UNAPOLOGETIC with Ashfaaq Carim

Stephen Kapos survived the Holocaust as a child in Nazi-occupied Hungary. In this candid interview, he recalls his time in a Jewish refugee home—hiding his identity with other children to avoid Nazi detection.He reflects on memory, survival, and the different paths his family took after the war, including his journey to London. Kapos also shares how visits to Israel opened his eyes to the country’s racism—both systemic and societal.We explore what justice looks like after atrocity, how Holocaust memory is politicised by Israel to justify war crimes, and what “Never Again” really means in today’s world. Kapos speaks about Palestine and why he continues to protest for justice. UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq CarimChapters0:00 Opening and Introduction2:28 What Kapos Wants Audiences to Take Away6:27 Growing Up Jewish in Rural Hungary9:02 German Invasion and First Encounters with Soldiers15:02 Wearing the Yellow Star and Early Dehumanisation19:01 The Kasztner Train: Bargaining With the Nazis26:22 Bergen-Belsen: Hostages in a Camp of Death33:42 Life in Hiding: False Papers and Refugee Homes37:15 Budapest Under Siege: The Final Battle44:46 Memories of Escaping Bombed-Out Buildings48:20 Arrow Cross Atrocities and Hospital Massacres53:04 Liberation by Soviet Troops56:18 Returning Home: The Destruction of a Life1:02:01 A Missed Escape: Family Wiped Out in Auschwitz1:08:27 Sorting Her Parents’ Clothes at the Camps1:11:02 Family Reunited, Then Rebuilding Begins1:14:41 Postwar Public Health and Communist Party Life1:16:48 Anti-Semitism Returns in the 1956 Uprising1:21:04 Visiting Israel and Confronting Racism1:26:04 Leaving Hungary After 1956 and Settling in the UK1:30:32 Joining Labour, Momentum and Corbyn's Rise1:33:23 The Manufactured Antisemitism Crisis1:36:46 A Tense Confrontation with Keir Starmer1:42:00 Holocaust Survivors Against Gaza Genocide1:48:00 Israel’s Global Impunity and the Role of the Holocaust1:54:00 One-State Solution and Hopes for Justice

In this episode, historian Rudolph “Butch” Ware joins us for a conversation about the global system slavery built — and how its legacy still shapes the modern world.He breaks down the myths we’ve been taught about abolition, the spiritual legacy of resistance, and how white supremacy was not just a byproduct of history, but an architecture that still defines our institutions.We also talk about Gaza, the erasure of truth in public life, and how protest and free speech are being crushed in the U.S.Butch is running for governor of California, so we ask him if this is the best way to make change, considering that he is operating in a political system that often rewards self-promotion and aggrandizement over fundamental reform.UNAPOLOGETIC is Hosted by Ashfaaq CarimChaptersUNAPOLOGETIC is Hosted by Ashfaaq CarimChapters00:00 The hidden hands behind the slave trade 03:00 The scale of the Euro-American trade 06:15 Slavery and modern capitalism 09:05 Africa’s stagnation, Europe’s rise 11:50 Early African resistance: King Afonso 14:00 Commodifying African bodies as currency 16:15 How European slavery was different 19:00 Sexual violence and trauma under slavery 22:00 Destroyed families, lost spiritual legacies 24:40 Guns, warlords, and destabilized Africa 27:15 The myth of British abolition 30:05 African Muslims fought slavery first 33:30 Gaza and the legacy of colonial brutality 36:40 White supremacy: These aren’t people 39:30 End of empire: The extinction burst 42:00 Campus repression and the imperial boomerang 45:00 Malcolm X and the betrayal of liberalism 48:00 Why Butch joined the Green Party 52:15 From mobilizing to organizing 55:00 California 2026: Breaking the duopoly 60:00 A revolutionary political strategy 65:00 Truth-telling in political theater 70:00 Student resistance and corporate campuses 74:00 A generation that’s built different 77:00 The urgency of third-party power 80:00 A final word on faith and freedom

In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, we speak with Eyal Weizman, architect, scholar, and founder of Forensic Architecture — a research agency that uses spatial investigation to expose state violence and human rights abuses.We dive deep into the ongoing genocide in Gaza, examining how Israel’s military campaign is not just a war of bombs, but one of deliberate spatial erasure. Eyal breaks down how architecture becomes both a target and a witness — revealing the design, intent, and systematic logic behind the destruction of homes, hospitals, and infrastructure.But this didn’t start on October 7th. We trace the roots of what Eyal calls an architecture of occupation and ethnic cleansing — a project stretching back to 1948 and unfolding across Gaza, the West Bank, and inside Israel itself. From settlements to bypass roads, from home demolitions to surveillance towers, we look at how space is used to control, fragment, and displace Palestinian life.We also explore the politics of documentation — how Forensic Architecture builds cases for truth and justice in a world that rewards impunity. And why, in the face of silence and suppression, bearing witness through spatial forensics becomes an act of resistance.This is a conversation about violence, memory, and the radical potential of architecture as a tool for liberation.UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim0:00 – The Architecture of Genocide1:10 – Meet Eyal Weizman & Forensic Architecture2:40 – Loss in Gaza: Partners, Friends, Colleagues5:00 – Is Documentation Enough? Facing Total Destruction7:40 – Gathering Evidence at Scale: A New Method10:10 – Destruction with Intent: Gaza as a Planned Kill Zone13:00 – Safe Zones That Kill: Al-Mawasi & Rafa15:00 – Ungrounding Gaza: Bulldozers & Memory Erasure18:00 – Rubble as Weapon: Sniper Towers, Earthworks & Traps21:30 – Making Gaza Uninhabitable: A Slow, Designed Death25:00 – Palestinian Resilience & Indigenous Survival28:30 – Architecture Against International Law30:30 – Ethnic Cleansing by Design: Since 194834:00 – The Gaza Envelope: Settler Fortresses as Siege Tools37:30 – The Tunnel Network: History, Ingenuity, Resistance42:00 – From Wells to Warfare: Indigenous Knowledge Reborn45:00 – Hollow Land: Origins of Eyal’s Work49:30 – Architecture as a Tool of Oppression53:00 – How Forensic Architecture Builds the Record57:00 – Rebuilding Gaza or Repeating Genocide?1:01:00 – The Only Just Future: Return, Equality, and One State

