaza, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 50,200 since October 2023. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister for war crimes, while Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice." Greenland makes it clear: US won't get the island "Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it crystal clear: The US will not get Greenland. His statement on Facebook is a response to the US President Donald Trump's desire to take control of the Arctic territory. “We determine our own future,” Nielsen stated. Trump told NBC that he ""100 percent"" will annex Greenland, while Vice President JD Vance, visiting a US base in the island, suggested that Denmark isn't securing the island properly, suggesting that the US would do a better job." Trump expresses 'anger' at Putin over stalled Ukraine talks "Donald Trump, in a sharp shift in tone, expressed ""very angry, pissed off"" sentiments towards Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump's fiery reaction to his Russian counterpart comes amidst stalled peace talks regarding Ukraine. He threatened Putin with ""secondary tariffs on all oil exports from Russia"" if a deal isn't reached and blamed Moscow for the continued bloodshed. Putin's remarks questioning Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership prompted Trump's response. Weeks ago, Trump himself had questioned Zelenskyy's leadership." China's banks plan to raise $71.6 billion to boost capital "China's banking behemoths are poised for a substantial capital infusion. Four major state-owned banks have announced plans to raise a staggering 520 billion yuan or $71.60 billion through private placements, with the finance ministry playing a pivotal role. It has been seen as a strategic step by Beijing to bolster its capacity to invigorate the nation's economy amidst headwinds. Analysts say the recapitalisation step is crucial for navigating economic deceleration and challenges in the property sector."

Israel is upping pressure on Lebanon through violations of its ceasefire agreement. Iran says the nuclear deal in its original state can't be revived. The UAE has pledged $64.5 million to a long-standing hospital in East Jerusalem.   This episode features Arab Affairs Editor Vanessa Ghanem and Assistant Foreign Editor Aveen Karim.

Katie talks to Human Rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber and Palestinian-American journalist Said Arikat about Israel's relaunched genocide, Zionism's war on free speech and Human Rights, and the attacks on Yemen. Craig Mokhiber is an American former United Nations (UN) human rights official and a specialist in international human rights law, policy, and methodology. On October 28, 2023, Mokhiber stepped down as the director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In his final letter to High Commissioner Volker Türk, he harshly criticized the organization's response to the war in Gaza, calling Israel's military intervention a "textbook genocide" and accusing the UN of failing to act. Said Arikat is a Palestinian journalist and Washington bureau chief for Al-Quds, a daily Newspaper which has been published out of East Jerusalem (uninterruptedly) since 1951. In addition to his work as a journalist, Arikat is an adjunct professor at the American University. He served as the United Nations Chief Spokesman in Iraq from 2005-2010. He is a familiar face at U.S. State Department press briefings, where he has engaged in sometimes contentious exchanges with State Department Spokespersons. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kthalps/ #news #politics #youtube

As Trump's global trade war rattles markets and allies prepare for a post-America world, and just after President Putin weighed in on the U.S. Ukrainian ceasefire proposal, Christiane spoke with Trump's former EU ambassador Gordon Sondland about his global realignment. Then, Christiane speaks with exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar who explains why the Kremlin is celebrating the chaos ushered in by Trump, seeing it as accelerating America's demise. Plus, the ACLU's Cecillia Wang breaks down the case of Columbia graduate and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, explaininf its significance for first amendment rights. Also on the show, Nic Robertson reports from East Jerusalem on Israel's crackdown on free speech. And from her archive, forty years since Mikhail Gorbachev became the last leader of the Soviet Union, Christiane revisits her 2012 interview with him.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's effort to reshape the Middle East aligns neatly with US President Donald J. Trump's notion of big power geopolitics. In 2023, Mr. Netanyahu outlined elements of his vision in an address to the United Nations General Assembly. The prime minister held up a map that erased Palestine and showed the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war, as part of Israel. Mr. Trump's plan to resettle Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians elsewhere and turn the war-ravaged Strip into a high-end beachfront real estate development has allowed Mr. Netanyahu to officially embrace the notion of ethnic cleansing for the first time, even though ultranationalist members of his Cabinet have long propagated expelling Palestinians from the territory. US and Israeli officials said concern that Hamas may repurpose some 30,000 unexploded ordnances was one reason why Mr. Trump proposed resettlement. Even so, Mr. Trump's plan fits a pattern, following his recognition in his first term as president of Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Since then, Mr. Netanyahu's big power vision of the Middle East has evolved substantially as a result of the toppling in December of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a Turkish-backed group with jihadist antecedents.

