Occupied Thoughts

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with analyst Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute about Iran and the U.S. Their conversation spans from exploring decision-making authority and processes in Iran to the impact that U.S. sanctions have on ordinary people in Iran, where poverty has risen dramatically. They speak in depth about the regional and economic dynamics that may have primed Iran for a deal with the United States, including a growing recognition about both the potential and limits on what Russia and China can provide, and the possibility that President Trump will break with DC orthodoxy to make a deal. Trita Parsi is the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute. He is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. His first book, Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States (Yale University Press, 2007), won the silver medal winner of the 2008 Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. His second book, A Single Roll of the Dice – Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran (Yale University Press, 2012) and was selected by Foreign Affairs as the Best Book of 2012 on the Middle East. Parsi’s latest book – Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy (Yale University Press, 2017) – reveals the behind the scenes story to the nuclear deal with Iran. Parsi was born in Iran but moved with his family at the age of four to Sweden in order to escape political repression in Iran. His father was an outspoken academic who was jailed by the Shah and then by the Ayatollah. He moved to the United States as an adult and studied foreign policy at Johns Hopkins’ School for Advanced International Studies where he received his PhD under Francis Fukuyama and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza and a 2025 Fellow at FMEP. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor and author Ben Ehrenreich cover a range topics reflecting Ben's reporting and analysis on Israel/Palestine and U.S. policy, including West Bank Palestinians' relationships to affecting change through nonviolent action, the Biden Administration and Democratic Party's approaches to Palestine and Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, Zionism, and media complicity in genocide. They draw from Ben's recent essays "After Nonviolence" (Harper's, May 2025); "You Don't Get Trump Without Gaza" (The Nation, April 2025); and his 2009 op-ed, Zionism is the Problem (LA Times).  Ben Ehrenreich is the author of two books of nonfiction, Desert Notebooks and The Way to the Spring, based on his reporting from the West Bank; two novels, Ether and The Suitors; and many articles, stories, and essays.  Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza and a 2025 Fellow at FMEP. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP's Sarah Anne Minkin speaks with writer and activist Ali Awad about life in Masafer Yatta, the part of the West Bank where he lives, which is subject to ongoing and escalating state-backed Israeli settler attacks. Ali describes life in his rural village, Tuba, on "a good day," a day without settler attacks, and also looks at the history of Masafer Yatta under Israeli occupation, including decades of being unsettled and facing forcible transfer and the threat of continued expulsion. Ali describes the escalations in attacks and threats against these communities since October 7th, 2023, including recent attacks targeting his village and family. Looking at the multi-pronged Israeli efforts to force Palestinians out of Masafer Yatta, Ali talks about the loss of any sense of security, hope, or the possibility of a future on the land he and his families have inhabited for many generations. And he speaks about efforts to support children traumatized by settler/soldier violence, to connect with human rights activists fighting these injustices, and to achieve the security and freedom needed for more "good days" in Masafer Yatta. Ali Awad is a human rights activist and writer from Tuba in the South Hebron Hills. He has a degree in English literature. Read more of Ali's work here: Starving Palestine: Israeli colonialism and the struggle for food sovereignty in Masafer Yatta. Words by Manal Shqair. Photographs by Ali Awad. Vittles, 2/10/25: https://www.vittlesmagazine.com/p/starving-palestine Ali Awad: “Many West Bank Palestinians Are Being Forced Out of Their Villages. Is My Family Next?” New York Times 11/20/25: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/20/opinion/israel-west-bank-palestinians.html Ali's many articles on +972 Magazine: https://www.972mag.com/writer/ali-awad/ Ali Awad in Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d432-a77f-df3fa13f0000 Humans of Masafer Yatta: https://humansofmasaferyatta.substack.com/ For more on the attacks in Jinba, Susya, and Tuba, see: Israeli settlers attacked Jinba — then came back in army uniform (Oren Ziv, +972 Magazine, 4/2/25): https://www.972mag.com/jinba-pogrom-israeli-settlers-soldiers/ In Masafer Yatta, we need more than awards — we need protection (Ahmad Nawajah, +972 Magazine, 4/8/25): https://www.972mag.com/susiya-masafer-yatta-oscars-protection/ On the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land and ongoing attacks in Masafer Yatta, see https://www.972mag.com/search/?q=no%20other%20land For more on Masafer Yatta: https://savemasaferyatta.com/ To watch the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land: https://nootherland.com/ Sarah Anne Minkin, PhD, is FMEP's Director of Programs & Partnerships. She is an expert on the intersection between Israeli civil society and Palestinian civil rights and human rights advocacy as well as the ways that Jewish Americans approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She leads FMEP’s programming, works to deepen FMEP’s relationships with existing and potential grantees, and builds relationships with new partners in the philanthropic community. A graduate of Yale University, Sarah Anne earned her doctorate at the University of California-Berkeley. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with German journalist Hanno Hauenstein about Germany's memory culture and the treatment of the Holocaust as a unique historical event, as compared to the genocide of the Herero and Nama people and others. They discuss the idea of Germany's Staatrason - or reason for being - which has been characterized as protecting Israel, right or wrong as well as and Hanno's work in the Guardian which highlights the criminalization of Palestine-related speech and the unprecedented effort to deport EU citizens for their Palestine advocacy. Read Hanno's new piece in the Guardian, "Germany is now deporting pro-Palestine EU citizens. This is a chilling new step" (4/3/25) and in +972 Magazine, "Germany moves to deport four foreign residents for pro-Palestine activism," (4/1/25). Hanno Hauenstein is a Berlin-based independent journalist and author. His work has appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Intercept, and Berliner Zeitung. Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza and a 2025 Fellow at FMEP. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor about child amputees in Gaza, now estimated to number 3,000-4,000, the highest number of child amputees per inhabitant in the world. They discuss how Israel’s denial of medical supplies leads to amputation and what it's like to be a doctor in Gaza, and they analyze the effect these devastating injuries will have on Palestinian society. Ahmed recently published a detailed piece on this topic in the Guardian (3/27/25): There are more child amputees in Gaza than anywhere else in the world. What can the future hold for them? Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza and a 2025 Fellow at FMEP. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNBC Political Commentator. His newest book (published 2025) is Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Gina Romero, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, about the many human rights - including freedom of expression, assembly, association, and the right to education - that have been both invoked and repressed as part of the protests against Israel's war in Gaza on college campuses in many countries and the reactions to them. Gina Romero authored a comprehensive report that covers these protests, human rights, and campus repression, and includes recommendations for the protection of students, rights, and democracy itself. The report is entitled:"Recommendations for universities worldwide for the second semester of 2024: Safeguarding the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association on campuses in the context of international solidarity with the Palestinian people and victims." For more, see https://fmep.org/resource/protect-students-dont-repress-them-the-hostile-environment-for-human-rights-on-college-campuses/ Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Tahani Mustafa, Senior Palestine Analyst for the International Crisis Group, about Palestinian politics and the challenging predicament of cooperation or confrontation with Israel. The two discuss the evolution of the Palestinian Authority and its legitimacy today, including the role of Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the growth of militancy in the face of expanded Israeli military activity in the West Bank. They draw from Tahani's recent policy brief, "Israel’s West Bank Incursions Highlight the Dilemmas of Palestinian Politics." Tahani Mustafa is the International Crisis Group’s Senior Palestine Analyst, where she works on issues including security and  socio-political and legal governance in the West bank. She has a background in development and security governance in the Middle East, and has worked in academia and policy advocacy. Based between the UK, Jordan and Israel/Palestine, she holds a Ph.D in Politics and International Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Naji Abbas, Director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department for Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), about Israel targeting medical workers in Gaza for arrest and detention inside of Israel, an effort that is part of the overall destruction of the infrastructure for community and life in Gaza. In Israeli detention, health care workers have been subjected to multiple methods of torture, including beatings, sexual abuse, the withholding of medical care and insufficient nutrition. Drawing on direct testimonies from detained medical workers, PHRI details this cruel and illegal treatment in their new report: Torture of Medical Workers in Israel - A Call for Urgent Action.  