Podcasts about West Bank

In this special Independence Day episode, Ghost weaves an epic narrative tracing the origins of the American Revolution through the story of Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, and connects those lessons to today's geopolitical chessboard. Ghost recounts Marion's improbable triumphs using irregular warfare and explains how his tactics and spirit echo in modern conflicts. Shifting to current events, the show dives into the escalating tension between Russia and Azerbaijan over organized crime raids, retaliatory arrests, and a media crackdown. Ghost analyzes why Zelensky has publicly sided with Azerbaijan, adding friction to the Russia-Ukraine dynamic. The discussion then pivots to Israel's Likud Party demanding annexation of the West Bank and how this push clashes with Saudi Arabia's clear rejection of any move erasing Palestinian sovereignty. With Saudi ministers flying to Moscow and Washington while Netanyahu seeks Trump's support, Ghost underscores how historic alliances are being tested. Rounding out the episode, he examines potential ceasefire developments in Gaza, the regional implications of a fragmented Lebanon, and why the Abraham Accords narrative may be shifting again.

The UN's special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has accused dozens of companies of being complicit in war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank in a UN report. They include arms producers, manufacturers whose vehicles are used to demolish homes, technology companies and banks. Israel rejects the charge of genocide and has called the report groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of office. We'll hear from the report's author Francesca Albanese. Also on the programme: President Trump's huge tax and spending bill is heading for a final vote in the US House of Representatives - we'll have the latest from Washington; and astronomers have discovered only the third known object to enter our solar system from interstellar space. (Photo: UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, speaks during a press conference at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland on 11 December, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Pierre Albouygives)

