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This Is Palestine

This Is Palestine

The Institute for Middle East Understanding 152 Episodes Jul 2, 2026

This Is Palestine is a podcast that highlights people, issues, and events around Palestine. It brings stories from the ground in Palestine and features interviews with experts and activists to provide unique perspectives and analysis. The podcast is a project of the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU).

Episodes

Israel v. A Pediatrician - The Case of Dr. Husam Abu Safiya Jul 2, 2026 00:33:28 When footage of renowned Palestinian pediatrician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya appeared before Israel’s Supreme Court, many were shocked by how much he had changed. Shackled, visibly frail, and having lost nearly 40 kilograms in prison, he had already spent more than 18 months in Israeli detention without charge. In this episode of This Is Palestine, we unpack Dr. Abu Safiya’s case. We speak with Naji A
“I Can See My Land, But in the Eyes of the Israelis, I Do Not Exist” Jun 18, 2026 00:57:09 Since 1967, Israel has built and expanded settlements across occupied Palestine, fragmenting Palestinian communities and reshaping the landscape. In this episode of This Is Palestine, Dr. Jad Ishaq, Director General of the Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) traces how Israeli governments have used military orders, legal mechanisms, and political agreements to facilitate the expansion of
Palestine at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup: A Conversation with Player Ahmad Al-Qaq Jun 11, 2026 00:23:56 In this episode of This Is Palestine, Diana Buttu speaks with midfielder Ahmed Al-Qaq about his journey from North Carolina to the Palestinian national team. Born and raised in the United States to Palestinian parents, Ahmed reflects on choosing to represent Palestine, the emotional experience of wearing the Palestinian jersey for the first time, and the bonds formed between players from Gaza, the
“Colonial Trauma”: Dr. Samah Jabr on the Psychological Toll of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza May 22, 2026 00:26:42 As Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues despite the so-called ceasefire agreement, the psychological toll on Palestinians remains far less visible than the physical destruction. In this episode of This is Palestine, Samah Jabr examines the mental health impact of genocide, siege, starvation, displacement, and ongoing Israeli violence through the lens of what she calls “colonial trauma.” We discuss
"And I too, Love Jerusalem “: Voices from Al Nakba May 14, 2026 00:17:49 How Do You Remember the City That Was Stolen From You?! In this episode of This Is Palestine, ninety-year-old George Bahu revisits his childhood in al-Baqa’a al Foqa, a Palestinian neighborhood in West Jerusalem before the Nakba. He remembers school, cinema, Bus No. 6, and his father’s transportation company that once connected Jerusalem to cities across Palestine. George also recalls the violence
Inside Israeli Prison Walls: A Palestinian Prisoner’s Testimony Apr 30, 2026 00:26:38 As Palestinian Prisoners’ Day is marked on April 17, this episode turns to life behind Israeli prison walls, where time itself becomes a site of struggle. Former detainee Husam Shaheen shares his testimony of more than two decades in prison, moving from early activism and repeated arrests to a 27-year sentence that became a lived experience of endurance, resistance, and survival. Through his accou
The Law of the Noose: Israel’s Discriminatory Execution Bill Targeting Palestinians Apr 20, 2026 00:19:50 On March 30, 2026, Israel passed a new "death penalty law" that would impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of what Israel defines as “terrorism.” In this episode of This is Palestine, we speak with Qaddura Fares, former head of the Palestinian Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs and a former political prisoner himself, to unpack what this law actually changes and what it reveals about
There are No Innocents: Beita 1988 and the Logic of Collective Punishment Apr 2, 2026 00:37:21 This episode examines the 1988 Beita incident, a few months following the outbreak of the first Intifada, when an entire Palestinian community was punished for a crime they did not commit. Through eyewitness accounts and historical context, we trace how home demolitions, mass arrests, and forced exile became tools of Israel’s collective punishment and how similar patterns continue to shape the pre
The Farthest Mosque and the Farthest Place to Reach:  Israel’s Restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mar 19, 2026 00:28:29 As Ramadan comes to an end, many Muslim Palestinians are bidding farewell to the holy month far from Al-Aqsa, in an atmosphere marked by grief and restriction, following Israel’s complete closure of the Al-Aqsa compound following the US/Israel attack on Iran. But access to Al-Aqsa, the basic right to worship, has never been easy for Palestinians. What does it take to reach one of Islam’s holiest s
The Voice of Hind Rajab - In Conversation with Director Kaouther Ben Hania Mar 12, 2026 00:25:43 Two years ago, the world heard the voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab during her last phone call with the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Trapped in a car surrounded by Israeli tanks, Hind spoke to the dispatcher as she waited for help, alone, and surrounded by the bodies of her uncle and cousins, before her voice was lost… “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” The Oscar-nominated docudrama recreates that dev
Severed: Israel's Policy of Inflicting Disabilities in Gaza Feb 26, 2026 00:24:05 When Mohammad was 12 years old, he saw an Israeli soldier aiming at him. Seconds later, he shot Mohammad in the leg during the Great March of Return. The bullet severed the main nerve in Mohammad’s leg. For months, Israel denied Mohammad his right to leave Gaza for urgent medical treatment. By the time he finally received care, it was too late. At 18, Mohammad was forced to make the brutal decisio
Why Did Human Rights Watch Block the Right of Return Report? Feb 12, 2026 00:33:45 On February 3, Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch’s Israel and Palestine Director, resigned in protest. In his resignation statement, Shakir said the organization’s new leadership blocked the publication of a report documenting Israel’s crimes against humanity by denying Palestinian refugees their internationally enshrined right of return. His resignation has reignited debate around the “Palestine e

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