Episode 061 - Top 5 Dead or Alive

Lara dives into this week’s episode by breaking down a recent US court case which rules that boycotts are not a protected form of speech. In over 30 states, employees are protesting a law required of them by employers stating that they will not boycott Israel, and this often has no bearing on the job responsibilities. In better news, the European Union recently lifted funding restrictions on Palestinian organizations citing no ties to terrorism, as no evidence has surfaced. Michael shares a story of a young Israeli boy who was sexually assaulted and then arrested by the Israeli government when he tried to report it, and Lara investigates why most articles reporting on Palestinian on Israeli violence use the phrase ’lightly wounded’ when speaking about Israeli soldiers. Michael points out how the tactics used by the occupation are the same as those used by the Nazis. Lara discusses The Youth Law and how child labor/jailing is forbidden everywhere else in the world except for in Israel. The duo also look into the ‘shoot to wound’ policy carried out by Israeli forces and the ensuing amputee crisis in Gaza.

To consult the sources used in the preparation of this episode, please see:

Background/Contextualizing Sources

• IV Geneva Convention_Occupied Territories (UN)

• Convention on the Rights of the Child (OHCHR)

• Fact Sheet_UN Conv Rights of the Child

• Defense for Children Palestine (dci-palestine.org)

• BDS Movement

Videos/Social Media References

• Boycott | Just Vision

• Thread on anti-boycott laws (Julia Bacha on X)

• Pro-Israel lobby and Democrats (Lowkey on X)

Articles/References

• 191378P.pdf (uscourts.gov)

• US appeals court rules that laws against Israel boycotts don't violate Constitution (The Times of Israel)

• Julia Bacha: US court ruling upholding BDS ban risks removing ‘a powerful form of expression that has helped advance human rights’ (Morning Star Online)

• ‘Unfounded allegations’: EU resumes funding of Palestinian NGOs (Al Jazeera)

• Shireen Abu Akleh: Al Jazeera reporter killed by Israeli forces (Al Jazeera)

• Three Israelis wounded by Palestinian fighters in West Bank flashpoint (Middle East Eye)

• Israel court convicts Palestinian boy of murder attempt (Al Jazeera)

• Israel denies early release for Ahmad Manasra (Mondoweiss)

• Palestinian prisoner arrested as a child, Ahmad Manasra, still in prison despite worsening mental health (Amnesty International)

• Secret CIA Document Shows Plan to Test Drugs on Prisoners (ACLU)

• New Israeli law allows children as young as 12 to be jailed (ReliefWeb)

• Israel: Security Forces Abuse Palestinian Children (Human Rights Watch)

• Israeli poem read by Pelosi 'romanticizes' occupation (The Jerusalem Post)

• International solidarity: A key part of the labour movement (The Ontario Federation of Labour)

• CJPME applauds the Ontario Federation of Labour for endorsing an arms embargo on Israel (CJPME)

• Shireen Abu Akleh investigation: Palestinian Authority sends bullet to the U.S. (NPR)

• Abu Akleh shooting: fatal shot came from Israeli forces (OHCHR)

• Israel keeping US out of loop on alleged covert attacks in Iran (The Times of Israel)

• Ukraine embassy blasts Israel for withholding treatment from its troops (YNetNews)

• Gaza’s Great March of Return protests explained (Al Jazeera)

• UN Report on Great March of Return_Targeting Lower Limbs (OHCHR)

• Gaza Amputee Project (PCRF)

• Palestinians launch first national amputee football team in Gaza (Al Jazeera)