Animal Welfare and Hierarchies of Suffering in Gaza
Introduction On November 14, 2025, German media described four donkeys transported from Gaza by the Israeli organization Starting Over Sanctuary as having been “rescued,” before they were relocated to a zoo in Oppenheim. The animals were given German names and described as having “left behind hunger and misery, beatings and hardship.” Missing from the coverage […]
The Future of US Aid to Israel: From Military Assistance to Integration
As criticism of US military support for Israel reaches unprecedented levels, leaders on the Israeli and US right are proposing a transformation of the “special relationship.” Rather than relying on traditional military aid, they envision integrating Israel more deeply into the US military-industrial complex and turning Israel into a “Super Sparta.” The aim is to […]
The ICJ Opinions on Palestine: Possibilities and Limitations
Introduction Writing about the effectiveness of international law in Palestine is particularly fraught in the midst of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the ongoing settler-colonial project. Growing skepticism about international law has led some legal analysts to question its relevance or even declare its demise. Yet while international law emerged within modern imperial structures, […]
Palestinian Intellectual History with Sabri Jiryis
The transcript below has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Yara Hawari 0:00 From Al-Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Network, I am Yara Hawari, and this is Rethinking Palestine. The Foundations of Zionism was originally published in Arabic over two volumes in 1977 and 1986, written by renowned Palestinian scholar and former director of the […]
The Gulf and Israel: War, Normalization, and the Global Economy
Introduction The US-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon, as well as the ongoing genocide in Palestine, are reshaping the political landscape of the region. Alliances are being recalibrated, and old assumptions about US power are being tested. The war has also underscored how deeply the global economy remains tied to fossil fuels and to the […]
War, Political Economy, and Palestine
The transcript below has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Diana Buttu 0:00 Before October of 2023, there was a real push within Israel to push forward this normalization project. And the normalization project was, in large part, to send the message to the Israeli public that they never really need to do anything […]
Palestine, Iran, and the Unraveling of Western Hegemony
Introduction People across the world are living through a moment of profound crisis. The ongoing genocide in Gaza, the US-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon, the resulting energy and economic shocks, and the erosion of the international legal order are unfolding alongside the fragmentation of the Western-led global system. Together, these converging tremors are exposing […]
Blocking the Bombs: How Far Will Democrats Go on Israel?
One year after the introduction of the Block the Bombs Act, calls to condition or cut US military aid to Israel are gaining traction in Washington. Once treated as politically untouchable, the unconditional flow of US weapons to Israel is now the subject of congressional legislation, public pressure campaigns, and growing debate inside the Democratic […]
The US Democratic Party’s Moment of Reckoning with Tariq Kenney-Shawa
The transcript below has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Tariq Kenney-Shawa 0:00 I think when we’re looking at candidates running for office in the midterms, when we’re looking at the eventual presidential candidates running for office in 2028, I think we need to pay attention to whether they’re actually supporting initiatives that will […]
