Podcast
Olive Branch
Hosted by Anwar Mhajne · EN
Hello everyone, my name is Dr. Anwar Mhajne. I am an Assistant professor of Political Science at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. I created Olive Branch due to my frustration with the never-ending conflict affecting my family and friends in Israel and Palestine. I am hoping that this podcast will help restore our hope in achieving sustainable and equitable peace. Therefore, Olive Branch interviews activists with ties to Israel and Palestine who use non-violent means to promote peace and end the Israeli occupation of the Palestine Territories.
Join me as I talk with activists dedicated to their work, even though it sometimes alienates them from their families and communities. In these conversations, they think through alternatives to violence and how these concepts might disrupt cycles of bloodshed. Olive Branch provides ideas and tools for changing Israeli and Palestinian social attitudes, political ideologies, and policies.
Image Credit: Stef Murawsky
The music is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
23: Izat Elamoor
Apr 5, 202300:35:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I speak to my friend Izat Elamoor about his activism and research on LGBTQIA+ issues in Israel and Palestine. Izat touches on the complexity of being gay and a Palestinian citizen of Israel for advocacy, solidarity, and belonging. Organizations mentioned: Alqaws (http://alqaws.org/siteEn/index) Recommended book: Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique by SA’ED ATSHAN
Transcribe →Episode 22: Zachary Foster
Feb 24, 202300:47:14Tap to summarizeAfter a long break, I am happy to restart the conversation with inspiring activists working on a peaceful and just resolution to the Occupation. For this episode, I talk to Zachary Foster about his research on Palestine. This episode includes critical historical facts about the name Palestine. In addition, it challenges attempts by radical groups to undermine the Palestinian cause by claiming that Palestine is and was never a real place. We also discuss settler colonialism, Zionism, the recent government, and effective activism. Palestine Nexus: https://palestinenexus.com You can find Foster's Dissertation, The Invention of Palestine, here: https://dataspace.princeton.edu/handle/88435/dsp01g732dc66g
Transcribe →Episode 21: Itamar Feigenbaum
Jun 12, 202200:58:22Tap to summarizeI apologize for not posting the last episode before taking a break for the summer earlier. I traveled to attend my brother's wedding in Umm Al Fahem. In this episode, I interview Itamar Feigenbaum, a longtime Combatant for Peace activist. In the episode, we discuss his work on the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony, meeting Arabs in "normal situations," and the segregation between Arabs and Jews even in mixed cities. We also chat about his experience at checkpoints both as an activist and as a soldier. We then touch base on his service in Lebanon as compated to Gaza, and speak about the tragic loss of people to suicide bombings in Israel during the Second Intifada. Organizations mentioned: https://machsomwatch.org/en/content/home-page-machsomwatch The Joint Memorial Day Ceremony: https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-activities_eng/memorial-ceremony_eng/ Support the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony: https://afcfp.org/take-action/memorial-campaign/
Transcribe →Episode 20: Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man
May 6, 202200:58:45Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I talk to Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man about his work with DAWN and 972 Magazine, antisemitism, and the centrality of a supportive community to any activist. We chat about key moments shaping his ideology and activism. He explains how his family's advocacy for marginalized groups in the US and worldwide influenced his progressive liberal values. We also discuss, among other things, the importance of having Jewish allies, the privilege of code-switching, and archaeology as a displacement tool. 972 Magazine: https://www.972mag.com DAWN MENA: https://dawnmena.org Ta'ayush תעאיוש تعايش: https://taayush.org/?fbclid=IwAR3eAfu0Tm8Y4VmHh0xK3QG-YlEjPM20rwvQngh7red2emblV81JGSs5u2A
Transcribe →Episode 19: Sarai Aharoni
Apr 18, 202200:51:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Sarai Aharoni, a feminist scholar and a Senior Lecturer at Ben-Gurion University. We discuss her background as a Mizrahi Jewish woman, her research, her activism, and how they are connected. She highlights the challenges facing critical scholars in Israeli academia. She also reflects on the meaning of peace and security in the Israeli-Palestinian context and how that can help us achieve a just solution.
Transcribe →18: Shaqued Morag
Apr 4, 202200:43:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I speak to Shaqued Morag, Executive Director of Peace Now. We discuss her social and political activism, her views on land swaps and having allies in the government coalition, and her understanding of peace and justice. We also discuss the importance of strategic framing in changing your audience's view on issues such as the occupation. Organizations mentioned: Peace Now: https://peacenow.org.il/en Mahpach-Taghir: https://mahapach-taghir.org/en/home/
Transcribe →Episode 17: Louis Fishman
Mar 18, 202200:59:54Tap to summarizeI had the privilege of speaking with Louis Fishman from Brooklyn College. I became aware of his academic and public scholarship through Twitter. Even though we never met in person, I feel like I got to know him well through this conversation. In the episode, you will hear more about his research on the Ottoman Empire and why it is crucial for understanding Zionism. You will also hear about his teaching and activism and his deep connections to Turkey, Israel, and the US. Some of the organizations that were mentioned in the episode: Standing Together: https://www.standing-together.org/en Sadaka-Reut: https://www.reutsadaka.org/about-us-2/
Transcribe →16: Aida Touma-Suleiman
Mar 3, 202200:53:46Tap to summarizeI had the honor of speaking to Knesset Member Aida Touma-Suleiman in this episode. We chatted about feminism, political and social activism, elevating other women, and Ra'am. We also talk about the importance of intersectionality for understanding oppression and the challenges facing the Palestinian community and its leadership in Israel. Finally, Aida argues that peace should focus on bringing human security to everyone.
Transcribe →Episode 15: Yair Wallach
Feb 18, 202200:55:28Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I chat with Yair Wallach about his research, antisemitism, colonialism, and the importance as well as the limitations of social media for sharing scholarship. We also talk about scholars' active duty of care toward students and how being an immigrant solidified his understanding of the Palestinian cause. Declarations: The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism: https://jerusalemdeclaration.org Scholars mentioned: Salim Tamari: https://oldwebsite.palestine-studies.org/institute/fellows/salim-tamari Raef Zreik: https://www.vanleer.org.il/en/members/dr-raef-zreik/ Avner Wishnitzer: https://afcfp.org/our_team/avner-wishnitzer/
Transcribe →Episode 14: Galia Golan
Jan 29, 202200:45:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I interview Galia Golan, Professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University and a leader of Combatants for Peace. We chat about the Six-Day War, the history of the peace process, the marginality of the left, BDS, and feminism. Galia argues that in the early years, peace agreements were possible, but mistrust from Israeli leaders exacerbated the conflict. However, later on, the desire to hold on to the territories was stronger than the desire for peace. Distrust turned into ideology.
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