The Big Picture with Mohamed Hassan

“I was definitely raised to be a Jewish leader of some kind.”With college campuses all over the US gripped by intense battles around free speech, antisemitism and Palestinian rights - the voices of young Jewish Americans have led the way. One of the boldest and most prominent voices is that of Simone Zimmerman.Zimmerman was raised in a conservative Zionist household, taught to idolise and support Israel as the highest aspiration of all young Jewish Americans like her.But as she got older, she began to question whether there was another side to Israel she was being sheltered from - and when she sought answers, she was shocked at what she discovered.Prompted by conversations with Palestinians under occupation and Jewish activists, she went home and began to organise in an attempt to stop her government’s military support for Israel, and as she puts it, “live out the values of justice I was raised on”.On the frontlines of protests in campuses and halls of power, she suddenly found herself a target of accusations by pro-Israeli groups, who now called her “antisemitic” and a “jew hater” and threatening her online.After October 7, she became more determined than ever to challenge the beliefs in her community about Israel, and the reluctance by many to see the horrific reality of what’s happening in Gaza.This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with Simone Zimmerman to talk about her story, which has been documented in a provocative new documentary called ‘Israelism’, and whether we’re witnessing a turning point in how young Jewish-Americans see Israel, and how young Americans see their government’s support for the occupation.Check out the trailer for Israelism here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bondvm3hvGM&ab_channel=TikkunOlamFilmsCheck out Simone Zimmerman’s work with If Not Now here: https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Did Iran fall into Israel’s trap when it attacked on Saturday, or did it outmanoeuvre Netanyahu? Are we on the brink of regional war, or can the US contain the spill?When Israel bombed an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April, killing top Iranian commanders, many saw it as bait laid out by Benjamin Netanyahu to force a direct confrontation that would drag the US into a wider regional conflict. More isolated than ever on the world stage after six months of brutal war in Gaza, Israel needed a distraction.Iran vowed to respond, and despite warnings from US President Joe Biden, launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Israel, the first direct confrontation with Israel after decades of proxy aggressions between the two adversaries. Most of the attack was thwarted by the US and Israel’s aerial defence systems, with the help of British and French air power as well as, surprisingly, Jordan. It was an incredibly expensive show of defensive force that sent a message to Israel’s enemies, but also potentially exposed a contingency strategy the US had in place for years against Iran.The aftermath of the attack, which Iran declared a victory, left the region and the world reeling, fearing what could be the first spark in a much-feared regional war spilling out from Gaza - one that Israel had at times provoked, but that all its neighbours, as well as the US and even Iran itself, had desperately tried to avoid.In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Middle East Eye’s editor-in-chief David Hearst to talk about whether Iran’s attack was a stroke of strategic shrewdness, or if it played directly into Israel’s hands.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Is Europe ‘nostalgic for a racist past’ when it didn’t have to apologise for its colonialism? In this week’s episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with renowned Australian anthropologist Ghassan Hage. Hage is currently fighting against the prestigious Max Planck Society in Germany over accusations of ‘antisemitism’ over his critiques of Israel.This week, Germany’s government had to defend its ongoing military support for Israel’s war in Gaza after a legal case was filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by Nicaragua, who accused Germany of “facilitating the commission of genocide”.We go in-depth and speak about Germany, antisemitism and the end of liberal Europe.Hage was invited to a placement at a Max Planck institute last year, but soon became the target of attacks by right-wing media in Germany, who lobbied the Max Planck directors to fire him. They did.Despite being married to a Jewish refugee whose father fled Mussolini, and building a career in creating dialogue, Hage was denied a chance to defend the accusations.Now he’s fighting back, and says his case is part of a wider trend in Germany and many western nations who are using ‘antisemitism’ as a cover to keep immigrants under control.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Sadiq Khan for a wide ranging conversation about Labour’s election hopes, his political regrets and his vision for the future of London.Sadiq Khan wants to make history by winning a third term as London’s mayor - but his confidence is shaky.A winter of mass protests, a smear campaign in the media and a new set of voting regulations ushered in by a hostile Tory government have pushed him to rally his supporters not to take the upcoming May elections for granted.On top of that, Khan’s trying to talk his Muslim base out of punishing him and Labour in anger over the war in Gaza, which he says would be politically naive.So what’s he saying to his fellow Londonders to convince them otherwise, and what’s his view on Keir Starmer’s public positions since October 7?We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