How has the media distorted Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas attacks? In this powerful conversation from AJC Global Forum 2025, award-winning journalist and former AP correspondent Matti Friedman breaks down the media bias, misinformation, and double standards shaping global coverage of Israel. Moderated by AJC Chief Communications and Strategy Officer Belle Etra Yoeli, this episode explores how skewed narratives have taken hold in the media, in a climate of activist journalism. A must-listen for anyone concerned with truth in journalism, Israel advocacy, and combating disinformation in today's media landscape. Take Action: Take 15 seconds and urge your elected leaders to send a clear, united message: We stand with Israel. Take action now. Resources: Global Forum 2025 session with Matti Friedman:: Watch the full video. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  John Spencer's Key Takeaways After the 12-Day War: Air Supremacy, Intelligence, and Deterrence Iran's Secret Nuclear Program and What Comes Next in the Iranian Regime vs. Israel War Why Israel Had No Choice: Inside the Defensive Strike That Shook Iran's Nuclear Program Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman: I've had the privilege of interviewing journalism colleague Matti Friedman: twice on this podcast. In 2022, Matti took listeners behind the scenes of Jerusalem's AP bureau where he had worked between 2006 and 2011 and shared some insight on what happens when news outlets try to oversimplify the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then in 2023, I got to sit down with Matti in Jerusalem to talk about his latest book on Leonard Cohen and how the 1973 Yom Kippur War was a turning point both for the singer and for Israel.  Earlier this year, Matti came to New York for AJC Global Forum 2025, and sat down with Belle Yoeli, AJC Chief Strategy and Communications Officer. They rehashed some of what we discussed before, but against an entirely different backdrop: post-October 7. For this week's episode, we bring you a portion of that conversation.  Belle Yoeli:   Hi, everyone. Great to see all of you. Thank you so much for being here. Matti, thank you for being here.  Matti Friedman:   Thanks for having me.  Belle Yoeli:   As you can tell by zero empty seats in this room, you have a lot of fans, and unless you want to open with anything, I'm going to jump right in. Okay, great.  So for those of you who don't know, in September 2024 Matti wrote a piece in The Free Press that is a really great foundation for today's discussion. In When We Started to Lie, Matti, you reflect on two pieces that you had written in 2015 about issues of media coverage of Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. And this piece basically talked about the conclusions you drew and how they've evolved since October 7. We're gonna get to those conclusions, but first, I'm hoping you can describe for everyone what were the issues of media coverage of Israel that you first identified based on the experience in 2014? Matti Friedman:   First of all, thanks so much for having me here, and thanks for all of the amazing work that you guys are doing. So it's a real honor for me. I was a reporter for the AP, between 2006 and the very end of 2011, in Jerusalem. I was a reporter and editor. The AP, of course, as you know, is the American news agency. It's the world's largest news organization, according to the AP, according to Reuters, it's Reuters. One of them is probably right, but it's a big deal in the news world.  And I had an inside view inside one of the biggest AP bureaus. In fact, the AP's biggest International Bureau, which was in Jerusalem. So I can try to sketch the problems that I saw as a reporter there. It would take me seven or eight hours, and apparently we only have four or five hours for this lunch, so I have to keep it short. But I would say there are two main problems. We often get very involved. When we talk about problems with coverage of Israel. We get involved with very micro issues like, you call it a settlement. I call it a neighborhood. Rockets, you know, the Nakba, issues of terminology. But in fact, there are two major problems that are much bigger, and because they're bigger, they're often harder to see. One of the things that I noticed at the Bureau was the scale of coverage of Israel. So at the time that I was at the AP, again, between 2006 and the very end of 2011 we had about 40 full time staffers covering Israel. That's print reporters like me, stills photographers, TV crews. Israel, as most of you probably know, is a very small country. As a percentage of the world's surface, Israel is 1/100 of 1% of the surface of the world, and as a percentage of the land mass of the Arab world, Israel is 1/5 of 1%. 0.2%.  And we had 40 people covering it.  And just as a point of comparison, that was dramatically more people than we had at the time covering China. There are about 10 million people today in Israel proper, in China, there are 1.3 billion. We had more people in Israel than we had in China. We had more people in Israel than we had in India, which is another country of about 1.3 billion people. We had more people in Israel than we had in all of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. That's 50 something countries. So we had more people in Israel than we had in all of those countries combined. And sometimes I say that to Jews, I say we covered Israel more than we covered China, and people just stare at me blankly, because it's Israel. So of course, that makes perfect sense.  I happen to think Israel is the most important country in the world because I live there. But if the news is meant to be a rational analysis of events on planet Earth, you cannot cover Israel more than you cover the continent of Africa. It just doesn't make any sense. So one of the things that first jumped out at me– actually, that's making me sound smarter than I am. It didn't jump out at me at first. It took a couple of years. And I just started realizing that it was very strange that the world's largest organization had its largest international bureau in the State of Israel, which is a very small country, very small conflict in numeric terms. And yet there was this intense global focus on it that made people think that it was the most important story in the world. And it definitely occupies a place in the American political imagination that is not comparable to any other international conflict.  So that's one part of the problem. That was the scope, the other part was the context. And it took me a while to figure this out, but the coverage of Israel is framed as an Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict is defined in those terms, the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and everyone in this room has heard it discussed in those terms. Sometimes we discuss it in those terms, and that is because the news folks have framed the conflict in those terms. So at the AP bureau in Jerusalem, every single day, we had to write a story that was called, in the jargon of the Bureau, Is-Pals, Israelis, Palestinians. And it was the daily wrap of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. So what Netanyahu said, what Abbas said, rockets, settlers, Hamas, you know, whatever, the problem is that there isn't an Israeli=Palestinian conflict. And I know that sounds crazy, because everyone thinks there is.  And of course, we're seeing conflicts play out in the most tragic way right now in Gaza. But most of Israel's wars have not been fought against Palestinians. Israel has unfortunately fought wars against Egyptians and Jordanians and Lebanese and Iraqis. And Israel's most important enemy at the moment, is Iran, right? The Iranians are not Palestinian. The Iranians are not Arab. They're Muslim, but they're not Arab. So clearly, there is a broader regional conflict that's going on that is not an Israeli Palestinian conflict, and we've seen it in the past year. If we had a satellite in space looking down and just following the paths of ballistic missiles and rockets fired at Israel. Like a photograph of these red trails of rockets fired at Israel. You'd see rockets being fired from Iraq and from Yemen and from Lebanon and from Gaza and from Iran. You'd see the contours of a regional conflict.  And if you understand it's a regional conflict, then you understand the way Israelis see it. There are in the Arab world, 300 million people, almost all of them Muslim. And in one corner of that world, there are 7 million Jews, who are Israelis. And if we zoom out even farther to the level of the Islamic world, we'll see that there are 2 billion people in the Islamic world. There's some argument about the numbers, but it's roughly a quarter of the world's population. And in one corner of that world there, there are 7 million Israeli Jews. The entire Jewish population on planet Earth is a lot smaller than the population of Cairo.  So the idea that this is an Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where Israelis are the stronger side, where Israelis are the dominant actor, and where Israelis are, let's face it, the bad guy in the story, that's a fictional presentation of a story that actually works in a completely different way. So if you take a small story and make it seem big. If you take a complicated regional story and you make it seem like a very small local story involving only Israelis and Palestinians, then you get the highly simplified but very emotive narrative that everyone is being subjected to now. And you get this portrayal of a villainous country called Israel that really looms in the liberal imagination of the West as an embodiment of the worst possible qualities of the age. Belle Yoeli:   Wow. So already you were seeing these issues when you were reporter, earlier on. But like this, some of this was before and since, since productive edge. This is over 10 years ago, and here we are. So October 7 happens. You already know these issues exist. You've identified them. How would you describe because obviously we have a lot of feelings about this, but like, strictly as a journalist, how would you describe the coverage that you've seen since during October 7, in its aftermath? Is it just these issues? Have they? Have they expanded? Are there new issues in play? What's your analysis? Matti Friedman:   The coverage has been great. I really have very I have no criticism of it. I think it's very accurate. I think that I, in a way, I was lucky to have been through what I went through 10 or 15 years ago, and I wasn't blindsided on October 7, as many people were, many people, quite naturally, don't pay close attention to this. And even people who are sympathetic to Israel, I think, were not necessarily convinced that my argument about the press was right. And I think many people thought it was overstated.  And you can read those articles from 2014 one was in tablet and one was in the Atlantic, but it's basically the two chapters of the same argument. And unfortunately, I think that those the essays, they stand up. In fact, if you don't really look at the date of the essays, they kind of seem that they could have been written in the past year and a half. And I'm not happy about that. I think that's and I certainly wrote them in hopes that they would somehow make things better. But the issues that I saw in the press 15 years ago have only been exacerbated since then. And October seven didn't invent the wheel. The issues were pre existing, but it took everything that I saw and kind of supercharged it.  So if I talked about ideological conformity in the bureaus that has been that has become much more extreme. A guy like me, I was hired in 2006 at the AP. I'm an Israeli of center left political leanings. Hiring me was not a problem in 22,006 by the time I left the AP, at the end of 2011 I'm pretty sure someone like me would not have been hired because my views, which are again, very centrist Israeli views, were really beyond the pale by the time that I left the AP, and certainly, and certainly today, the thing has really moved what I saw happening at the AP. And I hate picking on the AP because they were just unfortunate enough to hire me. That was their only error, but what I'm saying about them is true of a whole new. Was heard. It's true of the Times and CNN and the BBC, the news industry really works kind of as a it has a herd mentality. What happened was that news decisions were increasingly being made by people who are not interested in explanatory journalism. They were activists. Activists had moved into the key positions in the Bureau, and they had a very different idea of what press coverage was supposed to do. I would say, and I tried to explain it in that article for the free press, when I approach a news story, when I approach the profession of journalism, the question that I'm asking is, what's going on? That's the question I think you're supposed to ask, what's going on? How can I explain it in a way that's as accurate as as possible? The question that was increasingly being asked was not what's going on. The question was, who does this serve? That's an activist question. So when you look at a story, you don't ask, is it true, or is it not true? You ask, who's it going to help? Is it going to help the good guys, or is it going to help the bad guys?  So if Israel in the story is the villain, then a story that makes Israel seem reasonable, reasonable or rational or sympathetic needs to be played down to the extent possible or made to disappear. And I can give you an example from my own experience.  At the very end of 2008 two reporters in my bureau, people who I know, learned of a very dramatic peace offer that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had made to the Palestinians. So Olmert, who was the prime minister at the time, had made a very far reaching offer that was supposed to see a Palestinian state in all of Gaza, most of the West Bank, with land swaps for territory that Israel was going to retain, and a very far reaching international consortium agreement to run the Old City of Jerusalem. Was a very dramatic. It was so far reaching, I think that Israelis probably wouldn't have supported it. But it was offered to the Palestinian side, and the Palestinians rejected it as insufficient. And two of our reporters knew about this, and they'd seen a map of the offer. And this was obviously a pretty big story for a bureau that had as the thrust of its coverage the peace process.  The two reporters who had the story were ordered to drop it, they were not allowed to cover the story. And there were different explanations. And they didn't, by the way, AP did not publish the story at the time, even though we were the first to have it. Eventually, it kind of came out and in other ways, through other news organizations. But we knew at first. Why were we not allowed to cover it? Because it would have made the Israelis who we were trying to villainize and demonize, it would have made Israel seem like it was trying to solve the conflict on kind of reasonable lines, which, of course, was true at that time. So that story would have upended the thrust of our news coverage. So it had to be made to go away, even though it was true, it would have helped the wrong people. And that question of who does this serve has destroyed, I want to say all, but much, of what used to be mainstream news coverage, and it's not just where Israel is concerned.  You can look at a story like the mental health of President Biden, right. Something's going on with Biden at the end of his term. It's a huge global news story, and the press, by and large, won't touch it, because why? I mean, it's true, right? We're all seeing that it's true, but why can't you touch it? Because it would help the wrong people. It would help the Republicans who in the press are the people who you are not supposed to help.  The origins of COVID, right? We heard one story about that. The true story seems to be a different story. And there are many other examples of stories that are reported because they help the right people, or not reported because they would help the wrong people. And I saw this thinking really come into action in Israel 10 or 15 years ago, and unfortunately, it's really spread to include the whole mainstream press scene and really kill it.  I mean, essentially, anyone interested in trying to get a solid sense of what's going on, we have very few options. There's not a lot, there's not a lot out there. So that's the broader conclusion that I drew from what I thought at the time was just a very small malfunction involving Israel coverage. But Israel coverage ends up being a symptom of something much bigger, as Jews often are the symptom of something much bigger that's going on.  So my problems in the AP bureau 15 years ago were really a kind of maybe a canary in the coal mine, or a whiff of something much bigger that we were all going to see happen, which is the transformation of the important liberal institutions of the west into kind of activist arms of a very radical ideology that has as its goal the transformation of the west into something else. And that's true of the press, and it's true of NGO world, places like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which were one thing 30 years ago and are something very different today. And it's also true of big parts of the academy. It's true of places like Columbia and places like Harvard, they still have the logo, they still have the name, but they serve a different purpose, and I just happen to be on the ground floor of it as a reporter. Belle Yoeli:   So obviously, this concept of who does this serve, and this activist journalism is deeply concerning, and you actually mentioned a couple other areas, academia, obviously we're in that a lot right now in terms of what's going on campus. So I guess a couple of questions on that. First of all, think about this very practically, tachlis, in the day to day.  I'm a journalist, and I go to write about what's happening in Gaza. What would you say is, if you had to throw out a percentage, are all of them aware of this activist journalist tendency? Or you think it's like, like intentional for many of them, or it's sort of they've been educated that way, and it's their worldview in such a way that they don't even know that they're not reporting the news in a very biased way. Does that make sense? Matti Friedman:   Totally. I think that many people in the journalism world today view their job as not as explaining a complicated situation, but as swaying people toward the correct political conclusion. Journalism is power, and the power has to be wielded in support of justice. Now, justice is very slippery, and, you know, choosing who's in the right is very, very slippery, and that's how journalism gets into a lot of trouble. Instead of just trying to explain what's going on and then leave, you're supposed to leave the politics and the activism to other people. Politics and activism are very important.  But unless everyone can agree on what is going on, it's impossible to choose the kind of act, the kind of activism that would be useful. So when the journalists become activists, then no one can understand what's what's going on, because the story itself is fake, and there are many, many examples of it. But you know, returning to what you asked about, about October 7, and reporting post October 7, you can really see it happen. The massacres of October 7 were very problematic for the ideological strain that now controls a lot of the press, because it's counterintuitive. You're not supposed to sympathize with Israelis.  And yet, there were a few weeks after October 7 when they were forced to because the nature of the atrocities were so heinous that they could not be ignored. So you had the press covering what happened on October 7, but you could feel it. As someone who knows that scene, you could feel there was a lot of discomfort. There was a lot of discomfort. It wasn't their comfort zone, and you knew that within a few weeks, maybe a month, it was gonna snap back at the first opportunity.  When did it snap back? In the story of the Al Ahli hospital strike. If you remember that a few weeks in, there's a massive global story that Israel has rocketed Hospital in Gaza and killed about 500 people and and then you can see the kind of the comfort the comfort zone return, because the story that the press is primed to cover is a story about villainous Israelis victimizing innocent Palestinians, and now, now we're back. Okay. Now Israel's rocketing hospital. The problem was that it hadn't happened, and it was that a lot of stories don't happen, and they're allowed to stand.  But this story was so far from the truth that even the people involved couldn't make it work, and it had to be retracted, but it was basically too late. And then as soon as the Israeli ground offensive got into swing in Gaza, then the story really becomes the same old story, which is a story of Israel victimizing Palestinians for no reason. And you'll never see Hamas militants in uniform in Gaza. You just see dead civilians, and you'll see the aftermath of a rocket strike when the, you know, when an Israeli F16 takes out the launcher, but you will never see the strike. Which is the way it's worked in Gaza since the very end of 2008 which is when the first really bad round of violence in Gaza happens, which is when I'm at the AP.  As far as I know, I was the first staffer to erase information from the story, because we were threatened by Hamas, which happened at the very end of 2008. We had a great reporter in Gaza, a Palestinian who had always been really an excellent reporter. We had a detail in a story. The detail was a crucial one. It was that Hamas fighters were dressed as civilians and were being counted as civilians in the death toll, an important thing to know, that went out in an AP story. The reporter called me a few hours later. It was clear that someone had spoken to him, and he told me, I was on the desk in Jerusalem, so I was kind of writing the story from the main bureau in Jerusalem. And he said, Matti, you have to take that detail out of the story. And it was clear that someone had threatened him. I took the detail out of the story. I suggested to our editors that we note in an Editor's Note that we were now complying with Hamas censorship. I was overruled, and from that point in time, the AP, like all of its sister organizations, collaborates with Hamas censorship in Gaza.  What does that mean? You'll see a lot of dead civilians, and you won't see dead militants. You won't have a clear idea of what the Hamas military strategy is. And this is the kicker, the center of the coverage will be a number, a casualty number, that is provided to the press by something called the Gaza health ministry, which is Hamas. And we've been doing that since 2008, and it's a way of basically settling the story before you get into any other information. Because when you put, you know, when you say 50 Palestinians were killed, and one Israeli on a given day, it doesn't matter what else you say. The numbers kind of tell their own story, and it's a way of settling the story with something that sounds like a concrete statistic. And the statistic is being, you know, given to us by one of the combatant sides. But because the reporters sympathize with that side, they're happy to play along. So since 2008, certainly since 2014 when we had another serious war in Gaza, the press has not been covering Gaza, the press has been essentially an amplifier for one of the most poisonous ideologies on Earth. Hamas has figured out how to make the press amplify its messaging rather than covering Hamas. There are no Western reporters in Gaza. All of the reporters in Gaza are Palestinians, and those people fall into three categories. Some of them identify with Hamas. Some of them are intimidated by Hamas and won't cross Hamas, which makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't want to cross Hamas either. So either. And the third category is people who actually belong to Hamas. That's where the information from Gaza is coming from. And if you're credulous, then of course, you're going to get a story that makes Israel look pretty bad. Belle Yoeli:   So this is very depressing. That's okay. It's very helpful, very depressing. But on that note, I would ask you so whether, because you spoke about this problem in terms, of, of course, the coverage of Israel, but that it's it's also more widespread you talk, you spoke about President Biden in your article, you name other examples of how this sort of activist journalism is affecting everything we read. So what should everyone in this room be reading, truly, from your opinion. This is Matti's opinion. But if you want to you want to get information from our news and not activist journalism, obviously The Free Press, perhaps. But are there other sites or outlets that you think are getting this more down the line, or at least better than some, some better than others?  Matti Friedman:   No, it's just The Free Press. No. I mean, it's a question that I also wrestle with. I haven't given up on everyone, and even in publications that have, I think, largely lost the plot, you'll still find good stuff on occasion. So I try to keep my eye on certain reporters whose name I know. I often ask not just on Israel, but on anything, does this reporter speak the language of the country that they're covering? You'd be shocked at how rare that is for Americans. A lot of the people covering Ukraine have no idea what language they speak in Ukraine, and just as someone who covers Israel, I'm aware of the low level of knowledge that many of the Western reporters have. You'll find really good stuff still in the Atlantic. The Atlantic has managed, against steep odds, to maintain its equilibrium amid all this. The New Yorker, unfortunately, less so, but you'll still see, on occasion, things that are good. And there are certain reporters who are, you know, you can trust. Isabel Kirchner, who writes for The New York Times, is an old colleague of mine from the Jerusalem report. She's excellent, and they're just people who are doing their job. But by and large, you have to be very, very suspicious of absolutely everything that you read and see. And I'm not saying that as someone who I'm not happy to say that, and I certainly don't identify with, you know, the term fake news, as it has been pushed by President Trump.  I think that fake news is, you know, for those guys, is an attempt to avoid scrutiny. They're trying to, you know, neuter the watchdog so that they can get away with whatever they want. I don't think that crowd is interested in good press coverage. Unfortunately, the term fake news sticks because it's true. That's why it has worked. And the press, instead of helping people navigate the blizzard of disinformation that we're all in, they've joined it. People who are confused about what's going on, should be able to open up the New York Times or go to the AP and figure out what's going on, but because, and I saw it happen, instead of covering the circus, the reporters became dancing bears in the circus. So no one can make heads or tails of anything. So we need to be very careful.  Most headlines that are out there are out there to generate outrage, because that's the most predictable generator of clicks, which is the, we're in a click economy. So I actually think that the less time you spend following headlines and daily news, the better off you'll be. Because you can follow the daily news for a year, and by the end of the year, you'll just be deranged. You'll just be crazy and very angry.  If you take that time and use it to read books about, you know, bitten by people who are knowledgeable, or read longer form essays that are, you know, that are obviously less likely to be very simplistic, although not, you know, it's not completely impossible that they will be. I think that's time, that's time better spent. Unfortunately, much of the industry is kind of gone. And we're in an interesting kind of interim moment where it's clear that the old news industry is basically dead and that something new has to happen. And those new things are happening. I mean, The Free Press is part of a new thing that's happening. It's not big enough to really move the needle in a dramatic way yet, but it might be, and I think we all have to hope that new institutions emerge to fill the vacuum.  The old institutions, and I say this with sorrow, and I think that this also might be true of a lot of the academic institutions. They can't be saved. They can't be saved. So if people think that writing an editor, a letter to the editor of the New York Times is going to help. It's not going to help. Sometimes people say, Why don't we just get the top people in the news industry and bring them to Israel and show them the truth? Doesn't help. It's not about knowing or not knowing. They define the profession differently.  So it's not about a lack of information. The institutions have changed, and it's kind of irrevocable at this point, and we need new institutions, and one of them is The Free Press, and it's a great model of what to do when faced with fading institutions. By the way, the greatest model of all time in that regard is Zionism. That's what Zionism is. There's a guy in Vienna in 1890 something, and his moment is incredibly contemporary. There's an amazing biography of Herzl called Herzl by Amos Elon. It's an amazing book. If you haven't read it, you should read it, because his moment in cosmopolitan Vienna sounds exactly like now. It's shockingly current. He's in this friendly city. He's a reporter for the New York Times, basically of the Austro Hungarian empire, and he's assimilated, and he's got a Christmas tree in his house, and his son isn't circumcised, and he thinks everything is basically great. And then the light changes.  He notices that something has changed in Vienna, and the discourse about Jews changes, and like in a Hollywood movie, the light changes. And he doesn't try to he doesn't start a campaign against antisemitism. He doesn't get on social media and kind of rail against unfair coverage. He sits down in a hotel room in Paris and he writes this pamphlet called the Jewish state, and I literally flew from that state yesterday. So there's a Zionist model where you look at a failing world and you think about radical solutions that involve creation. And I think we're there. And I think Herzl's model is a good one at a dark time you need real creativity. Belle Yoeli:   Thank God you found the inspiration there, because I was really, I was really starting to worry. No, in all seriousness, Matti, the saying that these institutions can't be saved. I mean the consequences of this, not just for us as pro-Israel, pro-Jewish advocates, but for our country, for the world, the countries that we come from are tremendous.  And the way we've been dealing with this issue and thinking about how, how can you change hearts and minds of individuals about Israel, about the Jewish people, if everything that they're reading is so damaging and most of what they're reading is so damaging and basically saying there's very little that we can do about that. So I am going to push you to dream big with us. We're an advocacy organization. AJC is an advocacy organization. So if you had unlimited resources, right, if you really wanted to make change in this area, to me, it sounds like you're saying we basically need 15 Free Presses or the new institutions to really take on this way. What would you do? What would you do to try to make it so that news media were more like the old days? Matti Friedman:   Anyone who wants unlimited resources should not go into journalism. I have found that my resources remain limited. I'll give you an answer that is probably not what you're expecting or not what you want here. I think that the fight can't be won. I think that antisemitism can't be defeated. And I think that resources that are poured into it are resources wasted. And of course, I think that people need legal protection, and they need, you know, lawyers who can protect people from discrimination and from defamation. That's very important. But I know that when people are presented with a problem like antisemitism, which is so disturbing and it's really rocking the world of everyone in this room, and certainly, you know, children and grandchildren, you have a problem and you want to address it, right? You have a really bad rash on your arm. You want the rash to go away, and you're willing to do almost anything to make it go away. This has always been with us. It's always been with us.  And you know, we recently celebrated the Seder, and we read in the Seder, in the Haggadah, l'chol dor vador, omdim aleinu l'chaloteinu. Which is, in every generation, they come at us to destroy us. And it's an incredibly depressing worldview. Okay, it's not the way I wanted to see the world when I grew up in Toronto in the 1990s. But in our tradition, we have this idea that this is always gonna be around. And the question is, what do you do? Do you let other people define you? Do you make your identity the fight against the people who hate you? And I think that's a dead end.  This crisis is hitting the Jewish people at a moment when many of us don't know who we are, and I think that's why it's hitting so hard. For my grandfather, who was a standard New York Jew, garment industry, Lower East Side, poor union guy. This would not have shaken him, because he just assumed that this was the world like this. The term Jewish identity was not one he ever heard, because it wasn't an issue or something that had to be taught. So if I had unlimited resources, what I would do is I would make sure that young Jewish people have access to the riches of Jewish civilization, I would, you know, institute a program that would allow any young Jewish person to be fluent in Hebrew by the time they finish college. Why is that so important? Why is that such an amazing key?  Because if you're fluent in Hebrew, you can open a Tanakh, or you can open a prayer book if you want. Or you can watch Fauda or you can get on a plane to Israel and hit on Israeli guys. Hebrew is the key to Jewish life, and if you have it, a whole world will open up. And it's not one that antisemites can interfere with. It does not depend on the goodwill of our neighbors. It's all about us and what we're doing with ourselves. And I think that if you're rooted in Jewish tradition, and I'm not saying becoming religious, I'm just saying, diving into the riches of Jewish tradition, whether it's history or gemara or Israel, or whatever, if you're if you're deep in there enough, then the other stuff doesn't go away, but it becomes less important.  It won't be solved because it can't be solved, but it will fade into the background. And if we make the center of identity the fight against antisemitism, they've won. Why should they be the center of our identity? For a young person who's looking for some way of living or some deep kind of guide to life, the fight against antisemitism is not going to do it, and philanthropy is not going to do it. We come from the wisest and one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and many of us don't know how to open the door to that civilization, and that's in our hands. And if we're not doing it, it's not the fault of the antisemites. It's our own fault. So if I had unlimited resources, which, again, it's not, it's not going to happen unless I make a career change, that's where I would be putting my effort. Internally and not externally.  Belle Yoeli:   You did find the inspiration, though, again, by pushing Jewish identity, and we appreciate that. It's come up a lot in this conversation, this question about how we fight antisemitism, investing in Jewish identity and who we are, and at the same time, what do we do about it? And I think all of you heard Ted in a different context last night, say, we can hold two things, two thoughts at the same time, right? Two things can be true at the same time. And I think for me, what I took out of this, in addition to your excellent insights, is that that's exactly what we have to be doing.  At AJC, we have to be engaging in this advocacy to stand up for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. But that's not the only piece of the puzzle. Of course, we have to be investing in Jewish identity. That's why we bring so many young people to this conference. Of course, we need to be investing in Jewish education. That's not necessarily what AJC is doing, the bulk of our work, but it's a lot of what the Jewish community is doing, and these pieces have to go together. And I want to thank you for raising that up for us, and again, for everything that you said. Thank you all so much for being here. Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in as John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point, breaks down Israel's high-stakes strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure and the U.S. decision to enter the fight. 

