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8/11/2024

"What is it like to be from there?"

This episode of Palestinapodden discusses recent events in Palestine, including the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza. The hosts also discuss the participation of Israel in the Olympics, the UN report on torture against Palestinian prisoners, and the growing boycott movement against Israeli products. They highlight the importance of solidarity work, information dissemination, and activism in supporting the Palestinian cause.

00:06

The segment discusses the recent killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and its potential consequences for Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East.

12:18

The speech critiques Israel's actions in Gaza, highlighting human rights violations, sportwashing, and the dehumanization of Palestinians amidst ongoing violence.

33:05

The speech highlights successful boycott campaigns against major brands, emphasizing the impact of consumer choices on corporate behavior.

37:18

Norway's government has facilitated visas for Palestinian medical students, emphasizing the importance of educational continuity amidst conflict.

41:08

Doctors are advocating for Palestinian rights, highlighting targeted attacks on civilians as solidarity work gains momentum.

Transkript

Nevnt i episoden

Ismail Haniyeh

The political leader of Hamas who was assassinated in a deadly Israeli rocket attack.

Hamas

A Palestinian Islamic political organization, often seen as a terrorist group.

Israel

The state of Israel is often criticized for its policies towards Palestine, including the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

Iran

Iran is a key ally of Palestine and has been involved in the conflict with Israel.

Hezbollah

A Lebanese Shia political party and militant group, considered a terrorist organization by some.

Gaza

The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian territory under Israeli blockade.

Netanyahu

The former Prime Minister of Israel, known for his right-wing policies.

Apartheid Israel

A term used to describe the Israeli government's policies as similar to the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

OL

The Olympic Games, where Israel's participation has been criticized due to its human rights violations.

IOF

The Israeli Occupation Forces, often accused of human rights abuses against Palestinians.

B'Tselem

An Israeli human rights organization that has documented Israeli abuses against Palestinians.

UN

The United Nations, often criticized for its perceived bias towards Israel in the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Smotrich

An Israeli politician who has made controversial statements about Palestinians.

Zionism

A political ideology that supports the establishment and development of a Jewish state in Palestine. It is often criticized for its perceived racism towards Palestinians.

Polio

A disease that has become an epidemic in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade and its impact on the health system.

Starbucks

A major coffee chain that has been targeted in the boycott campaign against Israeli products.

Coca-Cola

A major beverage company that has been criticized for its sponsorship of sporting events in Israel.

Kongsberg Gruppen

A Norwegian company that has been criticized for its role in the Israeli arms industry.

Rema 1000

A Norwegian grocery chain that has been targeted for selling products from Israel.

UDI

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, which has been criticized for its handling of Palestinian asylum seekers and students.

Palestine Fund

An organization that works to raise awareness and support for the Palestinian cause.

ICJ

The International Court of Justice, which has ruled against Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

BDS

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which aims to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territory.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde

A Norwegian politician known for his support for Israel.

Josef

A guest on the podcast who discussed the ICJ statement.

Issy Yod

An individual who has spoken out against Israeli apartheid.

Lina Khatib

A guest on the podcast who explained the work of the Palestinian Committee.

Ingevild

The producer of the podcast who was supposed to go to Palestine as a solidarity worker.

Deltakere

Host

Unknown

Guest

Ibrahim Naser

Listener

Nadia

Sponsorer

Kongsberg Gruppen

Lignende

Laster

Yes, 300 days have passed. We have talked to a few different guests, and we have also been at Norway Cup. So we have actually not been able to talk so much about what has happened in the last few days. And there have been quite a few big events as well. So we are going to go through some news, and then we are going to hear a poem from Ibrahim, our good friend.

And then there's maybe a little there is a list at the end of, for example, goods Israel doesn't let in Gaza. Let's start with Khabarovsk. What I think everyone has brought with them that happened for, it's probably a week, half a week ago, is that

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, or the leader of Hamas' political fleet, was killed in a deadly Israeli rocket attack on a house in Tehran. In Iran's capital, under a diplomatic visit, he was to be inaugurated, I don't know what the Norwegian word is, but the new Iranian president.

