Pondering "Pallywood"

Sharing Histories

Guests: Einat Wilf, Yardena Schwartz, Mo Husseini. An honest examination of how Israeli and Palestinian national narratives developed, how historical turning points shaped lived realities on both sides, how language and media framing distort public understanding, and how misinformation fuels insecurity—for Jews and for Palestinians alike.

Pondering "Pallywood"

Peaced Off! is back with a supersized episode that takes up what is being called “Pallywood,” the portmanteau of “Palestine” and “Hollywood.” Is it a derogatory term used by pro-Israel commentators to falsely accuse Palestinians of staging suffering and civilian casualties to manipulate the media? Or, is it a global symbol of Palestinian suffering born out of the current state of affairs in which Palestinians lack authentic mainstream media outlets? We spoke to Tom Divon, an ethnographer and media scholar at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Richard Landes, a former history professor at Boston University and now an independent historian living in Jerusalem, about the origins of the term and their respective takes on its significance. The resulting discussions were both eye opening and quite troubling, but gave us a lot to ponder and digest.

Story Matters: Communication, Narrative, Advocacy

Orly talks with Emmy Award–winning performer, filmmaker, and actor Yuval David, who is also a prominent advocate for Jewish and LGBTQ rights, to discuss the importance of narrative and communication in his advocacy work as an advisor, and as a citizen of both the United States and Israel.

Discourse Over Discord on Campus

Abe and Orly speak with two Gen Z young men, Elijah Kahlenberg and Jadd Hashem, to discuss their grassroots, campus-based peace and open dialogue initiative, Atidna, which seeks to solidify Arabs and Jews as cousins, one unified family, and not enemies.

Reel Talk: "Holding Liat"

Orly and Abe talk to Brandon & Lance Kramer and Libby Lenkinski of the feature documentary Holding Liat, which premiered in at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the Berlinale Documentary Award for Best Documentary. It recently had its North American premiere at the Tribeca Festival and is currently on the film festival circuit.