"Palestine Debrief" is a podcast that discusses all things related to Palestine: the stories, people, issues and events. A discussion with experts, politicians, artists and activists to provide a distinctive approach about Palestine as it intersects with the political landscape here in Canada and beyond. This podcast is a production of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, www.cjpme.org).
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worldbeyondwar.org/canadastoparmingisrael Earlier in August the US government announced that General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc. a Quebec-based company is the principal contractor in the sale of 50,000 high explosive mortar cartridges and related equipment to the Israeli military, which is worth $61 million US (or about $83 million …
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Canada is adamant on their support to Israel, despite when it is becoming extensively clear that Israel is driving the whole world to the brink of a third world war. With the attack that happened last Friday night in a school in Gaza that killed 100 people gathering for morning prayers, it is imperative to understand why Canada refuses to change it…
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On July 19th 2024 the ICJ court released its decision regarding Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. It concluded in its ruling that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied territory is illegal and must end as soon as possible. It included Israel’s prolonged occupation, it’s settlement expansion, continuous ann…
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On April 2nd, pro-Palestinian student groups in Montreal started an encampment on the McGill campus, demanding that the university divest its finances from companies complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza, like weapons companies BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin. Early this morning, on the 10th of July, it was dismantled. McGill hired a private secur…
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Our guest for this episode is Dr. Yipeng Ge - follow him on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Within the first 36 hours of Israel’s attack on Gaza after Oct. 7, Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Al Quds Hospital in Gaza City, amongst other, have been attacked. And it didn’t stop there. For the past 8 months Israel ha…
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On October 16, 2023, the Canadian government appointed Deborah Lyons, former Ambassador of Canada to Israel (2016-2020), as the new Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism. The Special Envoy Lyon's office is a joint unit of both Canadian Heritage and Global Affairs Canada, bringing her role into the realm of internation…
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A December article in Al Jazeera describes Canada’s foreign policy towards Israel and Palestine as “schizophrenic.” It’s like Canada supports Israel, wants to support Israel, but is also worried about supporting it too much because it will affect their false image of Canada as a “peace loving, refugee welcoming nation.” We talk about Canada’s polic…
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Last month The Breach published an article written by a whistle blower exposing CBC's extensive systemic anti-Palestinian biases in their reporting since October 7. In this episode journalist Zahraa Al Akhrass who was fired from Global in November 2023 after posting pro-Palestinian content on her social media, shares her experiences with similar bi…
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On April 17th 2024, the keffiyeh was banned from being worn by staff and guests in the Ontario legislature by speaker Ted Arnott. There had been no formal complaints nor was a motion presented to Ted Arnott for this ban, yet he acted on his own authority to impose the ban. This conversation with Chris Farris Zabaneh talks about the Keffiyeh Ban, ho…
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In December of last year NDP MP Matthew Green took the lead in sponsoring a Private Member’s bill, informally named “the Nakba Bill.” While the text of Green’s bill has not been made public, Green has made clear that his bill will call for Canada to formally acknowledge the Nakba and its tragic consequences for the Palestinian people. We talk priva…
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In this episode, Tom is joined by Fargo Tbakhi, a queer Palestinian American writer and performance artist based in Washington D.C. and winner of 2018 Ghassan Kanafani Resistance Arts Prize. His writings have been published in various literary publications including The Berkeley Review. He is also the recipient of several fellowships. Fargo’s writi…
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In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla, and Tom are joined by Ahmed Masoud, Gaza-born Palestinian writer, director, and academic based in the United Kingdom. Ahmed is the author of Come What May and Vanished which address issues in Gazan society, as well as in broader trends in Palestinian history. Ahmed has also directed a number of plays and is the co-fo…
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In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla, and Tom are joined Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Palestinian-American scholar and academic, currently a Professor of History and Chancellor’s Chair at the University of California Berkeley. Dr Makdisi is the author of several books and publications on sectarianism, Ottoman and Arab history, US-Arab relations, and US missionary…
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In this episode, Michael is joined by Palestinian journalist and activist Basel Adra, and Daniel Roth of the Centre for Jewish Nonviolence, to discuss Israel’s plans to expel more than 1,000 Palestinians from their homes in Masafer Yatta. We hear about what is happening on the ground, and discuss the role of journalism and international solidarity …
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In this episode, Michael is joined by Ben Jamal, Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in the UK. They discuss the anti-boycott bill currently being pushed by the British conservative government, how it poses a threat to freedom of speech and expression, and how civil society is fighting back to defend the ‘right to boycott.’ Links from t…
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In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla, and Tom are joined by Chris Gazaleh, Palestinian-American muralist, activist, and community organizer. Using different mediums like ink, paint, and digital illustrations, Chris uses powerful symbols and imagery to advocate for Palestinian human rights and social justice. Listen in to learn about Chris’s art, his insp…