He was killed on that visit, and his bodyguard. Israel hasn't really been involved in the attack, but everyone knows that Israel did it. It was only a few hours after Israel bombed the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, and killed the supreme commander in Hezbollah, Fuad Shukur.

Haniyeh was a popular Palestinian leader and was seen by many as a national father figure. He was born in a family of Nakba refugees in Gaza in 1963, and became an activist and joined Hamas in his early days in the 80s.

He was a minister for a short period in the Palestinian Authority before the split between the West Bank and Gaza in 2007. He was a Palestinian who lived in exile, so he didn't live in Gaza, he lived in Qatar.

and was a key figure in promoting arms trade. His murder is generally seen as a sabotage act. The bombing of Iran's capital is also quite serious. Iran has said that they will come with a threat attack. Israel can hardly see for itself. In and of itself, Israel has said time and again that it is Hamas who...

who denies the arms deal, or comes to an agreement, even though it has been shown time and time again by several experts and Israeli journalists that Netanyahu is in the way. Now they have the ballon in their hands. Haniyeh, who was a part of the arms deal, who was very important for it, has now eliminated that.

His death in Teheran has sent shockwaves across the region. Now it's talked about that it can be a regional war. It's been talked about for a long time. But now it's like if Iran attacks Israel now, then it can go one step further. Hezbollah has also said that they will come with a counterattack.

But this can be the biggest consequence, I would say. Both are equally big consequences. But one thing is how the arms deal will be now, and if there will be a big war in the Middle East.

And then there are a couple of things we have to put into perspective here, because you can discuss Hamas' ideology until you become green about it, but to actually take out him who is considered one of the more diplomatic between the leaders, who could actually talk to both sides and make himself understood on both sides, when he is killed, and as leader of the arms negotiations, then it is nothing more than a...

a proper blow to the head for a possible weapon-willing. And it is clear that the intentions of Israel and Netanyahu are not about weapon-willing. It is about doing as much damage as possible and taking more of Palestine and Gaza. So, to put it a little in perspective, as Palestinians, that a Hamas leader, an

...

Western leaders are being killed because they are extremists on both sides. In my opinion. Apart from the fact that we have been driven by propaganda throughout the years, so we don't think that what the US has done in Iraq or what Israel has done in Palestine is extreme. But it's exactly the same. And that media image there, I would like to challenge a little with what I mean with those perspectives. Because

In the public or among people, it is seen as if they have killed a terrorist leader. And you may agree with that, but it is still as extreme when you take out someone who leads the arms dealings. And there is no perspective on that. No, and now both France, Great Britain and the US, not least...

They have blocked the UN Security Council statement that condemns Haniyeh's attack and confirms support for Israel. If it had been the other way around, this would have been something completely different. You don't just go around killing political leaders, regardless...

who they are or what they stand for, but it's treated very differently when it's a brown man instead of a white man. Exactly. If I can say it right. Yes, because what would have happened if they had done an attack on Ben Gavir? Hell, it's already hell, but it would have been a thousand times. That's what we're seeing now. You saw the attempt at an attack on Trump. Yes.

And how the media used it, and the iconic picture of Trump, who just shouted USA. And how it just covered the media picture, day by day. There was rolling on NRK and TV2, and all the websites were filled with it for several days, and he got a little scratch on his ear. Exactly.

No, sorry. No, sure. No, but a leader as big as Hanye has almost not been given

some of the same attention. Now it's just about Iran attacking Israel and the consequences of that. And there's nothing to say here, or that's not what we're talking about. What we're talking about here is justice. Because extremists on both sides should be treated like this. And we see zero of that in Western media. So

It's an incredibly exciting situation, and you can't do anything but get pissed off at Israel for the constant escalation and the desperate actions that are being made to expose a gunman, and expose, I mean, 300 days. 49,500 dead confirmed. That number is enormous, and it will grow in indirect losses. So...

