This Is Not a Watermelon | Palestinian History & Culture

We talk with architects Elias and Yousef Anastas, partners at studio AAU Anastas about their deeply researched practice, their dedication to using stone in innovative and ethical ways, and the many social, political, and cultural considerations around building in Palestine, and beyond. Our conversation touches on their many other collaborations including Local Industries, Radio Alhara, and Wonder...

We talk about Palestinian storytelling from oral histories that transmit our stories across generations, to policy analysis that explains what is happening to us today in our own voices. In this conversation with Yara Hawari, the co-director of the Palestinian policy network Al-Shabaka, we also discuss which Palestinians are given the chance to speak and the many—sometimes deadly—ways that our act...

Actress, director, producer, and screenwriter Cherien Dabis discusses her career, from directing shows like Ramy, Mo, and Only Murders in the Building to writing, directing and acting in her monumental new Palestinian film, All That's Left of You. She reflects on the profound impact of her first trip to Palestine as an eight-year-old, where experiencing harassment and humiliation by Israeli soldie...

Our conversation with writer, scholar, and activist, Tareq Baconi, about the many forms of containment forced onto Palestinians and the need to reclaim the Palestinian revolutionary legacy. We discuss Tareq’s book, "Hamas Contained: A History of Palestinian Resistance" (2018), his disillusionment with the limits of commentary, what a free Palestine actually means, and his new memoir "Fire in Every...

We go back to 1931, when Palestinian journalist Issa El-Issa visited Paris's Colonial Exhibition and discovered Palestinian pavilions had been co-opted by British and Zionist organizers. This experience led the journalist to organize an Arab Exhibition in Palestine in 1933. Historian Nadi Abusaada discusses Resurgent Nahda, a book he recently researched and edited, and takes us through the exhibit...

We talk to Lena El-Malak, author of "Stolen Nation: The Right to Reparation of Palestinian Refugees." The discussion explores the unique challenges faced by Palestinian refugees in securing their right of return and receive reparations, contrasting it with other global examples of refugee repatriation and compensation. El-Malak provides an in-depth analysis of various periods in Palestinian land o...

Activist, producer, writer and editor Frank Barat shares his journey into activism, focusing on Palestine, and the significant moments that shaped his advocacy. From his upbringing in a working-class family to his eye-opening trip to Palestine in 2007, Barat paints a picture of the struggles and beauty he witnessed. He discusses the Russell Tribunal on Palestine and its impact, the Freedom Flotill...

In this episode of This is Not a Watermelon podcast, we're joined by Oscar-Nominated and award-winning Palestinian filmmaker, Scandar Copti. We dive into his childhood in Jaffa and growing up in a neighborhood with a rich and tumultuous history like Ajami, to his rise as an acclaimed filmmaker. Scandar shares personal anecdotes about the challenges he faced – including at the Oscars – his unique f...

In this episode of This Is Not a Watermelon podcast, we talk to UN special rapporteur Michael Fakhri, and comic journalist and film writer Omar Khouri, about their report "Palestine and the Right to Food." They explain how starvation is always intentional – with a focus on Israel's policies towards Palestine – illustrating the broader global implications. The episode delves into the legal definiti...

Better known to many through her Instagram account @leb.historian which has gained a large audience especially since Lebanon's 17 October Revolution, Chloe Kattar joins us on This Is Not a Watermelon for a special podcast episode to contextualize the current Israeli war on Lebanon. We focus on Israeli propaganda and discuss Zionist expansionist agenda and the ways in which these imperial narrative...

In this special episode of This Is Not a Watermelon podcast, we speak to Professor Mona Harb, co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab at the American University of Beirut, to help us delve into the intricate socio-political dynamics and historical narratives of Beirut's southern suburbs, known as "Dahiyeh" that's been under severe Israeli bombardment since September.  FOLLOW & RATE THE THIS IS NOT...

Palestinian doctor, scholar and research fellow Ghada Karmi offers powerful, truthful and hard-hitting words on Palestine's past, present and future. She sheds light on a common experience amongst Palestinian diaspora: that of blocked memories, suppressed as a result of trauma. She shares wise words of advice on dealing with friends and family who – especially in the wake of October 7th – have sta...

