Palestine Debrief

Interlink Publishing is a fiercely independent, Palestinian-owned press—the only one of its kind in the U.S.—that’s been amplifying Palestinian and Arab voices since 1987. Known for bold, uncompromising titles—including bestsellers and frequently banned books—Interlink has remained steadfast in its mission, even as Genocide Bad draws coordinated smear campaigns and censorship attempts. Joining us today to talk about Palestinian storytelling in a publishing world that’s heavily gated and increasingly hostile to Palestinian perspectives is Hannah Mouchabeck—author, activist, and one of the siblings leading Interlink Publishing. Follow Hannah Mouchabek on Insta, X, and Facebook. Order GENOCIDE BAD here. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

Joining me today is Yara Shoufani from PYM to talk about the Vote Palestine initiative and platform. The Canadian federal election has officially been announced last Sunday, marking a crucial moment for voters who care about justice and human rights. This election carries particular significance in light of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and Canada’s lack of a clear and principled stance since its outbreak. From delaying its call for a ceasefire to suspending funding to UNRWA based on unproven allegations, Canada’s actions have repeatedly failed Palestinians. Additionally, while the government claims to have halted arms exports to Israel, it continues to indirectly supply weapons through U.S. loopholes. With this in mind, Palestinian organizers in Canada have mobilized to ensure that Palestine is a key election issue. Follow Vote Palestine on X, Insta and Facebook. Follow Yara Shouani on X. Add your voice. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

As Israel resumes its bombardment of Gaza following the collapse of the ceasefire and initial attacks relying solely on air strikes, this makes it all the more urgent to understand how the F-35s is actively used to commit these crimes. My guest today is Kelsey Gallagher from Project Ploughshares, a think tank that specialises in conflict zones and human rights abuses as well as broader canadian export patrol policy and transparency on arms transfers. We talk about the latest global campaign with more than 230 organizations urging F-35 partners to stop arming Israel. Follow Kelsey Gallagher on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

As Israel resumes its bombardment of Gaza following the collapse of the ceasefire and initial attacks relying solely on air strikes, this makes it all the more urgent to understand how the F-35s is actively used to commit these crimes. My guest today is Kelsey Gallagher from Project Ploughshares, a think tank that specialises in conflict zones and human rights abuses as well as broader canadian export patrol policy and transparency on arms transfers. We talk about the latest global campaign with more than 230 organizations urging F-35 partners to stop arming Israel. Follow Kelsey Gallagher on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text

With the movement to boycott Israel gaining significant momentum since the start of the Genocide in Gaza, and many major brands facing the heat over their complicity in the occupation, Boycat App is a very powerful and simple tool that is making it easier for consumers to buy consciously and ethically. My guest today is Adil Abutalha, the founder of the Boycat App, the official app partners for the BDS movement. Follow Adil Abutalha on X. Download Boycat App on Google Play Store and the App Store. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text

To help us understand APR, its definitions, implication, importance of connection to the Nakba and how it evolved after Oct 7 I am joined by lawyer Dania Majid, co-founder and president of the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association, best known for defining APR in her 2022 publication Anti-Palestinian Racism: Naming, Framing, and Manifestations. She is also the artistic director of the Toronto Palestinian Film Festival. Despite an unprecedented spike in Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR) in Canada since the start of the genocide in Gaza on October 7 (details discussed in the Anti-Palestinian Racism in Canada 2023 Annual Report), APR has faced significant push back from the Canadian government. Nearly every mainstream media outlet has played a role in perpetuating APR, whether through biased coverage of Palestine-Israel, widespread anti-Palestinian rhetoric among commentators, or the framing of Palestinian rights advocacy as anti-Semitic. Understanding APR its real world consequences include job loss of voicing support of Palestinians, the justification of violence against Palestinians and their allies, and police using disproportionate force against peaceful protestors. Follow Arab Canadian Lawyers Association on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text

In this episode we speak with Emilio Dabed, the founding member of Legal Centre for Palestine, a lawyer specialised in international law and constituational matter. We talk about the legal proceedings in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against the Attorney General of Canada for Canada’s failure to act to prevent genocide and in violation of its legal obligations under the Genocide Convention of 1948 as well as the plaintiff’s rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. The Plaintiffs seek a declaration that Canada has a duty to take all measures wihtin its power to prevent genocide, and that Canada has violated that duty. They also seek a declaration that Canada’s acts and omissions have villated the plaintiff’s Charter rights to security of the person and to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimitation. Follow Legal Centre for Palestine on X and Instagram. You can support their work by donating here. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

In this episode of Palestine Debrief, I speak with Dr. Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, a renowned scholar, filmmaker, and author whose work focuses on the intersections of colonialism, photography, and historical narratives. Ariella was born in Israel but rejects the Israeli identity, where she identfies as a Muslim Jew. The refers to Israel as The Zionist Settler colony during the episode. The importance of this conversation with Dr. Ariella is important to understand the historical and ideological underpinnings of how colonialism profoundly reshaped Jewish communities in North Africa and the Arab world, and integrating them into a Western construct. Ariella sheds light on how colonialism split people into groups that don't make sense, creating divisions that erased shared histories and communities and how like colonialism, Zionism, at its core, perpetuates antisemitism by co-opting Jewish identity and erasing diverse Jewish histories and traditions. Follow Dr. Ariella Aïsha Azoulay on X. You can find Dr. Ariella's books here. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