Bear in mind that Israel has bombed Yemen, Iran, Syria, Lebanon. They have bombed four countries. And now they are like, oh no, now it's going to be a great war. Who is it that creates this great war? Exactly. And we haven't taken the 75 years with the occupation into account. Now we're talking about 10 months. But...

He is dead. Today, August 7th, which is exactly ten months after the people were killed, a new leader was elected in Hamas, and that is Yehiya Sinwar. He has been a political leader in Hamas and joined the organization when it was established in 1987, so he has been involved for quite some time.

He was also born and raised in an refugee camp in Gaza. He has been an Israeli prisoner for 22 years. When Palestinians are less worth than Israelis, there was a prisoner exchange in 2011. There was one Israeli soldier who was replaced by 1000 Palestinians.

And he was one of them in 2011. So...

Then he came back to his everyday life. And then there are many who claim that he was the brain behind the October 7th attack. Not as moderate as he is, so people are a little unsure about how he will take on these arms-wielding negotiations. Yes. Yes. And...

Yeah, you made your own bed. Might as well get comfy, like. It's a bit there. I think it's very difficult to think about when you first have killed a political leader. There's nothing more I want than a gun will. A just gun will, where like...

We want the gizl to be released, we want Gaza to get emergency help, we want a stop to the brutality that is happening in Gaza. I think it's very difficult to think about

Yes, yes, it was.

He might have a different requirement than he has. Again, he's not as moderate as he is. So he can make many more demands, and different demands. So Israel has really just...

Yes, shoot yourself in the foot. And not only that he comes in with a name entry, his colleagues and friends have also been killed. It gives completely different conditions. Because, yes, you can talk politics and on a strategic level, but there are also people who are sitting on the other side of the table here. So, yes, it's a very exciting situation. And the foreign minister to Israel, who is called Israel Katz, has also said that he must be eliminated. Yes.

So that's a good starting point to start a war on when you're in a war. But we're going to kill you. That's also an interesting perspective. When you want to go in to kill a Hamas leader, you can take him. But when you're going to find Hamas in Gaza, you're going to bomb the whole city. Yes. Put it out there. Pretty smart. Yes, because you think for yourself what you think about it.

And then they thought they were going to kill Ismail Haniyeh, and then that was the job they did. Now it's nothing more than Hamas. Yes, nothing changes. Or, it changes something, it just gets worse. But the fact that they are going to exonerate Hamas, it doesn't happen. It doesn't work. You've said it yourself. It doesn't work. It's an ideology. So why continue with the bombing? Alright. Next stop. OL? Yay!

Despite the fact that people around the world demanded that Israel be expelled from the O.L. because of genocide in Gaza and human rights violations in the entire occupied Palestine, Israel was allowed to participate.

doubled the morale, enough so. Other countries have been excluded, such as Apartheid South Africa, which was part of the Apartheid's end in South Africa. Apartheid Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe, and this year Russia and Belarus are excluded for the invasion of Ukraine. This is an example of the double standard in the West, as we saw with Eurovision.

One thought I had at first was that we should call Israel Apartheid Israel. That's what I'm starting to say now. So Apartheid Israel. There hasn't really been much talk about Apartheid Israel in the UN. There haven't been any very strong voices from the sports community who have spoken out about being a part of it. I was looking at the opening numbers for the UN just to see

whether they showed the Palestinian fleet and the Apartheid Israel fleet. Fortunately, they showed both, otherwise I wouldn't have been in such good humor. But the only ones who have spoken out about Apartheid Israel are the Palestinians who are with OL. And talked about how important it is just to be there, just to have that fleet in the opening numbers, how important it has been so that people don't forget.

We have also seen that several of Israel's participants in the OEL are former IOF soldiers, who openly have given their support to Gaza's genocide, and they still get to participate without any consequences. I saw one who had won...

I think it was a boxing match or something like that, I haven't seen it at the Olympics, but he won something. And then he went over and kissed a logo that was the IHF's logo. And then they went out and... The Olympics went out and apologized and said that we accept no political opinions, no matter if it's from Israel or other countries, but then they just said, "Yes, yes, then we'll forget about that."

