‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Hani Description

In our first interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Hani, a fascinating individual who describes himself as half Palestinian and half European. With a love for languages, Hani is something of a polyglot, fluent in English, Arabic, Turkish, Hungarian, Romanian, German, and Italian. His linguistic abilities reflect his diverse background and enable him to connect with people from a wide range of cultures.

Hani views himself as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures, believing that his unique heritage and language skills allow him to foster understanding and dialogue between different worlds. However, he expresses a sense of disappointment that, despite their curiosity, many people are hesitant to cross cultural bridges and engage with unfamiliar perspectives. More troubling to him is the observation that some are determined to demolish these bridges altogether, rejecting opportunities for meaningful connection and mutual respect.

Paula Description

Paula was born in South Africa and moved to Israel at the age of 12. She spent 18 years there, living on a kibbutz in the centre of the country. Since leaving Israel, she has resided in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she lives with her partner and daughter.

She holds a degree in community theatre from Tel Aviv University and a Level 3 Certificate in Peace and Reconciliation. Passionate about progressive Judaism, she is working towards a lay reader's certificate, which trains her to lead Jewish prayers through Liberal Judaism UK.

In our interview, we discuss how her experience of living in conflict zones has shaped her understanding of conflict, what she means by being a "critical friend to Israel," and what she would say to Israelis and Palestinians in light of her personal experience with Northern Ireland’s imperfect peace.

Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898

Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com

Additionally, if you know anyone who you feel would like to be interviewed or possibly fits the description, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Pádraig

‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Daliah Description

In our first interview, we speak to Daliah, a 41-year-old mother from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. She describes herself as having "two wonderful sons who are" her ‘’greatest joy’’. After enduring four harrowing months of violence, killing, and starvation in the Gaza Strip, she managed to leave her homeland.

At present, she is residing in Cairo, seeking safety and stability for her family. Her journey has been filled with immense challenges, yet she remains a proud Gazan determined to build a brighter future for her children.

Kemi Description

In our second interview, we sit down with Kemi, born in London to Israeli and South African parents, who grew up in a secular household. Her upbringing, rooted in a multicultural background, nurtured a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and traditions. In 2010, after completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Kemi made the pivotal decision to move to Israel, driven by a desire to reconnect with her roots and start a new chapter in her life.

She spent five years serving in the IDF, an experience that deepened her understanding of Israeli culture while exposing her to the complexities and challenges of Israeli society. Early in her journey, Kemi met her husband, and today they raise two children in central Israel.

The balancing act of motherhood amidst ongoing conflicts has significantly shaped her perspectives on society and politics, offering a unique lens on resilience and identity in Israel.

Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898 Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com Additionally, if you know anyone who you feel would like to be interviewed or possibly fits the description, please do not hesitate to get in contact. Pádraig

‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Galit Interview Details In our first interview, we speak with Galit, an Israeli-American with dual citizenship. She was born to a mother who was a Holocaust refugee and a father, a native Israeli, born during the later years of the British Mandate for Palestine.
Galit has lived in both Israel and the U.S. and holds degrees from Columbia and Harvard Universities, where she studied Computer Science and Math Education, respectively. She is married and has six children, ranging in age from 14 to 31.

Seema Interview Details In our second interview, we speak with Seema, a Palestinian-American born in Amman, Jordan, and a descendant of the Dajani family, a prominent Jerusalemite lineage with over five centuries of history in the land.
Political unrest in Mandate Palestine forced her family to resettle in Amman, where she was born. After the Six-Day War in 1967, they emigrated to the United States in search of new opportunities.
In the U.S., Seema embraced her Middle Eastern heritage and underwent a faith conversion to Christianity, deepening her understanding of the Holy Land and its people. She is now the co-founder of a German-Palestinian-Jewish dialogue group dedicated to fostering reconciliation through faith.
In this interview, we explore how Seema remains connected to her Palestinian roots, navigates her Arab-American identity, and approaches the complexities of Israel and Palestine.

‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Daniel Interview Details

In our first interview we are speaking to Daniel, who was born in Israel in 1981, to parents who were founders in the Messianic movement and who currently serves as the Office Manager at Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry. After completing his military service with the Israel Police, he pursued studies in political science and sociology at the Hebrew University. Daniel is a dedicated father of four and plays a pivotal role in Netivyah's mission to teach God's Word and assist those in need.

In this interview Daniel begins by talking about his family background, why they choose to live in Israel as well as the changes that have occurred across Jerusalem Musa Interview Details In our 2nd Interview today, we are speaking to Musa, a dedicated teacher within the Palestinian education system, who is based in the city of Ramallah. Passionate about nurturing young minds, he finds joy in sharing knowledge and fostering curiosity among his students. Beyond, the classroom he is an avid traveller, who enjoys exploring diverse cultures, gaining inspiration from the world around him as well as being a lifelong student of English.