Trump issues deadly ultimatum to Palestinians over captives "US President Donald Trump has issued a dire ultimatum to Palestinians once again. He warned that Palestinians in Gaza will face deadly consequences if hostages are not released. ""Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is over for you,"" he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Pledging unwavering support for Israel, Trump vowed to send, what he calls, ""everything it needs to finish the job."" At least 48,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza amid a stalled ceasefire agreement reached on January 17." Israel's occupation is the real issue, not Hamas: Palestinian official "The head of Gaza's Government Information Office Salama Maroofa fired back at US President Donald Trump's call for Palestinians to release Israeli hostages or face death. He stated that Israel's occupation is the core issue, not Hamas. In a statement, Maroof accused Trump of emboldening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, enabling further ""crimes against 2.4 million people."" He added that the ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is proof of Israeli crimes." Syria vows to destroy Assad's chemical weapons legacy "Syria's foreign minister has pledged to swiftly eliminate the country's remaining chemical weapons and is calling on the world for support. Speaking at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, Asaad Hassan al Shaibani became the first Syrian official to address the disarmament agency. , New government's decision comes after years of controversy, despite Syria's 2013 pledge to destroy its stockpile, multiple probes confirmed chemical attacks by the Bashar al-Assad regime. For over a decade, chemical weapons watchdog's inspectors have faced roadblocks in uncovering the full extent of Syria's arsenal." US nixes intelligence-sharing with Ukraine "The US has halted intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed, a move that could shake Kiev's battlefield strategy. The Trump administration's tough stance aims to push Ukraine toward a mineral deal with the US and peace talks with Russia. President Trump earlier revealed that he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing willingness to negotiate. Amid concerns, Ratcliffe suggested it may soon be reversed as Washington reaffirms its support for Ukraine." UN warns of drastic food ration cuts for Rohingya refugees "The United Nations has warned it may reduce food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from $12.50 to $6 starting April 1, unless it raises $81 million. Bangladesh's top official, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, expressed concern over the potential impact of this cut, noting current rations are already insufficient. The UN's World Food Programme is scrambling for funds to avoid further worsening the humanitarian crisis. With over a million refugees, many already facing hunger, the cuts threaten to undermine basic survival needs."

In February 2025 Israeli forces raided the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem. The bookstore is one of the oldest in the city and is frequented by Palestinians, Israelis and international patrons. It is a staple in Jerusalem, and the Israeli raid prompted international outcry. The Israelis claimed that the bookstore was promoting violence – something which is abjectly false. The Educational Bookshop sells books on a wide range of topics from Palestinian liberation to Zionism to English literature. It features authors from Palestine and Israel and beyond.If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3/month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcastFor continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us.

08:00 – Mohammed El-Kurd, poet, journalist and organizer from East Jerusalem, occupied Palestine; culture editor at Mondoweiss and Palestine correspondent for The Nation. He is out with a new book of essays entitled Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal. Perfect Victims is being offered as a premium this fund drive. Find that book and others on our support page. The post Mohammed El-Kurd Fund Drive Special appeared first on KPFA.

The PM responds to accusations he's been silent over Islamophobic attacks; dismay over the closure of four UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem; and, in sport, Australia's Adam Scott weighs into the debate about the PGA reunifying with LIV Golf.

The PM responds to accusations he's been silent over Islamophobic attacks; Dismay over the closure of four UN agency schools in East Jerusalem; And in sport, Australia's Adam Scott weighs into the debate about the PGA reunifying with LIV Golf.