There are two things that are quite clear. That it is not allowed to use hijab under the OEL, and that it is not allowed to wear a Palestinian flag at the stadium. So the standpoint is quite clear. You can't wear a Palestinian flag either. But it's the Palestinians who are with you. Yes, that's right. There have been large demonstrations in Paris against the OEL committee denying and banishing Israel. And there has been clear support for Palestine among the protesters, where people have...

to the Israeli participants and shouted "Free Palestine". If you can't bring the flag, you can at least shout it. No one can deny that. An Algerian participant

How do you say that? Messaoud. Messaoud. Driss refused to compete against an Israeli competitor this year. He was disqualified for this. In 2020, he did another Algerian competitor the same. He said, We have worked hard to reach the Olympics, but the Palestinian cause is bigger than all this. It's a bit like when you're going to boycott something. It would have been great, but really cold Santa now. Yes.

It would have been great with a very cold fanta now. But there are more important things happening. I must not have that fanta. Exactly.

Ok, it's not completely in comparison. No, but it is a thing. You know what I mean? Because there is something bigger than yourself, than you should get benefits. 100%. So actually, there was a football player who played for Mainz, who was thrown out of the club, because he talked about Palestine. He was a North African, he too. I don't remember if it was Algeria or Morocco.

But he signed a new club for a new club now, and they have allowed him to speak out exactly as he wants. And that's great. Which country? He signed for Cardiff, which plays in level 2 in England. Yay Wales! Absolutely. Since the genocide started in Gaza, Apartheid Israel has killed over three thousand people.

The practice of sport is a human right.

And since this is the number of dead, you have all those who have been injured, who can no longer be athletes, up on that. Both now, in the form of losing body parts or getting sick, but also after the effects of the war. So the number will be very high for people who cannot participate. Sport is political, regardless of everything.

Everything in life is political, no matter if we like it or not. If someone says they're not interested in politics, then you're not involved in life. You don't have to be completely independent to follow, but your life is political.

Suppressing regimes often use sports events as political tools to point at or distract us from their human rights violations. By allowing Israel's participation in the UN, the UN committee allows the Apartheid Israel to have an international platform to legitimize its genocide and normalize the apartheid regime.

We have seen that several times, not only this year, but when big events have happened in the world. Israel has used it to bomb Gaza. Like the Super Bowl final. They bombed it.

Was it the Nusairat fire? I think so. It was the same day, or the same night,

And as I said, it's about painting or shading away from something else to show that it's okay, they're just a land. Sportwashing has been a term that has been used for a long time. And this is a perfect example of it.

Israel as a nation is with us, for example. But you also advertise. Coca-Cola was a big sponsor under the European Championship, for example. Where you just wash your brand with sports and commercialization. It wasn't just Coca-Cola. It was Coca-Cola, and then it was Booking.com, and then it was Lidl, who also...

I don't remember exactly how they were involved, but they have something to do with the occupation. There are three big ones. OL is sponsored by Kongsberg Gruppen. They say... What do they say? Teknologiselskapet Kongsberg Gruppen. That's a nice angle. Folkemordselskapet Kongsberg Gruppen. Let's talk about something else now. Something that

This may be a little trigger, so if you don't want to hear incredibly bad things, even though we're talking about it all the time, just be aware. But there has been a UN report on torture and assault against Palestinian prisoners. There was a new report today from B'Tselem, which is an Israeli...

human rights organization in Israel. On July 31st, an UN report came out that tells about Israel's extensive use of torture and assault against Palestinian prisoners. Many have been put in cages, stripped of clothes for longer periods, only wearing diapers. Several have been blindfolded, food, water, sleep, electrochocked, burned with cigarettes. Some have been

Dogs have been released against them. This has not only happened with the capture, but also happened in the apartment of Palestinians in Gaza. Some have been subjected to water torture. Some have had their hands and feet tied so tightly that they have to be amputated. This is also what several doctors have said.