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In this episode, Tayla and Tom are joined by Heifa Odeh, Palestinian-American chef, recipe developer and food blogger. Founder of the blog Fufu’s Kitchen and author of the recent cookbook, Dine in Palestine, Heifa seeks to celebrate and preserve traditional Palestinian dishes and recipes. Listen in to learn about Heifa’s expression and celebration …
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In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla and Tom are joined by Mirna Bamieh, Palestinian chef, artist and founder of the Palestine Hosting Society - a cultural and social project that seeks to reclaim and revitalize Palestinian food practices and dishes. Listen in to learn about Mirna’s commitment to celebrating the Palestinian identity, culture, and heritag…
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In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla and Tom are joined by Farah Nabulsi, Palestinian-British filmmaker and human rights advocate. She has written and produced four short films including Today They Took My Son and Nightmare of Gaza. Her most recent short The Present has won over 50 International awards for its powerful portrayal of the daily struggles fa…
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In this episode, Michael is joined by Jalal Abukhater, a Palestinian writer and activist based in Jerusalem, to discuss settler-colonial violence and dispossession in occupied Palestine. We discuss Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, Israel’s repeated military invasions in the West Bank (including this week’s deadly attack on…
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Bridging Palestine with the world (w/ Inès Abdel Razek of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy)
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In this episode, Michael is joined by Inès Abdel Razek, Executive Director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), an independent Palestinian organization focused on international mobilization and digital campaigning for Justice, Freedom and Equality. We discuss the work of PIPD and Palestine Virtual Reality, trends in Palestinian s…
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In this episode, Rafeef, Tayla and Tom are joined by Darin Sallam, Palestinian-Jordanian writer, director and filmmaker. Her most recent film, Farha, follows a young-girl’s traumatic experience during the Nakba. Despite obstacles in producing the film, Farha has been extremely well-received, especially among Palestinians for its realistic depiction…
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In this episode, Michael and Reem are joined by Antony Loewenstein to discuss his latest book, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World. We discuss how Israel’s arms industry uses the occupied Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that it then exports a…
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In this episode, Rafeef and Tayla are joined by Maysoun Odeh, Palestinian entrepreneur and co-founder and director of “NISAA”, the first Arabic radio station in the Middle East that is run by women for women. Launched in 2010, NISAA’s mission is to transform the perception of “women’s role in society by highlighting their social engagement, success…
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In this episode, Tom, Rafeef and Tayla are joined by Vivien Sansour, the Palestinian-American founder of the Palestine Heirloom Library – a cultural and social project that works with farmers and advocates to recover and conserve threatened crop varieties. Through her art and storytelling, Vivien advocates for greater social engagement with Palesti…
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This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba (“catastrophe” in Arabic), when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes and country during the creation of Israel. To mark this occasion, CJPME and the Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine recently hosted a webinar with Umar al-Ghubari and Rachel Beitarie, co-directors of …
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In this news round-up episode, Reem joins Tom and Michael to discuss last week’s attack on Palestinian worshippers in the Al-Aqsa compound, and how Canada responded. They’ll also talk about an interesting comment by Canada’s ambassador to the UN, and a recent humanitarian initiative for Gaza’s struggling farmers. Links from this podcast: Read CJPME…
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In this episode, Rafeef and Tom are joined by Nasser Jaber, the Palestinian-American co-founder of the Migrant Kitchen - a social enterprise in NYC which showcases the stories and cuisines of immigrant chefs. Nasser arrived in New York from Ramallah in 2001 hoping to make it big on Wall Street; but ended up being one of the city’s most influential …
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What is data storytelling? How do we shift the dominant narrative on Palestine? On this episode, we are joined by Aline Batarseh, Executive Director of Visualizing Palestine. We discuss the work of Visualizing Palestine, its successes, its challenges, its new strategic plan, international solidarity, and the importance of shifting the narrative tow…
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In this episode, we’re joined by Najat El-Taji El-Khairy, a Palestinian-Canadian artist who has created a unique art form combining her interests in both embroidery and porcelain painting. Najat’s art has been exhibited in various venues throughout North America, the Middle East and Europe. Najat has made it her mission to immortalise, protect and …
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Weekly Round-Up: Smear campaign against Sarah Jama; Pushing for media accountability on Palestine-Israel
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In this news round-up episode, Tom and Michael discuss two important recent developments: The smear campaign against progressive Ontario NDP candidate Sarah Jama over her support for Palestinian human rights, and a new initiative from CJPME to demand great accountability of Canadian media in their news coverage of Palestine-Israel. Links from this …
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In this news round-up episode, Tom and Michael discuss several important recent developments: Canada expresses concern about the settler pogrom on the Palestinian town of Huwara; Canadian senators meet with a far-right member of the Israeli Knesset; and a Halifax school bans students from wearing the Kufiyah, in an incident of anti-Palestinian raci…
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In this episode, we’re joined by Wafa Ghnaim, an award-winning Palestinian researcher, educator, author and tatreez expert living in Washington, DC. Her book, titled, Tatreez and Tea: Embroidery and Storytelling in the Diaspora was published in 2018 and documents the stories and meanings behind the Palestinian embroidery motifs that were handed dow…