Helena Cobban is a journalist who has covered events in the Middle East for more than four decades. Through her reporting, she has interviewed senior leadership across Palestinian movements and political organisations and senior members of Israel’s government.Recently, she co-authored a book with Rami Khouri, an academic and journalist who has also been writing about the Middle East for decades. The book is largely a transcript of a series of conversations that the authors had with five experts who have a deep knowledge of who Hamas is, what it stands for, how it operates and what it is trying to achieve.We sat down with Helena Cobban in this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC to speak about who Hamas is, what it wants and why understanding it matters. This episode was filmed on March 12, 2025UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim00:00 Intro02:15 About the book07:15 Laws that make it difficult to speak about Hamas12:30 The genesis of Hamas20:00 Misconceptions around Hamas29:50 Introspection on their own actions34:00 Hamas beyond being a liberation movement41:00 Helena's journey covering the conflict51:00 Helena’s learnings from compiling the book56:30 How global power shifts change narratives01:04:30 Does Hamas introspect?01:12:30 What will happen to Gaza

“We have not even scratched the surface of the crimes Israel has truly committed”Former BBC journalist Karishma Patel left the BBC because of what she perceived as its editorial “double-standards” while reporting on Israel's military assault on Gaza.In this episode of Unapologetic, she takes us into the newsroom of the BBC and show’s us just how the BBC built an “Orwellian” atmosphere around coverage of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq CarimChapters01:01 Intro01:15 Welcome to unapologetic01:36 BBC an 'Orwellian' space03:20 Confronting management at the BBC08:05 Her role at the BBC09:47 Are BBC journalists ignoring or dismissing the evidence against Israel14:14 BBC coverage post October 202318:02 confrontational organising in the BBC19:41 journalists self censoring themselves25:19 her own self censoring30:56 embarrassment of the BBC's coverage36:45 the term 'Genocide'40:34 the bias of the BBC continuing until this day44:19 the BBC relying on 'authority sources'47:55 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel54:16 her aspirations when joining the BBC59:54 what she's learned the last 16 months01:03:18 Miss universe great britain01:04:46 how will history judge the BBC coverage / where will the BBC be in a decade01:10:28 outro

In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, we speak with Gideon Levy, one of Israel’s most outspoken and controversial journalists. A longtime Haaretz journalist and columnist, Levy has spent decades documenting the occupation and challenging dominant Israeli narratives. We discuss Israel’s latest assault on Gaza, Netanyahu’s political calculations, and how Israeli society has responded. We also explore how the media and culture has eroded Israeli Israel’s, the future of Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian leadership, and what a just resolution to the conflict might look like.Finally, Levy reflects on his own political transformation and what it has cost him to tell the truth in his society.UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim

Author, thinker and activist Iyad el-Baghdadi joins us on this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC to break down the impact of Israel’s war in Gaza and its wider consequences for the region.We explore Baghdadi’s hypothesis on whether Israel can survive as a Jewish supremacist state beyond the 2030s and whether a Palestinian state is still viable. We also discuss what the Arab response to Trump’s Gaza proposal reveals about regional politics. How has Israel’s genocide reshaped alliances, including Saudi-Iran relations, Egypt’s role and the UAE’s stance? What kind of normalisation is possible now, and how does it differ from the pre-Gaza war landscape?Baghdadi also reflects on his own exile from the UAE, the fragility of Arab regimes, and Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for Saudi Arabia. Is the crown prince building a new regional order, and what is the opportunity cost of his ambition?Baghdadi has also co-authored of The Middle East Crisis Factory and is the founder of the Kawaakibi FoundationUNAPOLOGETIC is Hosted by Ashfaaq Carim

Egyptian activist and blogger Hossam el-Hamalawy joins us on this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC to speak about how Egypt has changed under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and how Israel’s war and genocide in Gaza has affected his rule.In this extended interview el-Hamalawy recalls the context of the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak’s rule, why Mohamed Morsi lost power and Sisi’s coup. We explore how suppression and economic mismanagement under Sisi have weakened the Egyptian state. When Israel’s war on Gaza broke out, an injection of loans into Egypt kept the economy afloat, but 16 months later that now means Egypt’s national debt is much higher. That, coupled with uneasiness over what may still happen to the people in Gaza and Sisi’s conduct during the war and his 11-year suppression of his people, has left him vulnerableUNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim

In this extended interview, Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, reacts to the statements and plans and remarks of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made it clear that his intention is for the U.S to “have” Gaza and to clear out the Palestinians so that it can be rebuilt.Barghouti also speaks about how Israel has stepped up attacks on the West Bank, and how ethnic cleansing there has accelerated. He draws on the history of the conflict to show how Israel has always intended to ethnically cleanse historical Palestine completely. Despite this, Mustafa Barghouti remains defiant and says that Palestinians would rather “die”, than be forced to leave their homelands, again.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:55 reaction to Trump and King Abdullah presser11:45 What do you know of the Arab response?18:30 Gaza’s defiance27:00 West Bank and prisoners33:45 How much legitimacy has the PA lost?38:15 Palestinian liberation connected to greater Arab liberation42:00 Is there an ally in the new Syria?45:30 Do you fear for your own life, final thoughts

In an extended interview, Norman Finkelstein, the political analyst and author who has studied Palestine and Israel for decades, speaks to us about the fate facing Palestinians.Finkelstein gives his frank views on how Israel, along with the Trump administration, will continue and accelerate its plan to ethnically cleanse Palestinians as much as they can in the area between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea.Over the course of the discussion, Finkelstein speaks about how the current ceasefire is just a temporary respite. We discuss the feasibility of Donald Trump and BenjaminNetenyahu’s idea to transfer the people of Gaza elsewhere, how Jordan and Egypt will react to that, what it means for broader Israeli and Arab normalisation, international law and Israel’s record of trying to evade international justice, the tenuous position of the current president of the International Court of Justice, Julia Sebutinde. We also take in a short history of Palestinian resistance and Hamas’ historical efforts at diplomacy. And we speak about Finkelstein’s reflections over the last year on the devastation that Israel’s genocide has wreaked, his family and why he has dedicated so much of his time to studying and advocating for justice.Chapters:00:00 Intro02:57 Ceasefire and potential transfer13:05 How feasible is a forced exodus31:04 Scale of destruction and annexation of the West Bank47:04 What about Egypt and Jordan53:06 Israel and the long arc of history01:05:00 Israel’s dark arts with international justice01:24:00 Julia Sebutinde compromised01:42:00 Does international law still matter?01:53:00 A short history of Palestinian resistance02:08:00 Finkelstein’s family and interest in Palestine02:16:30 Is this the lowest point for the Palestinian struggle?

Anat Matar is an Israeli academic and philosopher who is leading an open call from Israelis to have sanctions imposed on their own country.Since Israel’s genocide in Gaza began after the events of 7 October, Matar and a few other Israelis have seen the social space around them get narrower and narrower, as mainstream Israeli society, educators, media institutions and leaders have stood behind Israel’s war. As we reflect in our conversation, some parts of Israeli society may differ on the tactics being used, but the vast majority stand behind the army's actions on the whole and defend or deny their country’s obvious and very visible atrocities.This episode was recorded on 11 November 2024.00:00 Intro05:25 Macabe Tel Aviv slogans and Israeli media08:30 How Israeli society justifies war crimes11:30 What are anti-government protests in Israel all about?16:20 The open letter to sanction Israel20:20 What was the societal discourse like 18 months ago24:00 Academic and social media freedoms in Israel33:00 Situation for Palestinians who are Israeli citizens37:40 What has happened to the media in Israel - Haaretz41:51 Is Israel safe for you?45:00 Anat’s early life and childhood48:00 Oslo accords’ shortcomings and settlers53:45 Endgame for Gantz, Lieberman and Lapid58:30 Israel’s expansionist nature01:03:30 Zionism’s future and normalisation01:09:40 Will the call for sanctions work?01:14:20 What will the legacy of the genocide be in Israel

Gamal Mansour is a Syrian-Palestinian who was forced to move to Canada in 2012, as the Syrian uprising was turning into a civil war.Mansour is also a political scientist who is currently researching strategies that the business sector under the Assad regime employed so that they could remain autonomous from the state.In this marathon three-hour conversation, Gamal Mansour and the host Ashfaaq Carim discuss the genesis of the Syrian uprising amidst the Arab Spring and how it turned into a civil war; what the impact and scale of the war was both in terms of human devastation and in terms of ideological impact it had in the West and the Arab world, as Europe and North America moved to the right and Islamic State was born; and how brutal and devastating Assad's tactics in the war were.They try to make sense of all the conflicting voices that are clashing over what the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham liberation of Damascus means, and are critical of the reluctance amongst the anti-US-imperial left to embrace the new reality in Damascus as most Syrians are.

“In Israel they are either bigots, fanatics, sometimes murderous ones… and they are cowards… and unfortunately there is no brave figure that I can see” - Offer Cassif, Israeli MPIsraeli MP Offer Cassif has been staunchly against Israel’s long occupation of Palestine and has been highly critical of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The coalition he is a part of consists of only five seats out of 120 in the Israeli Knesset.He joined us for a second time on UNAPOLOGETIC to discuss how Israeli society is largely embracing its leadership’s descent into a “fully fledged fascist dictatorship”.Chapters00:00 Intro01:10 The war and Israeli society’s response07:37 Understanding the thinking of the Israeli government - subjugation plan16:58 The genocide and the international reaction to it23:02 How can this war be scaled back and ICC warrants?28:52 The make-up of the Israeli Knesset34:02 Going back to Rafah36:58 Unpacking the forged documents scandal42:00 Would Gantz or Lapid be any different?52:58 How a negotiated peace can occur - South Africa1:03:03 Unpacking resistance inside Israel1:07:00 Internal repression in Israel01:11:07 Is Israel sustainable? 01:16:30 Juxtaposing Palestinian dignity with Israel

Professor Roy Casagranda is an expert in history and political science.He has hosted a series of lectures that are available on YouTube explaining the history of the Americas, the slave trade, colonialism, and the Arab world and the Middle East.In this extended interview, Casagranda takes us on a history lesson that includes the Sykes-Picot agreement, CIA-orchestrated coups in Syria and Iran, various wars, doctrines, betrayals and policies that show just how damaging and cynical US meddling in the Middle East has been over the last century.