Some have been hanged in the ceiling. In addition, both women and men have been exposed to brutal sexual abuse. Several of the prisoners have died. I don't want to say dead, they have been killed by torture. And a very...

It's good that this is in a UN report. It's a shame that neither Israel nor the US recognize the UN as a legitimate organization. But this is a very clear breach of human rights and the human rights of the people. We have so many extreme examples now.

with the dog that went loose on him who had Down syndrome, hot metal bars that are used to penetrate people. Yesterday I saw a clip on Instagram where IOF soldiers pick up a trap

He pulls him out as far as he can from the camera surveillance zone. And then the soldier stands and shouts around, while another one makes an attack on that person. There is enough evidence, and it has been for a long time, it has been 10 months now. This is so past madness. And again, this is evidence that you actually...

treat people differently than other people. And that has been said a lot by Israeli leaders. That it's animals, it's dogs. And this, to quote Mustafa Barghouti, it's not the Jungle Law anymore, because this hadn't happened in the animal world. It's over, far over. Smotrich, is he an interior minister or

He's a fucking idiot. He's a fucking idiot, yes, that's for sure. But he said that it's possible to legitimize the exploitation of two million people. And it's moral to do so. But because the world says we shouldn't do it, we don't do it. Even if we want to do it, because it's legitimate.

It's so crazy that you can just say things like that and then we just continue with our everyday lives. I would like to jump back to what you said about sports and politics and all of this. Because it doesn't even have to be political. It's just completely basic humanity that we've passed on for a long time. So that...

Yes, now you walk a dark path, but I get so pissed that no one cares, and that no world leaders do anything. Because it's insane to be passive about what's happening now. Since October 7, 9,840 Palestinians have been arrested in the occupied West Bank. Around 680 children have been arrested.

They often use administrative detention, which allows the Israeli military to keep Palestinian prisoners without a time limit, secret information, without charges or any justifications. So they have no reason to keep any of these prisoners here. They always say that they are investigating, that torture is investigation, and people buy it.

It's completely crazy that we live in a world where we have to wait for an ICC report to make actions. That they will withdraw 140 billion out of illegal occupation, or that they will sit passively and watch this happen. Sorry, but you don't do your job. You have a responsibility for the world community when you are a leader of state.

You have to be proactive. I don't understand that we let this happen again. And every ten years, this happens with a nation. And then we don't learn. I think this is so sick, because I've seen... This was discussed in Knesset, and the discussion was so absurd.

I couldn't believe that it was actually a discussion within a government. It looks more like a sick satire thing from something. But nine IOF soldiers were arrested for an ongoing investigation of abuse and torture

by a Palestinian prisoner in what I would call a concentration camp. Israeli residents, including members of the Israeli parliament, broke into the IAEA's military base and demonstrated support for these soldiers who had been accused of abuse and torture.

The arrest warrant was lifted for the 9 IOF soldiers after politicians and citizens stormed the base of the IOF and demonstrated in solidarity with the violent soldiers. Now you can't say if it's violent, because it's not necessarily people who have done this. But in Knesset you are talking about, is it sexual violence to use

a sharp resistance against the Palestinians. And then it's something like: "Everything is legitimate against these animals." Or something like that. It was a very dehumanizing statement, as they said. But that people storm... It just shows how brainwashed it is. It's just... It's like, regardless... As long as it's against the Palestinians, everything is fine.

Because they don't see Palestinians as people at all. Not only the government, but many extreme Israelis, especially residents. And here we go into a discussion.

that makes this life-threatening. Because this is Zionism. And if we continue to mix Zionism and Judaism, because this is Zionist brainwashing, the only thing that will have consequences right now is the Palestinians. If we don't make the difference between Zionism and how dangerous Zionism is, then this will continue. Zionism is brainwashing that gets

-Israeli to treat people in a different way, and believe they are superior in a different way. And not only Zionism, but also that you enter as an IOF soldier when you're 18 and become a hero. Because this is collective psychosis. So if we continue not to mix up Zionism, and that Zionism can be a good thing, okay. But this is the consequence of it. Because they get sick in the head.