Tommy and Ben lament Trump's travesty of a spending bill and the death of USAID, and how both will cost lives and further tank America's global reputation. They unpack the fallout from Israel and the US's strikes on Iran, the bizarre delusions and marginalization of Tulsi Gabbard, and the ending of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. They also discuss Trump's interference in Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, the latest horrors in Gaza, shocking settler violence in the West Bank, and anti-Israel speech at the UK's Glastonbury Festival. Also covered: new fighting between Ukraine and an emboldened Russia, Trump's shaky ceasefire and resource-grab masquerading as a “peace deal” between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and a triumphant pride parade in Budapest. Finally, they plan a trip to the world's next top spring break destination: Wonsan Kalma, North Korea.

Today, we're speaking with Matt Bowles, a longtime Palestinian human rights activist.With a Master's Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, Matt has over two decades of human rights and activism experience. He led activist delegations to monitor human rights abuses in the north of Ireland, co-founded an organization to stop U.S. aid to Israel, organized solidarity delegations to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and did solidarity work with the indigenous Zapatista communities in Chiapas, Mexico.In the past few years, many more people around the world have tuned in to the injustice that has been happening in Palestine for the past 75 years. If you want to understand the origins of this injustice AND what you can do to help stop it, this episode is for you. I first became immersed in the struggle for Palestinian liberation in 2017, when I visited the West Bank and saw the Israeli soldiers at checkpoints, the humiliation of people, the treatment of Arabs like second-class citizens, and the Israeli system of apartheid with my own eyes. Matt has been working on Palestinian solidarity since 1998. It has been so helpful to hear the perspective of someone with this much longer view on the struggle. Become a Going Places member for as little as $6 a month. Visit our reimagined platform at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more.Thanks to our Founding Member: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education.What you'll learn in this episode:Current moment in the Palestinian human rights advocacyTravel media's sanitized version of seeing the worldHow Matt's Palestinian advocacy started with the Black liberation struggle in the USBritain's first and last colony (is the same?)The gap in awareness between what Palestine is and what the media showsThe power asymmetry and the longest military occupation in modern historyConfronting antisemitism and misrepresentationWhat the Rwandan, Guatemalan, and Cambodian genocides can teach usMatt dismantles "It's too complicated"Why do we give states more rights than people?The origins of this settler colonial projectWhy the US shifted its Palestine stance in 1967The history of Palestinian nonviolent resistance Why is there zero accountability for the State of Israel's actions?US law enforcement training with IOFWhat can an individual do? A lot!What gives Matt hope todayWhy Yulia believes that Gaza will change the worldFeatured on the show:Listen to Matt's Maverick Show podcastFollow @maverickshowpod on InstagramSubscribe to Matt's Monday Minute newsletter Learn more about the International Solidarity MovementLearn more about Jewish Voice for PeaceLearn more about If Not NowLearn more about the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions...

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get more content! Get our "Welcome to the Crusades" miniseries! Derek welcomes back to the show Dalia Hatuqa, a journalist specializing in Israeli/Palestinian affairs and regional Middle East issues, to talk about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. They recap what has been happening to Palestinians in Gaza while the world was distracted by Israel's war with Iran, discuss the lost generations of Gazan children, the massacres at “aid distribution centers,” increased home demolitions and settler violence in the West Bank, the current relationships of the Palestinian Authority and Jordanian government with Israel, the regional dynamics after the recent war with Iran, and what Netanyahu's next move might be. Read Dalia's piece from March in The Guardian, “For Palestinians, this was never a ceasefire.”       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek welcomes back to the show Dalia Hatuqa, a journalist specializing in Israeli/Palestinian affairs and regional Middle East issues, to talk about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. They recap what has been happening to Palestinians in Gaza while the world was distracted by Israel's war with Iran, discuss the lost generations of Gazan children, the massacres at “aid distribution centers,” increased home demolitions and settler violence in the West Bank, the current relationships of the Palestinian Authority and Jordanian government with Israel, the regional dynamics after the recent war with Iran, and what Netanyahu's next move might be.Read Dalia's piece from March in The Guardian, “For Palestinians, this was never a ceasefire.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.

Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastCheck out Ark Media's other podcasts: For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What's Your Number?': lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us and sign up for updates visit: www.arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenorTo order Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdnToday's Episode:Now that the “12 Day War” between Israel and Iran has ended (for now), we are turning our attention back toward the war in Gaza, where 50 Israeli hostages remain. President Donald Trump has been advocating for an end to the war, saying that he believes a hostage-ceasefire deal might come within a week. This comes amid increasing doubts about IDF achievements in Gaza going forward, especially with IDF casualties on a near daily basis. This past Wednesday, seven Israeli soldiers were tragically killed when an IED hit the armored vehicle they were in. Joining us to discuss the ongoing IDF campaign in Gaza and the possibility for a new ceasefire deal —  and the events taking place in the West Bank — is Call me Back regular and political analyst at Yedioth Achronot, Nadav Eyal.–CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorMARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional EditingMAYA RACKOFF - Operations DirectorGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer

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. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Israeli settlers torched a multi-million-shekel security installation used to “thwart terror attacks and maintain security” in the Ramallah area of the West Bank overnight, according to the IDF. This came after a riot by settlers outside a military base in the West Bank, where, according to the IDF, settlers attacked security forces, sprayed mace and vandalized army vehicles. Sharon and Schneider delve deeply into the issue of settler violence and how it is being fostered -- and even potentially funded -- by members of the coalition. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is now in Washington, DC, where he is expected to face pressure from the Trump administration during his meetings tomorrow in Washington to end the war in GazaIt appears from statements made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday that he, too, is on board with winding down the Gaza war. Schneider explains which ministers are against ending the Gaza war and whether this coalition crisis in the making could lead to early elections. Top security officials told judges presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial in a closed-door meeting yesterday that Netanyahu must be released from his testimony for the week because there is an opportunity to change the face of the Middle East and for Israel to expand its circle of peace, including with Syria. Sharon discusses the mechanisms of canceling the trial for the week. Then, Schneider speaks about reports claiming that Syria would be willing to give up its claim to the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace agreement. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Settlers torch West Bank security site, riot against ‘traitor’ IDF officer; no arrests PM: Iran war opened broad regional possibilities, ‘first we need to free the hostages’ Court agrees to cancel PM’s testimony this week after briefing by security chiefs Report: Syria not demanding Golan Heights as part of deal with Israel 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: A West Bank security installation that was torched overnight by settlers on June 30, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Destructive attacks on Palestinian communities by West Bank settlers “emboldened” by support from powerful far right-wing figures in the Netanyahu government have received little attention as the country has focused on the war in Gaza and the recent clash with Iran. Last week, dozens of settlers descended upon Kafr Malik, a Palestinian town north of Ramallah, attacking residents and their property, as well as IDF soldiers who arrived at the scene. The outpost – illegal even under Israeli law – was dismantled by the Israeli army later that night, triggering multiple riots at a nearby army base and police station. The settlers’ attacks on Israeli soldiers sparked widespread public outrage and even condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Haaretz West Bank correspondent Hagar Shezaf joined host Allison Kaplan Sommer this week for a behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing tension and the “Jewish terrorists” so dedicated to driving Palestinians off of their land that they are willing to attack IDF soldiers when they stand in their way. Noting that Israelis generally “support the soldiers over the settlers,” she shared insights about the evolving political climate toward violent extremists in the West Bank. “I think in settler society – and to an extent, broader Israeli society, it has become much, much, much more normalized post October 7 – the sense that these people are guarding the land.” Attacks on IDF soldiers, she said, are “obviously always controversial in Israeli society – but attacking Palestinians? Not so controversial anymore.” Subscribe to Haaretz.com for up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Israel and the Middle East in English. Read more: Dozens of Israeli Settlers Attempt to Break Into West Bank IDF Base, Army Source Says Six Settlers Arrested for Assaulting IDF Troops in West Bank; Netanyahu: Bring Them to Justice Five Days After Building an Outpost on the Edge of a West Bank Palestinian Village, Israeli Settlers Drove Locals OutSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE STATE OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THE WAR IN GAZA, AND THE AXIS OF AGGRESSORSHEADLINE 1: Hamas issued fresh threats against aid workers in Gaza.HEADLINE 2: Over the last three months, the Shin Bet has arrested over 60 Hamas operatives in the West Bank.HEADLINE 3: Ireland is weighing legislation to ban imports from Israeli communities in the West Bank.BONUS HEADLINE 4: Iran's Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa against President Donald Trump.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Jonathan Panikoff, who directs the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative.Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief

Peter Beinart and Rudy Rochman debate Israel, Palestine, the West Bank, Gaza, and Iran. They also discuss whether being critical of Israel is more likely to create or abate antisemitism.For the Sake of Argument podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakenewfieldSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4k9DDGJz02ibpUpervM5EYApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-sake-of-argument/id1567749546Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNewfield

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, June 30: The heatwave across Europe is making international headlines, with Spain and Portugal recording record temperatures. Next, settler violence is escalating amid what Haaretz calls a "West Bank pogrom". Also, The Washington Post tells the bittersweet story of a seven-year-old girl's last midsummer Christmas. Finally, we test if our anchor can differentiate an AI-generated video from a real one. The sizzling heatwave is making headlines across Europe. The Financial Times reports that Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Portugal and the UK have all been experiencing "unusually high temperatures" in recent days. British daily The Guardian reports that, in the UK, the heatwave could result in the "hottest ever start to Wimbledon". By Tuesday, temperatures in some parts of England are expected to reach 35°C. France isn't being spared from the heat. French daily Courrier Picard reports that 84 departments have been placed under orange heatwave alert. French left-wing Libération's headline reads “Heatwave: fire at home”. The paper reports from Aubervilliers – a northern suburb of Paris – where many people live in concrete buildings that retain heat and aren't equipped with air conditioning. Some apartments can reach 40°C inside when it's 30°C outside. Further south, Portuguese paper Diario de Noticias writes that Portugal reached a new heat record yesterday: 46.6°C was recorded in the region of Evora, in the centre of the country. That's the highest temperature ever recorded in Portugal in the month of June. A record was also broken in Spain, where the mercury reached 46°C in El Granado, Andalusia, the Spanish daily El Pais reports. That's almost one degree more than the previous record set in 1965.  We turn next to the West Bank, where violence has been escalating in the past few days. Last week, settlers set fire to Palestinian property and over the weekend, the IDF said they had detained Israeli settlers in the occupied territory after they attacked security forces. Israeli left-wing paper Haaretz reports that settlers rioted and attempted to break into an army base, after a 14-year-old Israeli was shot, possibly by the IDF. The officer involved said there was another riot, in which rocks were thrown at his vehicle. He shot into the air, thinking the rioters were Palestinian. Right-wing Israeli paper The Jerusalem Post writes that "Violent Jewish settlers are a moral and strategic liability". It says the last thing the country needs, amid the war with Iran and in Gaza, is IDF soldiers having to fight "Jewish extremists". Haaretz says that a "Quiet, West Bank pogrom" is in progress. The paper says that the condemnation of the attacks has been "very weak" and that it was only a matter of time before the settlers would start attacking Israeli soldiers "who prevent them from carrying out their wicked schemes against Palestinians".  Turning to the US, we bring you a bittersweet story reported by The Washington Post. A community in the DC region decorated dozens of houses for Christmas in the middle of summer. They did it to put a smile on the face of a little girl with terminal cancer who might not make it to December. The paper writes that in a period filled with global and local crises, the community felt grateful "to do something tangible" and help the family and little Kasey "find a moment of happiness in the face of a certain tragedy". And it certainly worked: she even got to meet Santa.   Finally, as artificial intelligence keeps progressing, it's getting almost impossible to differentiate an AI-generated video from a real one. The New York Times has generated several AI videos and put them together with real ones to create an online quiz. We test the skills of our presenter.  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

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 correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Friday night, throngs of rioting Israeli settlers attacked IDF soldiers at the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik near Ramallah, after the forces arrived there to prevent them from rampaging in the village. Six Israelis were arrested following the violence. According to Hebrew media reports, the Israeli assailants beat, choked and hurled rocks at the troops. Later, on Saturday, a police outpost was vandalized by settlers in what authorities said was an apparent act of revenge for the arrest of the six suspects accused in the nighttime attack. Fabian explains the rollout of the events. This morning, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CBS news that Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months,” despite damage to several nuclear facilities from US and Israeli attacks. But this is in contrast to what IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly told colleagues that Iran is no longer a nuclear threshold state following the Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear program. Fabian relays the army's assessment of the 12-day war and discusses whether the ceasefire will be similar to the November 27, 2024, ceasefire with Hezbollah. This morning, the IDF re-issued a wide evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Gaza City and Jabalia areas in the northern Gaza Strip. This comes as Zamir said Friday that the military’s latest offensive in Gaza will soon “reach the lines” defined by the government, which would see the military assert control over 75% of the territory. We hear what is happening on the ground in Gaza. Finally, one of the founders of Hamas, who was also one of the planners of its onslaught of October 7, 2023, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday night. We learn about Hakem al-Issa, who served as chief of staff at the “combat and administrative support division” in the Palestinian terror group’s military wing. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Settlers attack IDF soldiers, try to ram them amid riot in West Bank village; 6 detained PM, defense chiefs condemn settler attack on soldiers; suspects try to torch police post IDF chief believes Iran no longer a nuclear threshold state after Israeli, US strikes 34 Gazans said killed in IDF strikes; army issues evacuation warning after rocket fire Gaza offensive will soon ‘reach the lines’ set by the government, says IDF chief Veteran Hamas operative who helped plan Oct. 7 killed in Gaza City strike, IDF says 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: IDF soldiers operate in the northern Gaza Strip in this June 19, 2025, handout photo. (IDF)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with author & architect Suad Amiry and film & TV director/actor/producer Cherien Dabis. They discuss Cherien's latest film, All That's Left of You, an intergenerational story that goes back to the 1948 Nakba and arrives at the present and premiered at Sundance in early 2025. They talk about one of Suad's most famous books, Sharon and My Mother-in-Law, about life under Israeli occupation on the West Bank, and its upcoming adaptation to the screen, which Cherien will direct. Along the way, they discuss the effect of humor in storytelling, the role of diaspora Palestinians and relationship to the broader Palestinian collective, and the urgency of telling Palestinian stories.  Suad Amiry is an award-winning conservation architect and writer. She is Professor of Architecture at Jordan University and Birzeit University, Palestine and a cultural heritage specialist focusing on conservation of historic buildings and revitalization of historic centers. Amiry is the founding director of Riwaq, which endeavors to protect and develop architectural heritage in Palestine and took a major role in the revitalization of the most significant 50 historic centers in rural Palestine. She is widely published and has authored many architectural books and other non-fiction books, including Sharon and My Mother-in-Law (2003, translated into 18 languages); If this is a Life? (2005); Nothing to Lose but Your Life: An 18 Hour Journey with Murad (2010); Golda Slept Here (2014); My Damascus (2016); and Mother of Strangers (2022). On Cherien Dabis is a trailblazing Palestinian American filmmaker and actress who has established herself as a creative force across a variety of mediums. She forged a new genre of Arab American storytelling with her critically acclaimed first feature “Amreeka.” The film world-premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the coveted FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Dabis wrote, directed and starred in her highly anticipated third feature film “All That's Left of You,” which world-premiered to critical acclaim at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Dabis has directed standout episodes of hit television series such as Hulu's “Ramy” and Netflix's “Ozark." In 2022, she became the first Palestinian Emmy nominee for her groundbreaking, dialogue-free episode of Hulu's comedy “Only Murders in the Building.” Her acting credits include Netflix's “Mo,” Amazon Prime's “Fallout” and Tarek Saleh's “Eagles of the Republic,” which was in competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Hilary Rantisi grew up in Palestine and has been involved with education and advocacy on the Middle East since her move to the US. She is a 2025 Fellow at FMEP and was most recently the Associate Director of the Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative (RCPI) and co-instructor of Learning in Context: Narratives of Displacement and Belonging in Israel/Palestine at Harvard Divinity School. Original music by Jalal Yaquob.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.