In our news wrap Tuesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul met with political leaders in Manhattan to decide whether to remove NYC Mayor Adams from office, all living Israeli hostages set to be freed under phase one of the ceasefire deal in Gaza will be released by Hamas this weekend and the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says Israeli forces raided and closed four of its schools in East Jerusalem. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Rabbi Dunner explores what it truly means to be “People of the Book,” reflecting on the Torah's timeless mission to elevate and enlighten. Using the recent arrests of two East Jerusalem booksellers accused of incitement, he contrasts the Jewish commitment to using books for good with the misuse of books as tools of hatred. A compelling call to uphold the sacred power of the written word in a world where it's often weaponized.

! JOIN US AT SAMFIRE'S EP LAUNCH PARTY TONIGHT ! This week's political news reads like a playbook in fascist propaganda - and rule number 1 is throwing minorities under the bus. Whether it's Trump's America, Merz's Germany or Starmer's Great Britain, leadership apparently now means bowing to the myths of the masses - myths the media has miserably failed to correct. Is there really a ‘migrant crime wave'? We review worldwide data to equip listeners with the facts missing from the mainstream media. What about ‘the war on women's sports'? How many transgender athletes does it take for the Trump administration to ceremoniously sign a national ban? (Apparently, just 10 - we wonder what Musk's ‘Department of Government Efficiency' makes of that use of federal funds.) And guess who predicted Hamas' hesitation over hostage releases, following Trump's plans to “take over” Gaza? The families of those hostages. So why did their concerns barely make the press? We finish News Watch with Eyes On Palestine: new frontiers of war emerge in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) The music is by Samfire (@samfire) Follow us @mediastormpod Support us on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Egyptian, Jordanian leaders stress 'unity' of positions on Gaza "Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II reaffirmed their united stance on Gaza, emphasising the urgent need for a full ceasefire, continued hostage releases and humanitarian aid. The joint statement came a day after Jordan's king met with US President Donald Trump in Washington. Both leaders also pushed for a swift reconstruction plan for Gaza, opposing Trump's plan, which the US president suggested rooting out Palestinians from their lands." UN warns Israel's genocidal acts in Gaza could be repeated in West Bank "Israel's genocidal acts in Gaza could spread to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, warns UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Speaking to Anadolu in the Netherlands, she said Israeli attacks have escalated, with 830 Palestinians killed and over 300 detained from October 2023 to October 2024. Many detainees have faced torture, rape and even death in custody, she noted. Albanese condemned unchecked settler violence and urged the world to act: Even if you don't conclude that this is genocide, doesn't matter. There's an obligation to prevent a genocide." Trump says he will likely meet Putin in Saudi Arabia "US President Donald Trump says he will probably meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Saudi Arabia—a step towards ending the Ukraine conflict. ""I'll be dealing with President Putin, largely on the phone, and we ultimately expect to meet. In fact, we expect that he'll come here, and I'll go there, and we're going to meet also, probably in Saudi Arabia,"" he told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump downplayed Ukraine's NATO membership and cast doubt on its full territorial recovery. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Trump's interest in achieving peace, insisting that global unity can pressure Russia into ending the war. " North Korea demolishes war reunion center: South Korea "North Korea is tearing down the Mount Kumgang Reunion Center, a site that once brought together families separated by the Korean War. South Korea has condemned the demolition as ""inhumane"" and demands an immediate halt. Since 1988, over 133,600 South Koreans have registered as separated families, yet only a fraction have reunited. As of 2025, around 36,000 are alive, according to official data. The last meeting between the two was in 2018. Pyongyang now labels Seoul a “hostile state.”" NASA warns astronomers about asteroid's updated trajectory "NASA's latest update has astronomers on high alert: Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 90-meter-wide rock, now has a 2.3 percent chance of striking Earth on December 22, 2032. While the risk remains low, the increase from 1.3 percent has sparked renewed focus on its trajectory. Experts assure there is no immediate threat but emphasize the importance of planetary defence. If it were to hit, the asteroid could cause severe seismic activity and regional climate disruptions. Ongoing research and improved tracking methods aim to refine predictions and mitigate potential risks."