South Africa’s former minister of international relations, Naledi Pandor, speaks to us about the why South Africa took Israel to court for genocide. We also speak about why the world has still not yet intervened decisively and has allowed Israel to continue its onslaught in Gaza, whether international institutions will break down under a new Trump presidency and in the aftermath of Israel’s impunity, changes in global power away from the North towards a more multipolar reality, and what can be done to stop Israel.Pandor grew up in a political family and as a child she was exiled from South Africa to go to Lesotho, Zambia and the United Kingdom, where her family contributed to South Africa’s freedom struggle. She draws on that experience and from her experience as being part of South Africa’s democratic government for three decades to tell us the challenges that lie ahead for Palestinian liberation and offers advice on how that road can be trodden.

“Fighting racism in silos that was invented by racism doesn’t make any sense.”Rachel Shabi is an author, journalist and commentator, and she has recently published her second book, Off-White: The Truth About Antisemitism.Shabi joined us for a conversation about her book, the fate of Arab-Jewish identity, how Israel’s war on Gaza is polarising global society and how the racist logic that defined so many colonial crimes is still at play today, justifying war crimes in the last few decades.Chapters00:00 Intro 02:04 How significant is the war in Gaza06:24 Why you chose to write Off-White and being an Iraqi Jew12:30 How did 7th October impact Off-White15:30 The wealth and loss of her Arab-Jewish identity19:25 Arab-Jewish displacement from origin countries27:30 Journey with Palestinian liberation31:10 The Iraq war36:20 The fakery of whiteness and origins of antisemitism42:20 Haven't all empires weaponised racism?47:54 How the US policy in the Middle East fuels antisemitic tropes53:15 Why does racist bias self-perpetuate and its consequences01:03:02 How can Jewish societies be safe01:08:12 What will be the future of Israel-Palestine?01:10:14 The single takeaway from your book, Off-White

“I think the Arab leaders are going to be the victims of this genocide in Gaza.”Wadah Khanfar is the founder and executive director of the Al-Sharq Forum. He is also the former director general of the Al Jazeera Media Network.We speak to Khanfar about Gaza, the prospect of regional war, what it means to be a Palestinian and an Arab at this moment in time, and how the frustration being felt by Arabs due to “genocide” in Gaza will manifest itself.Khanfar also recalls his time as a journalist in Afghanistan and Iraq and how the challenges he faced there compare with what journalists in Gaza are going through now. And he speaks about what inspired him to write his book, The first Spring, which is about what drove the strategic goals of the Prophet Muhammad.

In a conversation with Dr. Azzam Tamimi - who is a scholar of political science and has written books on the history of Hamas - we discuss the legacy of Yahya Sinwar.Was it a miscalculation for Israel to release footage of how the Hamas leader was killed? What will it mean for the war? What are Israel's war ambitions and will they succeed?

“It’s not just that the US is complicit in this genocide, the US itself is responsible for this genocide”.A year after the events of 7 October, Joseph Massad speaks about Israel's response and what it has all meant and could mean for the region.Massad speaks about how Israel acts as an extension of US imperial policy. His unapologetic analysis is that it’s an “absurd argument” that the US is being dragged into wars it does not want by Israel and rather the the US has “pushed Israel to be more aggressive in the region since 1967”.We also speak about the prospect of regional war and how that will play out, the response of Arab countries which in his view have continued to support Israel, how the media have covered the last year, what has driven the devastation in Gaza, the future of the region and so much more.

Saying it is antisemitic to oppose genocide is the most antisemitic statement of all"Who is Jill Stein?In this extended interview, Jill Stein speaks about what drives her to want to change the way the USA is governed. We speak about her early life and the events and ideas that inspired her, and the experiences that convinced her that the best way to make the USA a better country - and more responsible global power - is to try and challenge the political status quo, in particular the machinery of the Democratic and Republican parties. She talks about why she chose to do this from outside the machine as a Green Party candidate.She speaks about how “the squad” of Democratic progressives in Congress have inevitably lost their ability to influence change due to the corrosive nature of party politics. Stein believes that the Democrats and Republicans are “evil parties”, one “conducting a genocide” and the other wanting to “dismantle nuclear weapons treaties”, and that neither party represents the American people.She is hopeful that the Green Party could quadruple the vote it achieved in the 2016 election, meaning it could gain almost six million votes.She says that in the unlikely event that she wins the election, she would immediately stop the “genocide in Gaza”.

“That’s part of an empire that has grown rich and grown powerful but refuses to grow up” - Cornel West.In an impassioned and lengthy conversation, Dr Cornel West unapologetically shares moments from his life that shaped him and his ideas and inspired his decision to run as a US presidential candidate.He reflects on his upbringing in the West household, the influence that his parents had on him, how his grandmother was left to bleed to death on the stairs of a whites-only hospital at the age of 31 and how his uncle was lynched.Dr West also speaks about the influence that Malcolm X and Dr Martin Luther King had on him, his years studying and teaching at Harvard, Princeton and Yale, and how the civil rights movement has evolved throughout his life. He addresses his “critical” support for and eventual disillusionment with Barack Obama, as well as the reasons behind his current presidential run, Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and the “hypocrisy”, “mendacity” and “criminality” of the US political system.