Donate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThe Nakba Never Ended. The Nakba, the “Catastrophe”. It wasn't just a moment in 1948 — it is a reality that has lived on for 77 years. It's in the bulldozed homes of Gaza. It's the children laying underneath the rubble. It's in the olive trees ripped from the West Bank. It's in the silence of classrooms where students are told not to speak the word “Nakba” out loud. It's in every grave of a journalist, every mother's scream, every child who's asking– where is the world? Today, we're joined by none other than Leanne Mohammad, British Palestinian activist who ran as an independent candidate for Ilford North in the British general elections, came just 500 votes within toppling the current Health Secretary of Kier Starmer's cabinet. Tipped by some to be the next Prime Minister. We will be talking about the Nakbah of yesterday, and how the legacy of the Nakbah inspires us today.You can find Leanne Mohamad here:X: https://x.com/LeanneMohamadIG: https://www.instagram.com/leannemohamad/?hl=enFind the host here:X: https://x.com/ArhaamMukatiIG: https://www.instagram.com/momukati17Become a member here:https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipOr give your one-off donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/donateYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateListen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636aApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762Purchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merchFind us on:X: https://x.com/thinking_muslimLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-thinking-muslim/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslimBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.com/@thinkingmuslimpodcastFind Muhammad Jalal here:X: https://twitter.com/jalalaynInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jalalayns/Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comWebsite Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.comDisclaimer:The views expressed in this video are those of the individual speaker(s) and do not represent the views of the host, producers, platform, or any affiliated organisation. This content is provided for lawful, informational, and analytical purposes only, and should not be taken as professional advice. Viewer discretion is advised.Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel kills over 100 Palestinians in Gaza "Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinians in last 24 hours, including many aid seekers, and wounded hundreds others in besieged Gaza. Meanwhile,the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that Palestinians in Gaza face a severe water crisis threatening them with death from thirst, as Israeli strikes and fuel restrictions have crippled the enclave's water infrastructure. " Trump open to Iran nuclear talks " President Donald Trump has said the United States will hold talks with Iran over its nuclear programme next week, following a 12-day conflict with Israel that drew in the US and left hundreds dead and wounded. Trump claimed recent US air strikes had led to the ""total obliteration"" of Iran's nuclear capabilities, setting the programme back ""decades"". He added that the ceasefire he announced earlier in the week was ""going very well."" However, a leaked US intelligence assessment seen by American media suggested the strikes may have delayed Iran's nuclear efforts by only a few months." Israeli military, illegal Zionist settlers kill four Palestinians in occupied West Bank "Israeli military and illegal Zionist settlers have killed at least four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Three Palestinians were killed in Kafr Malik, a village northeast of Ramallah, where dozens of illegal Israeli settlers stormed the area, set vehicles on fire and attacked residents. At least seven others were wounded, including one person in critical condition." Kenya protests turn deadly "Sixteen protesters were killed and at least 400 wounded, with 83 in serious condition, following protests across Kenya. A rights group said most were killed by police. Protests raged across at least 23 counties and coincided with the first anniversary of demonstrations opposing tax hikes that left 60 people dead and 20 others missing." Zelenskyy seeks to buy US air defence systems "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he had discussed buying US air-defence systems with President Donald Trump during their meeting on the sidelines of NATO's summit in The Hague. He added that Kiev was ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers and the two leaders have also discussed a potential joint drone production. "

In April, Palestinian student activist Mohsen Mahdawi walked into an immigration office to obtain US citizenship. He left in handcuffs. The Columbia University student was detained by ICE and accused by the Trump administration of jeopardizing US foreign policy through his involvement in protests following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. On this week's More to The Story, Mohsen talks to host Al Letson about his arrest by ICE, his role in campus protests, and his childhood growing up in a West Bank refugee camp. Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Digital producer: Nikki Frick | Interim executive producers: Brett Myers and Taki Telonidis | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Read: Mohsen Mahdawi Has Been Released From Federal Custody (Mother Jones)Listen: Gaza: A War of Weapons and Words (Reveal)Read: Mahmoud Khalil, Finally Free, Speaks Out (Mother Jones) Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.

Why is it so hard to have civil conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? And can we break through the outrage culture, media tribalism, and polarization that dominate today's discourse?In this episode, we talk with Adam Boaz Becker, founder of Headon.AI, an AI platform designed to foster political dialogue and bridge divides. Adam shares what he's learned from years of street interviews in Israel and the West Bank, the challenges of creating conversations in conflict zones, and how social media and traditional media often make things worse.We also explore how AI might help us talk across divides, and why simply seeking common ground might not be the solution—sometimes, peaceful coexistence is powerful enough.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.HOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That's the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

Late on June 21st, Trump joined Israel's war on Iran. Just two days after warning Iran it had two weeks to make a deal, Trump unleashed the military might of 30,000-pound bunker busters delivered by B2 bombers on Fordo, while Tomahawks struck Natanz and Isfahan. With typical bombast, Trump bragged that Iran's nuclear sites were “totally obliterated." Iranian officials, however, claim the facilities had been emptied of nuclear materials months ago. Suzi spoke to Yassamine Mather just before Trump started bombing to get her analysis of Israel's “Operation Rising Lion” — a unilateral military strike on Iran marking a dangerous new escalation in an already volatile region. The attack comes amid Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, accelerating dispossession of Palestinians in the West Bank, pager bomb assassinations in Lebanon, and land grabs in Syria. Netanyahu's war cabinet is committed to military solutions on all fronts — now including Iran. Iran has retaliated deep inside Israeli territory. This is a first for Israel, and it is dangerous in every way. Although the US was fully informed of Israel's intentions, Netanyahu defied Trump's public opposition to the strike. Trump then flipped, backing Netanyahu's attack and warning Iran to make a deal or else. Now we see the 'or else.' Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Uranium stockpile untouched after US strikes on nuclear sites: Iran "A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has said that the country's enriched uranium stockpile remains intact despite recent US air strikes on nuclear sites. Ali Shamkhani, a key figure in Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the attacks failed to damage Iran's nuclear capabilities. “Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, the game isn't over. Enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain,” he wrote on X." Trump seeks 'peace' deal with Tehran after Iran strikes: report "US President Donald Trump reportedly has no plans to continue military strikes against Iran and is instead pursuing a peace agreement, Axios reported, citing an unnamed American official. Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the outcome following strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and expressed his preference for diplomacy. An Israeli official confirmed Washington's stance, saying, “the Americans made it clear to us they want to close this round,” according to the report." Israel continues to kill Palestinions in Gaza "Israeli forces have killed at least 31 more Palestinians and wounded dozens in Gaza, according to local medics. While global attention is focused on the Israel-Iran conflict, Tel Aviv continues its deadly war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is also quietly intensifying its occupation of the West Bank." Türkiye, UN condemn deadly church attack in Damascus, call for unity against terrorism "Türkiye and the UN have condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus that killed at least 20 and wounded 52, calling for unity against terrorism. UN envoy Geir Pedersen urged a full investigation into the Daesh-claimed attack, which targeted worshippers during mass. Türkiye's Foreign Ministry denounced the assault as an attempt to destabilise Syria and disrupt social cohesion." Oil prices surge after Tehran mulls shutting Strait of Hormuz "Oil prices surge after US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of broader conflict and energy disruption. Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate jumped over 4%, as tensions mount over the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil corridor. Iran's parliament has approved closing the strait in response to US and Israeli attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan."

Fintan Drury trained as a journalist before becoming a hugely significant figure in Irish corporate life, something he has talked about previously with honesty and some regret.He returned to his journalistic roots and the tragedy in Gaza compelled him to speak out. His new book Catastrophe is the story of Nakba II. On Free State today, he explains why he had to go to the West Bank to find out the truth and why Netanyahu is running rings around the US when it comes to war with Iran. He explains why the establishment desperately wants to take his side. He talks too about why Joe Biden, not just Netanyahu, should be facing charges at the International Criminal Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textPollster and Middle East scholar James Zogby discusses his recent column on the Drobles plan for Palestine, which he says Israel is advancing in Gaza and the West Bank despite or perhaps aided by its recent attack on Iran. Founder and president of the Arab-American Institute and managing director of Zogby Research Services, Dr. Zogby has written a weekly column on American politics for Arab newspapers for more than 30 years.  He speaks to Margot Patterson about the goal of ethnic cleansing that undergirds Israel and the United States' new aid mission in Gaza (the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation), Israel's unprovoked attack on Iran, the international community's weak response to it and to Israel's brutal war on Gaza,  and the U.N. conference on Palestine scheduled for June 17-20, which has now been cancelled. 

Hamas' October 7, 2023, paradigm-shifting attack has prompted Israel to change its defense doctrine with devastating consequences for the Middle East. No longer satisfied with operating on the principle of deterrence, involving regular strikes against Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon, militant Palestinian groups in the West Bank, Yemen's Houthi rebels, Iranian targets in Syria and the Islamic Republic, and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, Israel's new defense doctrine focuses on militarily emasculating its opponents. The new doctrine, focused on kinetic rather than negotiated solutions, has driven Israeli military operations since the Hamas attack broke a psychological barrier by successfully breaching Israeli defences and invading Israeli territory. Hamas and other Palestinians killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack. Israel's subsequent decimation of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia and political movement, with little regard for the cost to innocent human lives, offered proof of concept for a strategy that involves killing top leaders and destroying military infrastructure based on the Jewish state's military and intelligence superiority. In addition to the devastation of Gaza in a bid to destroy Hamas militarily and politically and the weakening of Hezbollah, Israel has destroyed much of the Syrian military arsenal and infrastructure since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. Now, it is targeting Iran's military command, missile and launcher arsenal, and nuclear facilities. “The unexpected degree of success…reduced Israeli wariness about launching a similar campaign against Iran, despite expectations that a severe Iranian response might still be forthcoming,” said Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum. Alarmingly, Israel's newly conceived dominance-driven military assertiveness has fueled public anger and widespread anticipation of war across the Middle East.

Claire Liddy, social care worker and co-founder of GAA Palestine explained the origins of the only GAA club in the West Bank and what the club means for young players as they plan a trip to Ireland this summer for a series of games around the country.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Sam Harris speaks with Haviv Rettig Gur about Israel and her enemies. They discuss Israel's war with Iran and America's role in the conflict, Israel's military capabilities, Iran's nuclear program, what a ground invasion of Iran could look like, how Iranians view the regime, antisemitism, the history of Zionism, Islam and jihadism, extremism on the Israeli far right, religious fanaticism, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Ehud Olmert, the hostages in Gaza, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

Another busy day in the derailed circus train that is Trump's administration. On today's show, Tucker Carlson humiliates Ted Cruz into admitting that the US is involved in Israel's war in Iran. Broken clock, etc. We talk to Jasper Nathanial about his piece for The Baffler titled “The Annexation of the West Bank is Complete”. Check his other work at infinitejaz@substack,com We are also joined by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and discuss his detainment by ICE agents at an immigration court in Lower Manhattan. Here's a link to learn more about  Immigration Arc   In the (not so) fun half, we check in with a cadre of psychos. Mark Levin screams about Trump's legacy as a peacemaker. Border Czar, Tom Holman goes on a psycho-sexual rant about AOC and her work with immigrants. Sean Hannity spews the Iraq playbook but for Iran. We also watch NYC Mayoral candidate, Zohran Momdani, deliver a powerful statement on his anti-semitism accusations and the racism he has encountered as a prominent Muslim figure. All that and more, folks. 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 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! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: DELETEME: Text MAJORITY to 64000 for 20% off your DeleteMe subscription Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech   Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder – https://majorityreportradio.com/  

Regardless of whether Israel has the capabilities to decimate Iran's entire nuclear program, or if the United States needs to become further involved in the war and provide Israel with “bunker-buster” bombs, one thing is clear: “If this war should end with the Iranian regime intact and the elements of its nuclear program recoverable, then, in some ways, it will be all for naught,” argues Victor Davis Hanson on today's edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”  “It is surreal. If we had this conversation five years ago and I said to you, ‘the Iranian nation—that is huge compared to Israel, 10 times the population—the Iranian nation has lost all control of the Houthi terrorists and they are themselves neutered. Their surrogates in the West Bank, Gaza are neutered. They're gone, Hamas as a fighting force. The formidable, the terrifying Hezbollah cadres, they're inert. ‘“‘There is no Russian presence. It's not a patron. It is not a protector. It's not a power in the Middle East. It's tied down in Ukraine. And Iran itself, the formidable powerhouse of the Middle East that evoked terror all over, has no defenses. “And we're down to a single critical issue… if this war should end with the Iranian regime intact and the elements of its nuclear program recoverable, then, in some ways, it will be all for naught.'” 