President Donald Trump threatened cut aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refused his demand to permanently take in Palestinians from Gaza; meanwhile the agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees - is still operating in East Jerusalem, even though Israel's ban on the agency went into effect last week. The U.S. has declared famine in part of Darfur; VOA talks with refugees who fled. Plus, a look at the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: what it means and why the president might have wanted to suspend it.

An AI summit in Paris brings together world leaders, scientists and tech executives to discuss the groundbreaking impact of artificial intelligence, with EU nations and India playing “catch-up” to the US and China. Also, Senegal renames its streets that were named after French colonial figures to those of prominent Senegalese. And, Israeli police arrest two Palestinian bookstore owners in occupied East Jerusalem, with Arab and Jewish supporters protesting their detention in front of a Jerusalem court. Plus, conservationists build "sloth bridges" in Costa Rica to keep the animals safe.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

President Trump has said he'll announce further tariffs on America's trading partners in the coming days, including a 25% charge on all steel and aluminium imports. We'll hear from the country most exposed - Canada.Also on the programme: Can an Artificial Intelligence summit in Paris deliver new global rules; and the East Jerusalem bookshop raided by Israeli police, and its owners in court, over disrupting public order. One of their brothers says it's an assault on free speech.(File Picture: Workers weld steel at Steelcon, a structural steel design and fabrication company, January 31, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio)

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on an Israeli police raid on a Palestinian bookstore in East Jerusalem.

Arab nations slam Netanyahu's comments for Palestinian state on Saudi land "Arab nations have fiercely rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal of a Palestinian state on Saudi land. Saudi Arabia slammed the idea as a diversion from Israel's actions in Gaza, while the Arab League called it ""detached from reality."" The Saudi foreign ministry said Netanyahu's statements aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza. Regional outrage followed, with Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates denouncing the remarks as violations of international law." No power can force Palestinians out of their homeland: Türkiye "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that no force can expel Palestinians from their homeland. ""Palestine, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, belongs to the Palestinians,"" Erdogan said. Speaking in Istanbul before departing for Malaysia, another nation opposing Israeli war in the region, Erdogan dismissed US proposals on Gaza, calling them unworthy of discussion." Dozens killed in terror attack in Mali "At least 25 gold miners were killed, and 13 injured in a brutal terrorist ambush near Mali's Gao region, the army confirmed. The attack targeted a convoy of miners under military escort. In swift retaliation, Malian forces eliminated 19 terrorists. The assault, near Kobe, saw militants fire on fleeing civilians. No group has claimed responsibility, however, Daesh and Al-Qaeda-linked factions operate in the area." Colombia's Petro urges ministers to resign ahead of reshuffle "Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for the resignation of his entire cabinet ahead of an approaching reshuffle. The decision came after Environment Minister Susana Muhamad's resignation in protest of Petro's appointment of Armando Benedetti, citing concerns. Petro says the changes aim to better fulfill his administration's mandate." US funnelled $472 million for 'state propaganda': WikiLeaks "WikiLeaks has unveiled shocking details in a report, claiming that the US funnelled $472.6 million into Internews Network—a global non-governmental organisation accused of covert censorship and media control. USAspending data shows 87% of the funding —equivalent to $415 million — came from USAID, while the US State Department added $57 million. With ties to Soros and Clinton initiatives, Wikileaks also said Internews trained 9,000 journalists and backed social media censorship. As Trump freezes USAID's budget, critics call it a “state propaganda network.”"

UNRWA, the United Nations' Palestinian relief agency, said it remains operational in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem despite an Israeli ban. The law passed in October forbids UNRWA from operating on Israeli land and from contact with Israeli authorities. Nick Schifrin discussed more with William Deere of UNRWA and Assaf Orion, a retired Israeli brigadier general. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, was this week ordered to stop its operations in occupied East Jerusalem, three months after Israel's parliament voted to ban it. UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian aid and other public services for Palestinians. In East Jerusalem, it runs 12 facilities that provide critical public services, including schools where more than 1,200 children are enrolled and free clinics that serve more than 70,000 people. But the impact of the ban would extend across the West Bank as well, where the organisation offers primary healthcare services and 47,000 children go to UNRWA schools. The move would also affect its work in Gaza. During Israel's war on the enclave, up to a million people at a time have sought refuge in UNRWA shelters. Pressure from the international community and pleas by UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini at the UN Security Council to stop the ban from being put into effect have failed so far. Israel insisted the ban would not be reversed and the US backed its “sovereign decision”, saying UNRWA is not the only provider of aid to Palestinians. Despite the legislation, UNRWA has stated it will continue to do its work for as long as it can, but fears are growing that the ban will have far-reaching consequences. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA's director of external relations and communications, about the toll this could take on Palestinians in dire need of humanitarian assistance, and how the agency will be able to carry out its work going forward.

