Unsettled

08/03/2021

NEW EPISODE: Israel is about to hold its fourth parliamentary election in the past two years. The last time Israelis went to the polls, in March 2020, the Joint List — a coalition of four Arab Palestinian political parties — won an unprecedented 15 seats in the Knesset. But since then, the Joint List has fractured. Why? And what does this mean for the future of Palestinian politics?

Producer Max Freedman speaks with Anan Maalouf, former chief of staff and policy advisor to Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint List and leader of its largest party, Hadash-al Jabhah. Listen now: https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/2021/3/8/anan-maalouf-the-joint-list

Israel is about to hold its fourth parliamentary election in the past two years. The last time Israelis went to the polls, in March 2020, the Joint List — a coalition of four Arab Palestinian political parties — won an unprecedented 15 seats in the Knesset. But since then, the Joint List has fra...

23/02/2021

Listen now to the latest episode of Unsettled: an interview with artist and writer Liat Berdugo.

We spoke with Liat Berdugo about her new book, "The Weaponized Camera in the Middle East: Videography, Aesthetics, and Politics In Israel and Palestine," her research in B'Tselem בצלם's camera distribution project archives, and citizen-recorded videography.

For more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liat-berdugo-the-weaponized-camera/id1253624935?i=1000510157664

‎Show Unsettled, Ep Liat Berdugo: The Weaponized Camera - Feb 22, 2021

10/02/2021

In recent years, a term has emerged in leftist activist circles: “progressive except for Palestine,” or “PEP” for short. It describes a person whose values and political leanings are consistent across issues of racial justice, homophobia, healthcare, immigration and more—but on Palestine, they are either silent, or actively hostile to a progressive point of view. It’s a worldview that permeates media spaces, academia, and Washington. What causes the progressive exception for Palestine, and are we seeing a shift on the horizon? In this episode of Unsettled, producer Ilana Levinson interviews Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchel Plitnick, authors of the forthcoming book, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics.

Listen here: https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/2021/2/8/marc-lamont-hill-mitchell-plitnick

25/01/2021

President Joe Biden campaigned on the idea that he'd bring the country back to“normal.” But that message has raised some eyebrows, as many have pointed out that America’s “normal” doesn’t necessarily mean good, or right. In this episode of Unsettled, producer Ilana Levinson interviews Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace about what is considered normal U.S. foreign policy on Israel-Palestine, the relationships with Israeli and Palestinian leaders that President Biden inherits from former President Donald Trump, and what we can expect from Biden given his record as vice president in the Obama administration.

Listen here: https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/2021/1/25/lara-friedman

12/01/2021

In the latest episode of Unsettled, Samiha Hureini talks about founding Youth Of Sumud / شباب صمود and the harassment she and her family have faced from Israeli soldiers and settlers. Watch this testimony from Samiha's younger brother Hamudi (via Storytelling: South Hebron Hills) for more details about his arrest and interrogation at 15 years old.

11/01/2021

NEW EPISODE: Samiha Hureini talks about the work of Youth Of Sumud / شباب صمود to defend Palestinian homes and rights in the South Hebron Hills, and the price that she and her family have paid for their activism.
https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/2021/1/11/samiha-hureini-youth-of-sumud

Youth of Sumud was originally created to defend caves in the village of Sarura, reclaimed for Palestinians in a dramatic action led by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence and other groups. We told the story of that action in the very first episode of Unsettled: https://www.unsettledpod.com/episodes/sumud

This past Friday night, Samiha's brother Sami Hureini was arrested by Israeli soldiers after protesting the shooting of Harun Abu Aram in al-Rakiz. Follow Sami's case by following Youth Of Sumud / شباب صمود on Facebook and Instagram.

For our first episode, we interviewed three American Jewish activists who recently traveled to the South Hebron Hills to help build the Sumud Freedom Camp . Established by a coalition of Palestinians, Israelis, and Jews from the diaspora, Sumud is an island of resistance, reconstruction, and solida

28/12/2020

NEW EPISODE: Our producer Max Freedman talks to Joshua Leifer, assistant editor at Jewish Currents and author of "The Tragedy of Jeremy Corbyn."