Andrew Feinstein was born in South Africa in the 1960s, during the era of grand apartheid. He joined the struggle for a free South Africa, and was deployed by Nelson Mandela to serve in South Africa’s democratically elected parliament.The corruption he saw in the higher echelons of power through arms deals led him to move to the UK, where he subsequently wrote multiple books that investigated corruption in the global arms trade.Feinstein is a Jew. His mother survived the Gestapo by hiding in a coal cellar for three and a half years. His broad conviction to uphold human dignity and stand against all forms of discrimination was embedded in him through his mum’s nurturing. For this reason he opposes Israel, which he believes is an apartheid state that is much worse than the apartheid he witnessed and benefited from as a white South African.Feinstein is now running as an independent candidate for his constituency in central London, Holborn and St Pancras, against the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer.If he succeeds, Labour may be forced to choose a new leader, who is also heavily tipped to be the UK’s next PM.In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC Andrew Feinstein shares his life experiences and tells us why international law and civility are at stake at this present moment.

“There shall be no trace of Palestinian society, culture, history because they going to be wiped out… This is I think the plan for the Zionists.”Mads Gilbert is a Norwegian anesthesiologist and emergency medicine specialist who has made frequent trips since 1982 to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza to help deliver urgent medical care to Palestinian victims of Israeli atrocities.On UNAPOLOGETIC he shares his experiences, and how by providing medical services he has come to understand both Israel and the Palestinian liberation struggle against occupation and colonisation. He is a firm advocate on the right for Palestinians to resist the occupation with arms within the confines of International law.He is a firm advocate on the right for Palestinians to resist the occupation with arms within the confines of International law.

Ofer Cassif represents the Hadash Party in the Israeli Knesset and he has been openly calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a ‘genocide’.In this extended interview, Cassif gives insights into the political climate inside Israeli society and the Israeli government. He speaks about the “subjugation” plan, a document put forth by far-right members of the Israeli government (who are now key figures in the leading coalition) which details how what he says is a plan to either ethnically cleanse greater Israel from Palestinians or have them continue living under an ever-increasing brutal occupation that makes life for Palestinians in the occupied territories unliveable.Cassif also speaks about how Netanyahu is “terrified” about proceedings at the ICJ, how Israeli society is becoming increasingly polarised, how Israel has already moved towards a “fascist” reality and how the government is using October 7th to make Israel a fully fledged "autocratic state".He also speaks about his early life and how his political views developed despite of the cultural climate in Israel where “brainwashing” was rampant.00:00 Intro01:15 How has the knesset responded to you03:40 What kind of home and society did Ofer live in07:30 Brainwashing in Israeli society12:30 being conscripted into the Israeli army14:25 being the first person imprisoned to refuse to serve 17:00 Studying in London influence of Yeshayahu Leibowitz19:30 How "Judaeo Nazism" was born21:45 Losing friends on October 7th and Israel's brutal reaction24:45 Fascism becoming mainstream in Israel and police brutality28:00 We are "in the midst of a cold civil war"30:30 Climate in Israel before October 7th - protests33:00 How the government is using Gaza to make Israel an autocratic state36:00 The subjugation plan39:00 How would you have responded to October 7th if you were PM41:57 Cassif's vision for a solution44:30 What to do about settlers and right of return48:29 Gaza, Rafah and international pressure50:30 Netanyahu is a "psychopath"53:30 Biden's double standards55:30 Factors that determine a "wider operation in Gaza"58:30 Netanyahu is terrified about the ICJ1:00:30 how does international pressure impact Israeli society1:03:00 False claims of anti-semitism1:05:00 Will Israeli society have a reckoning1:07:25 How the society is being split1:10:05 Justice for Gaza - How?1:13:15 Let's hope there is no wider operation against Rafah

Hamid Dabashi is an Iranian-American professor at Columbia University. He has authored more than 20 books and has expertise in subject areas including Iran, US foreign policy, the Middle East, identity politics and empire. Dabashi grew up in Ahvaz in Iran, moved to Tehran in the 1970s and then relocated to the USA with his family in 1976.In this interview he speaks about what life was like growing up in an Iran that was ruled by the CIA-backed shah and what it was like experiencing the Iranian revolution from afar, seeing the repressive regime of the Shah being replaced by a repressive theocracy.Dabashi then touches on confronting the US empire and white supremacy as a brown-skinned Muslim in a period when the US has been engaged in wars in Arab and Muslim lands. He recollects his long-standing friendship with the Palestinian intellectual Edward Said and how they as faculty of Columbia University along with other colleagues planted seeds that have blossomed into what have become solidarity protests with the Palestinian national cause on Columbia’s campus, which he describes as a “glorious sight”.Dabashi believes that zionism, white supremacy and any other settler colonial ideology will inevitably be doomed. Hosted by Ashfaaq Carim00:00 Intro00:55 Impact of growing up in Iran, two years after Mossadegh was removed by the CIA04:58 Life in Ahwaz, cosmopolitan family, vodka and Umm Kulthoom07:49 Was the repression under the shah apparent and June 1963 uprising10:10 Political discussion inside the Dabashi household11:10 Going to study undergraduate degree in Tehran in the 1970s13:20 Getting an education be reading banned books15:00 The sense of subversiveness in1970s Iran under the Shah 17:30 Gained in translation - learning from anti-colonials around the world20:08 Immigrating to the USA in 1976 - did you feel a revolution was on the way24:15 Living in the USA while the Iranian revolution is taking place26:15 Your own sentiments on the Iranian revolution28:00 How Khomeini crushed opposition 30:45 Limited media access in the USA to understand the revolution32:15 What does't the west understand about Iran - immigrants civilising the pallet of the USA35:00 On becoming more rooted in the USA37:00 Did you think the Mullahs would still be in charge of Iran for so long39:00 Edward Said and the exilic condition40:48 Why would Iran unravel42:15 How has living inside of empire changed you - 9/11 and the Gulf Wars45:00 Becoming more conscious of being a muslim after 9/1148:15 U.S moving away from real politik and into ideological white supremacy51:00 When BLM took statues down and the racism of European enlightenment55:00 How has Zionism used white supremacy59:45 When Hamid Dabashi and Edward Said first tried to do a divestment campaign at Columbia01:03:00 On being a subversive academic01:06:00 The importance and diversity of the present protests01:07:30 Attempts to delegitimise the protests are futile - The NYT should be studied for bias01:10:30 The juxtaposition of calling out empire while being in the centre of empire01:12:50 When Edward Said was demonised01:16:20 Being critical of everything is liberating01:18:20 What would Edward Said's reaction be to all that is going on01:22:00 When will we see Palestinian liberation01:24:30 One state solution is the only solution01:27:00 The protestors are the moral conscious of the time01:28:00 Judaism is being liberated from zionism01:29:14 Who's gonna save humanity from white supremacy