UNRWA, the United Nations' Palestinian relief agency, said it remains operational in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem despite an Israeli ban. The law passed in October forbids UNRWA from operating on Israeli land and from contact with Israeli authorities. Nick Schifrin discussed more with William Deere of UNRWA and Assaf Orion, a retired Israeli brigadier general. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Argentina's president reverses a law that established femicide as a crime. Also, a new report shows that the majority of young people in the UK would prefer to live in a dictatorship, and many of them also want the army to be in charge. And, the Israeli government has banned the UN's Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel land in East Jerusalem. Plus, Spanish guitarist Antonio Rey's latest flamenco album is up for a Grammy Award in the Best Global Music Album category.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With new Israeli legislation coming into effect on Thursday outlawing Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, international staff have already been forced to leave the agency's headquarters in East Jerusalem for Jordan, after their visas were cut short.The UN is bracing for the “nightmare scenario” which would mean a halt to all operations – a major blow to “all the people it serves” in the region, UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler told UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri from Amman, Jordan.The move represents another blow to multilateralism worldwide, he said.

* Israel says UNRWA must leave East Jerusalem by January 30 Israel's United Nations envoy, Danny Danon, has told the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA must "cease its operations in [East] Jerusalem, and evacuate all premises in which it operates in the city" by January 30. A law banning UNRWA's operation on Israeli land and contact with Israeli authorities takes effect on January 30. * Pete Hegseth confirmed as defence secretary after Vance's tiebreaking vote Vice President JD Vance has broken the Senate's 50-50 vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as the US Secretary of Defense despite questions over qualifications and allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behaviour toward women. The voting late on Friday was at a 50-50 tie before Vance broke the tie. Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behaviour as Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role leading the US military. * UN peacekeepers locked in 'intense' fighting against M23 rebels in DRC The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo said that its peacekeepers are "engaged" in "intense" fighting against M23 rebels, who have almost encircled the main city in the country's east. The UN said in a statement that its mission's Quick Reaction Forces have "been actively engaged in intense combat" over the past 48 hours, carrying out heavy artillery fire against M23 positions. The mission reported that heavy clashes were ongoing for the control of Sake — a town in DRC's eastern province of North Kivu. * Sudan army breaks RSF's siege on Khartoum HQ, reclaims oil refinery The Sudanese army has said it broke a siege of its headquarters in Khartoum by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which had encircled it since war broke out in April 2023. In a statement, the army said troops in Bahri (Khartoum North) and Omdurman across the Nile River had "merged with our forces stationed at the General Command of the Armed Forces". A military source confirmed that "the arrival of the forces from Bahri completely lifted the siege on the command". * Experts look for clues as mysterious deaths grip India-administered Kashmir Authorities in the India-administered Jammu and Kashmir region are probing the mysterious deaths of 17 people in a remote village, which has led to a lockdown. Over the past month, 17 individuals from three connected families, including 12 children, have died in the village of Badhaal in the Rajouri district, situated along the Line of Control, the boundary between India- and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed Kashmir region. The deaths took place between December 7 and January 19. Around 200 people have been quarantined, while six others have been hospitalised and are in stable condition, according to officials.