I found this quote here now, and the question that was asked by Ahmed Tibi, a Palestinian legislator during a meeting. He asked the question, to put a pin in the person's end-strip, is that legitimate? And then one of the politicians from the Likud party, Hanosh Mildvidsky, says, yes, if he is a Nuhba, is everything legitimate to do against him?

And Nuhba is part of Hamas. The problem is that they see all Palestinians as part of Hamas. They can't separate. Regardless of whether they are Hamas or not, no one should get a pin up in ... But it just shows what kind of view they have. Because this has happened to Palestinian prisoners as the only researchers who have no complaints against them.

We're going to move back to Gaza, because there you have... We've seen many children, especially on social media, who have... You can see that their skin is starting to get a lot of bubbles. And now it's officially declared polio epidemic in Gaza, as a result of the crisis in the health system and the terrible sanitary conditions, and Israel's bombing, which prevents vaccine distribution.

This is the description of polio from the great medical lexicon. Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is an acute infectious infection with poliovirus. The virus can attack and destroy motor cells in the spine, and thus cause injuries. The disease affects especially children under 5 years. In the first half of the 1900s, polio was a terrible disease in large parts of the world. But thanks to effective vaccines, the disease is now ready to be cured.

A potentially very serious disease with long-term side effects, which was about to be eliminated, has Israel managed to create an epidemic in Gaza. And all the IOF soldiers get vaccines against polio. But no one in Gaza gets vaccines. As an occupier, you have a responsibility. But what kind of responsibility does Israel have, if from before?

There's a lot to talk about, and we talk a lot about powerlessness. But I think we should take some highlights of what's happening. One is that Macarons has had a profit drop of 15%, and Starbucks has had 23%.

Which is part of the boycott campaign. Yes, and powerlessness and helplessness is what you feel when you go through the points we have been through now. But this is the least we can do, and it actually works. Because there is nothing that...

For the makers of Starbucks, money is the only thing that matters. And that they get a profit can actually lead to changes. So we just have to keep doing what we can and boycott it. It's almost 25%, it's a quarter. That's quite a lot.

And now I haven't followed up on... The McDonald's stocks? No. But 15% for a... Who is it? Everyone buys McDonald's all the time. 15%?

It's pretty good. If we continue, it will continue to fall if more people join. If people understand what the brand is doing, it will have consequences. What we are trying to do is that the brand will change. That they will take a stand in what is happening. So that's very good. The 10 medicine students from Gaza have finally received their visas.

I don't know if we've talked about the medicine students before. No, I don't think so. But they got a job offer first from UDI to come to Norway. I have some insight there, actually. Do you? Yes. Because one of our regular listeners works at UDI. So she was... A lot of the actions at the start were very...

UDI, get your fingers together. Take it together. But what she wrote to me was that... Or he. Or he. What she wrote was that internally in UDI, they have worked insanely hard to get more gas. Not just the medical students, but the last ten months. But...

The government has said that you have to follow the procedure as usual, and they have put pressure on the inside that we can change these processes soon. And then we, not we, but everyone who is involved in the Palestine Act, have put pressure on it. And this has led to the government having to move away from the usual procedure to get to this point.

So that the nice people at UDI have put pressure on the inside, and we who are engaged from the outside have done this together, has actually led to an end. So shout out to those at UDI who really have worked hard and talk about Gaza, probably every lunch. It seems like it's a tactic the government has where they first say no,

about a proposal from someone, and then it's like, we take this into our own hands, now we're going to make that change, and then they get the credit for... Yes, and they've got all the shit on the way. So it's important to attack correctly, so that we don't get people to be on the team, because that can...

It's taken personally when it's their everyday life. But yes, it was a change, and it works because it comes from several different sides. Very good. But yes, the medical students, that's what we were talking about. The government has now instructed UDI to give a visa to the ten medical students from Kasa who will be on the exchange at UVO. Or UDI has pressed the government so hard that they have received a visa. Yes.

