Otherwise Occupied

31/12/2020

https://www.amikaufman.com/blog/taking-a-break/

The podcast won't be coming out this week, as I am preparing for surgery next week. The recovery will take a good few weeks as well, maybe longer, so I'm putting the podcast on hold until I'll feel strong enough to come back. Thank you all for your support and

25/12/2020

I ask Heba Yazbak about how some voters of the Joint List were disappointed in how it's been dealing with the issues of gay rights and polygamy.

25/12/2020

Very proud!

24/12/2020

*** NEW EPISODE ***
This week I interviewed Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament هبة يزبك- Heba Yazbak (Joint List)!

Have a listen!
The full episode is here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1403500/7000336-mp-heba-yazbak-i-m-happy-the-trump-era-is-over-but-i-don-t-have-high-expectations-of-biden

16/12/2020

*** NEW EPISODE ***

My guest this week is an activist for Palestinian rights from East Jerusalem. Kefah Abukhdeir is a Palestinian-American who co-directs and teaches at EduReach, a local Palestinian educational and learning organization, and I had the honor of speaking with her about her family’s deep roots to the holy city, her American roots, and what she thinks about the end of the Trump era.

But what I’m really thankful for in our conversation is, first of all, the glimpse that Kefah gives me about life in East Jerusalem, which I’m not sure is really known to most people who think they have an understanding of this conflict.

And I’m also grateful for her willingness to share a bit of her connection to Mohammed Abukhdeir, her 16 year old cousin, who was brutally murdered in 2014 by Jews. It was a murder that horrified this region, and it was part of the chain of events that eventually led to the 2014 Gaza war. Last year, HBO produced in Israel a show called "Our Boys," based on the events of those days.

For the full episode: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/kefah-abukhdeir/

Please consider supporting the podcast, and buy me a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

09/12/2020

*** NEW EPISODE ***

Honored this week to host renowned food journalist and researcher Ronit Vered to talk about Israeli cuisine ("there is one, definitely"), the origins of "sabich" and the Israeli version of schnitzel, how food is such an essential part of our identity, what the pandemic can teach us about how we consume food, her favorite dishes and food destinations, and so, so much more. It's a delicious discussion!

Full episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1403500/6769030-ronit-vered-i-do-believe-there-is-such-a-thing-as-israeli-cuisine

Please consider supporting the podcast here: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

04/12/2020

This snippet, this pearl of wisdom, really encapsulates David Lehrer's philosophy about just how the environment, conflict and justice are intertwined.

Full episode of my fascinating conversation with the Director of the Arava Institute: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/david-lehrer/

03/12/2020

David Lehrer, the Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, basically thinks that if a small institute can bring people to cooperate together, then governments can, too.

Full episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1403500/6652492-david-lehrer-to-live-in-peace-with-nature-you-must-learn-to-live-in-peace-with-your-neighbor

02/12/2020

*** NEW EPISODE ***

The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is a unique place, bringing Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians together to learn about their common environment. But what happens during the occasional flare-up? Director David Lehrer tells the story of what happened at the Institute when another war in Gaza broke out.

For the full episode listen here: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/david-lehrer/

Please consider supporting the podcast! Any amount helps to keep this venture alive: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

29/11/2020

Gazan photojournalist Eman Mohammed shares the reasoning behind the tough decision of taking off her hijab while residing in the U.S.

Full episode: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/eman-mohammed/

28/11/2020

America wasn't always that welcoming for Palestinian photojournalist Eman Mohammed, a sentiment she felt even stronger while getting her U.S. citizenship at a somewhat bizarre naturalization ceremony.

Full episode: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/eman-mohammed/

27/11/2020

When Senior TED fellow, Palestinian photojournalist Eman Mohammed, told me of the moment she discovered her daughter was injured during the 2014 Gaza war -- I could barely breathe.

Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1403500/6529012-eman-mohammed-in-gaza-the-pain-lingers-long-after-the-bombs-stop-falling

26/11/2020

Eman Mohammed is the first female Palestinian photojournalist in Gaza. She started her career at the young age of 19, not only dodging bombings, but also misogyny from her colleagues and surroundings, who thought a woman was not cut out for the job.

But that didn’t stop her. She eventually became one of the most well known photographers in the region, her photos published in all the major media outlets around the world, until THAT day, that one day of bombing in another Gazan war, that hit close to home. Way too close to home. Her daughter was injured.

We talk about that horrific day, about her becoming a speaker for TED and a senior TED fellow, about living in America during the Trump era, why she decided to remove her hijab, and so much more.

To support the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

There's a first time for everything, right? Well, this is the first episode where I shed a tear during recording. My guest this week is the first female Palestinian photojournalist in Gaza. Eman Mohammed started her career at the young age of 19, ...

25/11/2020

It's been a while, so I'm happy to announce: there's a new News Schmooze out!

