This Is Palestine

Listen to host Diana Buttu as she delves deep into a chapter of Palestinian history. Journey back to 1973, when under the cloak of night, Israeli soldiers seized a scenic hilltop near the town of Burqa, Nablus. Once a serene haven of apple orchards and mesmerizing terraces, this 173 dunam (approximately 43 acres) land, owned by Palestinians, was transformed overnight. Families who once flocked her...

In part one of this two-part special, host Diana Buttu dives deep into the stories of two West Bank towns with identical names: Burqa. Beyond their names, these towns are united by an overwhelming challenge — the presence of Israeli settlers, soldiers, and a legal system that often appears to favor land acquisition. Our journey begins in Burqa near Ramallah. Just a few weeks ago, a tragic event to...

In this episode, host @dianabuttu speaks with Hassan Jabareen, the founder and General Director of Adalah, a human rights organization based in Haifa that focuses on the rights of Palestinians. For more than 25 years, Hassan has litigated scores of landmark cases regarding Palestinians before the Israeli Supreme Court. Hassan explains to us how Israel’s judicial overhaul impacts Palestinians livin...

Last week, the Israeli military began a two-day invasion in the Palestinian city of Jenin. Israeli soldiers killed 12 Palestinians—including at least 4 children—left over 100 Palestinians injured, and destroyed dozens of homes. Most Palestinian families living in Jenin’s refugee camp were forced out of their homes by violent militias in 1948 in order to steal their land and create Israel. Their st...

Diana Buttu breaks down the escalating Israeli violence in Palestine. We've seen hundreds of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinian towns, setting homes and cars on fire. This comes on the heels of a violent invasion by the Israeli military into the Palestinian city of Jenin, which resulted in the loss of six Palestinian lives, including two children, and wounded at least 90 more. For the first ti...

Join Diana Buttu as she engages in a captivating conversation with the renowned Palestinian political cartoonist and author, Mohammad Sabaaneh. Delve into the world of Sabaaneh's mesmerizing black-and-white illustrations that powerfully depict the daily oppression endured by Palestinians under Israeli occupation. In this episode, we explore the depths of Sabaaneh's award-winning graphic novel, "Po...

In today’s episode, we hear from Palestinian American writer, podcaster, rock climber, and now filmmaker Andrew Bisharat. Bisharat stars in the new Reel Rock 17 film, “Resistance Climbing.”The new film follows the journey of a group of Palestinian and US climbers as Bishrat explores his Palestinian identity through the world of climbing. Bisharat spoke to us about co-narrating the new documentary...

On his 86th day of hunger strike, Sheikh Khader Adnan died in Ramle Prison, where he has been held since February 5th, 2023. On that same day, Adnan declared his hunger strike in protest of his detention by the Israeli authorities. Host Diana Buttu reflects on the life of Khader Adnan, his activism, and his unwavering commitment to his family and Palestine. Thank you for tuning into This is Palest...

This is Part 2 of our Palestinian political prisoners episodes. We speak with Dr. Malaka Shwaikh, lecturer at University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Dr. Malaka has done extensive research with Palestinian political prisoners. It should be noted that Israel routinely uses mass incarceration as a form of political oppression. To put this in perspective, at least 1 in every 5 Palestinians has been ar...

This is Part 1 of our Palestinian political prisoners episode. We hear from former Palestinian political prisoners, Khader Adnan and Qadura Fares, as we try to understand the physical and psychological impacts of hunger strikes, as well as their use in achieving political aims and preserving basic dignity under Israeli incarceration. We will also speak with Dr. Malaka Shwaikh, lecturer at Universi...

Host Diana Buttu speaks with renowned Palestinian youth activist Ahed Tamimi about her new book, They Called Me A Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight for Freedom, co-written with Palestinian-American journalist, Dena Takruri. The powerful memoir shares Ahed’s courageous life story, from growing up in the Palestinian town of Nabi Saleh to being brutally imprisoned by the Israeli military at only si...