The Foreign Minister Eide thinks it is foreign policy arguments that speak for giving students permission. We hope it will also apply to other Palestinian students. The Palestinian committee knows several Palestinian students who have received studies in Norway, but have been denied a visa from the UDI, or the government, apparently. Israel has bombed all 13 universities and universities in Gaza.

So ensuring that students continue their education, they have lost a whole year of study in Gaza. So ensuring that students continue their education after 300 days of attack is very important and a very strong, solidary action from the Norwegian government.

We have to thank everyone who signed the campaign and talked about this. Now we have medical students coming to Norway. You can actually hear from one of the medical students at the big demonstration on August 17th at Jungstorget, which the Palestinian committee in Oslo, the Action Group and the Palestinian-Norwegian Association are organizing. I hope as many as possible will come to that.

And I look forward to meeting these students, if we get the honor of meeting them one day. Yes, and the government must make sure that UDI can give visas to the Palestinian students. Seven major American trade unions demand that the USA stop arms exports to Israel. That is big news. That is very big news.

"USA is Israel's most important supporter with military and economic support, but it is the powerful American civil society that is up against genocide in Palestine and wants another policy." Quite the opposite. People are cool, politicians are out and running, but this is big. This is really big.

And something that can actually change. And the US, Norway to a certain extent, but the US and trade unions are something that is imprinted in the American culture. So I hope that the seven trade unions continue to press on through this.

It's very good, and it's also something a little different than this case, but I remember that there were 46 doctors who wrote to the Congress or to Joe Biden. This is still a good and a little bad news, because there has been evidence that children in Gaza are shot at with will by snipers, because

There is so much precision in the sniper shots that they either hit the head or the chest every time. The doctors who have been in Gaza have written about this. Now they have sent a letter to Joe Biden to prove that this is happening. That there is an attack with will on children.

And that's completely crazy, but it's good that there are many doctors who have gone together and went to the president. So it's starting to, slowly but surely, to get more and more voices talking for the Palestinians. Yes, it's been about 300 days.

But again, as I mentioned earlier, how can precision be so strong when you still have to go all out? But it's good. Good idea. From the doctors? Yes. Not from everyone else. We have started with a new topic, which is listening questions.

where we ask you questions, not necessarily us, because we can't answer everything, but general questions about Palestine that we hopefully can help with. And the first question is: What does the Palestinian Committee do with, in relation to other organizations and groups, why doesn't the Palestinian Committee collect money for emergency aid? We have talked about the Palestinian Committee in our first episode with Lina Khatib.

She explains what the work of the Palestinian Committee is and how long they have been doing it. But I think that since we are quite far into the Palestinian pod, we can take a little refresher on what the Palestinian Committee does. Yes.

The Palestinian Committee was established in 1969 and is a politically independent and nationwide solidarity organization that works politically to spread knowledge about the situation in Palestine and to influence the Norwegian opinion and Norwegian foreign policy. The Palestinian Committee also sends solidarity workers to the West Bank in Palestine and to a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.

I can just point out that our producer, Ingevild, was supposed to go to Palestine as a solidarity worker on October 7th last year. Yes, that was a bit bad timing. Solidarity work for the Palestinian Committee in Norway is separated from humanitarian aid by us also taking a stand in the conflict.

We are doing international solidarity work because the global fight against oppression is also our fight. While well-being is more symptom reduction, solidarity work is also a work that is aimed at changing systems such as imperialism and racism.

Solidarity work builds on equality and is thus a support for others' freedom struggle. Today it is you who need support, tomorrow it is me. We do not run with white saviorism, we do not look down or pester with our solutions. We stand shoulder to shoulder and contribute with what the Palestinian community asks us to contribute with. And that has long been to put pressure on Israel through, among other things, BDS and information work.

It's also nice that money is collected for emergency aid organizations, but it falls a little outside of the Palestinian Committee's task as a solidarity organization. So when you are a member of the Palestinian Committee, it's about... The money goes to...