In this hard-hitting episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, we welcome Chris Gunness, former Director of Communications and Advocacy for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to discuss Israel's controversial ban on UNRWA and its far-reaching consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis. With the Knesset's legislation poised to expel UNRWA from Jerusalem and restrict its humanitarian operations, the episode delves into the grave repercussions of this move, including its impact on over 63,000 Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem and the broader implications for regional stability. Gunness breaks down how this decision not only undermines UNRWA's vital services, such as education, healthcare, and food aid, but also sets the stage for the de facto annexation of Jerusalem in violation of international law, as highlighted by the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent ruling. Tune in for a compelling discussion that unpacks the complex layers of this issue and why it's not only a humanitarian crisis but also a political and moral one that could harm not only Palestinians but also Israel itself. We will discuss Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem in the course of this conversation and Chris will answer questions about some of the attacks that have been made on UNRWA in the past year. This is a must-listen episode for those seeking a deeper understanding of the intersection between international law, humanitarian aid, and the ongoing conflict in Israel-Palestine. Don't miss it!

What makes a perfect victim?For Palestinians fighting to keep their stories alive in the media, it often feels that they must audition for the sympathies of their Western audiences.If they don't fit the mould - then their voices are ignored.In 2021, Mohammed al-Kurd was catapulted into the spotlight when his family's home in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah was being forcefully evicted by Israeli settlers.Since then, he's been one of the most outspoken and unapologetic Palestinian voices, using his social media presence, as well as his poetry and journalism, to push back against the media's skewed narratives of his people.He is the author of the celebrated poetry collection 'Rifqa', and the upcoming book 'Perfect Victims'.This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Mohammed al-Kurd to talk about flipping the script on how Palestinians are expected to speak and behave in the public eye.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

J.J. and Dr. Aaron Koller tremble in fear of this awesome Biblical episode, but they still manage to discuss fascinating theological and historical interpretations of the story. Follow us on Twitter (X) @JewishIdeas_Pod to sacrifice time on the altar of scrolling. Please rate and review the the show in the podcast app of your choice!We welcome all complaints and compliments at podcasts@torahinmotion.orgFor more information visit torahinmotion.org/podcastsAaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern Studies at Yeshiva University. Aaron has held research positions at Cambridge University and in the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, he has been a visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and was a fellow at the Albright Institute for Archaeological Research in East Jerusalem and the Hartman Institute in West Jerusalem. He is the author of Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and Unbinding Isaac: The Akedah for Modern Jewish Thought (JPS/University of Nebraska Press, 2020), among other books, the editor of five more, and is currently working on a cultural history of the alphabet. He lives in Queens, NY with his partner, Shira Hecht-Koller, and their children.

It's #GivingTuesday so naturally, our latest episode is with Giving Tuesday CEO Asha Curran, who takes us behind the scenes of a movement that's revolutionizing global generosity. With real-time tracking of $3.1B in donations across 105 countries, Asha reveals how data is reshaping philanthropy's future. She challenges traditional giving narratives, showing how everyday acts of generosity create lasting community transformation. Through rich storytelling and compelling insights, she illustrates how Giving Tuesday has evolved from a single day of giving into a year-round force for positive change.   In our previous conversation, Sean Carroll shares his remarkable journey leading Anera's $100M humanitarian mission across the Middle East. Drawing from 25 years of experience and personal insights from living in East Jerusalem, Carroll offers a powerful perspective on transforming communities through innovative aid. His leadership spans from delivering critical medical relief to pioneering tech training programs that create sustainable economic opportunities. Carroll's intimate knowledge of the region and dedication to building lasting change shines through in this compelling discussion.   These conversations will transform how you think about global impact and the power of giving. Listen now on BBBGive.org or your favorite podcast platform.   #HeartOfGiving #GivingTuesday #GlobalImpact #Philanthropy      

This week, we continue our two-part series on one of the most the challenging questions about Israel today: Is Israel an Apartheid state? In the second-part of the series, we'll dig deeper into East Jerusalem and address the broader historical, political, and social context of this fraught and heated topic. Click here for the sources we used in this episode. ------------------- This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Wondering Jews Soulful Jewish Living