On February 26, the Palestinian town of Huwara became the site of a violent attack by Israeli settlers, with the Israeli army watching on. Huwara is located on Highway 60, the main road connecting Palestinian towns in the military-occupied West Bank, and is one of the few remaining places where Israeli settlers and Palestinians drive on the same road. Settlers have frequently targeted the town in...

For International Women's Day, we are thrilled to highlight the voices of powerful Palestinian women who are breaking barriers and inspiring change. Join host Diana Buttu as she speaks with award-winning Palestinian American journalist Dena Takruri about her book, co-written by renowned Palestinian youth activist Ahed Tamimi, "They Called Me A Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom." In t...

In this episode, host Diana Buttu discusses Israel's extremist government and its efforts to weaken its Supreme Court. We explore the impact of this move on Palestinians, and the broader political landscape in Israel. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.i...

Benjamin Netanyahu is back as Israel's Prime Minister. He has formed a coalition with far-right, extremist, leaders like Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Host Diana Buttu breaks down Israel’s new right-wing, extremist government, and what this means for Palestinians. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu...

On today’s episode, Diana Buttu speaks with Dr. Adila Laïdi-Hanieh, Director of the Palestinian Museum. Dr. Hanieh talks to us about the museum's latest exhibition “A People by the Sea." The exhibition looks at the Palestinians from the coastal region before and after the Nakba. It displays artwork and archival footage highlighting Palestinians' vibrant culture and traditions along the Mediterrane...

On today’s episode, Diana Buttu speaks with the award-winning Jordanian-of-Palestinian-origin, film director and writer, Darin Sallam. We speak to Sallam about her film, Farha, which recently made its debut on Netflix. The powerful film tells the story of the Nakba when Israeli militias expelled over 750,000 Palestinians from their land to create Israel in 1948. Darin tells us why it is important...

Honey is one of Palestine’s first professional female soccer players and was the co-founder and captain of the Palestinian Women’s National Football Team. She speaks with us live from the World Cup. She tells us what it is like to witness Palestinian solidarity at the World Cup, how she began her soccer career, forming a national team, and her work with FIFA. Thank you for tuning into This is Pale...

You can purchase Reem Assil's cookbook here Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine , the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org . Stay connected with us:  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Tw...

In today’s episode, host Diana Buttu, takes us on a deep dive into all things olives and their strong connection to Palestine. Diana speaks with olive expert, Dr. Osama Odeh, from the Palestinian village of Biddya, coincidentally meaning the ‘stone to crush olives.’ Dr. Osama is an electro-chemist but has spent his life learning about his first love- olives, olive oil, and their history in Palesti...

Follow the IMUE on Instagram  Follow Host Diana Buttu on Twitter  Follow Malak Mattar on Instagram  Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine , the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org . Stay connected with us:  Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For m...

Israel is going into their fifth round of elections since 2019. Host Diana Buttu breaks down what this means for Palestinians, how racist Israeli policies impact Palestinians both in Israel and the West Bank, and if we will see the return of Benjamin Netanyahu. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay...

Diana Buttu speaks with Fida Jiryis about her new book ‘Stranger in my Own Land'. Fida is a writer and editor from Fassouta, in the upper Galilee, but currently resides in Ramallah. Fida writes about life as a Palestinian and the complexities within identity. She takes us on her unique and often tragic family journey, as Fida and her family were one of a few Palestinian families able to return to...

In this episode, we hear from Mohamed Hamed, the executive director and founder of the Mariam Foundation based in Nazareth. The Mariam Foundation provides assistance to Palestinian cancer patients from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, treated in Israeli hospitals. The Mariam Foundation is named after Mohamed’s sister, Mariam, who passed away at nine years old from leukemia. Mohamed vowed to devote hi...

In this episode, we hear from Ariel Koren, a former Google employee who resigned because of a hostile work environment due to her social activism. Ariel spoke out against Project Nimbus, Google’s $1 billion artificial intelligence and surveillance contract with the Israeli military because she knew it would undoubtedly be used to harm Palestinians. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the...