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In this episode of "Debrief," we introduce you to the other CJPME podcast: "All Things Palestinian Canadian." Focused on the lives and experiences of Palestinians in the diaspora, "All Things Palestinian Canadian" (ATPC) has interviewed Palestinian authors, filmmakers, artists, and more. In this episode, ATPC speaks with Wafa Ghnaim, an award-winni…
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Is the Trudeau government ignoring warnings from its diplomats about Israel’s human rights abuses? On this episode, Michael is joined by Alex Cosh of the Maple to discuss his ongoing reporting on what Canadian officials are saying behind the scenes, and how that often conflicts with Canada’s public statements. We talk about Canada’s warm reception …
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How University Partnerships with Israel Harm Academic Freedom (w/ Dyala Hamzah and Jillian Rogin)
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Last summer, a number of Canadian university presidents participated in a controversial trip to Israel, for the purpose of building partnerships between Canadian and Israeli universities. The trip, which was organized by a major pro-Israel lobby group, has sparked major concerns over the possible impact on human rights and academic freedom. On this…
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In this episode, we’re joined by Rana Nazzal, a Palestinian-Canadian artist living between Palestine, Ottawa and Toronto. Among other things, Rana’s powerful art explores Palestinians’ relationship with the land, and the themes of Palestinian memory and loss. In addition to her art, she is also an activist and campaigner on grassroots issues includ…
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On this episode, Michael is joined by Emma Paling of the Breach to talk about the recent discovery that the Bank of Montreal (BMO) gave a $90m loan to Israel’s largest weapons company Elbit Systems. We discuss Elbit’s human rights record, Canada’s own contracts for military technology from Elbit, and why some investors have decided to divest from t…
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As we launch our first ATPC episode for 2023, we note that we sadly said goodbye to Nur Watad in December, as she made the decision to move on to new career challenges elsewhere. But we are thrilled to have lined up a very articulate and capable new co-host in the meantime, Ms. Rafeef Dajani. Rafeef has been a friend to CJPME for several years, and…
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On this episode, Michael is joined by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967. We talk about Israel’s recent deadly attack on the Jenin refugee camp and why she believes these actions violate international law. We also talk about apartheid, settler-colonialism, and …
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On this episode, Tom and Michael are joined by Ramzy Baroud and Ilan Pappé, co-editors of the book “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.” In their new book, they bring together a diverse group of Palestinian voices – from filmmakers to religious figures to politicians and more – to share their own expe…
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How dangerous is Israel’s new far-right government? (w/ Natasha Roth-Rowland of +972 Magazine)
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On November 1st, Israelis completed their fifth election in four years, returning Benjamin Netanyahu to power with the support of extreme, far-right figures who are about to play a major role in the emerging coalition government. Although negotiations to form the government are still underway, it is commonly said that this may be Israel’s most far-…
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In this episode, we’re joined by Fida Jiryis, Palestinian author currently living in Ramallah. Jiryis grew up in Lebanon and Cyprus, the daughter of famed Palestinian thinker and leader, Sabri Jiryis. As her family fled Israel’s oppression and wars, Jiryis’ life has spanned the full spectrum of the Palestinian people’s forced fragmentation: in Isra…
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CJPME’s Michael Bueckert recently returned from a two-week trip to Palestine-Israel. During his time there, Bueckert met with dozens of Palestinian community leaders and organizations, politicians, youth activists, business leaders, and academics. He also visited current hotspots including Sheikh Jarrah, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Jenin, as well as un…
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In this episode, we’re joined by Rimah Jabr, a Palestinian play wright and theatre director based in Toronto who is currently pursuing her PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies at York University. Rimah’s career arc is far from ordinary: after studying and working in accounting for several years, Rimah finally had her breakout opportunity at age 3…
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In this episode, we are joined by Wafa Alzaghal, Palestinian-Canadian President & CEO of The Canadian Arabic Orchestra. Wafa grew up playing the Qanun, also known as the dulcimer, after being inspired by his father’s love for classical Arabic music. Wafa co-founded the Canadian Arabic Orchestra in 2014, and has been busy touring Canada with a reper…
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In this episode, we are joined by Saba Amro and Annette Lengyel, two Calgary-based activists who have been at the forefront of pressuring Calgary to cancel a contract with Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) – a Spanish/Basque company which is unethically involved in a $2.5 billion CDN contract to expand Jerusalem Light Rail (JLR) netw…
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In this episode, we are joined by Dalia Elcharbini, Palestinian-Canadian contemporary artist and international exhibitor based in Toronto. While Dalia’s artistic style is distinct and unique, she frequently infuses it with symbolism and memories of Palestine. Listen in as we discuss her art, her inspiration, her Palestinian identity and her efforts…
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What and who are the main drivers of anti-Muslim hate in Canada? On this episode, Michael and Tom are joined by Jasmin Zine, author of a new report on the Canadian “Islamophobia Industry.” We talk about some of the key organizations, personalities, and discourses responsible for perpetuating anti-Muslim hate in Canada, and how the connections betwe…
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In this episode, we are joined by Serene Husni, a video editor, mentor, writer and translator. A Diasporic Palestinian and immigrant from Jordan turned Canadian settler, she calls herself “a displaced human existing between multiple cultures, languages, and locales.” She creates most of her own work in her mother tongue, Arabic. Freely available to…
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