In 2015, Corbyn's unlikely election to lead the Labour Party appeared to signal the renewed political viability of both socialism and Palestine solidarity. But under Corbyn's leadership, Labour was consumed by a series of anti-semitism scandals, with disastrous results. Was the charge of anti-semitism simply a weapon in Labour's long-running factional conflict, or is the British left irredeemably anti-semitic? What can Americans learn from Corbyn's mistakes?

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or any other podcast app. Then read the article by Joshua Leifer that inspired this episode: https://jewishcurrents.org/the-tragedy-of-jeremy-corbyn/

"Five years ago, Jeremy Corbyn brought Palestine solidarity politics into the heart of the largest left-wing party in Europe. And [his leadership has] ended with criticisms of the occupation being untenable in British politics." How did this happen? Producer Max Freedman talks to Joshua L

30/10/2020

Listen now to our interview with Amiel Vardi, a classics professor and one of the founders of a grassroots movement called Ta'ayush תעאיוש تعايش.

Amiel was with our producer Max Freedman when he visited Rashash to report "The shepherd and the settler" for the BBC World Service.

For more from Amiel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amiel-vardi/id1253624935?i=1000496470857

‎Show Unsettled, Ep Amiel Vardi - Oct 29, 2020

22/10/2020

Listen now to our extended interview with Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher for Ir Amim and one of the founders of דהרמה מעורבת חברתית Engaged Dharma Israel.

You may remember Aviv from his close encounter with a settler on an ATV in "The shepherd and the settler," a recent piece produced by the Unsettled Team for the BBC World Service.

For more from Aviv: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aviv-tatarsky/id1253624935?i=1000495655782

‎Show Unsettled, Ep Aviv Tatarsky - Oct 22, 2020

15/10/2020

Listen now to our extended interview with Muhammad Jahaleen, a 30-year-old Palestinian shepherd.

Muhammad lives with his family in the West Bank, in a remote place called Rashash. We first heard from Muhammad in "The shepherd and the settler," and now hear more of his story, including about the impact of the settlers living next door on his life.

This is the first in a series of extended interviews from "The shepherd and the settler," produced by the Unsettled team for the BBC World Service.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/muhammad-jahaleen/id1253624935?i=1000494834488

‎Show Unsettled, Ep Muhammad Jahaleen - Oct 15, 2020

02/10/2020

Check out this video piece produced by Elicia Epstein. It accompanies "The shepherd and the settler," an audio program that aired as part of the BBC World Service and Sundance Institute series Rulebreakers.

Muhammad and Danny are on two sides of a complex conflict in the occupied West Bank

16/09/2020

Listen now to “The shepherd and the settler,” a new episode from the Unsettled team now on the BBC World Service! The Unsettled team has been working on this piece since the end of 2019 and we hope you’ll listen and share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct0x1y

In this program you’ll meet Muhammad, a Palestinian shepherd in a remote corner of the West Bank called Rashash. Since Israeli settlers recently moved in nearby it has become nearly impossible for Muhammad to graze his flock undisturbed. When producer Max Freedman visits Rashash, he sees this conflict in action. After leaving the West Bank, Max sets out to understand what he saw there.

This piece is part of Rulebreakers, a series from BBC World Service in collaboration with Sundance Institute.

A Palestinian shepherd fights for his livelihood under pressure from Israeli settlers

15/09/2020

Two exciting announcements!
We’re re-launching our Patreon! Check out our new membership tiers and help us continue to make stories about Israel-Palestine and the Jewish diaspora:https://www.patreon.com/unsettled.

Patreon members giving $10 or more each month will have access to exclusive bonus content including unaired interviews. You’ll want to become a Patreon member today because TOMORROW a new program from the Unsettled team is airing on the BBC World Service!

Become a patron of Unsettled today: Get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.

15/09/2020

25/02/2020

27/12/2019

Our producer Max just arrived in Israel-Palestine for our first on-the-ground reporting trip. He’ll be meeting new people, catching up with familiar faces and gathering sound for future Unsettled stories. Make sure to follow us on Twitter (UnsettledP) and Instagram () for updates!

29/11/2019

The Unsettled team is excited to be a part of the New Voices fellowship in 2020 along with Judaism Unbound and Jewish Currents! Unsettled will host a paid student fellow who will produce original audio stories about Israel-Palestine and the Jewish diaspora. Applications are due December 6, so make sure to apply and share with any college students you think would be interested!

bit.ly/NVF2020

Create a new survey on your own or with others at the same time. Choose from a variety of survey types and analyze results in Google Forms. Free from Google.