Since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion—a precise and defensive military campaign aimed at preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons—Iran has responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones, indiscriminately targeting Israeli civilians. Dr. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a leading expert on Iran's global terror network, explains what's at stake—and what could come next. Take Action: We must stop a regime that vows to murder millions of Israelis from gaining the weapons to do it. Urge your elected leaders to assure that Israel has all the necessary support to end Iran's nuclear threat. Resources and Analysis: Iranian Regime vs. Israel War Explained: What You Should Know AJC Advocacy Anywhere: Israel and Iran: Latest Updates, Global Responses, and the Path Ahead 5 Key Reasons Behind Israel's Defensive Strike on Iran's Imminent Nuclear Threat Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod: Latest Episodes: Why Israel Had No Choice: Inside the Defensive Strike That Shook Iran's Nuclear Program What Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks' State of the Jewish World Teaches Us Today Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Israel's shadow war with the Iranian regime, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, erupted into open conflict last week following a stunning report from the International Atomic Energy Agency that confirmed Iran was much closer to obtaining nuclear weapons than previously known. Since Israel launched a wave of attacks on nuclear sites and facilities, Iran has fired missiles toward Israel's most populated cities. Joining us to discuss what this all means is one of the foremost experts on Iran and its global threats, and a regular guest when trouble arises with Iran. Dr. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Counterterrorism Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  Matt, welcome back to People of the Pod. Matthew Levitt:   It's a pleasure to be back, but I need to come sometime when the world's okay.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   That would be nice. That'd be nice. But what will we talk about? Matthew Levitt:   Yeah, just call me one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, you are one of the foremost experts on the dangers posed by Iran, especially its terror proxies. And you've written the definitive book on Hezbollah, titled Hezbollah: the Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God. And I say that whole title, I want to get in there, because we are talking about global threats here.  Can you explain the scale of Iran's global threat and the critical role that its terror proxies, like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, play in advancing that strategy? Matthew Levitt:   So I really appreciate the question, because it's really important to remind listeners that the Israel Iran war did not start Thursday night US time, Friday morning, Israel time. In fact, it's just the latest salvo where the Israelis, after years and years and years of Iranian we call it malign activity, but that's too soft a term. We're talking about Iran sending weapons and funds to proxies like Hamas to carry out October 7, like Hezbollah to fire rockets at Israel almost daily for almost a year. Like the Houthis, who were much more than a thorn in the Saudi backside until the Iranians came and gave them more sophisticated capabilities.  We're talking about an Iran that a few years ago decided that instead of making sure that every gun that it sent to the West Bank had to go to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. They decided to just flood the West Bank with guns. Who cares who's shooting at the Israelis so long as somebody is. And an Iran that not only carries out human rights abuses of all kinds at home, but that threatens Israel and its neighbors with drones, low altitude cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and medium and long range ballistic missiles.  And so the totality of this, much like the totality of Hezbollah's striking Israel for almost a year, ultimately led Israel to do what most people thought couldn't be done, and just tear Hezbollah apart, that the Israel war on Hezbollah is the prequel to what we've been seeing over the past few days in Iran. Similarly, for the Israelis, it got to be too much. It wasn't even really that President Trump's 60 days expired and Israel attacked on day 61. It wasn't only that the IAEA came out with a report saying that the Iranians have refused to explain certain activities that can only be explained as nuclear weaponization activities.  It was that the Israelis had information that two things were happening. One, that Iran was working very, very hard to rebuild its capability to manufacture medium, long range ballistic missiles that can hit Israel. After the Israeli reprisal attack last October took out a key component of that program, the mixers that are important for the solid propellant, without which you can't make ballistic missiles. And Iran is believed to have, at least the beginning of this recent round of the conflict –Thursday, Friday–about 2000 such missiles. Far fewer now, the Israelis say they've taken out about a third of them, plus launchers, plus radars, et cetera. But that Iran had a plan within just a few years to develop as many as 8000 of these. And that simply was not tolerable for the Israelis.  And the second is that the Israelis say that they compiled evidence that Iran had a secret, secret nuclear weapons program that had been going on predating October 7, but was fast tracked after October 7, that they were planning to maintain this program, even as they were negotiating over the more overt program with the Trump administration. President Trump has even taken issue with his own Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that the US intelligence committee does not assess that Iran is weaponizing. And President says, I don't care what she says, I think they were very close to weaponizing.  The Israelis say they have shared this information at least recently with their US counterparts and that was not tolerable. So the primary goals that Israel has set out for itself with this campaign is beyond the critically important shattering the glass ceiling. Think where people in particular, in Iran thought this would never happen, was two things, one, addressing and significantly degrading and setting back the Iranian ballistic missile production program, and second, doing the same to the nuclear program. They've already carried out strikes at Isfahan, Natanz, even at the upper parts of Fordow. And there is an expectation that the Israelis are going to do something more. The Israeli national security advisor said on Israeli television today, We are not going to stop without addressing the nuclear activities at Fordow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You know, you called it a prequel, Israel's operations against Hezbollah last year. Did you know that it was a prequel at the time and to what extent did it weaken Iran and leave it more vulnerable in this particular war? Matthew Levitt:   I'm going to be the last person in Washington, D.C. who tells you when he doesn't know. And anybody who tells you they did know is lying to you. None of us saw what Israel did to Hezbollah coming. None of us saw that and said, Oh, they did it to a non-state actor right across their border. So they'll definitely be able to do it to Iran, 1000+ kilometers away, big nation state with massive arsenals and a nuclear program and lots of proxies. One plus one does not equal three in this.  In other words, the fact that Israel developed mind boggling capabilities and incredible intelligence, dominance and then special tools, pagers and walkie talkies, in the case of Hezbollah, did not mean that they were going to be able to do the same vis a vis Iran. And they did. The same type of intelligence dominance, the same type of intelligence, knowing where somebody was at a certain time, that the protocols would be that certain leaders would get in a certain secret bunker once hostilities started, and they'd be able to take them out in that bunker. As they did to a bunch of senior Hezbollah commanders just months ago. Drone operations from within Iran, Iran being hit with missiles that were fired at Iran from within Iran, all of it. One case did not necessarily translate into the other. It is exponentially impressive. And Israel's enemies have to be saying, you know, that the Israelis are just all capable. Now you're absolutely right. You hit the nail on the head on one critical issue. For a very long time, Israel was at least somewhat deterred, I would say very deterred, from targeting Iran. Because Iran had made very, very clear if Israel or the United States or anybody else targeted Iran or its nuclear program, one of the first things that would happen would be that Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel, Iran's first, most important proxy would rain hellfire in Israel in the form of 1000s upon 1000s of rockets. Until Israel addressed the problem, Hezbollah is believed to have had 150 to 200,000 different types of projectiles, up to and including precision guided munitions.  Not only have the overwhelming majority of those been destroyed, Hezbollah still has 1000s of rockets, but Hezbollah leadership has been decimated. There's a new sheriff in town in Lebanon. There's a new government that immediately, when hostility started with Iran's, went to Hezbollah and said, You're not doing this, not dragging Lebanon back into a war that nobody wanted again. We are finally coming out of this economic crisis. And so Iran was faced with a situation where it didn't have Hezbollah to deter Israel.  Israel, you know, paved the way for a highway in the air to Iran, taking out air defense systems. It was able to fly over and through Syria. The Syrians are not shedding any tears as they see the Quds Force and the IRGC getting beaten down after what Iran did in Syria. And the Israelis have air dominance now. President Trump said, We, using the we term, air dominance now, earlier today. And they're able to slowly and methodically continue to target the ballistic missile program. Primarily, the medium and long range missiles that target Israel, but sometimes it's the same production lines that produce the short range missiles that Iran uses to target U.S. Forces in the region, and our allies in the Gulf. So Israel is not just protecting itself, it's protecting the region. And then also taking out key military security intelligence personnel, sometimes taking out one person, then a couple days later, taking out the person who succeeded that person, and then also taking out key scientists who had the know-how to potentially rebuild all the things that Israel is now destroying. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But Israel is also not hearing from the Houthis, is not hearing from Hamas. It's not hearing from other terror proxies either. Very few attacks from Iran's terror proxies in the aftermath of this wave. Why? Why do you think that is? Matthew Levitt:   The crickets are loud. The crickets are loud. Look, we've discussed Hezbollah. Hezbollah understands that if it were to do something, the Israelis will come in even harder and destroy what's left. Hamas is still holding hostages. This is still an open wound, but it doesn't have the capabilities that it once had, and so there have been a couple of short range things that they tried to shoot, but it's not anything that's going to do huge damage, and the Israeli systems can deal with those.  The Houthis did fire something, and it hurt some Palestinians near Hebron. You know, the Houthis and the Iranians in particular, in this conflict have killed Palestinians, and in one case, Syrians. They're continuing to hurt people that are not Israelis. One of the things that I think people are hopeful for is that as Iran tries to sue for peace, and it already is, it's been reaching out to Cyprus to pass messages, etcetera. The hope is that Iran will recognize that it's in a position whereby A) there has to be zero enrichment and the facilities have to be destroyed, whatever's left of them. And B) there's a hope that Israel and the United States together will be able to use this diplomatic moment to truly end the conflict in Gaza and get the hostages home. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, that was what I was going to ask. I mean, if Israel achieves its objectives in this war, primarily eliminating Iran's nuclear threat, how significant a setback would that be for Hamas and Iran's other terror proxies, and could it indeed pave the way for an end of the war in Gaza and the return of the hostages? Matthew Levitt:   Like everybody else, I'm so scarred, I don't want to get my hopes up, but I do see this as a distinct possibility, and here's why. Not Hezbollah, not the Houthis, not Hamas, none of them, and plenty of other proxies that don't start in the letter H, none of them could have been anywhere as capable as they've proven to be, were it not for Iranian money and weapons. Also some training, some intelligence, but primarily money and weapons.  And so Hamas is already on its back foot in this regard. It can still get some money in. It's still being able to make money off of humanitarian aid. Iran is still sending money in through money exchange houses and hawaladars, but not weapons. Their ability to manufacture weapons, their military industrial complex within Gaza, this is destroyed. Hezbollah, we've discussed, discussed, and a lot of their capabilities have been destroyed. And those that remain are largely deterred. The Houthis did shoot up some rockets, and the Israelis did carry out one significant retaliatory attack. But I think people are beginning to see the writing on the wall. The Israelis are kicking the stuffing out of Iran with pinprick attacks that are targeting the worst of the bad guys, including people who have carried out some of the worst human rights transgressions against Iranians. Let's not pretend that this is not affecting the average Iranian. It is. The president says, Everybody get out of Tehran. That's just not possible. People, average Iranians, good people. It must be just an absolute terror.  But Israel's not bombing, you know, apartment buildings, as Iran is doing in Israel, or as Russia is doing in Ukraine. And so it really is a different type of thing. And when the Houthis, when Hamas, when Hezbollah, look at this, you don't you don't poke the tiger when it's angry. I think they also understand now's the time to get into survival mode. What you want is for the regime in Iran not to be destroyed. This is no longer a moment, as it's been since long before October 7, but certainly since then, of how Iran as proxies, export Iran's revolution. This is now a question of how they maintain and preserve the revolution at home. And it's extremely important to the proxies that Iran remain, so that even if it's knocked down over time, hopefully, theoretically, from their perspective, it can regain its footing. It will still have, they hope, its oil and gas, etcetera, and they will get back to a point where they can continue to fund and arm the proxies in. Maybe even prioritize them as it takes them longer to rebuild their ballistic missile, drone, and nuclear programs. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Which is a scary prospect as well to know that terror proxies could be spread throughout the world and empowered even a little bit more. President Trump left the G7 summit a day early to meet with security advisors, and just a few hours ago, prior to this interview, President Trump called for Iran's, quote, unconditional surrender, saying that the US knows where the Supreme Leader is, and some other threatening language. But I mean, this appears to be a kind of a clear commitment to Israel. So I'm curious how you assess his administration's actions before and during the war thus far, and do you see the United States edging toward direct involvement? Matthew Levitt:   All politics is local, and there is a tug of war within the MAGA movement over whether or not the US should be getting involved. Not only in supporting an important ally, but in removing a critical threat. The President is clearly frustrated that Iran was not being more forthcoming in the negotiations. He said many times, we'd offered you a great deal, you should have taken the deal. He's very aware that his deadline ended, and they didn't particularly seem to care. There's also the background that once upon a time, they tried to assassinate him, I think, after the Israelis did what they did, the President appreciates capabilities. He appreciates success. He likes backing the winning horse. And so the New York Times is reporting that after getting off the phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump reportedly turned to some aides and said, maybe we need to help him. Now it's not clear that's what's going to happen, and my understanding is that the Israelis have plans of their own for things like the heavily fortified facility at Fordow, which is the most important and highly fortified, protected of the nuclear installations. The Israeli National Security Advisor spoke today and said, you know, we're not going to be done until we do something with Fordow.  The United States can do multiple things only the United States has the MOP: the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, and the airplanes to deliver it, and they could end Fordow if they wanted. Short of that, they could do other things to support Israel. There's been defensive support for the State of Israel already, but there's other things they could do, refueling and other things if they wanted to. And at a minimum, I don't see the president restraining Israel at all. Now, I've heard some people say that so far, the President has fired nothing more than some social media postings, some of them even in all caps.  But the truth is, those do have an effect, and so long as Israel is not restrained. I think the Israelis went into this with a plan. That plan is not necessarily to entirely destroy the entire nuclear program, but if the ballistic missile program and the nuclear program are sufficiently degraded so that it will take them years and a tremendous amount of time and money to rebuild, knowing that Israel has broken the glass ceiling on this idea of targeting Iran, that if the Israelis feel they need to, they will come back. If the Iranians rebuild their air defense systems, the Israelis will address them and create a new highway going if they need to. I think the Israelis are making that clear. Knowing that it's going to be a little bit of a road for Iran, especially when it will have to deal with some domestic issues coming out of this.  Finally, the Israelis have started signaling there's other things they could do. The Israelis have not yet fully targeted oil and gas fields and facilities. For example, they had one set of attacks where they basically knocked at the front door of some of these facilities without walking in the house. That's signaling, and I think it's one of the reasons you're seeing Iran quietly trying to reach out for some type of a ceasefire. Other signaling, for example, is the Israelis deciding to fly all the way to Mashhad, which is in far eastern Iran, to take out an airplane. That airplane was not particularly important. It was the message. There is nowhere in Iran we can't go. It's not a question of distance, it's not a question of refueling, it's not a question of air defense systems. We can do what we need to do. And I think the Iranians understand that now. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So we talked about the commitment to Israel, and how clear, how important it is to clarify that commitment to Israel. How important is it to clarify the United States commitment to Arab partners in the Middle East to help defend them in other words, if this conflict escalates? Matthew Levitt:   This is critically important. You know, one of the individuals who was taken out, for example, was the person who was in charge of the drone attack on the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia. If you look, for example, at the Saudi statement condemning the Israeli actions, it was issued by the Foreign Ministry without a single name attached to it. Wasn't issued by the Crown Prince, wasn't issued by the foreign minister. So I think you should expect a whole lot of public criticism. I imagine there's a different conversation going on behind closed doors. It's not necessarily, you know, pom-poming. This makes the Gulf states very, very nervous, in part because they understand that one way Iran could try and get out of this is to expand the conflict.  And that the reason they haven't is because, short of trying to prevent Iranians from taking to the streets and potentially doing something to maybe overthrow the regime, short of that, the number one thing that the Iranian regime is most desperate to avoid is getting the United States involved militarily. And I think the Iranians really understand and the messaging's been clear. If you target US Forces in the region, if you target our allies in the region, we'll get involved. If you don't, then we might not.  Now the President now is talking about potentially doing that, and as a lot of maybe this, maybe that, nothing very clear. I think what is clear is that the Israelis are going to continue doing what they need to do for another one to two weeks. Even going so far as doing something, though they haven't made clear what to address the really complicated problem of the fortified facility at Fordow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So how important is it for global security if Israel is successful in eliminating the nuclear threat in Iran? Matthew Levitt:   Look, Iran has been the single most destabilizing factor in the region for a long time now. Imagine a region without a destabilizing revolutionary regime in Iran without a regime that is supporting Shia militants in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.  Imagine the Shia militias in Iraq suddenly without a funder and a patron, enabling the Shia government in Iraq to actually be able to take control of the country and establish a monopoly over the use of force. At a time when the Shia militias, because of Iran's backing, are becoming more dangerous and more powerful in Iraq.  Imagine the Lebanese government being able to be more forward leaning in their effort to establish a monopoly over the use of force in that country, reclaim bases that Hezbollah has used for all this time, and establish a new Lebanon that is not beholden to Iran and Hezbollah.  And imagine an Israeli-Palestinian situation where you didn't have Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as spoilers. Recall that October 7 happened in large part because Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran could not tolerate the prospect of Israeli-Saudi normalization. For most Palestinians, this was great news. The Saudis were demanding real dividends for the Palestinians from the Netanyahu government, which was likely going to do them. This was great for Palestinians, bad for Hamas.  Imagine Hamas no longer getting that support from Iran. Imagine Iran no longer able to send or being interested in sending millions upon millions of dollars to its proxies, and instead spending what money it has on helping its population, instead of cracking down on it with human rights violations. You could have a very, very different region, let alone imagine Iran no longer carrying out acts of terrorism, kidnapping plots, abduction plots of dissidents and Jews and Israelis and others around the world of the type that we've seen throughout Europe and throughout the Middle East and even in the United States over the past few years. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's quite an imagination you have. But I take your point. Let me ask you this then. Did you ever imagine that Israel would take this dramatic step?  Matthew Levitt:   What the Israelis have achieved, when you are so against the wall and you're forced to come up with solutions, because it's a matter of life or death – you make the impossible possible. And I think that perhaps the Iranians assumed that the Israeli post-October 7 doctrine applied to non-state actors only. And that doctrine is very simple. Israel will no longer allow adversaries who are openly committed to its destruction to build up weapons, arsenals that they can then use at some point to actually try and destroy Israel. They will not allow that to happen.  They allowed it to happen with Hamas. It was a mistake. They allowed it to happen with Hezbollah. It was a mistake that they corrected. And Iran is the biggest, arguably, really, the only existential threat as huge, as a tasking as that was, clearly they invested in doing it. And the question became, not, why can't it be done? What is it that has to be overcome? And I don't think sitting here with you right now, you know, what is it, 3:30 on Tuesday, the 17th, that we've seen the last of the tricks up Israel's sleeve.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I only have one last question for you, and that is about the United States. The importance of the United States getting directly involved. I mean, we've talked about previously undisclosed nuclear sites, and who knows how many there could be. We're talking about more than what, 600,000 square miles of Iran. If the goal is a non nuclear Iran, can Israel finish this war without the United States, or does it even matter? I mean, is this just a step to force Iran back to the negotiating table with virtually zero leverage? Matthew Levitt:   So look, I don't think the goal here is completely destroying the Iranian nuclear program, or even completely destroying the Iranian ballistic missile program. The goal is to so degrade it that it is set back many, many years, and break that ceiling. People now understand if Israelis need to come back, they're coming back. I think they would like to do as much damage to these destructive programs as possible, of course, and I don't think we've seen the end of it. I think there are more tricks up Israel's sleeve when it comes to some of these complicated problems.  Judged by this yardstick, by the way, the Israeli operation is a tremendous success, tremendous success, even though there have been some significant casualties back in Israel, and even though this has caused tremendous trauma for innocent Iranians who have no love for the regime. This is a situation that the Iranian regime has brought down on all of us.  I do think that the Israelis have made very, very clear that this doesn't end until something is done to further disrupt and dismantle Fordow, which is the most important and the most heavily fortified, underground, under a mountain facility. It's not clear what the Israelis have in mind. It seems they have something in mind of their own. It's clear they would love for the United States to get involved, because the United States could do real damage to that facility and potentially end the Iranian nuclear program. But at the end of the day, if it can't be completely destroyed, I anticipate it's going to be damaged enough to significantly set it back. This phase of the Israel-Iran war, which didn't start last week, is not about pushing them back a week or a month or two months. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Matt, thank you so much for your wise counsel and perspective on this matter, and yes, hopefully we can have you back another time to talk about peace and love and things that have nothing to do with war and conflict with Iran or its terror proxies. Matthew Levitt:   I would really look forward to prepping for that interview. In the meantime, I want to thank AJC for all the important work it does, and thank you guys for having me on the podcast. Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed last week's episodes, be sure to tune in for our crossover episode with Books and Beyond: The Rabbi Sacks Podcast, a podcast of the Rabbi Sacks Legacy, and my conversation with AJC's Jerusalem Director Avital Liebovich. During a special breaking news episode the day after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, the latest in Israel's ongoing war of self-defense against the Iranian regime.  

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube.

Sahar Aziz speaks with Josh Paul about the law, politics, and policies surrounding the United States decades long military aid to Israel and specifically how such aid makes the U.S. complicit in Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza since October 2023. Josh Paul resigned from the State Department due to his disagreement with the Biden Administration's decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel in the context of its war on Gaza. He had previously spent over 11 years working as a Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is responsible for U.S. defense diplomacy, security assistance, and arms transfers. He previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Army Staff, and as a Military Legislative Assistant for a Member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee. he is a recipient of the 2023 Callaway Award for Civic Courage and 2024 MedGlobal Award for Courage. Currently, Josh Paul serves as the co-founder of a New Policy, an organization dedicated to transforming American foreign policy toward Israel/Palestine to reflect American values and foundational principles of liberty, equality, democracy, and human rights.At the time of the conversation in late May 2025, Israel's bombings and targeted assassinations in Gaza of doctors, journalists, and professors had killed over 65,000 Palestinians including more than 18,000 children and injured over 150,000 Palestinians.  Israel's military has destroyed every university.  Its military fully destroyed more than 70% of hospitals, and partially destroyed the remaining 30 percent, resulting in an unknown number of Palestinians dying from otherwise treatable diseases and injuries.  For 11 months in the spring of 2025, Israel banned the entry of all humanitarian aid and food into Gaza as part of an intentional mass starvation campaign that has caused unprecedented severe malnutrition for tens of thousands of Palestinian children.The devastation that Israel has wreaked upon the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza – as collective punishment for Hamas' militant attacks and war crimes on October 7, 2023 – so extensive that even supporters of Israel are acknowledging the genocidal nature of Isreal's military campaign. Such violence inflicted upon a helpless civilian population would not have been possible without $20 billion in military aid from the United States of America since October 2023 – all funded by American taxpayers.Listen to the conversation about the policies and practice of U.S. arms exports to Israel that has become a permanent stain on U.S. foreign policy and undermined the rule of law internationally.#Israel #Genocide #Gaza #Palestine #JoshPaul #MilitaryAidSupport the showSupport the Center for Security, Race and Rights by following us and making a donation: Donate: https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/csrr-support/20046.html Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rucsrr Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Threads: https://threads.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/rucsrr Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/rucsrr Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://csrr.rutgers.edu/newsroom/sign-up-for-newsletter/

On this episode of EMBAROGED!, host Tim O'Toole and his guests, Miller & Chevalier Counsel Melissa Burgess and Collmann Griffin, explore the various ways the U.S. government lifts sanctions programs and corresponding export controls. Roadmap: So you want to lift sanctions: How can you do it? What complexities might be involved? A quick tour of history: Lifting sanctions under TWEA Section 5(b) in 1917 Lifting sanctions on China between 1969 and 1980 Syria sanctions and GL 25 Eliminating easy sanctions programs: West Bank and Zimbabwe Lifting complex sanctions programs: Myanmar/Burma and Sudan; "zombie programs" like Libya How to lift restrictions when the sanctions program target is a State Sponsor of Terrorism Iraq sanctions programs: I, II, and III ******* Thanks to our guests for joining us: Melissa Burgess: https://www.millerchevalier.com/professional/melissa-burgess  Collmann Griffin: https://www.millerchevalier.com/professional/collmann-griffin  Special thanks to summer associate Chenyang Wang for her assistance in preparing this episode. Questions? Contact us at podcasts@milchev.com. EMBARGOED! is not intended and cannot be relied on as legal advice; the content only reflects the thoughts and opinions of its hosts. EMBARGOED! is intelligent talk about sanctions, export controls, and all things international trade for trade nerds and normal human beings alike. Each episode will feature deep thoughts and hot takes about the latest headline-grabbing developments in this area of the law, as well as some below-the-radar items to keep an eye on. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes so you don't miss out!