This week, we're diving into one of the most heated and challenging questions about Israel today: Is it an apartheid state? Yeah, it's uncomfortable—and complicated. In this first part of a two-part series, Noam Weissman unpacks the history of apartheid, walks us through the situation in the West Bank, and lays out the daily realities for both Israelis and Palestinians. No slogans, no “talking points,” just an honest look at the facts—and the feelings—that shape this conversation. Whether you're yelling “of course not!” or “absolutely yes!” (or somewhere in between), this episode will challenge what you think you know. Stick around for Part 2 next week, where we'll dig even deeper into East Jerusalem and what this debate means for Israelis, Palestinians, and the rest of us. ------------------- This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Wondering Jews Soulful Jewish Living

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in ToI's Jerusalem office for today's episode. Yesterday, prosecutors announced that seven Israeli citizens were arrested last month on suspicion of spying for Iran for as long as two years, carrying out hundreds of tasks at the behest of the Islamic Republic. This morning, another Iranian espionage case was announced in which seven East Jerusalem residents have been arrested on suspicion of planning attacks in Israel, including the assassination of an Israeli nuclear scientist and a mayor in central Israel. Horovitz discusses these incidents and other similar Iranian efforts. The IDFs on Monday declassified intelligence on the Hezbollah terror group's finance hub, including a bunker hidden underneath a hospital in south Beirut that it said contains hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold. We observe the way this cynical use of a hospital played out in international media. The Israel Aviation Authority briefly halted and then resumed takeoffs at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport yesterday around the time in which the IDF said that helicopters and fighter jets intercepted and shot down five drones over the Mediterranean Sea, before they entered Israeli airspace. Horovitz speaks about Israel's increased isolation during this time of war. Almost a week after the elimination of Hamas head Yahya Sinwar, Horovitz weighs in on leaders' predictions that this is a turning point in the war. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Seven Jewish Israelis arrested for spying for Iran on security figures, IDF bases Air Force pounds Hezbollah's Beirut stronghold after civilians told to evacuate area IDF: Hezbollah hiding $500 million in gold, cash in bunker under Beirut hospital Ben Gurion briefly halts takeoffs as drones downed over sea; rocket lands near Tel Aviv British Airways suspends all Israel flights until March 2025 amid escalation fears Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. Illustrative image: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei listens to a speaker in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, October 2, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world watches, Israel and Iran are squaring off for a potential war. Meanwhile, a Texas evangelical preacher, who runs the biggest Christian Zionist group in the world, is cheering on the coming apocalypse—as predicted in his 2005 book, Jerusalem Countdown. John Hagee even flew to DC to persuade Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, to jam through another military aid package. Julian examines the real-world significance of conflicting religious prophecies focused on one particular piece of real estate in East Jerusalem as the “shoreline of eternity”—the portal into God's Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump rallied with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the same site where a lone gunman attempted to assassinate the former president earlier this year. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris was in North Carolina over the weekend helping with the ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. She's scheduled to do a series of sit-down interviews this week with a slew of different outlets, from '60 Minutes' to ‘Howard Stern.'Today also marks one year since Hamas militants broke out of the Gaza Strip, killing roughly 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 200 hostage in the deadliest attack on Israelis in the country's history. It prompted Israel to immediately declared war on Hamas, and in the year since, the Gaza Health Ministry says around 42,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military. As the threat of a wider war mounts in the region, Yonatan Zeigen, the son of an Israeli peace activist who was killed during the attack, and Nivine Sandouka, a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem and regional director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, talk about the work they're doing to help bring peace the region.Show Notes:Alliance for Middle East Peace - https://www.allmep.org/Vivian Silver Impact Award - https://www.viviansilver.com/Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday   

Last week, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark ruling on the status of Israel's occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Israel is currently facing several challenges through the international legal system. The ICJ has also been hearing a South African case that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. And the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has requested arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister Yoav Gallant.John Reynolds, a professor of law at Maynooth University and the author of Empire, Emergency, and International Law, joins Long Reads to discuss these developments. John previously spoke to us back in January after the ICJ gave its first response to the South African genocide case.Find John's articles for Jacobin here: https://jacobin.com/author/john-reynolds Also see recent investigations into Israel's covert war on the ICC at +972 and The Guardian.Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine's longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies, music by Knxwledge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.