Go on, it's fun! There's lots of stuff about... Jews! And Bibi, too. And Egypt. And MBS. Okay, it's packed. Read it!

How many Jews in his cabinet will it take for Israelis to think Biden is pro-Israel?; Why does Netanyahu think women are animals?; Did the PM meet with MBS? (Yes!); and will an embrace between Egyptian and Israeli singers end with one of them in jail? Let the Jew count

21/11/2020

After expressing relief the Trump era was coming to an end, I asked Mira Awad what she thought PM Netanyahu's legacy would be.

Full episode here: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/mira-awad/

20/11/2020

When I asked Palestinian-Bulgarian singer-songwriter Mira Awad what kind of entity she would like to see between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, she took it a direction I didn't see coming...

Full episode: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/mira-awad/

Support the podcast!: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

19/11/2020

Such an honor to have singer-songwriter-actress on the podcast this week. Talked about her days as the first Arab in Israel's top music school, the backlash after competing in the Eurovision, what should be between the River and the Sea, and so much more.

Bonus for those listening all the way to the end: I even sang with her! Sorta...

Link to the full episode in first comment.

19/11/2020

**** New Episode ****

Hey everyone, I hope all is well with you.

This week's guest is the amazing, inspiring, uber-talented Mira Awad. Join me as we discuss her life, her music, and how she would like to see the region between the River and the Sea.

Bonus: I (somewhat) sing with her somewhere in the middle there :)

What really makes my day is talking to an amazing and inspiring artist. She’s a singer. A musician. A songwriter. She is an actress on stage and on the screen. She is a screenwriter. She’s an activist for women’s rights, for Palestinian rights. She was even in

12/11/2020

Leading Israeli journalist Barak Ravid believes Palestinians are making mistakes reminiscent of those made before the Nakba in 1948, and if Trump had won the election they would have been “very close to a second Nakba.”

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/barak-ravid/

12/11/2020

On this week's episode I asked Israel's leading diplo journo Barak Ravid what Joe Biden can expect from PM Benjamin Netanyahu if he tries to rejoin the Iran Nuclear Deal. He told me exactly what he told Biden's people.

Full episode here: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/barak-ravid/

Please consider supporting the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

11/11/2020

I had the pleasure speaking to Barak Ravid ברק רביד this week, the leading diplomatic correspondent in Israel today.

In this audio clip he reveals what went on behind closed doors during his hearing before Channel 13 fired him - and how the Trump White House actually got involved in the procedure.

Barak discusses Trump's legacy in the Mideast, the advice he's given Biden's advisors on what to do next, and how he thinks this region will look a few years down the road.

Full episode: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/barak-ravid/

Support the podcast by buying me a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

11/11/2020

Hey, all you Otherwise Occupied fans!
There's a new episode out and it is a WHOPPER!

Israel's top diplomatic correspondent and analyst, Barak Ravid, talks to me about Trump's legacy, Biden's challenges, and reveals what happened behind closed doors during the hearing Channel 13 News held for him before he was fired (including White House involvement!!).

Listen to it here: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/barak-ravid/

And please consider supporting the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

My guest this week is the busiest reporter in Israel, based on the amount and pace of scoops he publishes. Barak Ravid is probably the most well known diplomatic correspondent in this country. He worked for years in Israel’s leading broadsheet Haaretz, then moved to TV - until he

03/11/2020

*** New Episode ***

Simcha Rothman grew up in the ultra-orthodox city of Bnei Brak, and is now a settler in the West Bank - living with his wife and five children in the outpost of Pnei Kedem. He is the co-founder and legal counsellor of an NGO called Meshilut, the Movement for Governability and Democracy, and was recently named by the Israeli financial daily "The Marker" as one of the 100 most influential people in Israel.

In this snippet from our conversation, Simcha begins to lay out his vision for one state between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, that would give rights to Palestinians - on one condition...

Listen to the full episode: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/simcha-rothman/

Subscribe to the podcast and newsletter at amikaufman.com

Please consider supporting the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

02/11/2020

Hey everybody!
Come on and show me some love on the new Instagram account I opened for the podcast! Your follow goes a long way!

https://www.instagram.com/other.wiseoccupied/

30/10/2020

Hey everybody! Hope all is well with you and that you enjoyed the latest episode with Makbula Nassar!

If you're liking the podcast, can you please go over and give me some reviews? I'd really appreciate it!

Like here on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/otherwise-occupied/id1530588742

Have a great weekend!

‎Politics · 2020

28/10/2020

*** NEW EPISODE ***

Makbula Nassar, outspoken political activist, journalist and feminist is the guest today on "Otherwise Occupied."

A fierce critic of Israel's treatment of Arabs throughout the years, Nassar also has criticism for Palestinian society.

Join me for a fascinating discussion on growing up in the Israeli education system, how Arab society has changed since the October 2000 riots, her views on the Joint List, her vision for this region, and even her take on the recent media storm over famous Palestinian video blogger Nas Daily.

