Arab Talk With Jess & Jamal

South Africa has filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of crimes of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza after nearly three months of relentless Israeli bombardment has killed more than 22,000 people and caused widespread destruction in the besieged enclave. The application describes Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.”

Dr. Hatem Bazian talks about the Israeli Foreign Ministry's four-point plan, coordinating with the ADL and AIPAC, to muzzle and dismantle pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses in the United States. Major targets are Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) chapters across the US.

Award-winning journalist Daoud Kuttab discusses Israel's intent on purging independent eyewitnesses of the ongoing Genocide and atrocities it is perpetrating in Gaza. Close to 70 days into Israel's assault on Gaza, more than 63 journalists have been killed due to Israeli bombardment and targeted killings. Several journalists had their entire families wiped out by Israel.

Yara Jamal worked as a production assistant and web writer before she was terminated with “no warning” by the Canada TV Atlantic bureau in Halifax. She is one of the latest victims of a new international McCarthyism against criticism of Israel.

Montréal-based activist and author Yves Engler discusses how HESEG Foundation For Lone Soldiers, a registered Canadian Charity, supports and encourages Canadians and non-Israelis to join Israel's military. Yves Engler notes that HESEG may violate Canada’s Foreign Enlistment Act.

Richard Silverstein, author of the Tikun Olam blog, discusses how Israel's lies have cost it all credibility and alienated the media. He also talks about how Israel's supporters in the US are doubling down on muzzling all speech critical of Israel on college campuses, social media, and public assembly.

Anti-Apartheid Israeli activist Dr. Stavit Sinai contextualizes the events leading to Hamas's attack on Israeli military bases and settlements on October 7. She adds, "this is a rebellion...a slave rebellion."

Dr. Anis Germany discusses the devastating effect of Israel's genocidal bombing of Gaza on healthcare and infrastructure. He adds that the aftereffects will result in massive Palestinian fatalities due to the spread of infectious diseases, polluted water, and toxic agricultural land.

Dr. As'ad Abukhalil discusses the ongoing genocide in Gaza, with more than 8,000 civilians, including more than 3,000 children, slaughtered by Israel since October 7. Dr. Abukhalil explains the history of both the bias of Western media and governments towards Palestinians, and how it contradicts the global masses' sentiments.

Ariel Koren discusses her recent opinion piece with Ellen Brotsky, "We’re anti-Zionist Jews and we see genocide unfolding in Gaza." Koren explains how Israel meets all the criteria of Genocide under International Law.

Dr. Hatem Bazian discusses the roots behind the bias exhibited by US media outlets covering Gaza, and the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments expressed by US politicians, in order to protect and whitewash Israel's long-term Occupation and its human rights abuses of Palestinians.

Adam Shapiro, advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) discusses the federal lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) regarding admitting Israel to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, stating that it is not following the law in applying the definition of reciprocity for Israel. The Waiver has also drawn strong pushback from 4 Democratic Senators who wrote that Israel has failed to meet the requirements of reciprocity for U.S. citizens with Palestinian residency.

Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam discusses his upcoming performance, "Dreaming the Diaspora: An Arab Immigrant’s Journey from Beirut to San Francisco." Georges talks about his story as a Palestinian refugee born in Lebanon, after his family was forced to leave their ancestral home in Haifa, Palestine during the Nakba in 1948. Georges’ journey is presented through the lens of cultural arts. To learn more and purchase tickets: https://dancemissiontheater.org/2023/07/30/oct-20-22-dreaming-the-diaspora/

Human rights attorney and activist Stanley Cohen discusses how it is that media organizations and governmental agencies in the U.S. still consider the ADL to be the standard bearer of human and civil rights, despite its dark history.

Investigative journalist Asa Winstanley discusses his recent book, "Weaponising Anti-Semitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn." Winstanely explains how the most aggressive onslaughts on Corbyn were made by Israel proxies presenting as local British political and community organizations, and were coordinated with either the Israeli Embassy or its other government affiliates.

Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi discusses her recent article in Mondoweiss (co-authored with Dr. Heike Schotten) “Why we created the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism”, and explains why such an institute is long overdue to provide counter narratives to propaganda used by the Israel lobby. The institute will also distinguish between Judaism and Zionism. She also talks about the ongoing campaign by San Francisco State University to muzzle programs and classes about Palestine.

Professor David Miller discusses his recent sacking by the University of Bristol and how Israel advocacy and lobby groups are increasingly weaponizing “anti-semitism” to silence all criticism of Israel in academia. Miller has brought an employment claim against Bristol for unfair termination.

Journalist Amira Hass explains why for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, self-defense against Jewish violence is a criminal offence subject to arrest, trial, imprisonment and heavy fines, while more prominent Israelis label Israel an Apartheid regime.

Richard Silverstein, editor of the Tikun Olam blog, discusses why US politicians are parading their Zionist allegiance with urgency as Israel is in dire need of damage control to shed its racist and apartheid labels.

Professor Avi Shlaim discusses his recent book, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew, as he revisits his family’s idyllic days in Iraq before they were unwittingly swept into the mass emigration of Iraqi Jews into newly-created Israel. The family’s cultural shock was traumatic, and their fortunes were reversed forever.