Lara and Michael investigate how the occupation is repeating the atrocities they’ve committed in Gaza for the past 11 months in the West Bank. More than 70% of the streets in Jenin have been bulldozed, and only within a few days. Lara points out how the Biden administration only talks about ‘lessening the civilian casualties’ rather than sanctioning Israel for the genocide. She goes on to highlight why polio vaccinations have been allowed by the Israeli government; it’s purely to protect Israeli children from getting the disease which has already paralyzed at least one Palestinian child. In an act of resistance, Medo Halimy would plant and tend to his garden, citing that the Israelis only take life, but Palestinians create it. He was recently killed in an Israeli airstrike while on the beach with his friends. Michael talks about New York University updating its code of conduct to include zionism as a protected class, and how no other political ideology has this protection. Meta continues to crack down on Palestinian sentiment by censoring posts mentioning zionism in a political context; Michael points out that the very nature of zionism is political; an apolitical zionist post does not exist. Lara mentions how the US has said nothing regarding the mass rape of Palestinian prisoners. Michael points out how the media were the first to be tried at the Nuremberg trials, and Lara emphasizes the legal precedents of media outlets, like the New York Times, being held accountable for inciting violence through their publications; she cites the Rwanda genocide and 3 journalists found guilty along with the importance of independent media at a time like this.

Lara and Michael welcome Amanda Gelender; writer, activist, and Jewish-American anti-zionist. She eloquently breaks down zionism and speaks about its stark contrast to Judaism. Michael points out how the occupation is literally sacrificing Jews in order to ‘win this war’ against Palestinian civilians. Evangelical Christianity and its ties to zionism are explored along with the antisemitic roots of zionism; wanting to expel the Jewish population from Europe is at the core of the movement. Lara speaks about self-determination of Palestinians, and how this is often confused with antisemitism in the western media. She clarifies that Palestinians don’t hate their oppressor because of their religion, they hate them because of their treatment. Amanda explores how this could possible end; it’s not with a petition, as ‘Israel’ has said that they won’t put down their weapons even if a ceasefire deal is signed. It’s a week of ideology and exploring how vocabulary is weaponized to restrict the justice and freedom of Palestinians.

Lara and Michael both admit to sitting Netanyahu’s speech in congress out, even though America’s elected officials stood for him 58 times. They joke about the multiple suitcases of dirty laundry that he’s brought to the United States for years, and Michael points out that the west also supported the Nazi regime at its height. Lara dissects his claims regarding having killed almost no civilians, while doctors in Gaza testify to treating children with multiple sniper wounds to the head and chest; clearly by design. Lara emphasizes the importance of rebutting the narrative and she uses South Africa’s written narrative of apartheid to counter false claims as the example. Nearly eradicated diseases, such as polio, have begun to to spread throughout Palestine. It’s clear that this is part of Netanyahu’s plan to ‘finish the job’. In political news, Lara breaks down how and why the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas & Fatah, have joined together to present a united front. She goes on to point out how Mahmoud Abbass called off the 2021 elections, and how new, free and fair elections are vital for Palestine to establish a democracy. The duo also points out the hypocrisy of organizations like JNF (Jewish National Fund) and how they participate in greenwashing.

This week, Lara and Michael sit down with the Associate Professor of Law at Queen’s University, Dr. Ardi Imseis. Dr. Imseis has testified at the UN commission of inquiry into the civil war in Yemen, he’s served with UNRWA, and he’s testified for the UN security council and the UN human rights council among many other accolades. He’s also the author of ’The United Nations and the Question of Palestine: Rule by Law and the Structure of International Legal Subalternity.’ This is a fascinating interview, touching on all the major transition points in Palestine from 1947 onwards. Dr. Imseis’ main observation is that the promise of justice made through the initial partition of Palestine is one in which the goalposts are continually moved, and that Palestine, as an outlier among international law cases, is one of legal subalternity. He uses the decolonization movement from many former British and French entities (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq) as an example, and points out how this has missed Palestinians. The biggest key moment, he theorizes, was the General Assembly Resolution of 1947 which legally partitioned Palestine to 509,000 Arabs compared 499,000 Jews, yet called for a democratic state in which the minority was to be in power. The very set up of ‘the state of Israel’ was therefore flawed. At the time of partition, the Jewish population amounted to 5.6%, whereas the Arab population was 56%, however the UN General Assembly gave the majority of the land to the new Jewish state. The right of Palestinian self-determination was comprised from the onset of this ruling, and the consequences of those decisions remain today. Following the Nakba, Palestinians were referred to as an ‘ignorant majority’, and no accountability has been offered since, defying the UN’s obligations under international law to prohibit denationalization. Michael points out how Jewish people publicly opposed zionism during the 1919 Jewish Labor Congress. Lara adds that the Palestinian right of return is the most fundamental among rights. This week’s episode provides a deep dive into the limits of international law; how it doesn’t necessarily deliver justice or liberate, and how revisionist history is widespread and dangerous.