Naji Abbas is Director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department for Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). He has been working and advocating for prisoners' rights in Israeli prisons for the past six years, with a focus on the right to healthcare in detention. His work has included providing individual assistance to hundreds of detainees and prisoners. Additionally, he has been involved in promoting policy changes regarding the healthcare system within Israeli prisons, including publishing position papers, engaging in legal work, giving lectures, and lobbying. Since the start of the war in October 2023, together with the PHRI team, Naji has worked extensively to expose the horrific conditions in which Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli detention facilities. This includes publishing the first report (February 2024) which analysed the systematic violations of Palestinian human rights in Israeli prisons, as well as the first report that revealed to the world the atrocities at Sde Teman military camp (April 2024). Most recently, we published a report on the unlawful detention and torture of Palestinian medical workers in Israeli detention facilities. PHRI's work has also involved exposing numerous deaths of Palestinian prisoners. Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNBC Political Commentator. His newest book (published 2025) is Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with political strategist and former FMEP Fellow Rania Batrice together with Maya Berry, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute, and Margaret Zaknoen DeReus, Executive Director of the IMEU Policy Project. They discuss the role of Israel’s genocide in Gaza – and the U.S.’s facilitation of it through weapons and political support – in the 2024 elections, drawing from newly available data, including the IMEU Policy Project's January 2025 poll, which shows that "Gaza was a top issue for Biden 2020 Voters Who Cast A Ballot For Someone Besides Harris."  They look at voter behavior among Arab Americans and in many other communities, at relationships between the Democratic Party and grassroots activists, and at the ways in which Arab Americans have been blamed for the Democratic loss. Key Resources: New Poll Shows Gaza Was A Top Issue For Biden 2020 Voters Who Cast A Ballot For Someone Besides Harris, from the IMEU: https://www.imeupolicyproject.org/postelection-polling Depressing the Vote: Genocide and 2024 US Presidential Race, Halah Ahmad, Al Shabaka: https://al-shabaka.org/briefs/depressing-the-vote-genocide-and-2024-us-presidential-race/ Rania Batrice is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, an activist and strategist for progressive change, a public relations specialist, and a political consultant. Rania has worked as a Democratic operative for over twenty years, lending her expertise across political, non-profit, legislative strategy and crisis management both in the United States and around the world. For Bernie Sanders’ 2016 run for president, she served as Iowa Communications Director, the National Director of Surrogates and as Deputy Campaign Manager. In addition to Rania’s expertise in strategy, policy and communications, her portfolio includes over 15 years of experience in conflict resolution, mediation, and organizational development. Her firm, Batrice and Associates, has worked for social justice through a variety of avenues, collaborating with organizations including Human Rights Watch, the Arab American Institute, March for Our Lives, Color of Change, March For Science, Sunrise Movement, and NDN Collective and more. Rania has been a featured speaker for a wide range of events, including addressing climate change at the Social Good Summit, the UN Youth Climate Summit and the UN General Assembly. Maya Berry is Executive Director of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a non-profit, nonpartisan, national civil rights advocacy organization founded to nurture and encourage direct participation in our political and civic life to mobilize a strong, educated, and empowered Arab American community. She previously worked at AAI, establishing its first government relations department, which she led for five years before becoming Legislative Director for House Minority Whip David Bonior, where she managed the Congressman's legislative strategy and developed policies on international relations, human rights, immigration, civil rights and liberties, and trade. Margaret Zaknoen DeReus is the Executive Director of the IMEU Policy Project, which is affiliated with the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU).  Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza. He is an advisory board member of the US Campaign for Palestinian rights, co-editor of After Zionism (Saqi Books) and is currently writing a book about Palestine. He also currently serves on the board of the Independence Media Foundation. His work has been published in The Guardian, The London Review of Books, The Nation, and elsewhere. He earned a BA at the University of Pennsylvania and an MPP at Harvard University. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with  Dr. Assal Rad and Professor Marc Owen Jones -- two of the most prominent voices and most astute analysts of the role that media and disinformation have played post Oct 7, 2023 -- and continue to play through the present day, in manufacturing consent for Israel’s war on Gaza as well as its wider military campaigns and territorial expansion in Lebanon and Syria. The conversation centered on Dr. Rad's article, "How Western Media Has Manufactured Consent for Atrocities", From Iraq to Gaza ( published by DAWN on 3/4/25); and Professor Jones's peer-reviewed analysis in Third World Quarterly, "Evidencing alethocide: Israel’s war on truth in Gaza" (published 3/1/25).