The conversation starts with us both speaking about life in Ramallah for him and for Palestinians in general……

If you are interested, feel free to connect with me on one or all of the following Social Media platforms, where I will provide up to date information: Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898 Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com Additionally, if you know anyone who you feel would like to be interviewed or possibly fits the description, please do not hesitate to get in contact. Pádraig

In today’s episode we are speaking with with Dr Uri Rosenberg who is currently working in academia. He's a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and lecturer at Heidelberg University, with a PhD in Middle East History from Tel Aviv University. His academic research spans the modern Turkic world, focusing on topics such as Turkish political Islam, nation-building in post-Soviet Azerbaijan, and Jewish-Muslim relations in Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Israel.

But in this episode, I am more interested in Uri's activism and hands-on experience in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Uri is the co-founder and the former co-CEO of Tech2Peace, an NGO that fosters Israeli-Palestinian dialogue through intensive technological and entrepreneurship seminars.

When managing Tech2Peace, he was mainly focused on the content, such as the design of the workshops and the creation of the alumni community. Currently, Tech2Peace has approximately 700 Israelis and Palestinians, which has helped to create a vibrant and active alumni community, even in these difficult times of war.

If you would like to learn more about Dr Uri Rosenberg and Tech2Peace, please look below at the following links:

https://www.hfjs.eu/en/chairs/ben-gurion-chair-for-israel-and-middle-east-studies/team/scientific-assistants/dr-uri-rosenberg.html

https://www.tech2peace.com/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48053200?fbclid=IwAR0YuC79KuwPZinmawSjb7LTbtqw-yA2NASRiBC2AkZspAi-ryxpuFnqXIc

In today’s episode we are speaking with Dr Erika Jiménez, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the School of Law and a Mitchell Institute Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast.

Dr Jiménez has just published a book called Rethinking human rights: critical insights from Palestinian youth, which looks at how Palestinian teenagers from the West Bank make sense of human rights when their lived experiences outside of the school environment contrast with what they learn about human rights within the school setting.

Erika is currently leading a research project entitled: Golani youth, Human Rights and the Forgotten Occupation, which explores how the occupation impacts the lives of youth from the remaining Druze communities in the Golan Heights and their views on the usefulness of human rights. It compares their perspectives with older generations and those of their Palestinian peers in the West Bank, drawing on her previous research but also new insights from the refugee community.

This project is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and is being done alongside Golani and Palestinian youth advisory groups and researchers and with support from local NGOs.

If you would like to learn more about Dr Jiménez’s academic work, please look in the description below for more details:

X: @ErikaFJimenez Profile: ⁠https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/erika-jimenez⁠ Rethinking human rights: critical insights from Palestinian youth: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/erika-jim%C3%A9nez/

‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Ya'el Interview Details In our first interview, we speak with Ya’el, who comes from a village near Haifa, a bustling port city in the Galilee region of Israel, located approximately 45 minutes from the Lebanese border.

Her village is known for its strong farming traditions, where generations of families have cultivated the land, fostering a deep connection to agriculture. Life in this close-knit community revolves around shared values, with a strong emphasis on family, cooperation, and tradition.

Growing up in such an environment, Ya’el experienced the unique blend of rural life, set against the backdrop of both the natural beauty and the political realities of the region.

Mohammed Interview Details

In our second interview today, we are speaking with Mohammed who hails from a small rural agricultural village, which produces olives, fruits and vegetables that contribute to the local economy. The village is close to the Palestinian city of Nablus, which is nestled between Mounts Gerizim to the south and Ebal to the north.

The city, itself, has been known for its famous soap production as well as its regionally famous sweet dessert, Knafeh, a dish made from pastry, cheese and syrup which can be garnished with crushed pistachios and cinnamon.

He begins his interview by speaking about his childhood, the impact that Israeli settlers had on the local community as well as the effect of the 1st Palestinian Intifada, which erupted in 1987…..

If you are interested, feel free to connect with me on one or all of the following Social Media platforms, where I will provide up to date information: Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898 Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com Additionally, if you know anyone who you feel would like to be interviewed or possibly fits the description, please do not hesitate to get in contact. Pádraig

‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting new podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Our interview today is with Nicole, who lives in Jerusalem where she is reporting on the complicated yet beautiful aspects of this city as well as the challenges facing the people of the Holy Land. She and her husband Tony are raising three children in a crossroads of languages, cultures and religions.

If you’d like to dive deeper into Nicole’s journalistic work, be sure to check out the links to her YouTube channel and website.

There, you’ll find more of her insights and reflections on life in Jerusalem, as well as her ongoing projects. Whether you’re interested in daily goings on, her in-depth analyses, or simply want to follow her latest updates, her platforms offer a wealth of valuable content:

Website: https://nicjan.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicoolness

In this episode we speak about how the city has evolved over the years, from shifts in its physical landscape to changes in its political and social fabric. She also delves into the day-to-day realities of living in a city that remains at the heart of complex geopolitical tensions. Through her experiences, we gain a deeper understanding of how Jerusalem’s contested nature affects the lives of its residents and the way history, religion, and politics intersect in this deeply significant city.