Full episode can be listened to here: https://www.amikaufman.com/podcast/makbula-nasser/

Support the podcast here: https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

25/10/2020

Hey everybody! Just two things, very quickly:

1) I have a really interesting guest lined up this week, so I hope you tune in and share this episode.

2) Wow! I am at 196% percent of my first fundraising goal on Ko-fi! Now I have to decide if I want to either extend the ads I'll put up time-wise, or maybe spend more on the amount of people it can reach... If anyone has some tips on FB ads, please send my way!

Thanks so so so much to all of you who supported - and if you'd still like to chip in, here's where you can do it:
https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

Love ya!

23/10/2020

Had a great interview with Ori Nir, the spokesperson for Americans for Peace Now. Have a listen!

I had the great pleasure talking to a former colleague of mine at Haaretz, Ori Nir, the spokesman for Americans for Peace Now. We discuss Otherwise Occupied, how it came about and what I'm trying to do with it. Have a listen (it's best to view this page online, press

22/10/2020

22/10/2020

Just a bit more to reach that first goal!
https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

21/10/2020

Hey everyone!

I have something to ask of you.

Between the one-on-one guest interviews, the booking, the audio editing and more, this podcast takes time, effort, and resources to share with you every week.

I’m very humbled and grateful for the growing interest over the past two months since launching this thing. And I'm thankful for the encouraging messages from listeners, saying Otherwise Occupied has been improving, and that my guests inspire them.

I want to keep the podcast focused on quality content, with guests that are interesting, informative, and even entertaining. One way to accomplish this is direct listener support. Your support can help the show grow and help me with my mission: changing the discourse in this region.

I’ve set up a link where you can quickly and easily support the show. The whole thing will take 60 seconds. It’s at Ko-Fi, where you can - yes! - buy me a coffee.

Each coffee is $5. You can buy 1, 2, or 3. Heck, you can buy me 10 and I won't even feel the caffeine! But seriously, you can contribute as much or as little as you like. You can even make my day by donating on a monthly basis.

If Otherwise Occupied is a part of your day or week, and you love what I'm trying to do, please press this link and support, any way you can, today:

https://ko-fi.com/otherwiseoccupied

Buy a Coffee for Ami Kaufman with Ko-fi.com

20/10/2020

The past year has been a rollercoaster for comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi. From starting a fellowship in Harvard, through contracting Covid-19, to doing stand up in the lobby of a "Corona hotel" in Jerusalem and dealing with the lingering effects of the disease - all the while keeping her eye on the prize: using comedy to bring down barriers between Israelis and Palestinians.

Listen to the full episode: https://amikaufman.ghost.io/noam-shuster-eliasi/

Subscribe to the Otherwise Occupied podcast (and occasional musings) by entering your email on my homepage: amikaufman.com

Please share Noam's inspiring story as widely as possible :)

17/10/2020

Leading Israeli journalist Yaron Ten-Brink is known not to mince words, and he certainly didn't during our chat. We discuss the state of Israeli media, his vision for the region between the River and the Sea, and of course, his thoughts on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For the full episode on "Otherwise Occupied": https://amikaufman.ghost.io/yaron-ten-brink-netanyahu-one-of-biggest-criminals-israel-has-seen/

Please consider signing up and becoming a member, all you have to do is enter your email, and you'll get the podcast PLUS the occasional newsletter and more, straight to your inbox.

16/10/2020

Aziz Abu Sarah's brother was killed during the first initifada. On "Otherwise Occupied" he tells me how this event shaped his life forever.

Listen to the full episode with this inspiring activist here: https://amikaufman.ghost.io/aziz-abu-sarah-i-will-not-hate-the-man-who-killed-my-brother/

While on the website, please conside subscribing to recieve the podacst and newsletter (The News Schmooze) straight to your inbox.

15/10/2020

My interview with Nof Atamna, one of the leading chef's (who also won MasterChef) in this country - was a pure delight.

For the full episode: https://amikaufman.ghost.io/nof-atamna-calling-palestinian…/

And please consider signing up on the website to become a member of this community, and have access to even more content.

15/10/2020

Hi everybody!

I'm really glad you're here - and I hope you've already "liked" this page for my podcast.

"Otherwise Occupied" is a place - and I hope a home for you and others - where we can listen to all the voices in this region, especially those not heard enough.

If you'd like to support me in this endeavor, please consider pressing the Sign Up button on this page to become a member. That way you'll get straight to your inbox each new episode of the podcast, plus my occasional newsletter (The News Schmooze), and more.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1403500/5800801-intro-to-otherwise-occupied

Ami Kaufman is a veteran broadcast and print journalist in Israel. On "Otherwise Occupied" he chats with the fascinating people living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, regardless of race, religion, or political views.