Arab Talk with Jess & Jamal

Is the International Criminal Court's Future in Peril?

Dr. Ezequiel Jimenez discusses his article published in Opinio Juris, “The 24th Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute: Time to Act.” In the article, he explains that, given the ICC’s current state of polycrisis, it is imperative for member states of the Rome Statute to take concrete action to confront the Court’s existential challenges rather than continue the status quo of issuing ineffective resolutions.

Israel’s Ethnic Cleansing Plan for the West Bank

Supported by Israeli security forces and enabled by government policies, settler violence has become a central component of the Israeli state’s strategy to forcibly displace Palestinian communities in the occupied territory. This approach aims to establish full Israeli control over the area and facilitate further settlement expansion, despite such settlements being illegal under international law. Photojournalist Oren Ziv has extensively reported on settler attacks across the West Bank. His documentation shows that since October 7, more than 50 rural Palestinian communities have been emptied after residents were compelled to flee amid escalating assaults, threats, and harassment by Israeli settlers—almost always carried out with the backing of the army and police. Oren is a photojournalist and reporter for Local Call and +972 Magazine, as well as a co-founder of the ActiveStills photography collective. His work has also appeared in Al Jazeera, Vice, Tablet, and other publications.

Systematic Use of Sexual Violence by Israeli Forces and Settlers Against Palestinians

A March 2025 report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry found that sexual violence by Israeli forces and settlers was extensive enough to be considered systematic. Dr. Samah Jabr, co-author of the paper "Torture as a Tool of Domination: The Logic Behind the Use of Torture Against Palestinians," discusses the long-term impact of sexual and gender-based violence used against Palestinians, especially children. Dr. Jabr is a world-renowned psychiatrist and writer who has spent more than twenty years practicing in the West Bank and Gaza. Her latest book is Radiance in Pain and Resilience.

Gaza Reconstruction Faces Massive Challenges

After two years of relentless Israeli air and ground assaults on Gaza, much of the territory lies in ruins. Many of Gaza’s two million residents have been displaced and are struggling to secure basic necessities. Jaco Cilliers, the current Special Representative for the United Nations Development Programme’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), outlines the vast scale of destruction in Gaza and the immense challenges involved in rebuilding even a semblance of normal life.

Israeli Settlers Deprive Palestinians of their Olive Harvest

Jess and Jamal discuss the recent surge in Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, which have reached unprecedented levels. This escalation is marked by increased frequency, severity, and coordination—often occurring with the support or presence of Israeli security forces—and has led to casualties, widespread property destruction, and the displacement of numerous Palestinian communities. Recently, settlers have focused on preventing Palestinians from harvesting their olives, setting fires near churches and cemeteries, damaging olive groves, and harassing local residents.