How do you humanise people facing unimaginable odds?That was the task Plestia Alaqad gave herself when she first put on her press vest on October 7. Freshly graduated from journalism school and dreaming of a bright future, she suddenly found herself in the middle of a war zone, with the eyes of the world watching.Armed with her phone and internet access, she began documenting the lives of her family and the people around her - finding stories of hope and resilience amid the rubble.Overnight, she became one of the most followed people on the internet, as each day, millions tuned in to watch the war unfold through her eyes. It was a kid of journalism we hadn’t witnessed before, immediate, empathetic and spoken through the voices of young Palestinians facing the unimaginable. In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, Mohamed Hassan meets with Plestia in Melbourne, where she and her family fled after leaving Gaza, reluctant and tearful, praying for the day they would return but knowing that day may not come.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein to talk about how for decades, Israel used its occupation of Palestinians as a testing ground for new weaponry, which it then packages and sells to governments around the world.In fact, Loewenstein argues that since its inception, Israel built its economy around military and surveillance technology, exporting it to some of the world’s most repressive regimes including Myanmar, Pinochet’s Chile and apartheid South Africa.As the devastating war in Gaza wages on, Israeli defence contractors have already begun advertising drones, hightech firearms and robot dogs battle-tested in the field and ready to be sent abroad.The Big Picture is produced and presented by Mohamed Hassan. It’s a weekly show about the big ideas that shape our past, present and future.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

What does coverage of Gaza tell us about how the West sees the rest of the world?A recent report into mainstream news coverage found Islamophobic and anti-Arab language was widely used in coverage of the events after 7 October, with Israeli victims described using emotive language 11 times more than Palestinian victims.It also documented how pro-Palestinian voices were frequently vilified and treated with hostility during interviews. So why is this happening?In our first episode of Season 3 of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with sociologist and writer Dr Randa Abdel Fattah, who speaks about her first-hand experience as an outspoken Palestinian academic.She argues in her work that media narratives paint Palestinians and Arabs as ‘unreasonable, unrestrained and uncivilised’ as a way of maintaining a western colonial order.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Why are Western societies so fearful of Islam and Muslims?One can answer this question by examining history, particularly that of European colonial powers, and the ways in which they justified their actions in the Global South by painting its peoples and religions as alien and in need of reformation.Another answer can be found in the murky ties between our modern political parties, powerful media figures and well-funded think tanks, who have all benefited from casting Muslim communities as antagonists.This week on The Big Picture podcast, we speak to celebrated journalist, author and columnist Peter Oborne, who has spent years tracing the roots of anti-Muslim hatred in Western history, and the people who shape its modern manifestations in Britain, the US and France.He presents his findings in his 2023 book ‘The Fate of Abraham: Why The West Is Wrong About Islam’.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

How deep does racism run within the Labour Party?Since the start of the Gaza war, there's been a growing anger within British Muslim communities at Labour's perceived lack of leadership on the Palestinian issue, and on the calls for a ceasefire.Under Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition party has towed the government line, publicly supporting Israel's devastating war, despite the outcry of many Labour MPs - many who quit in protest.But some have remained to fight.This week on The Big Picture, we speak with Labour Party member and former Uxbridge candidate Ali Milani, who says he's ready to publicly challenge the way senior members of the party view Palestinians, and Muslims in general.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

This week on the Big Picture, we speak with British political activist, author and deputy chair of the Stop The War Coalition, Chris Nineham.Nineham was instrumental in organising the historic anti-war demonstrations in 2003 against the invasion of Iraq - which saw millions flood the streets in major cities across the globe - and is considered the largest protest in UK history.Now he's helping bring together another global call to action on January 13 - this time to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after three months of continuous action.We speak with Nineham about what it takes to build a mass movement, bringing together activists, unionists and community groups and turn the momentum of the last three months of action into a worldwide push to end war, injustice and poverty.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

It is impossible not to feel overwhelmed by the ongoing war in Gaza - the death toll, the horrific footage, the world’s inability to bring it to an end.That is compounded for Palestinians, many with family members directly impacted, who feel they’ve always been seen through a racist and islamophobic lens, and that speaking out is a political act with consequences.So how do Palestinians and Muslims navigate their feelings of anger with their faith?This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with Palestinian-American scholar and activist Dr Omar Suleiman, the founder of the Yaqeen Institute in Texas.Dr Suleiman built a reputation as a religious voice who resonates with the growing Muslim diaspora searching for leaders, and as a millennial often on the frontlines of social issues and protest movements in the US.He speaks to us about his own anger, his commitment to challenging his government and why this is a turning point for how he sees himself as an American.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