It’s day 227 of the genocide. The ICC judge, Karim Khan, has applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas members (Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, & Ismail Hanieyh) as well as Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gollant and Benjamin Netanyahu. Lara points out that this list could have been (and should be) so much longer. She also clarifies that applying for these warrants is not the same as issuing them, and now it’s a waiting game to see if they’re issued. Lara also points out that Judge Khan did not file for genocide, rather for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In reality, the ICC remains a legislative body without any power to enforce; this is the first step among many to end the Israeli apartheid state. The duo discusses the recent attack on a Jenin refugee camp which killed a doctor and a journalist among children and other civilians. Michael compares Netanyahu’s directives to those of Hitler when he fled to his bunker. Lara reads out new legislation introduced in the House (H.R. 8445) providing IOF members visa free entry into the US and full Veteran’s Affairs hospital & healthcare access, including being put at the top of the organ transplant list. Michael reads out quotes from Knesset members who are admitting defeat.

Today, the pod is delighted to welcome the Green Party’s Presidential candidate, Dr. Jill Stein, or as she likes to refer to herself, a threat to the traditional two-party system. Dr. Stein kicks is off by acknowledging her desire to dismantle empire & oligarchy. She calls for empowering the people by making the election a referendum on genocide, she sites the lack of meaningful & fulfilling jobs in the US economy, and she confirms the control that AIPAC has over the US administration. Censorship & consolidated legacy media drown out diverse voices, making our ‘press, the oppressed’.

In light of the student uprisings, Michael and Lara and checking in to see if the US administration is heading the historically correct student movements. Surprise; they’re not. The western media and the Biden administration propel the US to hide behind military power while disregarding the facts. Lara breaks down the recent Pro-Publica report which calls to dismantle the unjustly powerful link between the US & Israel. Those within the Biden administration have also called for this unlinking, yet Biden and Secretary Blinken continue to fund the occupation and ignore both students, tax payers, and their own advisors. Michael goes on to discuss the oppression by the NYPD, the Wall Street slave market, and how the repression of college students only fuels a greater fire in them to fight for the truth.

It’s day 161 of the genocide, and the extent of torture in Gaza right now is beyond imagination. The occupation is going beyond civilians & children and extending their torture tactics to aid workers. Michael and Lara discuss the endless attacks on Palestinian civilians, the restricted aid sitting just across the border, and the propaganda tactics used by the occupation to convince the western world that they’re the good guys as they continue their war crimes. It is a relentless oppression of the Palestinian people marked by starvation, daily attacks, torture, and psychological warfare. As Michael and Lara are filming, another 36 people are killed in Nuseirat refugee camp, showcasing the unending horror for the people of in Gaza.

This week Michael and Lara welcome Hala Hanina, a native Gazan. Hala is a PHD student who had left the country just a few days before October 7th in order to secure a visa for her studies; it’s the first time that she’s been outside of Palestine during an aggression. She’s currently separated from her husband and the rest of her family who are still in Gaza. Hala refers to Palestine as the Phoenix; the mythical bird that rises from the ashes and cannot be defeated. After so many bombings, attacks, and assaults, the people of Gaza continually rebuild their life and continue on. Hala speaks about the choice to migrate from the north to the south, or to leave Palestine. She points out that “it’s not about where we are; it’s who we are.” Just being Palestinian is seen as a crime by the occupation. Hala provides an insightful perspective into the war crimes that are being committed right now, like extortion to cross the border, forced starvation, and the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and personnel. It’s an emotional episode from an incredibly strong Palestinian voice.

Another young Palestinian girl was murdered, and the image of her body hanging from a wire with her legs shaved off has made its way around the internet. Yet the genocide continues. Lara and Michael discuss this, along with the mounting offenses at the Rafah border, the siege of Nassar Hospital, enforced starvation by the occupation and the celebration of this tactic by Israeli citizens. South Africa issues an emergency request for the ICJ to consider the bombings and ongoing attacks at the Rafah border as blatant non-compliance to their initial order which requires Israel to take all provisional measures to avoid a genocide. Michael discusses Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s “relevant partners” and Lara points out a damning statement from Rami Igra of the Mossad where he claims that all Palestinian children over the age of 4 are “involved” as a Hamas supporter. It’s another week of the occupation blocking humanitarian aid, targeting journalists, doctors, women, and children, and being fully transparent about the ongoing genocide.

6-year old Hind has been missing for over a week. She was last heard from on the phone with the Red Crescent rescue team after her family had been murdered around her as she was trapped in a car, surrounded by Israeli tanks. Lara and Michael discuss what we know of Hind and attempts at rescuing her. This event, among other heinous crimes, continue even after the ICJ ruling last week calling on Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts. The pod touches on the blocking of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, ongoing raids in the occupied West Bank, attacks on hospitals, and the increasing flight departures from Ben Gurion airport. The cracks are causing the structure to crumble, but at what cost to Palestinian lives?