Francesca Albanese joins the Palestine Debrief podcast to discuss a variety of important topics: the people who inspire her, her interview with Piers Morgan, her recent tour of Canada, the ICC arrest warrants against Israeli officials Netanyahu and Gallant, the hostility she faces from certain reporters, Canada’s vote at the UN, and her role as the UN Special Rapporteur. Francesca Albanese is an international human rights lawyer and a leading expert on Palestine and the Middle East. She is a United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and has worked extensively on issues related to international law, humanitarian law, and human rights. Francesca has authored numerous reports and articles on the legal and political challenges facing Palestinians, advocating for justice and accountability. With a strong academic background and years of field experience, she is a respected voice on the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the broader Middle East. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Francesca Albanese on Instagram and X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

Watch the episode on YouTube. In this episode of Palestine Debrief, Mouin Rabbani, a leading Middle East analyst, discusses the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and its broader implications for the region. He provides in-depth insights into the expanding conflict in Syria, the evolving dynamics in Lebanon, and the shifting political landscape. Mouin also explores the role of the international community and the future of the Middle East. Additionally, he analyzes the coming for the second Trump administration's policies on the region, particularly in relation to the conflict. This conversation offers a timely and thought-provoking analysis of one of the most critical issues facing the region today. Mouin Rabbani is a prominent Middle East analyst and commentator, with extensive expertise in Palestinian and regional politics. He is a senior fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies and has written extensively on issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arab politics, and the broader Middle East. Mouin’s insights are frequently sought by international media and policymakers, and he has contributed to various academic journals and publications on the dynamics shaping the region. Known for his in-depth analysis, he offers critical perspectives on the political and humanitarian challenges facing Palestine and its neighbors. Follow Mouin Rabbani on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

We speak with Jon Elmer to provide us alternative views on reporting in Gaza and Lebanon. This episode was recorded before the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon. Follow Jon on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

This episode we speak to Ardi Imseis, currently Assistant Professor at Queen’s Faculty of Law in 2018, following a 12-year career as a UN official in the Middle East, first with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and then with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We talk about UNRWA's history, establishment and implications of Israel banning of UNRWA. Follow Ardi at X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

This episode is five interviews with Canadians who suffered mentally, emotionally and financially in their attempts to be reunited with their families in Gaza under the governments Temporary Resident Visa Program for Gazans (TRV). The first interview is with Samar Alkhdour whose story highlights the government's attempt to suppress advocacy and freedom of expression and assembly revolving critique of the TRV. Follow Samar Alkhdour on Instagram. Follow Gazan Canadian Community Group on Instagram and X. Link and Resources (hyperlinked): - Email Ministers Miller and Joly - Gaza Visa Day of Action - CityNews Samar's Criminal Harrassment Charge Statement - All past articles and interviews covering Samar Alkhdour's advocacy. - CJPME Gaza Visa Program: Intended to Fail - CJPME Press Release on Samar Alkhdour Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text

This episode is a conversation with Jason Toney, Director of Media Advocacy at CJPME about Canada's Media Ethics and our Media Accountability Project. We talk about the Canadian media's ethics, standards, biases, and erasure of Palestinian content. We speak about the impact CJPME had on media and the challenges we face. Follow Jason on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

This episode discusses how Israel utilizes technology in their genocide in Gaza, we talk about the AI Lavender, social media censoring of Palestinian voices, media's extensive biases towards the Israel narrative, and IDF soldiers/ Israel government officials who hold positions in media organizations. My guest is Paul Biggar from Tech4Palestine, who was fired from the board of a company he started after publishing this blog post. Follow Tech4Palestine on X, GitHub, Discord, and Instagram. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text Send us a text

In August 2024, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) revoked the charitable status of the Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF). This is significant because the JNF is central to the Zionist movement, historically acquiring land in Palestine for exclusive Jewish settlement. It has also supported Israeli military projects and illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. Here to talk about the efforts to achieve this revocation and the implications of this decision is Corey Balsam from Independent Jewish Voices and Nicholas Pope, a lawyer following the issue. Follow IJV on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Follow Nicholas Pope on X. Thank you for listening to the ‘Palestine Debrief’ podcast. This podcast is produced by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and hosted by Wissam El Cheikh Hassan. Click here to support the work of CJPME. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Tiktok. Click here to leave us your comments, or email us at info@cjpme.org. Disclaimer: The views and opinions of our guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the positions of CJPME. Send us a text

In this news round-up episode, Tom and Michael discuss the meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and her counterpart Eli Cohen from Israel’s new far-right government; Joly’s subsequent meeting with the “Canadian Muslim and Arab communities” in Canada; and a recent humanitarian initiative for Gaza’s struggling farmers. Links from this podcast: · CJPME press statement/analysis of Joly’s meeting with Cohen · Global Affairs Canada’s readout of Joly’s meeting with Cohen ·...