In this episode of This Is Not a Watermelon, we talk about positioning Palestinian music within a global music scene, cassettes as precious as diamonds, music and resistance, and reiterations of traditional folk music. Global scholar of Palestinian music, activist, and musician Louis Brehony joins us with a roster of musical interludes that take us on a tour of the Palestinian music that should ap...

This episode was recorded on July 10th, 2024. Check out Sonja's reading recommendations for Palestinian literature from the 20th Century 👉https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/sonja-mejcher-atassi-book-recommendations And dive deeper into the history of the King David Hotel 👉https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/jerusalems-king-david-hotelnbsp Sonja Mejcher-Atassi is a professor of Arabic and comp...

This episode was recorded on May 21st, 2024 at 5pm Palestine time. Victor Kattan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham School of Law, where he is writing a book on apartheid as a crime against humanity. He was previously awarded consecutive postdoctoral awards and fellowships at the National University of Singapore (2013-2020). He is a member of the Editorial Board of  The Asia...

Dr Salman Abu Sitta was born in 1937 in Ma‘in Abu Sitta, in the Beersheba district of Mandate Palestine. An engineer by profession, and the founder and president of the Palestine Land Society, he is most known for his ground-breaking research project mapping of Palestine in the 21st, 20th and 19th centuries, and developing a practical plan for implementing the right of return for all Palestinian r...

This episode was recorded on March 20th at 4:15pm Palestine time. If you're curious to learn more about Palestinian prison literature, read our full article on it 👉 https://www.afikra.com/daftarjournal/palestinian-prison-literature Refqa Abu-Remaileh is a professor of Modern Arabic Literature and Film at the Freie Universität Berlin's Arabic department, specializing in Palestinian literature and...

Starting with the Qattan Foundation's recent exhibition "Gaza: A Moment of Becoming", Yazid explains why this is not an ordinary exhibition, reflecting on the particular importance of Palestinian art and artists today, especially post October 7. He discusses the history of Palestinian art and whether or not October 7 has ushered in a new form of expression, whether it's worth historizing Palestini...

Visualizing Palestine is a data-visualization platform that produces factual infographics and visuals to build a rights-based narrative of Palestine and the Israeli occupation. In this conversation, we explore the different pillars of Visualizing Palestine's work and process and how the project came into being. Through the work, we consider the structural inequality, apartheid and occupation that...

Mai Masri is a Palestinian filmmaker, director and producer. The majority of her work to date are documentaries which focus on the day-to-day realities faced by women and children living in the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon. She is widely seen as a pioneer of Palestinian and Arab cinema and has received a number of awards for her work.   Connect with Mai 👉 https://tasharuk.cat/en/c...

Distinguished Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour – whose work has become synonymous with the Palestinian identity and struggle – talks to us about his journey, exploring his influences, the evolution of his art, and his reflections on the role of artists in society.   From his iconic works like "Camel of Hardship" to his innovative use of natural materials during the First Intifada, Mansour shares...

Taking his film "Spaces of Exception" as a starting point, we talk about reservations and refugee camps as uniquely dual spaces that are all at once akin to prisons, yet a territory where it is possible to practice native sovereignty. He points to the very power of Indigineity in calling nationhood into question, the potent transnational solidarity that exists between Native Americans and Palestin...

"This is not a watermelon" is a podcast about Palestinian history and culture. In this episode, we sat down with Andy Clarno, author of "Neoliberal Apartheid: Palestine/Israel and South Africa after 1994" to understand more about transnational solidarity particularly between South Africa and Palestine. He helped us define apartheid and neoliberalism, sharing what he considers to be a useful workin...

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Palestinian history and culture will not be erased. History warns us how media's dehumanizing rhetoric can pave the way for targeted aggression and allow society to permit atrocities as grave as genocide. It is resolutely within our mission to counteract this dehumanizing narrative. Afikra has always stood in unwavering solidarity with our Palestin...

This episode was recorded on Friday, November 24 at 5pm Palestine Time. Please note that we're recording special podcast episodes relevant to understanding the historical context of what is happening in Palestine. Make sure to check out the other highly informative conversations with guests from completely different disciplines who are generously sharing their time and insight in these dark times....