What does it take to shift the UK’s position on Palestine?One lawmaker, Layla Moran, has a deeply personal drive to fight for change. Her relatives have been trapped in a Gaza Church for days, surrounded by Israeli snipers and tanks and running out of food and water.Moran has been fighting to change the position of her Liberal Democrats Party for years, to introduce policies about recognizing a Palestinian state by bringing together Israeli and Palestinian voices.Her efforts led to the party calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on November 13, more than a month before other British parties budged on their blanket support for Israel’s military action.Now she wants the government to commit to joining the international community in pushing for an end to the war, and to uphold its “historic obligation” to recognising Palestinian independence.This week on the Big Picture, we speak to Layla Moran about her family, her Palestinian identity and her belief in dialogue as a tool to bridge the bitter divide.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Can Western leaders be held to account for their role in the Gaza war?This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with one lawyer determined to do just that, and who has already put many of them on public notice.Tayab Ali is Solicitor Advocate, a partner at the London Law firm Bindmans LLP and the director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP).For years, Ali fought to bring Israeli politicians before British courts on charges of war crimes. These included former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.In 2009, he successfully applied for UK court to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni following the brutal Operation Cast Lead, which killed more than 1000 Palestinians in Gaza.In 2011 the British government controversially issued diplomatic protection for Livni to allow her to visit London on a speaking tour.Following the Hamas attack on October 7 which led to Israel’s war in Gaza, killing more than 18,000 people including 7000 children, Ali and his team published a public letter to British politicians, informing them of their intent to prosecute any lawmakers “aiding and abetting war crimes in Gaza”.They’re also supporting groups mounting a case at the High Court against the UK government over its arms exports to Israel.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Joe Biden has pursued a ‘no red lines’ policy in his support for Israel’s war in Gaza, despite it being deeply unpopular among his own voters.The growing anger in Arab and Muslim American communities in key swing states has pushed many to vow they won’t vote for him in the 2024 Presidential elections. While only making up 1% of the population - it’s where they live that could make all the difference - and it’s something the Democrats are starting to really worry about.This week on The Big Picture, we examine what poll numbers say about Biden’s foreign policy decisions, and what it says about his hopes for defeating Donald Trump.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Josh Paul created a big stir when he resigned from the US State Department in protest of the sale of weapons to Israel. In a highly publicised letter, he said the rush to arm Israel’s war in Gaza was “shortsighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory” The former arms trade expert, who helped the US train the Iraqi police and the Palestinian Authority, and oversaw weapons deals to a number of controversial regimes, says he’s now speaking out in the hopes he can pressure the US into changing its foreign policy.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Is there a path back from the brink for Israel and Palestine?Under the blinding influence of fury and revenge after the October 7 attack, Israel has waged a relentless war in Gaza which killed more than 11,000 Palestinians and displaced more than 1.5 million people.But beyond its stated aim to eliminate Hamas, there seems to be no plan for what happens the day after, or what would stop the wheel of violence from continuing to spin.This week on The Big Picture podcast, we sit down with former Israeli negotiator and analyst Daniel Levy, who now heads the US-Middle East Project.Levy argues that despite the terrifying language now normal within Israeli society, there is still an offramp, and even a road to peace.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Are there Hamas tunnels under hospitals? Did Israel give up Gaza in 2005? Did the Palestinians reject their own state?This week on The Big Picture, we examine a widely shared interview with Hillary Clinton, praised as informative and illuminating. Except most of what she says about Gaza isn’t true - so why is she misleading the public?It could be her financial ties to Israel, and influential Israeli lobbies in the United States. She’s not the only one.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

Are Western leaders sleepwalking into a disaster in the Middle East?As regional tensions surge amid Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, its allies in the US and Europe have refused calls to de-escalate the conflict and prevent the staggering toll on human life from spiralling further. Western countries vowed to stand by Israel as it responds to the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas, with many invoking the language of the ‘War on Terror’ and a ‘Clash of Civilisations’. But unlike conflicts in the past, these countries have increasingly found themselves isolated on the world stage, at the United Nations and on the streets of major cities.This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with Palestinian thinker and political strategist Wadah Khanfar, the former director general of Al Jazeera.Khanfar says Israel and its allies are desperately trying to maintain Western hegemony in the Middle East and beyond, but they cannot see that the world has already moved on.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

On Wednesday, the world woke up to newspapers plastered with a horrific headline about ‘40 Israeli babies decapitated by Hamas’. But was the story true?We dig into the dizzying, circular debate around the darkest story of an already devastating week and ask whether journalists fulfilled their duty to fact-check it, or instead helped Israel justify its policy of ‘collective punishment’ in Gaza.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

The history of Palestinian liberation movements is paved with setbacks, betrayals and bitter rivalries.What began as an attempt to unify the resistance against Israeli occupation has over time been undermined by regional and global political interests, ideological differences and disagreements over the justification, and use, of guerilla tactics.Today the question of who represents Palestinian interests is hotly contested, with Hamas and Fatah vying for control, and a wave of dissatisfied young factions on the rise in Gaza and the West Bank.This week on The Big Picture podcast, we speak with British-Palestinian academic and political activist Dr Azzam Tamimi.In the light of the ongoing violence in Gaza and Israel, and the devastating toll on civilian life, Dr Tamimi explains how these movements began, and why another Palestinian uprising is inevitable.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG