Podcasts about palestinian west bank

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. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode, a special Friday Focus on the painful issue of the release of Palestinian security prisoners as part of the hostage release-ceasefire deal. Tomorrow, another four hostages are set to be released from Gaza -- presumably women and presumably alive. Alongside the Israelis' release, however, up to 200 Palestinian prisoners could also be released, according to the current formula of 30 Palestinian prisoners for every civilian and 50 for every female soldier. Rettig Gur takes on this complicated and emotional subject through looking at the history of terrorist hostage-taking and previous so-called exchanges of the abductees and Palestinian prisoners -- including those who were serving multiple life sentences. We speak about the most memorable exchange of prisoners, which came in 2011 when captured soldier Gilad Shalit was released from Gaza as 1,027 security prisoners were freed from Israeli prisons. However, Rettig Gur postulates that the blueprint for that abduction came much earlier. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Convicted terrorists to be released are ‘an open wound’ for victims’ families 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. IMAGE: Palestinians celebrate the release of some 90 prisoners set free by Israel in the early hours of January 20, 2025 upon their arrival aboard a Red Cross bus in the Palestinian West Bank town of Beitunia, on the outskirts of Ramallah. (Zain JAAFAR / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's News Day Tuesday! Sam and Emma speak with Jasper Nathaniel, writer of the Infinite Jaz newsletter on SubStack, to discuss his recent piece in The Drift magazine entitled "In Ruins​: Archaeological Warfare in the West Bank." First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the GOP's continuing struggle to get a continuing resolution, Pelosi blocking AOC's run for Oversight chair, the Senate's National Defense Authorization Act, Ukraine's bombing of Russia's chemical weapons chief, TikTok's Supreme Court fight, Trump's EV fight, RFK's meeting with Senators, Trudeau's shakey administration, US wealth inequality, and Josh Hawley's CTC for the middle- and upper-classes, before diving a little deeper into Nancy Pelosi's (notably no longer a member of party leadership) torpedoing of AOC's bid to be Dem chair on the Congressional Oversight Committee, and touching on Trump's attempt to run cover for his health and safety-related administrative choices and their rabid anti-vax beliefs. Jasper Nathaniel then joins, diving right into the concept of “Judea and Samaria” that has been advanced recently by American zionists like Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee, unpacking its deep history as the zionist term for the West Bank, and how that relates to a rapidly progressing agenda of Israeli annexation of the Palestinian West Bank, with Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotricht recent transfer of power over the West Bank away from civil authority, and his use of antiquity law to expand Israeli control over the region. Stepping back, Nathaniel walks Sam and Emma through the historical relationship between archeology and the zionist colonization of Palestine, beginning with the British surveying of the region whilst under their control at the turn of the century, where they grounded their research within biblical terms, directly assigning any discoveries to Biblical passages and civilizations, a tactic directly picked up on by the burgeoning Zionist movement at the time, and employed as a hard science as they pushed their agenda of creating “facts on the ground” to legitimize their right to the land Palestinian had lived on for generations. Expanding on this story, Jasper tackles the continued abuse of archeology by the Zionist regime over the following few decades, with the 1967 border agreement immediately coming under violation by Israeli archeologists, before coming back to the present to unpack Israel's utterly destructive approach to the genocide of Gaza in contrast with their slow, technocratic approach to slowly revoking the autonomy of various regions in the West Bank, tackling how this authority is grounded in much of the West Bank's presence on supposedly “protected” archeological sites. Looking to the supposed “authority” that grounds Israel's ongoing annexation of the West Bank, Nathaniel touches on the transferring of West Bank management from Israel's Civil authority to their Archeological authority, before wrapping up with an extensive conversation on the overwhelming ubiquity – and banality – of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and the future of the project for Palestinian liberation under a second Trump Administration. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma tackle Trump's recent comments on the relationship between vaccines and autism (and Fox's unsurprising response), and watch CNN's Michael Smerconish bemoan the lack of a public vigil for the recently murdered CEO of UnitedHealthcare, contrasting him with folks like John Lennon, George Floyd, and the victims of Kyle Rittenhouse. Mark Robinson reclaims the “Minisoldr” handle, MAGA freaks out over drone sightings, and Tim Pool has a boot to lick over Emma and Kyle Kulinski's Joe Rogan comments, plus, your calls and IMs! Follow Jasper on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/infinite_jaz/?hl=en Check out "Infinite Jaz" here: https://infinitejaz.substack.com/ Check out Jasper's most recent piece here: https://www.thedriftmag.com/in-ruins/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024!!: https://nationcruise.com/mr/ Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 20% off your purchase! 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Amidst Israel's genocide unfolding in Gaza, its military is escalating a relentless campaign of aggression across the Palestinian West Bank, marked by a daily barrage of military operations. Since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 760 Palestinians, including 165 children, and injured 6,300 others in both the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel has also held thousands more Palestinians captive, underscoring an intense and sustained pattern of severe human rights violations. In this episode, we highlight Jenin in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian city that Israel has subjected to intense military campaigns in for two decades. Each one of Israel's invasions has left deep scars on the city's infrastructure and people. This episode offers a close, unfiltered look at life under military occupation. Israel's brutal attacks against Palestinian cities in the West Bank such as Jenin, have led local Palestinians to now refer to the area as “Little Gaza.” Palestinian human rights experts are urgently warning that Israel's genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza is quickly spreading to the West Bank. Thank you for listening to 'This is Palestine'!  Follow our host Diana Buttu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu%C2%A0 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/?hl=en Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ Visit our website: https://imeu.org

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. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Four Israeli settlers, including one minor, were detained overnight by police over their suspected involvement in an attack on the Palestinian West Bank village of Jit last week. According to a joint statement issued by police and the Shin Bet, the four are suspected of terrorism against Palestinians in several incidents, including the attack on Jit. We explore how rare this accusation is. The army announced it was operating at “peak readiness” three weeks ago, following the dual assassinations in Teheran and Beirut, and was able to immediately pivot to try to avert any attack from Iran and Hezbollah. Fabian assesses whether this is still the case amid the continuing conflict along the northern border. More than 150 tunnels have been demolished along Gaza's southern border, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Wednesday while speaking with soldiers at the Philadelphi Corridor, as the army said it destroyed some 30 terror sites and killed dozens of gunmen in airstrikes across the enclave over the past day. We hear what else is happening on the ground. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, in his last speech as head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, said Wednesday that he was responsible for not providing a warning ahead of Hamas's October 7 terror onslaught. He also seemed to indicate that others who are responsible for the failure should likewise take responsibility and leave the IDF. But where would he stop? Amid a persistent manpower shortage caused by the ongoing war in Gaza, the defense establishment has started recalling to duty some 15,000 previously exempted reservists. We hear who is affected by this recall to reserves even as only seven ultra-Orthodox men report for duty yesterday -- and 70 in the past month -- amid riots. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Gallant: IDF razed 150 tunnels on Egypt-Gaza border, defeated Hamas's Rafah Brigade Israeli hurt in rocket barrage on Golan; Fatah official tied to Iran killed in Sidon strike Outgoing IDF intel chief Haliva says he failed to warn of Oct. 7, urges state probe Amid troop shortage, IDF begins calling up 15,000 previously released reservists IDF: Only some 70 Haredi men have reported to induction centers since High Court ruling Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ben Wallick.  IMAGE: A man stands in front of burnt cars, a day after an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Jit near Nablus in the occupied West Bank that left a 23-year-old man dead and others with critical gunshot wounds, on August 16, 2024. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 7, Avi Dabush made a narrow escape from the Hamas massacre that killed 1,200 Israelis. Since the escape, he has only been more determined to pursue a peaceful resolution — in Gaza, and the Palestinian West Bank.

It was in the ancient city of Petra, in 2013, when National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek said he came upon a crossroad filled with antiquity, fabulous monuments, palaces and grand avenues chiseled into a sandstone canyon far above the rift valley of Jordan. After walking for the better part of a year through the desolate deserts of the Horn of Africa and then into the almost equally desert and empty landscape of Saudi Arabia, Salopek said he was welcomed into  Jordan by a Bedouin musician named Qasim Ali. Qasim Ali sings the blues, Bedouin style, at Petra, the ancient heart of the Nabatean empire. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org. Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic Ali sang the blues while playing the Rababa, an ancient stringed instrument. Salopek described it as a dramatic setting.“It kind of became the backdrop music for stepping from nomadism into millennia of settlement, into this highly contested, many-chambered heart that we call the Levant,” he said.The World's Marco Werman talked more with Salopek about his journey through Jordan and into the Israeli-occupied West Bank, following in the footsteps of the first humans out of Africa. Marco Werman: Your walk through Jordan was a kind of transition from the world of Bedouin herders and nomadic life to a world of farms and villages where early people first put down roots. How did walking it on foot help you appreciate human history?Paul Salopek: Well, it was kind of almost a schizophrenic reality, Marco. There was kind of walking through every day at three miles an hour out of the empty desert, and suddenly tomato farms started to appear. Irrigation canals … the whole infrastructure of modern-day farming. But at the same time, my project is about deep, deep history and the people I'm following, when they walked through, none of that was there. But something happened when we first migrated out of Africa, through this part of the world. As one archeologist told me, we finally sat down. We stopped moving so much. We settled. We invented agriculture. We started piling rocks on top of each other. We smelted metal. And this era, called the Neolithic, is the one, essentially, that we're still inhabiting today. A city-based, urban, settled lifestyle. This was one of the corners of the world where it began. Ghawarna women dye wool using oxide-rich mud. Modaita, the yawning camel is unimpressed. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  You crossed a border in May of 2014, the Jordan River, and you walked into the West Bank through Israeli army checkpoints. Give us a sense of life in the Palestinian West Bank in 2014.Back at that time, it was a time of, relatively speaking, calm, right? I mean, there's always tension in this corner of the world, but there was no open warfare that I saw. But this, this was a foretaste, again, of this extraordinary maze of the Middle East, of the West Bank, which is partitioned, as you probably know, into three different administrative sectors: Israeli, Palestinian, and then mixed administrative control. There were checkpoints everywhere. There were barriers everywhere. For somebody coming from almost a year on foot, out of kind of relatively open horizons, it was dizzying. It was just a bit surreal. I was walking at the time with my Palestinian walking partner Bassam Almohor, and he said, “Paul, this is my life. I have to kind of change personality every time I cross one of these checkpoints.” And he was a walker, Marco. He was one of the founders of a walking club based in Ramallah. His philosophy was “My piece of Earth. This place I call home is so small that walking makes it big. This is how I keep my sanity.” Bullet on the road to Bethlehem. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  Wow. Well, we know that things had been tense and violent in the West Bank before 2014 when you were there. Your journey also took you into the ancient city of Jerusalem. You walk the same paths as the ancient Egyptians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, early Christians and Muslims. How much did that sense of history color your view of the modern state of Israel?It was inescapable. I mean, there are just so many layers. Again, I deal with historians and archeologists. These are the people that I talk to to advise me on what compass bearing to move on as I pass along these ancient pathways of dispersal out of Africa. Another archeologist based in Jerusalem said, “Paul, Jerusalem was a village, a settlement that was prehistoric.” You know, it started to kind of appear in the consciousness of that inhabited landscape around the Bronze Age. I measured history, recorded history, from the time of that settlement to today, there had been 700 or more wars. But everybody that I met in that highly conflicted, highly contested, very small corner of the world has their own ways of trying to keep life good. And he said, “Paul, I focused not on those 700 wars but on the spaces of peace in between.” In Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  So, as you follow the news from the Middle East today, what jogs your memories of walking the Holy Land on foot?This part of the world was new to me. I never covered it as a journalist, and I'd covered some pretty big episodes of mass violence among humans in Africa. I covered, for example, the Congo Civil War, which was one of the bloodiest and most devastating at the time in the early 2000s. The numbers there are staggering. In Central Africa, almost 5 million people died in that conflict. And so here I am, coming from out of Africa into the Middle East, where it's tiny, by African standards. And I was astonished at the amount of attention that was focused on it. It was like there was this global stadium built around this quadrant of the world, where the whole world was looking down on these conflicts among villages, among cities, among invisible lines. To be perfectly candid, I was kind of scratching my head. I said, “Why is this corner of the world getting so much attention when the rest of the world has far larger, gaping wounds, in terms of just bloodshed?” If you want to use a metric of human blood. But now, looking back from 13 years later, seeing what's happening now, I think that was a measure, sort of my naivete, of the fact that I was comparing human suffering to human suffering ... which is always a dangerous thing to do. And what we're seeing now is just how incredibly deep — it may be small, Marco — but how incredibly deep these fissures run. Yuval Ben-Ami at the Separation Barrier in East Jerusalem. Erected by the Israeli government to thwart terror attacks, it cleaves some Palestinian neighborhoods in half. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  It struck me when you said you'd been in Africa for that long. You actually started in the Out of Eden Walk. You've kind of followed, in a way, the Levantine Corridor that humans left many thousands of years ago into the Middle East. I wonder how, on foot, that changed how you see this tense modern world.When you walk for very long periods – and I'm talking months and years – across horizons ... you kind of enter a mental state where you look at the surface tensions of the world. You look at the cities, the conflicts, the way we've treated the planet, the way we've subjugated and, in many ways, destroyed nature. And I'm not saying that it makes you fatalistic, but there's a sense of equanimity that comes with it. A sense of, “God, this is all going to be scraped away.” Everything we say is going to be scraped away during the next glaciation. And all of our monuments, all of our heroes, all of our statues are going to be kind of in the moraines of these glaciers, 12,000 years from now. That doesn't make me feel fatalistic. It doesn't make me shrug. It gives me a sense of, sort of, I don't know, of … patience, if you will, with this troublesome species that we are — both so very good and very bad.Parts of this interview have been lightly edited for length and clarity.Writer and National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has embarked on a 24,000-mile storytelling trek across the world called the “Out of Eden Walk.” The National Geographic Society, committed to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world, has funded Salopek and the project since 2013. Explore the project here. Follow the journey on X at @PaulSalopek, @outofedenwalk and also at @InsideNatGeo.

It was in the ancient city of Petra, in 2013, when National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek said he came upon a crossroad filled with antiquity, fabulous monuments, palaces and grand avenues chiseled into a sandstone canyon far above the rift valley of Jordan. After walking for the better part of a year through the desolate deserts of the Horn of Africa and then into the almost equally desert and empty landscape of Saudi Arabia, Salopek said he was welcomed into  Jordan by a Bedouin musician named Qasim Ali. Qasim Ali sings the blues, Bedouin style, at Petra, the ancient heart of the Nabatean empire. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org. Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic Ali sang the blues while playing the Rababa, an ancient stringed instrument. Salopek described it as a dramatic setting.“It kind of became the backdrop music for stepping from nomadism into millennia of settlement, into this highly contested, many-chambered heart that we call the Levant,” he said.The World's Marco Werman talked more with Salopek about his journey through Jordan and into the Israeli-occupied West Bank, following in the footsteps of the first humans out of Africa. Marco Werman: Your walk through Jordan was a kind of transition from the world of Bedouin herders and nomadic life to a world of farms and villages where early people first put down roots. How did walking it on foot help you appreciate human history?Paul Salopek: Well, it was kind of almost a schizophrenic reality, Marco. There was kind of walking through every day at three miles an hour out of the empty desert, and suddenly tomato farms started to appear. Irrigation canals … the whole infrastructure of modern-day farming. But at the same time, my project is about deep, deep history and the people I'm following, when they walked through, none of that was there. But something happened when we first migrated out of Africa, through this part of the world. As one archeologist told me, we finally sat down. We stopped moving so much. We settled. We invented agriculture. We started piling rocks on top of each other. We smelted metal. And this era, called the Neolithic, is the one, essentially, that we're still inhabiting today. A city-based, urban, settled lifestyle. This was one of the corners of the world where it began. Ghawarna women dye wool using oxide-rich mud. Modaita, the yawning camel is unimpressed. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  You crossed a border in May of 2014, the Jordan River, and you walked into the West Bank through Israeli army checkpoints. Give us a sense of life in the Palestinian West Bank in 2014.Back at that time, it was a time of, relatively speaking, calm, right? I mean, there's always tension in this corner of the world, but there was no open warfare that I saw. But this, this was a foretaste, again, of this extraordinary maze of the Middle East, of the West Bank, which is partitioned, as you probably know, into three different administrative sectors: Israeli, Palestinian, and then mixed administrative control. There were checkpoints everywhere. There were barriers everywhere. For somebody coming from almost a year on foot, out of kind of relatively open horizons, it was dizzying. It was just a bit surreal. I was walking at the time with my Palestinian walking partner Bassam Almohor, and he said, “Paul, this is my life. I have to kind of change personality every time I cross one of these checkpoints.” And he was a walker, Marco. He was one of the founders of a walking club based in Ramallah. His philosophy was “My piece of Earth. This place I call home is so small that walking makes it big. This is how I keep my sanity.” Bullet on the road to Bethlehem. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  Wow. Well, we know that things had been tense and violent in the West Bank before 2014 when you were there. Your journey also took you into the ancient city of Jerusalem. You walk the same paths as the ancient Egyptians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, early Christians and Muslims. How much did that sense of history color your view of the modern state of Israel?It was inescapable. I mean, there are just so many layers. Again, I deal with historians and archeologists. These are the people that I talk to to advise me on what compass bearing to move on as I pass along these ancient pathways of dispersal out of Africa. Another archeologist based in Jerusalem said, “Paul, Jerusalem was a village, a settlement that was prehistoric.” You know, it started to kind of appear in the consciousness of that inhabited landscape around the Bronze Age. I measured history, recorded history, from the time of that settlement to today, there had been 700 or more wars. But everybody that I met in that highly conflicted, highly contested, very small corner of the world has their own ways of trying to keep life good. And he said, “Paul, I focused not on those 700 wars but on the spaces of peace in between.” In Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  So, as you follow the news from the Middle East today, what jogs your memories of walking the Holy Land on foot?This part of the world was new to me. I never covered it as a journalist, and I'd covered some pretty big episodes of mass violence among humans in Africa. I covered, for example, the Congo Civil War, which was one of the bloodiest and most devastating at the time in the early 2000s. The numbers there are staggering. In Central Africa, almost 5 million people died in that conflict. And so here I am, coming from out of Africa into the Middle East, where it's tiny, by African standards. And I was astonished at the amount of attention that was focused on it. It was like there was this global stadium built around this quadrant of the world, where the whole world was looking down on these conflicts among villages, among cities, among invisible lines. To be perfectly candid, I was kind of scratching my head. I said, “Why is this corner of the world getting so much attention when the rest of the world has far larger, gaping wounds, in terms of just bloodshed?” If you want to use a metric of human blood. But now, looking back from 13 years later, seeing what's happening now, I think that was a measure, sort of my naivete, of the fact that I was comparing human suffering to human suffering ... which is always a dangerous thing to do. And what we're seeing now is just how incredibly deep — it may be small, Marco — but how incredibly deep these fissures run. Yuval Ben-Ami at the Separation Barrier in East Jerusalem. Erected by the Israeli government to thwart terror attacks, it cleaves some Palestinian neighborhoods in half. Join the journey at outofedenwalk.org.  Credit: Paul Salopek/National Geographic  It struck me when you said you'd been in Africa for that long. You actually started in the Out of Eden Walk. You've kind of followed, in a way, the Levantine Corridor that humans left many thousands of years ago into the Middle East. I wonder how, on foot, that changed how you see this tense modern world.When you walk for very long periods – and I'm talking months and years – across horizons ... you kind of enter a mental state where you look at the surface tensions of the world. You look at the cities, the conflicts, the way we've treated the planet, the way we've subjugated and, in many ways, destroyed nature. And I'm not saying that it makes you fatalistic, but there's a sense of equanimity that comes with it. A sense of, “God, this is all going to be scraped away.” Everything we say is going to be scraped away during the next glaciation. And all of our monuments, all of our heroes, all of our statues are going to be kind of in the moraines of these glaciers, 12,000 years from now. That doesn't make me feel fatalistic. It doesn't make me shrug. It gives me a sense of, sort of, I don't know, of … patience, if you will, with this troublesome species that we are — both so very good and very bad.Parts of this interview have been lightly edited for length and clarity.Writer and National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has embarked on a 24,000-mile storytelling trek across the world called the “Out of Eden Walk.” The National Geographic Society, committed to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world, has funded Salopek and the project since 2013. Explore the project here. Follow the journey on X at @PaulSalopek, @outofedenwalk and also at @InsideNatGeo.

In this week's episode, Chris Wright is joined by Richard Spencer, the China correspondent at The Times, formerly the Middle East correspondent from 2016 until August 2023, but brought back to cover the war in Gaza since Hamas's attack on Israel on the 7th October. He was previously news editor, China correspondent, Middle East correspondent and Middle East editor at The Daily Telegraph.The focus quickly turns to Israel-Palestine where Richard cuts to the chase, outlining the different ways the conflict may end, and what these scenarios would mean for the citizens on the ground. Questions are raised, such as whether the West is hypocritical to criticise Israel's campaign in Gaza, considering their relatively recent campaigns in Iraq and Syria. Richard later explains the geopolitics of conflict for the UK and the US, and the power dynamic in the Palestinian West Bank.They turn their gaze to Ukraine - what is the status of the war and how the American election will impact it, and therefore, the future of Europe. Chris also asks Richard for his views on the possibility of China invading Taiwan.   We'd love to hear what you think of the episode at email@wrightonthenail.fm.Many thanks,WOTN Team'I Hit The Nail Right On The Head' by Billy Bremner. © Fridens liljor/Micke Finell.Rock around the clock productions AB.www.rockaroundtheclock.coThis episode was produced by Sound Sapiensoundsapien.comThis podcast is published by New Thinking: www.newthinking.com Explore New Thinking podcasts via our website: www.newthinking.com/podcasts

This week the media offers Academy Award buzz as well as the horrors of Israel's response to the horrors of October's attack by Hamas. Here's my 2013 conversation with Palestinian EMAD BURNAT and Israeli GUY DAVIDI, co-directors of the Oscar-nominated documentary, 5 BROKEN CAMERAS. The film tells the story of Burnat, a Palestinian West Bank farmer, his wife, and four small children. As we track the destruction of each of his cameras, we witness his village's ancient olive trees bulldozed, protests intensify, and a son grow from a newborn to a young boy. 

Susan Muaddi Darraj won the 2016 American Book Award, the 2016 Arab American Book Award, and was a finalist for the Palestine Book Award for A Curious Land, a collection of linked stories that follows the denizens of a Palestinian West Bank village. She is also the author of a story collection titled The Inheritance of Exile, and Farah Rocks, the first children's book series to feature a Palestinian-American character. A former Ford Fellow and winner of the Maryland State Art Council's Independent Artist Award, she teaches creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. In Behind You Is the Sea, Muaddi Darraj tells the story of three immigrant Palestinian families who experience very disparate versions of contemporary American life. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation to keep our podcasts free for everyone. THANK YOU! The views expressed by the authors and moderators are strictly their own and do not represent the opinions of the Free Library of Philadelphia or its employees. (recorded 1/25/2024)

Bin Laden's post 9/11 letter to America, White House Security Chief's bizarre Islamophobic rants caught on camera, Charlie Kirk's theory that the Israeli Defence apparatus deliberately let Hamas ransack the communities home to peace-loving Israeli activists, and Da Goat, Kelly Slater, smells GOATspiracy.    With special commentary by pro longboader, Palestinian West Bank traveller, political student and  Greens State Government media advisor. Lucy Small.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of Parallax Views, investigative journalist Ali Winston, co-author of The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption, and Cover-up in Oakland, returns to discuss recent news about the NYPD using surveillance drones against pro-Palestinian protesters (See: "NYPD used drones for arrests in pro-Palestine protests in NYC" - The New York Post). Additionally, Ali and I will discuss the state of New York's connections, through various non-profits and LLCs, to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian West Bank. We also discuss the wider problems of NY police corruption dating back to the days of Frank Serpico, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, the possibility of the current Levant War (Israel-Hamas War, Gaza War, etc.) turning into a dangerous regional war, Peter Thiel's Palantir, Chinese surveillance technology being used in the U.S., how the War on Terror came home (ie: the surveillance state), and much, much more. Article referenced in this conversation: "The New Brothels: How Shady Landlords Play a Key Role in the Sex Trade" - New York Times, 11/14/18 "The Prostitution Empire and the Former N.Y.P.D. Detective, Always One Step Ahead of the Law" - New York Times, 9/21/18 "New York Police Say They Will Deploy 14 Drones" - New York Times, 12/4/18 "N.Y.P.D. Will Use Drones to Monitor Labor Day Celebrations" - New York Times, 9/1/23 "New York's Ties to Israel Bring the Gaza War Home" - New York Focus, 10/19/23 "NYPD used drones for arrests in pro-Palestine protests in NYC" - New York Post, 10/28/23

Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics Vice President & Chief Counsel Donald Sherman: Campaign to Disqualify Trump from 2024 Election Ballot Gains TractionPublic Citizen's Democracy Campaign Co-Director Jonah Minkoff-Zern: Georgia's RICO Indictment Seeks to Tell Full Story of Trump-GOP Election SubversionPalestine Institute for Biodiversity & Sustainability founder Mazin Qumsiyeh: Israeli Occupation and Colonization's Impact on Palestinian West Bank's Biodiverse EcosystemBob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• Climate crisis hitting minority communities harder• Some cities pushing to overcome rent control obstacles• Brazil's former president accused of trying to sell official giftsVisit our website at BTLonline.org for more information, in-depth interviews, related links, transcripts and subscribe to our BTL Weekly Summary and/or podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET, website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata.

* Campaign to Disqualify Trump from 2024 Election Ballot Gains Traction; Donald Sherman, CREW's executive vice president and chief counsel; Producer: Scott Harris. * Georgia's RICO Indictment Seeks to Tell the Full Story of Trump-GOP Election Subversion; Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Co-Director of Public Citizen's Democracy Campaign; Producer: Scott Harris. * The Impact of Israeli Occupation and Colonialism on the Palestinian West Bank's Biodiverse Ecosystemp; Mazin Qumsiyeh, professor, director of Cytogenetics Services at Bethlehem University & Dir. PIBS; Producer: Melinda Tuhus.

Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics Vice President & Chief Counsel Donald Sherman: Campaign to Disqualify Trump from 2024 Election Ballot Gains TractionPublic Citizen's Democracy Campaign Co-Director Jonah Minkoff-Zern: Georgia's RICO Indictment Seeks to Tell Full Story of Trump-GOP Election SubversionPalestine Institute for Biodiversity & Sustainability founder Mazin Qumsiyeh: Israeli Occupation and Colonization's Impact on Palestinian West Bank's Biodiverse EcosystemBob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• Climate crisis hitting minority communities harder• Some cities pushing to overcome rent control obstacles• Brazil's former president accused of trying to sell official giftsVisit our website at BTLonline.org for more information, in-depth interviews, related links and transcripts and to sign up for our BTL Weekly Summary. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET, website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan.  Yesterday, during Shabbat, several dozen settler vigilantes rampaged for the fifth consecutive day following Tuesday's fatal shooting attack. This time through the Palestinian West Bank village of Umm Safa, setting fire to vehicles and homes. What else do we know about this attack and where was the IDF? Rettig Gur speaks at length about how Israel is failing to follow through on “managing” or “shrinking” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What are some "boring" bureaucratic ways in which Palestinians are being blocked from basic necessities such as electricity and sewage? Discussed articles include: Settlers riot in another Palestinian village; IDF spokesman: ‘Shameful acts of terror' Suspects in settler reprisals ordered to remain behind bars; fourth person detained Off-duty soldier among 4 detained in latest settler attack on Palestinian village IDF, Shin Bet and police heads slam settler attacks as ‘terror,' vow to fight them Ministers slam security chiefs for calling settler attacks on Palestinians ‘terror' Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Fields on fire near the Palestinian village of Qusra, in the West Bank, June 22, 2023. (Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on israel Palestinian West Bank tension.

On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Yumna Patel of Mondoweiss joins us to discuss her new documentary On the Brink: Jenin's Rising Resistance, an examination of the Jenin refugee camp's growing armed resistance movement against the Israeli occupation in Palestinian West Bank. On January 26th, 2023 an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp left nine Palestinians dead. The tensions between within Israel/Palestine has increased, especially in light of the new government of Benjamin Netanyahu and the rise of far-right figures like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, and whispers of a Third Intifada, a violent Palestinian uprising, or a Second Nakba, a brutal expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and lands, are becoming more common. With events like the Nablus Massacre and the Israeli settler attack in Huwara, the Israel/Palestine situation seems to be at an exceedingly dangerous juncture right now. Yumna joins J.G. and special guest co-host Karl Barx, host of the West Bank Robbery podcast, to delve into these issues and to help us understand why many young many are joining an armed resistance in the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp. Among the topics covered in this conversation: - The uniquely deadly Israeli army raid on the Jorat al-Dhahab neighborhood of the Jenin refugee camp - The Western discourse over Palestinian armed resistance; the context from which armed resistance to an occupation is born; the use of terms like "nuance" and "complexity" when discussing the Israel/Palestine conflict in the U.S. - The disconnect in how we think about armed resistance in Palestine vs. armed resistance in Ukraine; the Western tendency to demand that Palestinians be "perfect victims" that do not engage in violent resistance - Why are Palestinian youths, particularly young men, turning to taking up arms in the Jenin refugee camp and why do they feel that the horizon for a political solution has been slammed shut at this time? - The Jenin Brigade, the Islamic Jihad Movement, the cross-factional model of the Jenin Brigade and the various political factions that have engaged in Palestinian Unity, the militant armed Palestinian resistance group known as the Lion's Den, the emergence of new political formations amongst Palestinians, the failure of the Palestinian Authority and negotiations between Israel and Palestine (especially the Oslo Accords) and Yumna's interviews with armed resistance fighters - The May 2021 uprisings of Palestinians that has been called the Unity Intifada - The argument that armed resistance plays into the hands of far-right wing Israeli politicians like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich's desire to justify further clampdowns against and oppression of Palestinians - Did the Nakba, or the mass expulsion of Palestinians in 1948 that is otherwise known as the Catastrophe or the Cataclysm, ever really end?; Israeli settlers and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes and land - Yumna's background; her parents grew up in apartheid South Africa; the apartheid regime oppressed Yumna's Indian parents; how this ties into her work on Palestine - The Palestinian struggle and changing views on Israel/Palestine in the U.S. and the Western World; Israeli ultranationalism and the Jerusalem Day Marches that saw Israeli far-right wingers march through the Muslim corridor shouting "Death to Arabs"; the normalization of anti-Palestinian violence, hatred, and sentiments and the U.S. and international community's lack of a sufficient response to it - Hope vs. despair when discussing Israel/Palestine; the desperation of the Israeli far-right and the unraveling of Israeli society - Yumna's interview with a paramedic based in Jenin; the paramedic claimed that Israeli forces violently prevented medics from entering the camp to treat the wounded during the Jan 26th raid - And more!

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow Nazareth #Israel: #PA: What drives and who pays for the Palestinian West Bank offensive: is this a new Intifada? Jonathan Schanzer, FDD https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/02/24/why-the-west-bank-is-in-chaos/

Grayzone Radio 6: Inside the Lion's Den Summary: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal interviews Palestinian journalist Ramzy Baroud about a striking new development in the Palestinian West Bank that has seriously rattled the Israeli military: the spontaneous rise of armed factions across occupied territory known as the Lions Den. Cutting across all political factions and embodying the aspirations of a new generation of Palestinians, these groups have contributed to a surge in military-style resistance to occupation unseen since the Second Intifada was finally crushed in 2007. Next we hear Blumenthal's discussion with YouTube host and comedian Jimmy Dore about the Twitter files exposing FBI and CIA collaboration with the social media giant. Finally, Blumenthal shares his thoughts on the demise of the antiwar "left" with Progressive Radio Network and WBAI's Gary Null. Max Blumenthal, Ramzy Baroud, Jimmy Dore, Gary Null About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver Special thanks to Linda Perry for her help!

Divided between Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian West Bank lies the lowest point on the surface of the Earth: The Dead Sea. Not only is it the lowest point on Earth, but the sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on the planet.  But how did this place come to exist, and is it true that it will completely disappear at some point? Learn more about the Dead Sea and how it came to be, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Peter Bennett & Thor Thomsen   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/EverythingEverywhere Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan. A Palestinian teenager was killed as heavy clashes broke out in Nablus late Wednesday and early Thursday while Jewish worshippers held a monthly pilgrimage to a shrine called Joseph's Tomb in the Palestinian West Bank city under military guard. Fabian explains why this is such a conflict-ridden area.We've been discussing the possibility of renewed diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey for months. Berman enlightens us on what was the final impetus and what the new diplomatic ties mean for Israelis. We spoke yesterday on the podcast about a statement made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in which he claimed -- and then somewhat walked back -- that Israel has inflicted 50 holocausts on his people. The fallout continues, including a defensive posture from Defense Minister Benny Gantz. Media reports have leaked preliminary results of an IDF investigation into the deaths of five children in Gaza during the recent conflict. What are the unofficial findings? Staff Sgt. Nathan Fitoussi was fatally shot this week by a comrade in arms when returning to his post after prayer. Fabian and Berman discuss some potential lessons learned from this, and other friendly fire incidents. Discussed articles include: Palestinian teen killed as rioters attack Jewish pilgrimage to Joseph's Tomb With reset, Turkey and Israel look to build durable ties that can reshape the region Gantz defends Abbas meetings amid outcry over PA chief's ‘holocausts' comment IDF finds Israeli strike killed 5 children in Gaza during recent operation – report Family of soldier killed by friendly fire says not angry at comrade who shot him Lawyers call to halt probe of soldier in suspected friendly fire killing Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Israeli and Turkish flags from a press conference between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog in Ankara, Turkey, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palestinian American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed on May 11th while reporting on Israeli raids in the Palestinian West Bank city of Jenin. Eyewitnesses and video and audio evidence point toward the shots coming from Israeli forces, a claim that Israeli authorities at least initially disputed. And over the weekend, multiple communities in the US were terrorized by mass shootings including in Buffalo, NY, and Laguna Woods, CA.We discuss how peacemakers should respond to these incidents, the importance of listening to understand and amplifying the voices that we see being marginalized, and more. Read and share the Principles and Practices of PeacemakingFollow Telos on Instagram @thetelosgroupIf you're enjoying the podcast, become a monthly donor to Telos!Leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts or Spotify

The journalistic and the Arab-American communities in Michigan condemn the shooting of Palestinian -American Aljazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was with a group of reporters in the city of Jenin in the occupied Palestinian West-Bank. "Reporters and journalists should be protected and not targeted," said Imad Hamad, executive directory of the American Human Rights Council in Michigan. Hamad, who was a guest on US Arab Radio morning show Thursday Las said that many reporters were killed in the line of duty in different parts of the world including the Palestinian occupied territories. “We are saddened by the death of Ms. Abu Akleh and send our sincere condolences to her friends and family,” Hamad said. "The #Biden administration has promised a foreign policy grounded in respect for human rights and international law. Palestine should not be the exception. The episode was broadcast on 25/5/2022 US Arab Radio can be heard on wnzk 690 AM, WDMV 700 AM, and WPAT 930 AM. Please visit: www.facebook.com/USArabRadio/ Web site : arabradio.us/ Online Radio: www.radio.net/s/usarabradio Twitter : twitter.com/USArabRadio Instagram : www.instagram.com/usarabradio/ Youtube : US Arab Radio

New study reveals fresh avocado-substituted diet significantly changes lipid profile University of the Pacific, February 1, 2022  According to the recently released 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, small shifts in food choices can make a big difference; including a shift from solid fats to oils, like the oil in fresh avocados. On the heels of this advice, a new meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, adds to the growing body of research that supports the use of avocados in lieu of solid fats (and foods that have higher saturated fat content) to significantly change lipid profiles. The research, “Impact of avocado-enriched diets on plasma lipoproteins, looked at 10 unique avocado studies with 229 participants, assessing the impact of avocados on cholesterol levels. Researchers found avocado consumption (1 to 1.5 per day) significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC), “bad” low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) when they were substituted for sources of saturated fat. Additionally, avocado consumption did not impact “good” high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). However, the optimal amount of avocado and frequency of use needs further evaluation along with the nutritional similarities and differences between other different MUFA sources. Larger trials looking at the impact of avocados on major adverse cardiovascular events are warranted. (See conclusion of study) 20 mins of daily exercise at 70 may best stave off major heart disease in late old age Any physical activity is better late than never but earlier in older age, better still University of Padua (Italy), February 15, 2022 Twenty minutes of daily moderate to vigorous exercise in early old age (70-75) may best stave off major heart disease, including heart failure, in late old age (80+), suggests research published online in the journal Heart. The findings reinforce the maxim of ‘better late than never,' when it comes to exercise, but earlier on in older age is better still, concludes a linked editorial. To plug this knowledge gap, the researchers drew on data from the Progetto Veneto Anziani (ProVA), a study of 3099 older Italians (65 and above). The final analysis included 2754 participants with complete data, of whom 1398 were women (60%). The largest reduction in risk was observed for new cases of coronary heart disease and heart failure in late old age. No significant association between physical activity and stroke was observed.  Most of the participants had stable active physical activity patterns over time. Patterns of stable-high physical activity were associated with a significantly (52%) lower risk of cardiovascular disease among men compared with those with stable-low patterns. The greatest benefits seemed to occur at the age of 70. Risk was only marginally lower at the age of 75, and no lower at the age of 80-85, suggesting that improving physical activity earlier in old age might have the most impact, say the researchers.   Psilocybin treatment for major depression effective for up to a year for most patients, study shows Johns Hopkins University, February 15, 2022 Previous studies by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers showed that psychedelic treatment with psilocybin relieved major depressive disorder symptoms in adults for up to a month. Now, in a follow-up study of those participants, the researchers report that the substantial antidepressant effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy, given with supportive psychotherapy, may last at least a year for some patients. A report on the new study was published on Feb. 15, 2022 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. “Our findings add to evidence that, under carefully controlled conditions, this is a promising therapeutic approach that can lead to significant and durable improvements in depression,” says Natalie Gukasyan, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She cautions, however, that “the results we see are in a research setting and require quite a lot of preparation and structured support from trained clinicians and therapists, and people should not attempt to try it on their own.” The researchers reported that psilocybin treatment produced large decreases in depression, and that depression severity remained low one, three, six and 12 months after treatment.  Prevent memory loss with a powerful nutrient in cucumbers Salk Institute for Biological Studies, February 15, 2022 The results of a recent study are offering new hope that avoiding memory loss related to aging as well as Alzheimer's disease could be as simple as eating more cucumbers. Many older adults resign themselves to memory loss as part of the aging process. However, a study out of the the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has shown that this doesn't have to be the case. The health benefits of cucumbers are many, and one of them seems to be better memory and even the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers working with mice that normally developed the symptoms of Alzheimer's (including memory loss) discovered that a daily dose of a flavonol called fisetin prevented these and other related impairments. This improvement occurred despite the continued formation of amyloid plaques, the brain proteins commonly blamed for Alzheimer's. A natural food cure for memory loss The compound fisetin is found in numerous vegetables and fruits but is especially concentrated in strawberries and cucumbers. This flavonol is quite effective in stopping memory loss in mice and holds hope for humans as well. Polluted air may pollute our morality Columbia University Business School, February 7, 2022  Exposure to air pollution, even imagining exposure to air pollution, may lead to unethical behavior, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. A combination of archival and experimental studies indicates that exposure to air pollution, either physically or mentally, is linked with unethical behavior such as crime and cheating. The experimental findings suggest that this association may be due, at least in part, to increased anxiety. “This research reveals that air pollution may have potential ethical costs that go beyond its well-known toll on health and the environment,” says behavioral scientist Jackson G. Lu of Columbia Business School, the first author of the research. “This is important because air pollution is a serious global issue that affects billions of people—even in the United States, about 142 million people still reside in counties with dangerously polluted air.” Previous studies have indicated that exposure to air pollution elevates individuals' feelings of anxiety. Anxiety is known to correlate with a range of unethical behaviors. Lu and colleagues hypothesized that pollution may ultimately increase criminal activity and unethical behavior by increasing anxiety. In one study, the researchers examined air pollution and crime data for 9,360 US cities collected over a 9-year period. The air pollution data, maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, included information about six major pollutants, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The researchers found that cities with higher levels of air pollution also tended to have higher levels of crime. This association held even after the researchers accounted for other potential factors, including total population, number of law enforcement employees, median age, gender distribution, race distribution, poverty rate, unemployment rate, unobserved heterogeneity among cities (e.g., city area, legal system), and unobserved time-varying effects (e.g., macroeconomic conditions). “Our findings suggest that air pollution not only corrupts people's health, but also can contaminate their morality,” Lu concludes. (Videos) 1. Libtard lunatic accuses unmasked kids of homicide calls em “Biological weapons” (after music) 2.  I Will Sacrifice Trophies for Bodily Autonomy   3. Charles Eisenstein: Why Normal Is Never Coming Back 4. Jonathan Haidt & Yuval Noah Harari: Adapting to Change in an Accelerating World (16:00) OTHER NEWS OPED:  The Earth Belongs to America Caitlin Johnstone, February 14, 2022The Wall Street Journal has an article out titled “U.S. Aims to Thwart China's Plan for Atlantic Base in Africa“, subtitled “An American delegation wants to convince Equatorial Guinea against giving Beijing a launchpad in waters the U.S. considers its backyard.”The article quotes the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy saying, “We'd really, really not like to see a Chinese facility” on the Atlantic, and discusses “American concern about China's global expansionism and its pursuit of a permanent military presence on waters the U.S. considers home turf.”The Quincy Institute's Trita Parsi has discussed the irony of WSJ yelling about China's “global expansionism” over a potential military base in Equatorial Guinea without applying that label to the U.S., when the U.S. has hundreds of times the number of foreign military bases as China. Antiwar's Daniel Larison wrote an article back in December eviscerating the ridiculous claim that a military base some six thousand nautical miles from the U.S. coastline could be reasonably framed as any kind of threat to the American people.But what really jumps out is the insane way the U.S. political/media class routinely talks about virtually every location on this planet as though it is a territory of the United States.The Wall Street Journal referring to the entire Atlantic Ocean as “America's backyard” and “waters the U.S. considers home turf” follows a recent controversy over the U.S. president proclaiming that “Everything south of the Mexican border is America's front yard.” This provoked many references to the so-called “Monroe Doctrine”, a nineteenth-century imperialist assertion that Latin America is off limits to any power apart from the United States, effectively declaring the entire Western Hemisphere the property of Washington, DC.It also follows another incident in which Press Secretary Jen Psaki remarked on the ongoing tensions around Ukraine that it is in America's interest to support “our eastern flank countries”, which might come as a surprise to those who were taught in school that America's eastern flank was not Eastern Europe but the eastern coastline of the United States.The casual way these people say such things reflects a collectively held worldview that you won't find on any official document or in any schoolchild's textbook, but which is nonetheless a firmly held perspective among all the drivers of the modern empire: that the entire world is the property of the U.S. government. That the U.S. is not just the most powerful government in the world but also its rightful ruler, in the same way Rome ruled the Christian world.It's not something they can come out and directly say, because admitting they see themselves as the rulers of the world would make them look tyrannical and megalomaniacal. But it's certainly something they believe.They're about as obvious about it as could be. They make almost no effort to conceal it. And yet you'll still get empire apologists like Michael McFaul saying nonsense like this: McFaul knows very well that the U.S. is an imperial power and that it demands a very large “sphere of influence”.Would you like to see a picture of America's sphere of influence? Here you go:To live in the western world is to be constantly inundated with made-up stories about tyrants who want to terrorize the world while living under a globe-spanning power structure that is actually terrorizing the world. It's just so bizarre watching these imperial spinmeisters try to frame nations like China and Russia as freakish and backwards while working to literally rule the world like a comic book super villain.The U.S.-centralized empire is quantifiably the single most destructive and evil power structure in today's world. We shouldn't want anyone to rule over the entire planet with an iron fist, but these monsters are the very least qualified among us to do so. World's Rivers Awash in Pharmaceuticals, Historic Study Reveals Researchers who examined water samples from over 1,000 locations warn that “pharmaceutical pollution poses a global threat to environmental and human health.”Common Dreams. February 14, 2022 Underscoring the value of collaboration, experts from around the world on Monday unveiled what they described as the first “truly global study” of pharmaceutical drugs contaminating rivers, which has “deleterious effects on ecological and human health.”The historic analysis, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved 127 authors from 86 institutions. They examined surface water samples from 1,052 sites in 104 countries—including 36 that had never been monitored before— across all continents for 61 different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).Sample sites ranged from an Indigenous community in Venezuela where modern medicine is not used to highly populated urban areas such as Delhi, London, and New York City. Researchers also gathered samples from regions with political instability, including Baghdad, Nablus in the Palestinian West Bank, and Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé.The United States was the “most extensively studied” nation, with samples collected at 81 locations along 29 rivers across Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, New York, and Texas. Samples were also taken in every European Union member state except MaltaThe paper notes that all four contaminants detected on every continent—caffeine, nicotine, acetaminophen or paracetamol, and cotinine—are “considered either lifestyle compounds or over-the-counter APIs.” Another 14 APIs, including various antidepressants and antihistamines, were found on all continents except Antarctica.Lead author John Wilkinson of the University of York told Carrington that “the World Health Organization and U.N. and other organizations say antimicrobial resistance is the single greatest threat to humanity—it's a next pandemic.” “In 19% of all of the sites we monitored, the concentrations of [antibiotics] exceeded the levels that we'd expect to encourage bacteria to develop resistance,” he said. 15 Monkeys Have Reportedly Died While Testing Elon Musk's Midlife Crisis Brain Chip TheGamer.com, February 12, 2022Neuralink, an Elon Musk-owned company that develops brain chip technology, has attracted controversy once more. Animal trials of the brain chips have been linked to the deaths of 15 monkeys used in experimentation, with only seven said to have survived. These allegations come from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which says it has discovered this through over 700 pages of documents acquired through the University of California Davis. The apparent deaths span 2017 to 2020, which if true, would explain why human experimentation was pushed back two years from its projected date. The allegations come from reports in Business Insider and the New York Post. The sources say that monkeys used in animal trials of the Neuralink chips – which are apparently threaded into their brains – undergo “extreme suffering”. Both physical and neurological side effects are reported, ranging from brain haemorrhaging to self-harming behaviour. In one instance, a monkey was found to have missing fingers and toes, “possibly from self-mutilation or some other unspecified trauma”. Others are reported to have died of infection as a result of poor care after the chip was inserted. This report is a far cry from a video shared last year, which portayed a monkey calmly playing Pong. The company claims that the game was being played with the chip, without the need for a controller and using brain activity alone. Human trials were originally said to start in 2020, but this was pushed back to 2022. Recent reports say that the company is still going ahead with these plans, and has already started hiring for the experimentation.   US west ‘megadrought' is worst in at least 1,200 years, new study says University of California, Los Angeles, 15 Feb 2022  The American west has spent the last two decades in what scientists are now saying is the most extreme megadrought in at least 1,200 years. In a new study, published on Monday, researchers also noted that human-caused climate change is a significant driver of the destructive conditions and offered a grim prognosis: even drier decades lie ahead. “Anyone who has been paying attention knows that the west has been dry for most of the last couple decades,” says Park Williams, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and the study's lead author. “We now know from these studies that is dry not only from the context of recent memory but in the context of the last millennium.” The research builds on conclusions from a previous study, also led by Williams, that ranked the period between 2000 and 2018 as the second driest in 12 centuries. The last two incredibly dry years – which were marked by record-setting heatwaves, receding reservoirs, and a rise in dangerously erratic blazes that burned both uncontrollably and unseasonably – were enough to push this period into first. Worryingly, the west is experiencing a point on an upward trajectory, the researchers warn. In the summer of 2021, both Lake Mead and Lake Powell – the largest reservoirs in North America – reached record-low levels. Nearly 65% of the American west is experiencing in severe drought according to the US drought monitor, even after record rainfall hit some areas late last year. For the first time, federal official curbed allocations from the Colorado River Basin, which supplies water and power for more than 40 million people. Wildfires in the last two years have left behind more blackened earth than ever before and performed feats never thought possible. California Lawmakers Fast-Tracking Child Health Bills to Erode Parental Rights ‘It's an underhanded move, meant to silence parents and hobble grassroots efforts across our state' California Globe, February 9, 2022 California lawmakers have chosen to fast-track several key child health bills that will further erode parental rights and infringe on parents' ability to maintain medical freedom. Specifically, three fast-tracked bills involve 1) forced COVID-19 vaccinations for children for school enrollment, 2) allowing minor children to make their own vaccine decisions away from a parent, and 3) require health care staff to complete cultural humility training to provide trans-inclusive health care. The Globe spoke with Karen England, Executive Director of the Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), a pro-family public policy organization educating, equipping, and engaging California citizens for 34 years. England shared her grave concerns about the bills, as well as the legislative processes being circumvented. “Typically, a bill must be in print for 30 days before it is acted upon, to give Californians time to read and understand the bill. But by conveniently suspending this established rule (Joint Rule 55 & Article IV Section 8(a)), the legislature is denying individual citizens and organizations like CRI the right to properly review and respond to these bills before they are passed,” England said. “It's an underhanded move, meant to silence parents and hobble grassroots efforts across our state.” The point of this rule is to give Californians time to read and understand these bills. “The fact is that they want to slide these bills through when there is plenty of time,” England said. “This should concern everyone.” 3,573 Fetal Deaths in VAERS Following COVID-19 Vaccines – 1,867% Increase Over Non-COVID Vaccines Brian Shilhavy, Health Impact News The U.S. Government's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database was updated this past Friday, February 11, 2022, and it is now reporting that there have been 1,103,893 cases of injuries and deaths following COVID-19 vaccines since December of 2020, when the FDA issued emergency use authorizations for the COVID-19 vaccines.  By way of contrast, there were 918,856 cases of injuries and deaths following all FDA-approved vaccines for the previous 30+ years, from 1990 through November of 2020.  So there have been more injuries and deaths recorded in VAERS during the past 14 months following COVID-19 vaccines, than there were for the previous 30+ years combined following all vaccines recorded in VAERS. This most recent update of VAERS shows that there have now been 3,573 fetal deaths following COVID-19 vaccines.  To arrive at the number of fetal deaths recorded in VAERS I had to test several different searches on listed “symptoms” and then see if the search results documented fetal deaths, since there is no demographic for “fetal deaths.” The following is the current list of “symptoms” in VAERS that reveals fetal deaths: Aborted pregnancy Abortion Abortion complete Abortion complicated Abortion early Abortion incomplete Abortion induced Abortion induced incomplete Abortion late Abortion missed Abortion of ectopic pregnancy Abortion spontaneous Abortion spontaneous complete Abortion spontaneous incomplete Ectopic pregnancy Ectopic pregnancy termination Ectopic pregnancy with contraceptive device Foetal cardiac arrest Foetal death Premature baby death Premature delivery Ruptured ectopic pregnancy Stillbirth This list may not be exhaustive. But if we use the exact same search using these symptoms, we can compare “apples to apples” in examining fetal deaths following COVID-19 vaccines as compared to fetal deaths following all non-COVID vaccines. Here are the yearly averages: 82 fetal deaths per year following non-COVID vaccines 3063 fetal deaths per year following COVID-19 vaccines

Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer, percussionist, and writer, Barrett Martin, has been playing music professionally for over 30 years, including work on over 120 albums and film soundtracks worldwide. His work can be heard on albums by R.E.M., Queens Of The Stone Age, Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Tuatara, Blues legend CeDell Davis, and recording sessions that range from the Peruvian Amazon, to Brazil, Cuba, the Palestinian West Bank, the Mississippi Delta, and the Alaskan Arctic. Barrett also holds a master's degree in ethnomusicology and linguistics, and has practiced Zen for over 25 years. He has guest lectured at several universities across the United States, and has written essays for The Huffington Post and Riot Material (links below). In 2014 he was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Award for excellence in writing, and in 2017 he received two Latin Grammy nominations, winning a Grammy for producing Nando Reis' Best Brazilian Rock Album, “Jardim-Pomar”. In this episode, Jane shares his background, education, and musical journey. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com

This week Lara and Michael speak with Jon Elmer, Canadian writer and photojournalist specializing in the Middle East and Canadian foreign and military policy. He has lived in and reported extensively from the occupied Palestinian West Bank and Gaza - specifically based in occupied Jenin, Bethlehem, and Gaza City. He has covered the al-Aqsa intifada, the so-called Israeli "disengagement" of Gaza which was followed by the imposition of a siege on Gaza as well as factional strife in Gaza. His work appears in the Journal of Palestine Studies, Le Monde diplomatique, and The Progressive. He is also the co-host of an amazing podcast called “The Brief” with Nora Barrows Friedman, a dear friend of the Palestine Pod. In light of the recent 21st anniversary of the Second Intifada, Jon speaks to us about his time reporting on the Second Intifada while he was in Palestine. With first-hand accounts from occupied Jenin, to analysis on the tactics used by Palestinians to resist Israeli colonial violence as well as the impact of the Second Intifada on Palestinian life until today, Jon paints a complex, layered picture of life in occupied Palestine, the cost of resistance to daily life, and the bravery and heroism of Palestinians fighting for their freedom. Lara reminds us that Palestinians are in a rights-based struggle and Michael recalls that Jews of the Warsaw ghetto used similar tactics of resistance as Palestinians, calling anyone who supports the former but not the latter fundamentally inconsistent in their approach to the right to freedom.

Popular activist Nizar Banat died after he was severely beaten by Palestinian police in late June. But Palestinians are still on the streets — and they're invoking the cause of a new Arab spring. 

The Taliban now control Afghanistan, but what happens to those who are yet to leave? The U.N. is predicting that half a million Afghans could try to flee, could one possible answer be a Kurdish-style solution? Plus, why is the Palestinian West Bank is still roiling with protests?

Subscribe to the podcast!https://podfollow.com/everythingeverywhere/ Divided between Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian West Bank lies the lowest point on the surface of the Earth: The Dead Sea. Not only is it the lowest point on Earth, but the sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on the planet.  But how did this place come to exist, and is it true that it will completely disappear at some point?Learn more about the Dead Sea and how it came to be, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Scottevest.com -------------------------------- Associate Producer Thor Thomsen   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere   Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/EEDailyPodcast/ Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/

Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer, percussionist, and writer, Barrett Martin, has been playing music professionally for over 30 years, including work on over 100 albums worldwide. His work can be heard on albums by REM, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Tuatara, Blues legend CeDell Davis, and recording sessions that range from the Peruvian Amazon, to Brazil, Cuba, the Palestinian West Bank, the Mississippi Delta, and the Alaskan Arctic. Barrett also holds a master's degree in ethnomusicology and linguistics, and has practiced Zen and various martial arts for over 25 years.Barrett has taught at several universities across the United States, and has written essays for The Huffington Post and Riot Material. In 2014 he was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Award for excellence in writing, and in 2017 he won a Latin Grammy for producing the Best Brazilian Rock Album (Nando Reis, “Jardim-Pomar”). Barrett's first book, “The Singing Earth,” was released in 2017, and his second book, “The Way Of The Zen Cowboy,” was released in 2019. His solo band, The Barrett Martin Group, has released 9 studio albums to date.His essays for Huffington Post can be read here: Huffington PostHis essays for Riot Material can be read here: Riot MaterialScattered Diamonds is the 9th studio album from Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer, percussionist, and writer, Barrett Martin. This time around, Barrett is featuring his collaborations with artists from around the world, from countries such as Iraq, India, Senegal, and Ghana, and including well-known rock and jazz musicians from Seattle, WA and Santa Fe, NM. These songs are as diverse as the guests themselves, and feature Barrett's original compositional style, built around his visceral drumming and global percussion techniques. As Barrett describes it in his own words:Scattered Diamonds is a collection of my best songs and collaborations with friends from around the world. The album represents my global musical influences, and it seems particularly timely now, because they feature musicians and singers from the Middle East, West Africa, and India, as well as several jazz and rock musicians, who I have worked with over the years. Scattered Diamonds encapsulates all of these special guests and their immense talents, organized into one concise album. Each of these songs is a diamond in their unique example of how music can be expressed globally, and I think it's my favorite album so far – it's certainly the most adventurous!”Barrett has also been promoting his 2 books, The Singing Earth and The Way Of The Zen Cowboy (both available as audiobook, paperback, E-Book, and Kindle), and he will be embarking on a One-Man Storytelling Tour in 2021. At the shows, he will be telling stories from his books, performing on drums and multiple percussion instruments, and presenting a slideshow of his photos from 6 continents, over the course of 30 years.Learn more about Lyte.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer, percussionist, and writer, Barrett Martin, has been playing music professionally for over 30 years, including work on over 100 albums worldwide. His work can be heard on albums by REM, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mad Season, Screaming Trees, Tuatara, Blues legend CeDell Davis, and recording sessions that range from the Peruvian Amazon, to Brazil, Cuba, the Palestinian West Bank, the Mississippi Delta, and the Alaskan Arctic. Barrett also holds a master’s degree in ethnomusicology and linguistics, and has practiced Zen and various martial arts for over 25 years.Barrett has taught at several universities across the United States, and has written essays for The Huffington Post and Riot Material. In 2014 he was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Award for excellence in writing, and in 2017 he won a Latin Grammy for producing the Best Brazilian Rock Album (Nando Reis, “Jardim-Pomar”). Barrett’s first book, “The Singing Earth,” was released in 2017, and his second book, “The Way Of The Zen Cowboy,” was released in 2019. His solo band, The Barrett Martin Group, has released 9 studio albums to date.His essays for Huffington Post can be read here: Huffington PostHis essays for Riot Material can be read here: Riot MaterialScattered Diamonds is the 9th studio album from Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer, percussionist, and writer, Barrett Martin. This time around, Barrett is featuring his collaborations with artists from around the world, from countries such as Iraq, India, Senegal, and Ghana, and including well-known rock and jazz musicians from Seattle, WA and Santa Fe, NM. These songs are as diverse as the guests themselves, and feature Barrett’s original compositional style, built around his visceral drumming and global percussion techniques. As Barrett describes it in his own words:Scattered Diamonds is a collection of my best songs and collaborations with friends from around the world. The album represents my global musical influences, and it seems particularly timely now, because they feature musicians and singers from the Middle East, West Africa, and India, as well as several jazz and rock musicians, who I have worked with over the years. Scattered Diamonds encapsulates all of these special guests and their immense talents, organized into one concise album. Each of these songs is a diamond in their unique example of how music can be expressed globally, and I think it’s my favorite album so far – it’s certainly the most adventurous!”Barrett has also been promoting his 2 books, The Singing Earth and The Way Of The Zen Cowboy (both available as audiobook, paperback, E-Book, and Kindle), and he will be embarking on a One-Man Storytelling Tour in 2021. At the shows, he will be telling stories from his books, performing on drums and multiple percussion instruments, and presenting a slideshow of his photos from 6 continents, over the course of 30 years.Learn more about Lyte. 

For the past week, Israel has been vaccinating about 1.5% of its population daily — roughly 150,000 people per day — making it a world leader in vaccinating against COVID-19. New cases have surged to a three-month high, but health authorities have still managed to vaccinate about 50% of the country’s high-risk population.Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said in a press conference on Sunday that the entire Israeli population could be vaccinated as soon as April.“Within a time period of two to three months, we’ll be able to vaccinate the entire population that can be vaccinated,” Edelstein said.He added that inoculating the general public is expected to begin by next month.Related: To cheer up COVID-19 patients, Israeli hospitals send in the clowns“I estimate that by late March-early April most of those who so desire will be able to be vaccinated and then we can begin a large-scale opening of the economy and cultural activities."Yuli Edelstein, health minister, IsraelIsrael is moving so fast, they’re already planning for the day after the pandemic ends.“I estimate that by late March, early April most of those who so desire will be able to be vaccinated and then we can begin a large-scale opening of the economy and cultural activities,” Edelstein said. On Monday, the Health Ministry unveiled its proposed “green passport” that will grant vaccinated Israelis permission to attend large gatherings and cultural events. “It’s actually really an amazing project where everybody took part in it,” said professor Gili Regev, director of the infectious disease unit at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest hospital. Regev said Israel’s successful campaign is largely thanks to its community-based health system. By law, all Israelis must be registered with one of the country’s four health care providers. In a small country of 9 million people, Regev said, the vaccination effort has been a huge success. “And I think also the compliance of the population,” Regev said. “There was a lot of PR about this, on how important it is and that this is really the only way to stop this pandemic. And I think all of those together is what actually made this happen. And yeah, it’s really exciting.”Israel signed agreements with multiple drug companies for vaccines, but it’s distributing them faster than new shipments are arriving. By contrast, the situation next door in the Palestinian West Bank is very different. Outside the city of Nablus, Dr. Murad Shawer is the physician in charge at Hugo Chavez hospital, where the most complicated COVID-19 cases are sent from all across the West Bank. He and about 3 million other Palestinians living under Israeli military control will have to wait much longer for a vaccine.“It’s very stressing [sic] for me and for all the personnel,” Shawer said. “We have now crossing [sic] the peak of the disease and it will continue during the next three months at least.”Numbers of new cases are starting to go down, Shawer said, and he believes the vaccine will have an impact.“I think [the] vaccine can help to get our target, but now I don’t know how much time we have to wait to get this vaccine,” Shawer said. So far, the cash-strapped Palestinian National Authority hasn’t signed a single deal with any of the vaccine manufacturers. But Palestinian officials say it’s a top priority.“We are in contact with Pfizer, with Sputnik-5, with AstraZeneca, with all the manufacturers,” said Dr. Ali Abed Rabbo, director-general of the Palestinian Health Ministry. “The only one signed is with the COVAX facility that will provide 20% of the Palestinian population.”COVAX is the initiative co-led by the World Health Organization to ensure a more equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. Related: Biden is 'no savior' for Palestinians, should hold Israel 'to account'"I think that there is a responsibility of Israel, who is, under international law, the occupying force, to provide all these vaccines and all the needs of the people in the occupied territory.”Dr. Ali Abed Rabbo, director-general, Palestinian Health MinistryRabbo hopes the first vaccines will arrive next month, but he doesn’t seem too optimistic about that timeframe. He said there is a dialogue with Israel to facilitate the entry of the vaccines once they arrive.“But I think that there is a responsibility of Israel, who is, under international law, the occupying force, to provide all these vaccines and all the needs of the people in the occupied territory.”In Israel, a debate continues about its legal responsibility toward Palestinians during the pandemic. But what about the moral question?Regev, from Sheba hospital, said that Israel should be doing more to help get vaccines to the Palestinians. Related: Israel's ultra-Orthodox celebrate Simchat Torah in secret“Definitely I think we should,” she said. “There is the Israeli vaccine which is also being developed and some people said, ‘Well, why do we need to develop it if we have enough vaccines?’ Obviously, we need to develop it because the world needs vaccines. I think everybody should put an effort in developing the vaccines and distributing them, and yeah, and vaccinating all of the populations in need.”Israel’s health minister recently said that the government’s first obligation was to its own citizens. As for the Palestinians, he said, “If, God willing, there will be a situation where we can say we are in a position to help others, no doubt it will be done.”

The Palestine Podcast showcases a selection of lectures, talks and interviews featuring leading experts and social justice activists active on the Palestine-Israel issue. Brought to you by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Click here to view all podcasts. Subscribe on your favourite platform! Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherAcastYouTubeDeezerTuneInPlayer.fmPocketCastsCastroRadio PublicBreakerBlubrryPodcast AddictPodbeanPodcast RepubliciHeartRadio jQuery(document).ready(function($) { 'use strict'; $('#podcast-subscribe-button-11212 .podcast-subscribe-button.modal-632417ae6d451').on("click", function() { $("#secondline-psb-subs-modal.modal-632417ae6d451.modal.secondline-modal-632417ae6d451").modal({ fadeDuration: 250, closeText: '', }); return false; }); }); ===== PP#48 - 'Collective Punishment as a Tool of Israeli Domination' with Michael Lynk, Rania Muhareb, Munir Nuseibah, Budour Hassan, Sahar Francis & Nada Awad [2020-08-14] - (Download here) INFO: In this episode of The Palestine Podcast, Israeli human rights activists Michael Sfard and Sharona Weiss speak about the findings and conclusions of a landmark legal opinion on Apartheid in Palestine, and Palestinian academic Munir Nuseibah gives his view on what the findings mean. Apartheid is a name for a type of regime and an international crime. The crime of apartheid has a clear definition, and although its origin is historically linked to the racist regime in South Africa, it is now an independent legal concept. In 2020, Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organisation commissioned human rights lawyer Michael Sfard to produce a legal opinion on the prevailing in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The conclusion of this legal opinion is that the crime against humanity of apartheid is indeed being committed by the Israeli state, and the victims of this crime are the indigenous Palestinians. About the speakers Sharona Weiss is Head of International Advocacy Department with the Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din. Michael Sfard is an Israeli lawyer with expertise in international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Munir Nuseibah is a Palestinian academic expert on transitional justice and humanitarian law, and Director of the Community Action Center at the Al-Quds University. We would like to thank Oxfam Novib, PAX, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and The Rights Forum for organising this webinar and for permission to use the audio. You can follow their great work on their respective websites. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast reflect the opinions of the speaker(s) only and do not reflect the views of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign unless otherwise explicitly stated. If you like this podcast please visit our website for many more great episodes: https://www.ipsc.ie/the-palestine-podcast You can also find us at the following locations: Website: https://www.ipsc.ie/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrelandPSC Twitter: https://twitter.com/ipsc48 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irelandpsc/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/IrelandPSC Podcast: https://www.ipsc.ie/the-palestine-podcast And you can donate to our work here: PayPal: https://www.ipsc.ie/get-involved/donate/paypal iDonate: https://www.ifundraise.ie/3553_ireland-palestine-solidarity-campaign.html Bank Transfer: https://www.ipsc.ie/get-involved/donate Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherAcastYouTubeDeezerTuneInPlayer.fmPocketCastsCastroRadio PublicBreakerBlubrryPodcast AddictPodbeanPodcast RepubliciHeartRadio

The press conference and interview were recorded on July 22nd 2020 at Casa Del Popolo. From the open letter: "Canada and Israel Free Trade Agreement Must End with Annexation. Canada and Israel maintain an extensive free trade agreement, CIFTA, first established in 1997 and “modernized” through two phases of negotiations in 2014-2015 and 2017-2018. In 2019 the Liberal government publicly celebrated the revamped agreement, with the former Minister of International Trade Diversification announcing : “Canada and Israel are steadfast friends and allies, and we have an impressive number of cooperative activities taking place between our two countries.” As the Israeli government moves to annex large parts of the Palestinian West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, the Canadian government must cancel CIFTA. Across the world international human rights organizations, activists and even some governments are taking diplomatic action. Yet Canada has failed to respond to the urgency of this brazen act of colonization by the Israeli state in occupied Palestine. Today, the undersigned organizations and individuals stand together to collectively call on the Canadian government to cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, This is a broad coalition, representing labour unions, cultural organizations, community groups and activist collectives. We express our support and solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against ongoing Israeli colonization, while rejecting the complicity of the Canadian government’s moves to create diplomatic cover for Israeli actions. We must not stay silent." **If you'd like to sign on in support of the letter, email us at xxfilesradio@gmail.com and we'll forward your contact information to the organizers.

Welcome to MintCast, the official MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh. MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices, independent researchers and journalists the establishment would rather silence.In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ramzy Baroud, Robert Inkalesh and Miko Peled to discuss the so-called “Deal of the Century,'' a plan promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump together with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Israel's annexation plans for the Jordan Valley located in the Palestinian West Bank, and the implications of the so-called deal for Palestine and the broader region. The Netanyahu-led Israeli government was expected to initiate its plan to annex as much as 35 percent of the West Bank in the Jordan Valley earlier this week, formally declaring it part of Israel along guidelines laid out in President Trump and his son in law Jared Kushner’s so-called “Deal of the Century.” After international criticism and even caution from some members of the U.S. Congress, a delay in the plan has been announced. Nonetheless, critics fear that Israel will begin annexing Palestinian land soon.Israel’s annexation of the region would put the over 70,000 Palestinians under full Israeli authority, giving the Israeli military control over all movement, agriculture, water, and all imports and exports, forcing residents to endure apartheid-like conditions experienced by those living in Gaza. The plan would also cut out a part of the West Bank, allowing Israel to encircle the region militarily and control all Palestinian access to the outside world similar to the apartheid-like policies it carries out in Gaza. Not only does Trump’s so-called Deal of the Century hand de facto control to the Israeli military over all Palestinian movement, but it also opens up the doors to over 100,000 illegal Jewish only colonies on indigenous Palestinian land and prevents the two million Palestinian refugees who have the legal grounds to return to their land from ever doing so. The move is nothing short of territorial conquest and military occupation as defined by the United Nations Charter and the annexation is illegal under International Law. Indeed, the United Nations’ High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has declared Israel’s annexation plans both “illegal” and “disastrous.” This will, without a doubt, create another preventable man-made humanitarian disaster at the hands of Western powers that will fuel the military-industrial complex and stimulate profits off of the theft of indigenous land and blood of indigenous people. If the plan is not stopped, the West Bank could very well become a sprawling open-air prison and ghetto similar to Gaza.Despite the international opposition, Israel enjoys full support from the United States, the world’s only superpower, and plans to complete the annexation before Trump’s reelection run in November.This program is 100 percent listener supported! You can join the hundreds of financial sponsors who make this show possible by becoming a member on our Patreon page. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud. Please leave us a review and share this segment.Support the show (https://www.mintpressnews.com/donations/)

A call for religious leaders to hit the streets to fight prejudice in the United States. Also, the clock’s ticking on Israel’s plan to annexe parts of the Palestinian West Bank. And what happened to the NSW Modern Slavery Act?

A call for religious leaders to hit the streets to fight prejudice in the United States. Also, the clock’s ticking on Israel’s plan to annexe parts of the Palestinian West Bank. And what happened to the NSW Modern Slavery Act?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine.”After Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu released a so-called “peace plan” earlier this week, Palestinians worldwide have slammed the document its one-sidedness. Meanwhile, Trump aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner is urging Israel to defer annexing even more of the Palestinian West Bank until the newest Israeli election is finished. A leaked document is providing new insights into Bernie Sanders’ plans for his potential presidency. The document details a series of executive orders Sanders could immediately issue to take action on the environment, immigrant rights, a living wage, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show. The Trump administration released details today of how states can turn their expanded Medicaid programs into block grants, allowing the states to impose restrictions and limits on who receives the health care benefits. This comes along with a cap on the amount of funding the states receive from the federal government. Brian and John speak with Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program. Following a formal vote in the European parliament, the UK is all set to leave the European Union tomorrow. But the saga is not over -- tough negotiations will continue over a post-Brexit trade deal and the status of Northern Ireland. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show. Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaidó is continuing his world tour in an effort to recover from serious political setbacks at home. Guaidó most recently met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and he will wrap up his tour with a visit to Miami on Saturday. Arnold August, a Montreal journalist, author and speaker currently on an international speaking tour entitled “US-VENEZUELA-BOLIVIA-CUBA-CANADA: The Geopolitics,” joins Brian and John. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.

Our host Jake Wiafe is in this episode guested by award-winning documentary filmmaker Christy Garland from Toronto, Canada - the director of the documentary feature film What Walaa Wants, which was nominated for 9 awards and won the Special Jury Prize at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Shot over five years, Christy Garland’s documentary is a classic coming-of-age story portraying Walaa from West Bank’s Balata Palestinian refugee camp. Walaa is determined to become one of the few women on the Palestinian Security Forces, and the film follows her as she changes from young troublemaker to focussed adult, navigating multiple obstacles and finally disproving the negative predictions from her surroundings - and the world at large.In this episode, Christy Garland unfolds the filming process in the Palestinian West Bank territory; how she first met Walaa and decided to follow her through pivotal life moments, police academy training, imprisonment, and return to the impoverished Balata refugee camp after becoming a trained police woman. She and Jake further discuss Christy's thoughts on being closely involved with the subjects of her films while following their unique journeys, her inspirations and wider views on documentary storytelling.What Walaa Wants, 2018, directed by Christy Garland, produced by Murmur Media, Final Cut for Real In Co-production with National Film Board of Canada. *Christy refers at one point to the documentary Titicut Follies from 1967 by Frederick Wiseman. Real Stories is available on Youtube and Facebook, and you can follow us on Twitter and Instagram too - and don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast, available on Spotify, Itunes, Player FM, and Acast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hear what life is like for a farmer, teacher, and father practicing permaculture under military occupation. Murad Al-khuffash is the founder of Marda Permaculture Farm, which is an internationally recognized NGO, a permaculture demonstration site, and his ancestral home, located in the Palestinian West Bank town of Marda. As a permaculture teacher, Murad has travelled internationally, and has trained a cadre of permaculture practitioners within Palestine and beyond. This episode hears about his life, his projects, and the challenges that he faces living under the difficult conditions that he does. Murad's links: https://mardafarm.com/ https://www.facebook.com/murad.j.r.alkufash Donate for wood chipper: https://www.facebook.com/donate/2546154715620890/10221028741167783/ Video: https://vimeo.com/174468820 Marda coordinates: 32.1142° N, 35.1959° E

Darren and Jack cover these topics:Jeffrey Epstein dies in prison. Was it suicide or murder?A discussion of the origins of "conspiracy theory."What is the hyoid bone? Why is it important for forensic pathologists?Israel's government refuses entry for Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to visit the Palestinian West Bank.The Dow Jones plummeted 800 points Wednesday amid fears of recession.Jonathan Weisman is demoted at the New York Times for tweets deemed racist.And a Montana man is arrested for assaulting a 13-year-old boy for not removing his hat during the national anthem.Hammer Time: Rep. Steve King (R-IA) says rape and incest saved humanity from extinction.

Terri talks to Marquesa Finch about Marquesa’s journey into population health and the work that she is doing in blockchain to further better health for all.  Marquesa advocates for eliminating barriers to equity to increase innovation which is ultimately great for business.      Who is Marquesa Finch?  Marquesa is a Founding Partner at P2Health Ventures, a startup ecosystem and venture fund supporting entrepreneurs building public health tech solutions. She is the Blockchain Health Lead for the Silicon Valley Blockchain Society where she works on their blockchain health investments and initiatives, and is an active thought leader in leveraging blockchain technology to improve equity and access. Marquesa has worked on improving diversity and inclusion in tech through entrepreneurship at the Kapor Center for Social Impact and at the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA). She disseminated global health interventions in the Palestinian West Bank. Upon returning from the Middle East, she continued to work in digital health at Kaiser Permanente, building their first app analytics program.    Marquesa studied Art History and Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and earned her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) in Global Health at The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington, D.C.  She is a San Francisco native, a classical pianist, and ballerina.    Show Highlights  Marquesa walks us through her journey into population health through global health and what global health is.  Marquesa was very interested in studying the effects of maternal and child health during a war and post conflict.  After grad school she worked in the Middle East.    Marquesa and her team were trying to figure out why there was such a high incident of breast cancer in the West Bank.  They found there were political and cultural issues that needed to be addressed.    To address the problem, they leveraged SMS to send messages to the target and educate the influential women.  This was Marquesa’s first introduction to digital health.    Marquesa came back and worked for Kaiser on their technology solutions in their Mobility Centers of Excellence in 2012 and helped build out their mobile analytics platform.    Terri and Marquesa talk about how Kaiser adopts and deploys digital health technology and some misconceptions about the lack of integration within Kaiser by region.   Terri talks about the difficulty in implementing technology in a regulated industry.   Marquesa explains what population health is and why it is fascinating to her and why she is focusing on it.  Marquesa talks about the importance of focusing on digital health outside of the doctor’s office and hospitals.   Marquesa explains what social determinants of health are and why it’s important to take them into consideration when focusing on population health and individual health.    Terri and Marquesa talk about how these healthcare solutions and tools get paid for and funded. Marquesa’s VC fund, P2Health, is focused on just this. Marquesa talks about the misconceptions about assuming that government is responsible for paying for these solutions.   Marquesa shares that what Omada Health is doing is rooted in population health concepts and is a VC backable company.    Marquesa talks about her journey into blockchain and how the understanding of the foundational elements led to an ‘aha’ moment for her and the potential use cases in healthcare.    Marquesa went into details around some of the potential blockchain applications in the healthcare space.    Terri shared her experience three years ago when she was first introduced to blockchain and immediately saw the use case in drug traceability and medical device serialization and traceability.  It’s still early days and the blockchain isn’t mature enough for prime time.   If Marquesa could wave a magic wand, she would change the barrier to equity.  We live in an inequitable world and this prevents us from moving forward as a society.  This would allow people to contribute optimally to society.  There’s a lot of talent in some communities that is not being tapped that could be very useful to others in the community and in the world.  Innovation is suffering as a result of the barriers to equity.     Terri’s Key Takeaway  Eliminating inequities will provide all of us with an opportunity live better lives.      References in the Podcast  American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA):  https://www.anera.org/  P2Health:  http://www.p2health.vc/  Omada Health:  https://www.omadahealth.com/    Contact  Marquesa can be reached through LinkedIn via https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquesafinch/    You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.   Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com.  To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

This week's episode is a collection of poetry by Gale Acuff, titled Naked Truth. It's a comic, moving story of a young boy and his obsession with his scripture teacher. Gale Acuff has had poetry published in Ascent, McNeese Review, Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Poem, Adirondack Review, Weber: The Contemporary West, Maryland Poetry Review, Florida Review, Slant, Poem,, Carolina Quarterly, Arkansas Review, South Dakota Review, Orbis, and many other journals. He has authored three books of poetry: Buffalo Nickel (BrickHouse Press, 2004), The Weight of the World (BrickHouse, 2006), and The Story of My Lives (BrickHouse, 2008).Gale has taught university English in the US, China, and the Palestinian West Bank. Other People's Flowers is the podcast that showcases short stories, essays, and reportage. We're the first podcast-based literary journal. People hardly read journals anymore so we hope you'll listen instead. If you'd like to have your work featured on the show, please send it to e

Rundown In light of the recent Vegan Vibes tour organized in Israel, Marine interviews Laura Schleifer– a Jewish pro-intersectional vegan and free Palestine solidarity activist who spent time in the Palestinian West Bank on a theatre tour. Israel wants to grow its reputation as “The Vegan Capital of the World” and is using diverse tactics […]

Are we entering a new age of humanity where thoughts will be controlled by digital dictatorships? Today we analyze the statements by Professor Yuval Harari regarding Israel’s development of a biometric surveillance regime in the Palestinian West Bank. Later, the team discusses the soon-to-be released FISA memo and the latest from the ongoing investigation into the Las Vegas shooting.

Are we entering a new age of humanity where thoughts will be controlled by digital dictatorships? Today we analyze the statements by Professor Yuval Harari regarding Israel’s development of a biometric surveillance regime in the Palestinian West Bank. Later, the team discusses the soon-to-be released FISA memo and the latest from the ongoing investigation into the Las Vegas shooting.

ALAN ROY SCOTT As a professional songwriter for over 35 years, his songs have been recorded by Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Notorious B.I.G., Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper, Patti LaBelle, Neville Bros. Roberta Flack, Cher, El DeBarge, Tiffany, Patti Austin, The Spinners, Rick Springfield, Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Martin, Anne Murray, Johnny Mathis, Pointer Sisters, Sheena Easton, and Ray Charles among many. His work also has been featured in Films and TV shows such as “Top Gun,” “First Wives Club,” “Coming To America,” “Redline,” “Karate Kid III,” “Summer School,” “Fame,” “Fame/LA,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” “Santa Barbara,” “Guiding Light,” “Melrose Place,” & “Beverly Hills 90210” among others. He was an exclusive staff writer with EMI Music and Jobete Music (Motown) for a combined 11 years, having his own independent Kyushu Boy Music Publishing since 1990. Alan attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory of Music majoring in Music Composition. He has won top prizes in the John Lennon Song Contest, The American Song Festival, and numerous awards in International Music Festivals around the world, competing as composer and/or artist, representing the USA in such diverse locales as Kazakhstan, Turkey, Romania, FYR Macedonia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Egypt, Finland, Holland, Ireland, Czech Republic, & Indonesia among others. He has been a private songwriting coach for more than 10 years, and has taught classes and has led workshops and seminars domestically through UCLA Extension, The Songwriting School of Los Angeles, Musician's Institute, Songu.com, ASCAP, as well as the “Grammy-In-The-Schools” program for the Los Angeles Chapter of NARAS. Internationally, he has taught songwriting and music workshops in Australia (through APRA), Ireland (through IMRO), and Denmark (through KODA) among others. Additionally, as the founder of “Music Bridges”, he has created many renowned songwriting collaboration events around the world, most notably “Music Speaks Louder Than Words” (USSR/1998), “Country & Eastern” (Romania/1994), “Pacific Harmony” (Indonesia/1995), “Celtic Harmony” (Ireland/1997), the controversial “Music Bridges...Over Troubled Waters” (Havana,Cuba/1999), and “Music Bridges/Expo 2000 as part of Expo 2000 (Hannover, Germany). Future “Music Bridges” events are planned for The Middle East, China, India , Peru, Jamaica, & South Africa. In conjunction with his “Music Bridges” projects, Scott also created and organized “Unisong International Song Contest,” as an annual search for budding songwriting talent. With his extensive music industry resources and solid reputation as a special music events organizer and hands-on creative participant in these projects, Alan secured the participation of more than 200 headlining artists and songwriters such as: Bonnie Raitt, Burt Bacharach, Diane Warren, Mick Fleetwood, Jimmy Buffet, Lamont Dozier, Gladys Knight, Don Was, The Chieftans, Hot House Flowers, Mi’shell Ngedeocello, Cher, Michael Bolton, Rodney Crowell, Desmond Child, Cyndi Lauper, Brenda Russell, Dave Koz, Stewart Copeland, & Andy Summers, Paul Williams, Indigo Girls, Kelly/Steinberg, Barry Mann, Albert Hammond, Mike Stoller,Woody Harrelson, Joan Osborne, Tommy Shaw (Styx), Gunnar & Matthew Nelson, N’Dea Davenport, Montell Jordan, Jack Blades, The Scorpions, Peter Frampton, Steve McClintock, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Gary Burr, Allan Rich, Jeff Lorber, Cathy Dennis, Holly Knight, Franne Golde, & Lee Roy Parnell among many. He also produced the “Music Bridges” segment for the opening ceremonies of the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, featuring Earth, Wind & Fire, Roberta Flack, Anne Murray, and Emmanuel. As well as being the international consultant and talent coordinator for the TNN series “Somebody Lives There,“ hosted by Gary Morris in Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, and Poland He also was international consultant and talent coordinator for the TNN series “Somebody Lives There,“ hosted by Gary Morris in Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, and Poland In conjunction with his “Music Bridges” projects, he also created and organized the “Unisong International Song Contest,” from 1997-2007 as an annual search for budding songwriting talent, becoming one of the leading international song contests alongside such others as the john Lennon contest and ISC. Alan also served as the creative coordinator for the digital culture projects of Greenstar, a company dedicated to economic development in the 3rd world through innovative projects providing solar power, computer technology, and education to rural villages with the aim of creating self-sufficiency through local crafts and cultural products sold over the Internet utilizing the provided technologies. He coordinated such projects for Greenstar in the Palestinian West Bank, and Jamaica. He was awarded a prestigious Third Century Award by the US Patent & Copyright Board to honor his achievements in the international arena.. Alan was commissioned in 1999 to co-write “The Gift,” the theme song for the 30th anniversary remembrance in Memphis of the assassination of Martin Luther King, performed by Michael McDonald and The Reverend Al Green. He served as well on the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Songwriters (NAS) in Hollywood for 4 years. and is a 30 year voting member of NARAS, (The Grammy Awards). He is also a long time member of BMI, ASCAP, SAG, and AEA.

ALAN ROY SCOTT As a professional songwriter for over 35 years, his songs have been recorded by Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Notorious B.I.G., Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper, Patti LaBelle, Neville Bros. Roberta Flack, Cher, El DeBarge, Tiffany, Patti Austin, The Spinners, Rick Springfield, Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Martin, Anne Murray, Johnny Mathis, Pointer Sisters, Sheena Easton, and Ray Charles among many. His work also has been featured in Films and TV shows such as “Top Gun,” “First Wives Club,” “Coming To America,” “Redline,” “Karate Kid III,” “Summer School,” “Fame,” “Fame/LA,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” “Santa Barbara,” “Guiding Light,” “Melrose Place,” & “Beverly Hills 90210” among others. He was an exclusive staff writer with EMI Music and Jobete Music (Motown) for a combined 11 years, having his own independent Kyushu Boy Music Publishing since 1990. Alan attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory of Music majoring in Music Composition. He has won top prizes in the John Lennon Song Contest, The American Song Festival, and numerous awards in International Music Festivals around the world, competing as composer and/or artist, representing the USA in such diverse locales as Kazakhstan, Turkey, Romania, FYR Macedonia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Egypt, Finland, Holland, Ireland, Czech Republic, & Indonesia among others. He has been a private songwriting coach for more than 10 years, and has taught classes and has led workshops and seminars domestically through UCLA Extension, The Songwriting School of Los Angeles, Musician's Institute, Songu.com, ASCAP, as well as the “Grammy-In-The-Schools” program for the Los Angeles Chapter of NARAS. Internationally, he has taught songwriting and music workshops in Australia (through APRA), Ireland (through IMRO), and Denmark (through KODA) among others. Additionally, as the founder of “Music Bridges”, he has created many renowned songwriting collaboration events around the world, most notably “Music Speaks Louder Than Words” (USSR/1998), “Country & Eastern” (Romania/1994), “Pacific Harmony” (Indonesia/1995), “Celtic Harmony” (Ireland/1997), the controversial “Music Bridges...Over Troubled Waters” (Havana,Cuba/1999), and “Music Bridges/Expo 2000 as part of Expo 2000 (Hannover, Germany). Future “Music Bridges” events are planned for The Middle East, China, India , Peru, Jamaica, & South Africa. In conjunction with his “Music Bridges” projects, Scott also created and organized “Unisong International Song Contest,” as an annual search for budding songwriting talent. With his extensive music industry resources and solid reputation as a special music events organizer and hands-on creative participant in these projects, Alan secured the participation of more than 200 headlining artists and songwriters such as: Bonnie Raitt, Burt Bacharach, Diane Warren, Mick Fleetwood, Jimmy Buffet, Lamont Dozier, Gladys Knight, Don Was, The Chieftans, Hot House Flowers, Mi’shell Ngedeocello, Cher, Michael Bolton, Rodney Crowell, Desmond Child, Cyndi Lauper, Brenda Russell, Dave Koz, Stewart Copeland, & Andy Summers, Paul Williams, Indigo Girls, Kelly/Steinberg, Barry Mann, Albert Hammond, Mike Stoller,Woody Harrelson, Joan Osborne, Tommy Shaw (Styx), Gunnar & Matthew Nelson, N’Dea Davenport, Montell Jordan, Jack Blades, The Scorpions, Peter Frampton, Steve McClintock, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Gary Burr, Allan Rich, Jeff Lorber, Cathy Dennis, Holly Knight, Franne Golde, & Lee Roy Parnell among many. He also produced the “Music Bridges” segment for the opening ceremonies of the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, featuring Earth, Wind & Fire, Roberta Flack, Anne Murray, and Emmanuel. As well as being the international consultant and talent coordinator for the TNN series “Somebody Lives There,“ hosted by Gary Morris in Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, and Poland He also was international consultant and talent coordinator for the TNN series “Somebody Lives There,“ hosted by Gary Morris in Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, and Poland In conjunction with his “Music Bridges” projects, he also created and organized the “Unisong International Song Contest,” from 1997-2007 as an annual search for budding songwriting talent, becoming one of the leading international song contests alongside such others as the john Lennon contest and ISC. Alan also served as the creative coordinator for the digital culture projects of Greenstar, a company dedicated to economic development in the 3rd world through innovative projects providing solar power, computer technology, and education to rural villages with the aim of creating self-sufficiency through local crafts and cultural products sold over the Internet utilizing the provided technologies. He coordinated such projects for Greenstar in the Palestinian West Bank, and Jamaica. He was awarded a prestigious Third Century Award by the US Patent & Copyright Board to honor his achievements in the international arena.. Alan was commissioned in 1999 to co-write “The Gift,” the theme song for the 30th anniversary remembrance in Memphis of the assassination of Martin Luther King, performed by Michael McDonald and The Reverend Al Green. He served as well on the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Songwriters (NAS) in Hollywood for 4 years. and is a 30 year voting member of NARAS, (The Grammy Awards). He is also a long time member of BMI, ASCAP, SAG, and AEA.

Israel is a world-class expert at building fences and walls, starting with its controversial, decade-old security barrier that seals off the occupied Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem from Israel proper. In this report, FT correspondent John Reed describes how Israel is now extending its system of high-tech barriers to enclose all of its external borders, providing a model that US presidential candidate Donald Trump famously says he wants to learn from. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two groups supporting kids' arts and music education. First up is Joshua Davis of Michigan nonprofit On Stage 4 Kids and 2015 finalist for The Voice talking about the importance of music in childrens' development, the influence of a visit to the Palestinian West Bank on his lastest album and his personal connection between music performance and social activism. In the second half we speak with Adam Goodwin of Ethos about their 20 year history of teaching the value of music and outreach to communities both urban and rural. In the nonprofit news we hear from Mary Peveto of Neighbors for Clean Air about recent and ongoing concerns about air quality in Southeast and other Portland neighborhoods and legislative action in the state capitol.

Julia Fisher talks to a muslim background believer - Recently, I had the privilege of travelling into the West Bank to meet a man who used to be a Muslim, but who had become a believer in Jesus as a result of being given a Bible. For a Muslim to renounce his faith in Allah and the Koran and instead become a believer in Jesus is considered a crime deserving death. Having heard that there are considerable numbers of Muslims living in the majority Muslim population of the Palestinian West Bank who are becoming Christians, I was keen to hear a story first hand and bring this to you. The man you are about to hear lives in a small village that is 100% Muslim – he described the people he lives amongst as fanatical. I cannot tell you his name or how or where we met, but we recorded this interview in a car and the voices you hear are the former Muslim Palestinian man speaking in Hebrew through an interpreter. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org

Israel claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East, but it continues to occupy the Palestinian West Bank and support the expansion of illegal settlements...