Across the Divide Podcast

In this episode of Across the Divide, Daniel discusses current events in Palestine and the US. This episode explores the UN Report on violence against children and genocide in Palestine, Israeli expansion in the Middle East, RFK Jr’s lies on Fox News, and Mamdani’s comments on the democratic party and Palestine. You won’t want to miss this! Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreo...

In this episode, researcher and author Ben Lorber unpacks the complex, deeply polarized conversations surrounding anti-Jewish bigotry today. We break down why politicians conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism, how to distinguish principled criticism of Israel from genuine hate speech, and whether ADL data gives us an accurate picture of the crisis. Finally, Ben shares a roadmap for building safe...

Continuing our conversations on Judaism and Palestine, Shira Klein reflects on the horrors of the holocaust and the role they played in legitimizing the necessity and logic of Zionism. Shira Klein is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at Chapman University. Her academic work focuses on Italian Jewry, Jewish migration, and the Holocaust. Shira is also on the board of dire...

In this episode of Across the Divide, Daniel sits down with Reverend Munther Isaac to discuss current events in Palestine and the US. This episode offers a sharp critique of Christian Zionism and sheds light on the brutality of life under occupation. You won’t want to miss this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRtIWva4K_4 https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55188 Support our work at Across the Di...

In this special announcement episode, co-hosts Daniel, Jen, and Abeer come together to share a major milestone: the official merger of Across the Divide with the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice . It is a celebratory, forward-looking look at the next chapter of the podcast’s journey. Support the important work we're doing here at patreon.com/acrossthedivide To learn more about BIPJ, visit...

This is part II of Daniel's conversation with Shalom Shore who used to be a Ultra Orthodox rabbi and is now an anti-zionist advocate for Palestine. This conversation will blow your mind! Support our work at Across the Divide: https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠#israel #palestine #judaism #religion

Shalom Shore joins Daniel for a candid conversation about his previous (strange) life as an Ultra Orthodox Rabbi in Jerusalem. The conversation takes some twists and turns that you don't want to miss. Support our work at Across the Divide: https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠ #israel #palestine #judaism #histor...

This episode is a part of Across the Divide’s Monthly Book Club. To join Across the Divide’s Book Club, become part of our Patreon community  at https://www.patreon.com/c/AcrosstheDivide   In this episode, Jen has a conversation with Rifat Kassis on the Kairos II document, authored by Palestinian church leaders in October 2025. Rifat describes how the realities of genocide and settler colonialism...

Christopher Hays joins Abeer to explore the ethics of the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus on “welcoming the stranger” and it relates to debates around immigration and citizenship. Christopher is president Scholar Leaders, and a biblical scholar committed to the transformation of theological knowledge into missional practice, he has worked in projects ranging from authoring scholarly volum...

It's blatantly obvious that Islamophobia has been a driving force in justifying Christian support for the Gaza genocide and the ongoing war on Iran. We’re joined by Jordan Denari Duffner, a Christian theologian and expert on Islamophobia, to discuss the history of Islamophobia, its role in the Palestine/Israel conflict, and how to combat it.  Jordan Denari Duffner, PhD, is a Catholic public th...

To join Across the Divide’s book club, become part of our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AcrosstheDivide In this conversation, Jen Maidrand sits down with Mercy Aiken, a storyteller and advocate whose work serves as a vital bridge between the West and the Holy Land. Mercy shares the deeply moving journey of co-authoring Yet in the Dark Streets Shining : A Palestinian Story of Hope...

Ron Naiweld, professor at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), in Paris, France, joins us to discuss how Jews over the last 2 thousand years have understood the Biblical idea of possessing the land. Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePod...

We’re joined by Seth Sanders, professor of Linguistics at Dalhousie University, to discuss the historic Jewish connection to the land of Canaan and whether they can be considered indigenous to the land. Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠#israel #palest...

But what are we talking about when we talk about Judaism? Jewish scholar and professor at the University of Illinois Chicago Raphael Magarik joins us for the launch of our new series on "Judaism and Palestine". There's so much we don't understand about Judaism, and you don't want to miss this conversation! Support our work at Across the Divide: https://www.patreon.com/Acrosst...

We're joined by father David Neuhaus, SJ, to discuss the recent controversies surrounding Carrie Prejean Boller where she asserted at a Religious Liberty Commission hearing that Catholics cannot be Zionists. Fr. Neuhaus explores the history of Nostra Aetate and Jewish-Catholic dialogue, and also reflects on the war on Iran and the Just War Tradition. You don't want to miss this episode! Be...

We’re barely coming out of a genocide in Gaza and now there’a war in Iran. How should Christians respond? What does peacemaking look like in the midst of so much violence, especially violence supported by Christians? Australian pastor and educator Jarrod McKenna to help us respond to this moment where we find ourselves. Jarrod is an Australian peace award winning pastor and social change educator....

Daniel Bannoura is joined by Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac and Palestinian theologian Anton Deik to respond to the controversial conversation between Tucker Carlson and the U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠#...

South African theologian Sarojini Nadar joins Daniel for a conversation about the weaponization of the Bible and how the book of Esther has been distorted to normalize violent and harmful ideologies.  Sarojini is a South African theologian and Biblical scholar, and director and research chair of the Desmond Tutu Research Chair in Religion and Social Justice at the University of the Western Cape. H...

In this episode Jen has a conversation with Palestinian Christian activist, Usama Nicola. They discuss the current realities in Bethlehem and the acute threats that Palestinians are facing in the Bethlehem area and Palestine broadly. Usama reflects on the ways his faith motivates his engagement with these realities, which includes an orientation towards nonviolence and a belief in the power of eve...

In this episode, Abeer is joined by Michael McDougle to discuss what it means to teach Palestine and questions of justice in contexts where these issues are often unfamiliar, and how insights from Palestinian Christians have shaped understandings of faith and peacemaking. Michael McDougle (mmcdougle@lcc.lt) is an Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies at LCC International University in Klaip...

Ethicist and author Andrew DeCort joins Daniel to address the imperative responsibility of the Western church to respond to the calls of Palestinian Christians! Andrew explains how "neighbor-love" translates into a revolutionary political ethic that demands concrete policy changes. Andrew DeCort is an ethicist and “dissident theologian” holding a PhD in religious and political ethics fro...

Renowned Palestinian theologian Rev. Mitri Raheb and theologian Graham McGeoch join us for a sobering conversation about the reality we live in “After Gaza”. We particularly reflect on their recent edited volume “Theology After Gaza” that analyzes how theology has been misused to justify oppression in Israel's war on Gaza, countering it with liberation theologies centered on justice and truth wher...

As we wrap up 2025, professor Nelson Kraybill joins Daniel for a conversation about all things apocalyptic. Kraybill , a scholar of the book of Revelation, discusses the End Times, the Rapture, and the various confusing terms and images found in Revelation. J. Nelson Kraybill is a retired pastor in Elkhart, Indiana and president of Mennonite World Conference. He was director of the London Mennonit...

Jen has a conversation with Kelley Nikondeha about her book, The First Advent in Palestine : Reversals, Resistance, and the Ongoing Complexity of Hope. They discuss the context of Matthew and Luke’s Advent narratives, which included abusive rulers, systems of oppression, and economic hardship. Kelley shares about how these Advent stories invite Christians to hear “good news” for the poor and downt...

Mindy Summers joins Abeer to share about journey of advocacy and peacemaking. Together, they explore how digital platforms can elevate marginalized voices, challenge harmful theologies, and spark deep personal transformation, especially around Israel-Palestine, immigration, and gender justice.  Mindy Summers is an advocate and peacemaker. She uses social media as an advocacy platform to share abou...