“You (the coloniser) must punish them (the colonised) with a scale of violence that mocks the resistance”Professor Rudolph Ware, also known as Butchware on social media, speaks about his upbringing and how reading the autobiography of Malcolm X inspired him.He shares his thoughts on how he believes Malcolm X would have responded to the 7 October attacks, the important legacy and “moral obligation” to resist colonialism and how that applies to Palestinians.Professor Ware explains how ‘exemplary violence’ was used to dehumanise slaves and how it is being applied by Israel in Palestine right now, while “liberal” media and “liberal” powers provide cover.He also speaks about white supremacy. He criticises people who are platforming Candace Owens on Palestine as “hurtful” to the black community and damaging to fostering true solidarity. He pulls no punches. Shaun King, LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick, Trevor Noah and the “crocodile tears” that are used to justify the spilling of the blood of brown and black people all come under the microscope.00:00 intro00:57 Professor Rudoplh Ware aka Dr. Belal01:48 Any thinking black man in America is an expert on white supremacy02:26 The drumbeat for dehumanization after October 7th06:12 expand on 'they will kill your name and say that you liked it' 07:40 "Do you condemn Hamas" as the question that precedes all other questions08:50 Butchware's upbringing11:30 world flips when moving to white suburbs13:17 Deciding to study history and Malcolm X15:00 Reading the autobiograohy of Malcolm X19:45 how would Malcolm X would have responded to the events of Oct 7th?23:40 Hamas's resistance within the framework of the power imbalance27:30 The fiqh of fighting, resistance and being outnumbered29:18 Exemplary violence, how it works and how it is being applied in Palestine34:00 Zionism as White supremacy and disparity of violence38:00 On being ambivalent about the genocide41:20 on Mandela, if peace is not an option to move forward then you should fight42:18 Weaponising white femininty to unleash violence on non-whites47:20 White supremacy being dismantled47:39 do you think that white supremacy is on the decline and why?52:30 Zionims on its last gasp55:40 support for Palestine vs opportunism, Candace Owen and Tucker Carlson01:02:00 Palestinian Resistance does not need Shaun King01:10:20 liberalism as a cover for Atrocities and how that works01:16:22 white supremacists vs liberal white supremacists01:19:40 liberal white supremacists' biggest fight with white supremacists is over the story that is being told01:22:25 are these protests different because the kids protesting are dissasociating from the problem of liberalism01:29:13 Nixon pulled out of Vietnam01:33:13 Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick and Trevor Noah01:37:19 the double standards of the media, the shift in the official/media narrative, no lessons learnt from the Iraq war 01:44:04 unfinished question - on Israel losing/the Palestinians not giving up1:46:30 Can the USA save itself01:49:43 outro

Miko Peled is the son of a decorated Israeli general. His grandfather was one of 37 Israelis who signed Israel’s declaration of independence.His mother came from a wealthy family of “blue-blooded” Zionists, yet even though she has lived her whole life in support of Israel, she would lament to her son about the unfortunate ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Jerusalem in 1948. Peled had his doubts about Israel’s occupation ever since its actions in Lebanon in 1982, but his eyes were fully opened after he did a tour of the occupied territories in the early 2000s. It was then clear to him that Israel was involved in what is now an “eight decades-long ethnic cleansing and genocide” of Palestinians.Peled believes that Israel will stop at nothing if given the opportunity to completely ethnically cleanse Gaza and the West Bank; it’s just a matter of when and how.The only thing that will stop Israel, he believes, is if the international community forces it to, by imposing "sanctions immediately".00:00 Intro00:57 Growing up as the proud son of an Israeli general02:30 Grandfather was on of 25 people who signed Israel's declaration of Independence03:30 Father's role in pushing a two-state solution05:15 Influence of Mother who was "zionist blue blood" 07:00 Mom's recollection of the ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem in 194808:45 Cognitive dissonance and living with contradictions10:25 Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 198212:30 Sabra and Shatila Massacres and the bombing of Beirut being eye-opening13:45 Embarking on the Journey of an Israeli in Palestine and meeting Palestinians15:45 Niece killed in 1997 by a suicide bomber17:30 Confronting Ehud Barak at the funeral19:05 The two state solution was never taken seriously by Israel21:15 The path of tears24:00:00 The only solution a complete solution with full rights to Palestinians25:50:00 Has Israeli society changed much in the last 20 years?28:00:00 Israeli society has been racist for eight decades now29:30:00 I've always been weary that Israel's brutality could get more horrific31:30:00 The only way to stop this "genocide" is to force an end to it33:00:00 October 7th and Israel being a "paper tiger"35:00:00 The U.S, UK and others are completely complict and their stances will not change37:00:00 Protests are great but we need to be meeting with those in power39:00:00 This could be a watershed moment or a footnote40:00:00 Israel's end game is ethnic cleansing - the world needs a response42:00:00 Conditions in Gaza, people are dying from small cuts43:30:00 Israel is the problem45:00:00 We need sanctions now, not the next generation