28/06/2019

Two years ago today we dropped the first teaser trailer for the podcast that would become Unsettled. Thank you to our listeners, supporters, and to those who've shared their stories with us.

Almost 30 episodes later, we're hard at work preparing the final installments of our Gaza series. Stay tuned for these episodes and in the meantime, catch up on any you've missed at www.unsettledpod.com.

Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip shapes people’s lives in many different ways. In this episode, we focus on the chronic energy shortage. Energy is needed for much more than turning on the lights; water, sewage, and hospitals, schools, farms, and factories — they all depend on a steady suppl...

03/04/2019

Have you subscribed to our weekly newsletter? The Unsettled team is putting together a list of the books, articles, videos, and other podcasts that we can't stop thinking or talking about. Tomorrow's newsletter will feature more information and extra resources relating to our latest episode, "Energy."

Subscribe below:

Unsettled Podcast Email Forms

01/04/2019

Today we released the fourth episode of Gaza, a series from Unsettled.

Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip shapes people’s lives in many different ways, but in this episode, we focus on the chronic energy shortage. Energy is about much more than turning on the lights; water, sewage, and hospitals, schools, farms, and factories — they all depend on a steady supply of electricity.

Producer Max Freedman speaks with Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, to learn why Gaza’s energy infrastructure can only meet about half of the demand. Then, the story of Majd Mashharawi: a young engineer and entrepreneur who is harnessing Gaza’s most plentiful natural resource — sunlight — to bring power to her people.

Listen below or find us on iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher.

Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip shapes people’s lives in many different ways. In this episode, we focus on the chronic energy shortage. Energy is needed for much more than turning on the lights; water, sewage, and hospitals, schools, farms, and factories — they all depend on a steady suppl...

25/02/2019

Today we released the third episode of Gaza, a series from Unsettled.

In this episode we spoke with Tareq Baconi, author of the new book “Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance.” Hear about the origins of Hamas, its position in the Palestinian political landscape, and its governance of the Gaza Strip.

Listen to the episode on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Too many conversations about Gaza begin and end with one word: Hamas. And conversations about Hamas too often rely on reductive talking points. In this episode, producer Max Freedman speaks with Tareq Baconi, author of the new book Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resista

06/02/2019

In the latest episode of Unsettled, hear an intergenerational perspective on the right of return. We spoke with Hilmi Hammad who was forced out of his village Sarafand in 1948. Hilmi’s son Isam said his father “taught me how to love Sarafand,” and now he teaches his children “how Sarafand is important to them. And I plant in them the love of Sarafand and anxiousness to the day they return back to Sarafand.”

Listen to the episode on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hilmi Hammad was 18 years old in 1948 when Israeli forces entered his village. He became one of about 200,000 Palestinian refugees who ended up in the Gaza Strip at the end of the 1948 war. The site where Hilmi's village once stood is located today in the center of Israel, and though Hilmi has spent

04/02/2019

Today we released the second episode of Gaza, a series from Unsettled.

Hilmi Hammad was 18 years old in 1948 when Israeli forces entered his village. He became one of about 200,000 Palestinian refugees who ended up in the Gaza Strip at the end of the 1948 war. Hear from Hilmi and his son, Isam, about their history in "Refugees."

Listen below or find us on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or SoundCloud.

Hilmi Hammad was 18 years old in 1948 when Israeli forces entered his village. He became one of about 200,000 Palestinian refugees who ended up in the Gaza Strip at the end of the 1948 war. The site where Hilmi's village once stood is located today in the center of Israel, and though Hilmi has spent

14/01/2019

Today we released the first episode of Gaza, a series from Unsettled.

The Great March of Return began on March 30, 2018 when thousands of Palestinians assembled at the fence that separates Israel from the Gaza Strip. This mass demonstration was originally planned to last six weeks, but has continued to this day. How did it all begin, and who are the protesters that continue to risk their lives to participate?

Listen to “The Great March” below or find us on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or SoundCloud.

