The Miko Peled Podcast

“If you do not stop, I will submit your name to the Shin Bet. Once you are marked there, your whole life is under their surveillance.” This is the threat that Jewish-Israeli Mayor Yair Revivo hurled at Palestinian councilwoman Fida Shehada after she highlighted how their city neglects its Palestinian residents. Now, she is running an election campaign, challenging to unseat the mayor in the mixed Jewish-Palestinian city of Lyd (or "Lod" in Hebrew) in the upcoming mayoral elections. Here is Miko Peled's interview with Fida Shehade, who is a central figure in the Palestinian struggle against systematic racism in Lyd, a city located exactly between Jaffa and Jerusalem. During Israel's establishment in 1948, Israeli militia forcibly expelled the majority of the city's Palestinian residents in an event now known as the Lydda Death March. The Palestinians who now live there, holding Israeli citizenship as effective second-class citizens, face severe systematic racism, including frequent home demolitions and advancing Israeli settler organizations. In this interview, Miko and councilwoman Shehade discuss the bleak realities of the racism in Lyd, connecting the situation of the Palestinian citizens of Israel in this city with the larger Palestinian struggle against oppression. They discuss her work to fight for local Palestinian rights and running for the upcoming elections, and the significance of the movement of those Israelis who were pulled out of Gaza close to two decades ago and have now set their eyes on Lyd. This is the shortened podcast version. The full video is available to Premium Patrons on patreon.com/mikopeled

"We try to imagine what could have been here. How this country could have been, how the society could have been, if it wasn't for the terrible crime of ethnic cleansing." Zochrot means "remembrance" in Hebrew, taking the grammatical feminine form. As a non-profit organization, Zochrot takes on the Zionist account of history from within Israeli society itself. They tackle the Zionist narrative by shedding light on the catastrophe (Nakba) that took place during Israel's establishment in 1948 when 700,000 Palestinians were forcefully expelled from their homes, never to return. This interview with the organization's Israeli Director, Rachel Beitarie, explores her own motivation for joining and leading Zochrot, and the importance of presenting uncomfortable truths to Israeli society. This is a discussion between two Israelis about listening to the pain of Palestinians and how Israelis must learn "to take responsibility for your part in the dispossession of others." This interview with Miko Peled and Rachel Beitarie covers the importance of oral histories, facing that you grew up with a false nationalist narrative, promoting the return of the Palestinian refugees, and sharing a story of hatred and hummus in Beijing. This is the shortened podcast. The full video interview is available to Premium Patron subscribers on patreon.com/mikopeled [https://www.patreon.com/mikopeled]

Running for elections as a second class citizen! Though many would ignorantly call her an "Israeli Arab," Haneen Zoabi is a Palestinian patriot. She does not simply represent a political opposition—she is part of a native people excluded by the Israeli system and fighting for equal rights. Haneen Zoabi's journey into politics began at home. Her first awareness of justice and injustice came from observing, and questioning, the traditional gender roles in her home and in society. As the first Palestinian woman elected to the Knesset she made her mark! In this episode, Haneen Zoabi and Miko Peled discuss her journey into intersectional politics, her participation in the Mavi Marmara floatilla to Gaza where Israel killed 9 activists, and the results of the recent Israeli elections. Hear from her directly what it means to operate inside an oppressive and racist system that you wish to see peacefully dismantled. The full video interview is available on patreon.com/mikopeled

A theater student from a Palestinian village without electricity, Mohammad Bakri became a renowned actor and film director. He has stirred controversy in Israel with his movie Jenin, Jenin—a documentary about the Israeli invasion of the refugee camp in Jenin as told entirely from the Palestinian residents themselves. In 2002, Israeli military prevented journalists and human rights organizations from entering Jenin. Rumors of a massacre began to surface. Mohammad Bakri himself sneaked into the camp to ask the question, "What happened?" In this interview, Miko Peled talks with Mohammad Bakri about his first introduction to theater and film in his village and being a young Palestinian theater student in the foreign world of Tel Aviv. They discuss his success as an actor with an Israeli audience and his maturing into someone ready to tell his own story. Become a Patreon Premium subscriber to watch the full video interview!

Author and activist, Miko Peled, hosts a live event with Palestinian film and theater actor, Saleh Bakri and Israeli actor and playwright, Guy Elhanan to discuss theatre in Palestine and Israel, censorship of the arts, inequity in funding, as well as their individual careers. This event was held live via Zoom on Friday, January 29, 2021 @ 1 PM ET • 8 PM Palestine Guest Panel: Guy Elhanan wrote his PhD on bilingual and arabic #theatre practices and teaching possibilities. He is a #playwright, director, actor and lecturer who specializes in multicultural and interdisciplinary stage work, including music, mime and puppetry. Some of his work includes Mars at Sunrise, The Time that Remains, The Attack, and others. Saleh Bakri is a #Palestinian #film and #theater actor. He began his career in the theater. His work includes Death and the Maiden, Salt of this Sea, When I Saw You, The Time that Remains, Wajib, and others. Watch the entire 2020 Webinar Series by Miko Peled www.mikopeled.com [http://www.mikopeled.com]