Are Jews entitled to their own homeland? Is the Israeli response to the massacre of civilians perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th justified? Should there be a ceasefire? David's Article in Quillette: https://quillette.com/2023/10/21/its-not-the-occupation/ Raja Halwani wrote to us about Jason's exposition of his view at 33:06. Here is Raja's clarification:**I wanted to clarify a point that Jason made during the interview with David Benatar. Jason asked Benatar what he thought of the view that “the view is that the Gazans are an oppressed people. They've been oppressed for so long that they've acted out of desperation. And there's only two options that they have.” Jason goes on to say that I have defended the view that “the Gazans are an oppressed people who only have two options. The one option is to die and the other option is to attack, to attack Israel in order to secure some sort of freedom. Those are its only two options. And so ... Raja takes the view that if Hamas were to lay down its arms, then it's just a slow death for the Gazans. That's, that would be the future of Gaza.”However, I did not make this claim about having only two options, nor would I, because it reads as a justification of killing civilians, especially given the context of the Hamas attacks of October 7 (and other attacks against Israelis). It reads as a justification because if death is one of only two options, then the second, to attack, seems permissible. The last sentence in Jason's question, about Hamas laying down its arms, seems to especially imply this (though Jason did not intend to make me come out as justifying Hamas's actions).Jason attributes this view to me based on something I wrote in my blog (as he explained to me in personal correspondence). Here is the specific passage on which Jason bases his attribution:People are quick to condemn Hamas for the evil that it has wrought, but they are as quick to neglect that Hamas acts out of sheer desperation, out of the sheer desire, no matter how steep the price, to score a victory against Israel, a country whose military might not even its prime ministers fully comprehend, and out of the sheer hopelessness of the slow death that their people has been dying. Although to explain this is not to justify it, I also ask the reader: What options do the Palestinians have? What do you advise them to do? Their lives are going nowhere. Peace initiative after peace initiative has failed them (and, to add insult to injury, they are blamed for the failure). No Palestinian state has emerged, and none is likely to given the current map (just look and see whether a state can be built out of the Swiss cheese that is the West Bank). Their tunnel has been long and with no light at its end. So what should they do? They ought to sit still and “take it like a man.” To suck it up. To bear the unfair burden of history. We have to tell them, “Misfortune has fallen upon you, and you may not extricate yourselves from it by killing civilians. Even as you yourselves die, slowly, surely, with no justification, and with barely an explanation, you may not take the lives of the civilians of your enemy. This is the noble way.”Clearly, the passage is a bitter one about Palestinian loss and oppression, but it is as clearly morally ruling out the option of killing civilians. So even though Hamas might take up arms against civilians, this is not a morally viable options for Gazans or Palestinians in general. Hence, insofar as Jason's question attributes to me a justification of attacks on civilians, this clarification should clarify that this is not my position.**Chapters:[0:00] Introduction[0:22] Thought Experiment[7:52] Historical context[23:13] Two-State Solution[27:46] Ethical Blockade[31:37] What if Hamas laid down their arms?[36:06] Current War[45:46] Proportionality[54:59] Concluding thoughts[59:01] Outro

The ACT Party has recently announced that candidates standing in local elections, if elected, will oppose attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level. ACT Local Government spokesperson, Cameron Luxton, says council's should “focus on what they can control,” and not “costly symbolic declarations”. For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party's Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about this move. We also discussed the government's sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. New Zealand has joined countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and Norway, in banning Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over allegedly “inciting extremist violence" against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and “undermin[ing] peace” for a two-state solution. Finally, we discussed changes being made to the proposed anti-stalking laws. But first, we discussed ACT candidates opposing attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.

Send us a textIn June of 2024 I spent eight days in occupied Palestine, i.e., the West Bank. It is now a year  later and I thought this report might deserve a reposting.   I went with a group of people who had religious connections.  I was the only secular academic.  I found this a valuable approach, to be with people who saw this conflict in such a different way.  This is a report on what I saw and what I concluded.  Note that this is Part I of my report.  There is also a Part II.   It is very different and reports my personal reactions much more than this one does. Note also that I have a separate report on the South African document presented to the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of Genocide.  That is a very informative podcast if you are confused on exactly what is meant by the word genocide as a legal concept.  There is also a podcast on the document before the International Criminal Court accusing Israeli (and Palestinian) leaders of war crimes. Again, both of those podcasts are meant to be briefing documents to inform the listener about the nature of confusing topics.  Go to Stocktonafterclass to find those other podcasts. 

It is impossible to overstate how hellish life in Gaza has been for the past 20 months.The death count is above 50,000 people — more than 15,000 of whom are children — and at least 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.1 million people have been displaced over and over again. Starvation is rampant. Hospitals are either damaged or closed; there are only 2,000 remaining hospital beds.Nearly two years after the atrocities of Oct. 7, Israel still has no plan for the day after the conflict ends. Instead, it is escalating its assault on what remains of Hamas and seizing territory to expand its security buffer zone. There are reports that the government is considering a plan that would herd the Gaza Strip's Palestinians into just a small fraction of the territory. In the West Bank, meanwhile, settler violence has increased sharply, and new settlements are moving forward at a record pace.Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, recently published a searing opinion essay in Haaretz, one of Israel's most influential newspapers: “Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes.” He joins me to discuss why he believes Israel's war in Gaza can no longer be justified, what he finds missing in Israel's current political leadership and why he has not yet given up hope for a two-state solution.Book Recommendations:The Gates of Gaza by Amir TibonThomas Jefferson by Jon MeachamAll or Nothing by Michael WolffWait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns GoodwinThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.htmlThis episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick and Elias Isquith. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair. Mixing by Isaac Jones and Aman Sahota. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Marina King, Jan Kobal and Kristin Lin. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Frankie Martin of the Wilson Center and to Orca Studios. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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 and political reporter Tal Schneider join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz agreed on Israel’s response to Hamas’s counter-offer to a US proposal for a hostage-ceasefire deal at their meeting yesterday, Army Radio reports. The response has been forwarded to mediators, the report says. Officials are now awaiting the terror group’s response, but in the meantime, fighting continues on the ground in Gaza. Fabian fills us in. In a first, Israeli Navy missile boats on Tuesday morning launched strikes against infrastructure at the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida in western Yemen. Fabian explains the pros and cons of using the naval forces instead of the air force for similar future attacks. The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway said Tuesday that they would freeze assets and bar the entry of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for having “incited extremist violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank. Schneider weighs in on all the various diplomatic efforts on the table designed to pressure Israel to stop the Gaza war, including the upcoming conference in New York co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia on the topic of the two-state solution. Leaders of opposition parties decided this morning to submit a private bill to dissolve the Knesset, starting the process of four votes that may -- or may not -- lead to new elections. Schneider dives into the thorny topic and explains the forces pulling strings behind the scenes. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Palestinians say 20 killed near aid site; IDF says troops fired at Gazans who posed threat Israeli Navy carries out Yemen strikes for 1st time, targeting Houthi port IDF shoots down Yemen missile; multiple interceptors launched as it breaks up UK, Canada and 3 other nations sanction Ben Gvir and Smotrich over settler violence 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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Illustrative: An LRAD missile is launched from the Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Magen during a test in November 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain, Norway, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have announced they're sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers for inciting extremist violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. London said an asset freeze and travel ban would take effect immediately against Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. We have an interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the sanctions "a shocking decision on the part of countries I consider to be allies".Also in the programme: Greenlanders' dream of international football hits reality; remarkable testimony from the men in Syria whose job it was to enforce the Assad regime of terror; and why a shortage of rice is causing such a stir in Japan.(Photo: Itamar Ben-Gvir (left) and Bezalel Smotrich are key members of PM Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition. Credit: Getty Images)

Barcelona’s Sónar Festival, a major music and technology event, is seeing artist withdrawals after revelations about its parent company, Superstruct. The live events giant is backed by the hedge fund KKR, linked to Israeli weapons makers and illegal West Bank settlements, prompting a growing boycott. In this episode: Dania Shihab, Artist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Tamara Khandaker, with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Kisaa Zehra, Mariana Navarrete, and our host, Natasha del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. Special thanks to Noelia Ramírez. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

The UK and four allies have imposed sanctions on two Israeli far-right ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are now banned from entering the UK. Also: Ten people have been shot dead at a secondary school in southern Austria - by a former pupil, who then killed himself. And the former rugby league star Billy Boston has been knighted.

Ben and guest co-host Ali Velshi kick off the show with a conversation about how Trump's policies are accelerating US brain drain, Tulsi Gabbard's Fox News-style overhaul of the Presidential Daily Brief, and the eyebrow-raising new press secretary at the Pentagon. They also talk about Ukraine's massive surprise drone strike on Russia and the stalemate between Putin and Zelensky. Additionally, they cover the horrific attack on Jewish demonstrators in Colorado, Israel and America's disastrous aid distribution operation in Gaza, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and the future of the two-state solution. Also discussed: China's advantages in the trade war, how trade wars can become real wars, and far-right politics in Poland, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Finally, Ali takes a step back to talk about being a journalist covering Trump 2.0. Ali's show Velshi airs weekends on MSNBC, and his book is Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Zionists and their defenders frequently point to the indoctrination children in the West Bank and Gaza are subjected to as proof that Palestinians are raised from birth to hate Jews generally, and Israelis specifically. Yet if you watch a recent interview Benjamin Netanyahu gave to a young Israeli boy — and specifically how the Israeli Prime Minister described the conflict with Hamas -- it would be difficult to conclude anything other than that Netanyahu himself is engaging in rank propaganda and indoctrination. Guest hosts Russell Dobular and Keaton Weiss discuss with guest Dr. Gabor Maté what Netanyahu says to the child interviewer and why it's so difficult to break Jews away from this kind of programming. Plus segments on the recent Boulder, Colorado improvised flamethrower attack, Jon Stewart raking Jake Tapper over the coals for his crappy “journalism” and DNC official David Hogg caught on video calling out Nancy Pelosi's corruption. Also featuring Kurt Metzger and Mike MacRae. And a phone call from Andrew Cuomo!

Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after leading a tumultuous efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies but ultimately failed to deliver the generational savings he had sought. During a press conference with President Trump Friday, Musk pledged that despite his departure the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would continue its work toward cutting a trillion dollars out of the federal budget Guest host Keaton Weiss and Americans' Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss how DOGE never came close to cutting the promised level of government funding, mainly because Musk and his acolytes refused to follow through on his promise to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse at the Pentagon. Plus segments on Joe Biden's bizarre threat of violence against CNN's Jake Tapper and Israel's radical ramping up of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.