American and Israeli politicians, religious leaders, and dignitaries met in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018 to mark the United States moving its embassy there. While they celebrated with songs about peace, thousands of Palestinians assembled at the fence that separates Israel from the Gaza Strip for the G

11/01/2019

Next week the first episode of Gaza, a series from Unsettled, will be released. We’re starting with the Great March of Return - looking at how it all began and hearing from Gazan protesters who were there. Make sure to subscribe to Unsettled to never miss an episode.

21/12/2018

Have you heard the trailer for our upcoming series on Gaza?

Make sure to listen today and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don’t miss any episodes.

In January, Unsettled is launching an eight-part series about the Gaza Strip. As Gaza has kept coming up in the news this year, you’ve probably had questions - and so have we. Why did thousands of people risk so much to take part in the Great March of Return? Why does a majority of the population ...

20/12/2018

Why did thousands of people risk so much to take part in the Great March of Return? How are Gazans innovating in order to survive? How can art be used to upend conventional narratives about Gaza and its people?

We’ll be addressing these questions—and more—in our new series. Don’t miss Gaza, a series from Unsettled, starting in 2019.

In January, Unsettled is launching an eight-part series about the Gaza Strip. As Gaza has kept coming up in the news this year, you’ve probably had questions - and so have we. Why did thousands of people risk so much to take part in the Great March of Return? Why does a majority of the population ...

14/12/2018

Make sure to never miss an episode of Unsettled — new content is just around the corner.

Subscribe today to our newsletter:

Unsettled Podcast Email Forms

28/10/2018

The shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh is devastating. We mourn the victims and are thinking of our Jewish family and friends who feel hurt and scared.

At Unsettled, it’s our mission to dig into complicated topics that don’t have easy answers. But yesterday’s events were clear as day: an anti-Semite killed Jews for being Jewish, motivated by hatred of our people and what we stand for. The extreme rhetoric that stokes the flames of intolerance which come from the highest office of the country, emboldens the kind of senseless hatred that leads to these kinds of violent attacks.

The president won’t say it but we will: Jewish people died yesterday in a domestic terror event. The bigotry, racism, white supremacy and all forms of intolerance that made yesterday’s attack possible is the same that affects other marginalized people in this country and it cannot continue. We stand with those in our community, with those subjected to violence in their places of worship and homes, and with those working to support migrants and refugees. Z”l.

15/10/2018

Our latest episode is here!

We spoke with Ita Segev, an anti-Zionist activist and transfeminine performance artist. Ita shares how gender and Zionism shaped her early years, and how learning the truth about Israel created space to understand and express her true self.

Listen below or find us on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or SoundCloud.

A few years ago, you would have found Ita Segev in the Israeli army, training to patrol the West Bank. Today, Ita is a transfeminine performance artist and anti-Zionist activist in New York City. In this episode, Ita tells her story: how gender and Zionism shaped her early years, and how ex

06/09/2018

Thanks to Jewish Currents for throwing a great summer release party on Tuesday! Make sure to check out the magazine’s summer supplement on art and activism, including Unsettled’s interview with Gazan artist Malak Mattar— coming to you in podcast form soon! (Photo credit: Gili Getz)

25/07/2018

Don't miss this interview from the forthcoming issue of Jewish Currents! Stay tuned for our episode featuring Malak, which will be part of our upcoming series on Gaza.

An interview with Gazan painter Malak Mattar.

24/07/2018

On July 19, Israel passed its nation-state bill in a 62-55 vote. The controversial new law enshrines the state’s Jewish nature: that the right to self-determination is unique to Jews, that the capital of Israel is Jerusalem, and that the language is Hebrew— downgrading Arabic from an official state language to having a “special status.”

Many in the Jewish community are distraught over what the new law means about the future of Israel’s Jewish and democratic character. But for many Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up a fifth of Israel’s population, the new law doesn’t indicate a new reality, so much as expose what they’ve been experiencing for years.

In this episode, producer Ilana Levinson speaks with writer and policy advisor Amjad Iraqi. Iraqi, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was in the Knesset for the debates before the nation-state bill was passed into law. Listen to the full conversation here:

https://soundcloud.com/unsettledpod/the-nation-state-law-with-amjad-iraqi

On July 19, the Israeli Knesset passed the "Nation-State Bill" in a 62-55 vote. Many critics of the bill say that it undermines Israel's historic claim to be both Jewish and democratic in character. B