“It became almost part of American values, post 9/11, to demonise the Middle East.”Jess Natale created the Instagram account So.Informed in 2020 so that she could keep her colleagues who were campaigning for Bernie Sanders up to date with information and facts that were well sourced.Once Bernie dropped out, the account became a reference that sourced reliable information that aimed to pushback against misinformation being spread by Donald Trump supporters.Now, four years later, So.informed has 3.1 million followers, unapologetically criticises Israel’s occupation and atrocities, and strongly advocates for a free Palestine.In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC we speak with the person behind the account, Jess Natale, who tells us why she started the account, how her perspectives were shaped by her country’s and father’s reaction to 9/11. How she learnt about Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the content journey she has been on with so.informed since it began.Other episodes of UNAPOLOGETIC can be seen here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySmZCDwUxqccJkdFSC27TTI&si=nmawha50CjsLmV4wChapters00:00 Intro01:00 Lessons from the last six months01:45 Starting so.informed, Trump and Bernie05:10 How do you manage to run so.informed07:30 Thoughts on mainstream media11:00 Moving from presenting information to having a voice13:05 May 2021 Covering West Bank and the reaction to that15:00 Receiving death threats17:30 influence of the Iraq War and 9/1120:00 hate crime at a gas station and relationship with her father23:30 How has the page been received since doubling down on Palestine.25:00 Shutting down thinking about followers27:15 Being disappointed with Bernie Sanders and AOC reaction to Gaza31:30 Will the U.S government become more humane on Palestine?34:00 Special interest groups or plain old white supremacy36:00 What will the USA be like in 2040?38:30 Stuck between Genocide Joe and Donald Trump, what do voters do?41:00 Would Obama or Bernie done a better job the Joe on Gaza43:30 Will the world heal from this atrocity46:00 Iran has had no affect of protest action47:30 The settler apartheid state needs to come to an end50:00 The spirit of PalestiniansSubscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWHSubscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TGMiddle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.netFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteyeFollow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEyeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEyeFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye

Rabbi Elhanan Beck has lived outside of Israel since he was three years old, this is despite the fact that his family lineage in what he calls “Palestine” goes back seven generations.Beck stands with what he says are the vast majority of Orthodox Jews who strongly oppose Israel. Their reason: The Jewish religious principle that Jews need to live in exile until the “peaceful” arrival of the messiah, and because of the “oppression” and “brutality” that Israel is built upon.In this in-depth interview Rabbi Elhanan speaks about Judaism, Israel and Zionism and reacts to what he openly calls Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.00:00 Intro00:56 Rabbi early life and connection to the holocaust04:41 Life in England and anti-Israel activism09:02 Judaism as a religion vs a race or state12:53 The idea of Jewish people being in exile and what it means13:30 What is Zionism15:49 Zionism and Judaism - compatibility22:20 The Rabbi's perception of non-religious Jews28:28 The Problem with Zionism32:27 Orthodox Jews and the state of Israel35:27 How Zionism adopted some Orthodox Rabbis38:27 The Orthodox Rabbi's who support Israel?40:27 Jewish persecution in Europe 42:27 Jews who live in the muslim world44:27 How Mossad created a rift between Jews and Muslim Arabs46:27 Jewish rabbi speaks about no anti-semitism in Iran48:27 What about having a fair and just Jewish state52:49 Why some Orthodox Rabbi's support Zionism - protection vs belief58:49 Isreal is the most unsafe place for Jewish people01:03:54 Media doesn't show Orthodox Jews who are anti-zionist01:04:59 taking a moment to break fast01:06:33 Did he Rabbi always want to be a Rabbi01:07:55 When did the state of Israel first hurt you?01:09:12 How would you feel if you were in Gaza01:11:55 Palestinian relationship with Jews01:15:15 The Rabbi's feelings on Hamas and October 7th01:18:15 Why Israel as a state cannot succeed01:21:27

This is Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed’s harrowing, nearly three hour account of all that she witnessed while covering Gaza.Youmna El Sayed has reported from Gaza for more than a decade. She was in Gaza on 7 October when Hamas attacked Israel and then remained in Gaza covering Israel's assault on the strip. In this in-depth conversation over nearly three hours she recollects events as she remembers them unfolding. From waking to the sound of rockets being fired into Israel on 7 October, to then finding herself and her family forcibly displaced five times in the ensuing bombardment as she covered the war.She speaks about the scarcity of food and water, losing colleagues who were killed, needing to evacuate her family while fearing for their lives, literally stepping over the remains of dead bodies, and so much moreThrough all of the above El Sayed continued her work as a journalist for Al Jazeera until she and her family managed to evacuate Gaza to Cairo, where they are presently living.She also speaks about the challenges that now face her and her family and the residents of Gaza as many of them face a future where they do not know if they will ever be able to go back to their homes which now lie in ruins.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:10 what can you remember about October 7th04:00 Going to the bureau and starting to cover the war06:30 thoughts on what Israel's retaliation would have been 09:30 Preparing your family for what is going to happen12:11 Not being able to be close to your family as bombs are falling on your neighbourhood 18:15 My kids we terrified, only able to sleep in my arms20:12 Palestinians don't have choices, they just need to endure23:23 Bombardments of the night vs bombardments of the day26:44 Leaving home37:06 Having no water or food38:04 how what you see changes your soul39:52 Bearing witness to what I never thought I would see43:45 The child with the blue backpack01:00:55 On Joe biden01:09:24 Bombing Jabaliyah refugee camp and almost dying01:14:17 If we die, we all die together as a family01:17:38 anonymous call 01:24:39 we will be killed because of you01:26:40 when I started to feel that I would be killed because I was a journalist01:27:52 Youmna and family leave Gaza city for a 2nd time01:32:29 taking shelter with 60 people in a small apartment building01:39:57 bodies decomposing on roads and crossings01:44:36 having conversations on leaving Gaza and where to go01:52:26 Walking to Khan Younis with Wael Dahdouh01:56:43 Walking through the corridor of death02:00:39 ceasefire and going to the beach02:05:44 Isreal begins ground operation in Khan Younis, going to Rafah02:09:39 How Youmna and family left Gaza02:14:38 having fate that they would be able to leave02:17:08 adjusting to life in Cairo and PTSD02:23:40 On losing Al Jazeera colleague and friends - Samer and Hamza02:28:47 What if there is no Gaza to return to02:32:48 Where will Palestinians in Gaza go to02:34:05 Will Gaza be ethnically cleansed02:37:19 What does accountability look like02:41:00 consequences of there being no accountabilitySubscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWHSubscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TGMiddle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.netFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteyeFollow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEyeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEyeFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye

Over the course of a lengthy discussion, Mustafa Barghouti recollects his life from growing up as a child in Ramallah, which was then controlled by Jordan, to the present Israeli assault on Gaza. Topics covered include how the 1967 War and subsequent Israeli occupation changed his life and propelled him to become a medical doctor and into political activism, studying medicine abroad. He describes life under occupation and the hopes that the First Intifada brought, the failed Oslo peace process and his role in those negotiations, how he was shot in 1996 by Israeli security forces, the decades-long brutality of the Israeli army, the Second Intifada, the death of Yasser Arafat, Palestinian elections in 2006 and the civil war, the siege of Gaza. He talks about the 7 October, how the media perceives the current assault by Israel on Gaza, and the future of Palestinian liberation.Recorded on 22nd February 2024Topic breakdown00:00 - Intro00:37 - Growing up in Ramallah02:44 - Impact of the 1967 War and occupation05:55 - How occupation changed regular life07:17 - How long did you think the occupation will last08:54 - Why he studied Medicine in Russia13:25 - Life after returning home15:00 - The occupation tightening it's grip on Palestinians17:24 - Contributions as a medical doctor18:55 - Palestinian resistance before the 1987 uprising23:37 - Circumstances around the Oslo peace process26:35 - Israel's policy of breaking bones28:30 - The Oslo accords33:00 - How Oslo was doomed to fail34:31 - Netanyahu come to power in 199637:10 - thoughts on the 2nd uprising39:20 - Reflections on Yasser Arafat41:39 - 2006 election and civil war and siege45:27 - The situation on October 6th49:02 - October 7th and crisis in Gaza55:13 - Response to Israel's genocide and US position1:11:00 - Media bias and racism1:14:30 - Israel's intentions in Gaza1:18:30 - Inadequate world reaction1:22:15 - the way forward for Palestinians1:24:00 - hopes for the year 2050UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim

“I saw evidence that really challenged everything that I knew”Ilan Pappe shares how he came across historical documents back in 1978 that debunked Zionist myths and set him off on his journey to becoming an Israeli dissident, why what is going on in Gaza is a ‘genocide’ that is much worse than the Nakba of 1948, and why he thinks Zionism is near its end.Episode Outline00:00 Introduction00:30 What was the Nakba?04:23 Zionist fabrications around the Nakba09:15 Gaza compared to 1948 Nakba12:12 Why did you decide to study the Nakba14:34 Meeting Palestinian academics17:00 False assumptions I took for granted19:07 How did you approach the documents21:10 how I became secure in my work and my findings21:45 being forced out of Haifa University24:40 life in Israel as a dissident27:30 Getting sh*t parcels in the mail29:30 Observations on Israeli society becoming racist32:30 The Israeli education system indoctrinating a new society36:25 Israel's ruthlessness in Gaza now38:30 Gaza a strategic challenge to Zionist project40:15 What happens in Gaza now43:30 What Israel is doing now will lead to a strategic loss for Israel45:00 Reasons why Zionism will come to an endUNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq CarimRecorded on the 22nd February 2024Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net

‘I mean from October we were saying this is ethnic cleansing and these are war crimes… If you follow the statements from Israeli leaders and the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza…. It was clear what they doing…they were eliminating Gaza, making sure that life in Gaza would never be back [to] the same way it was.’In an extended interview, Reverend Dr Munther Isaac, the Lutheran pastor of Bethlehem, speaks about growing up under occupation, how Palestinian Christains have often been failed by the international Church, how the war in Gaza in an extension of colonialism and the world’s inaction to stop what he says is a clear case of genocide and ethnic cleansing