Print out information, arrange demos, make buttons, all those things that spread knowledge and information about Palestine, which will then be given to the volunteers to spread the information further, so that more can be involved in supporting the Palestinian liberation struggle. That's the whole point, if you can sum it up. Very well said. And one initiative is the Palestine Fund.

Yes, exactly. Which is also here to spread information and knowledge about Palestine. So it's very important that necessary help exists. It's also very important that the solidarity struggle also exists. Because it's a combination of these two things that help Palestinians. And it's always nice that people come up with their own initiatives and make actions and collect money for others. And the Palestinian Committee is also involved in supporting all this. But I think if you were to collect money for all...

everything that needed to be collected, solidarity work couldn't be done. And knowledge and information is so important for people to understand why they send money, for example. Why they need emergency help.

Especially since October 7, when you have gotten to know more people and also gotten to know the better members of the Paul Stina committee, it is extremely important that everyone who has not signed up, signs up and contributes. We have seen how Line and everyone else work closely, and all the things that are not visible are extremely important. So it is done...

These people work day and night. And everyone is one of them. And they have been since 1969. So it's important to continue to support and back these people. Because there is a lot going on under the radar, also on a political level, which is extremely important that we back. Do you know how many forces it takes to talk to Christian Tybring in a debate?

I don't think people understand me. I get really frustrated by looking at it. I can't imagine anyone doing it. You have the debate, and then you have two to three days of rest right after. It's rehab, that's crazy. So a lot of work goes into it. Yes, really.

We have received another question from Nadia. "I heard about the episode today with Josef, and I wondered about what he said about using this right-thinking from Issy Yod." The episode she refers to is when we talk about Issy Yod coming out about how Israel is simply running an apartheid.

Where do you find this document, and what is it used for? For example, when you contact the food chain. She has sent an email to Rema 1000, saying that they sell potatoes from Israel, and that they have to answer all questions about the Openness Act. But they say that they do not come from occupied areas, and everything is under the law. Can you do anything then?

No, I think Josef answered that in the episode as well. You can't do anything without the help of non-occupied areas. But what is from occupied areas, you can do. According to ICIOD, it's a break if you support occupied areas. That's the initiative.

The ICJ statement is on 80 pages, but we left it as a link in the previous episode. We can also add it to this episode. It is quite comprehensive and not a common language. But you can refer to points in the statement, so you can go to the daily goods chain and say this has...

Yes. Yes.

And just creds to Nadia, who actually does that job. We know that several initiatives like that will change. So if everyone listening can send a mail to Rema 1000 afterwards, and ask them to prove that they are not from occupied areas, then it's great. And there are several who lie about the fact that they usually have the box from Colombia when they sell clementines. I don't know if the clementine came from Colombia.

Not any negative things about Colombia. Colombia is great, they boycott Israel. So you should at least buy clementines from Colombia if they have it. But they say they have clementines from one place, and then there are clementines from Israel. And that's illegal. So you can also catch people there.

One more thing I'd like to add is that not all heroes wear capes. But you've seen several of the stores that don't take down the boycott stickers. That's where the store employees are apparently in agreement in the boycott campaigns. So that's very cool. Leave the sticker marks if you work in a daily wear store or elsewhere. If you have more questions,

then just send an email to palestinapodm at gamewell.com Now we will hear a poem from Ibrahim. She asked, what is it like to be from there? I answered, it's a daily decision to transform the dark clouds into almond blossoms. She asked, what is it like to be from there? I answered, to guard the olive grove at dawn

and be your fierce lover at dusk. She asked, What is it like to be from there? I answered, To illuminate the darkness roaming over the hills. My heart is a burning sun beaming relentless hope. She asked, What is it like to be from there? I answered, To plant a fragile tree in the brown soil, shield it with my wings, and water it with my blood. She asked,

"What is it like to be from there?" I answered, "To listen to the sunbird's song, in captivity, yet sings the melody of freedom." She asked, "What is it like to be from there?" I answered, "To skip childhood into knighthood. I was born on the back of an Arabian horse. I carry the memories of the pomegranates and the Jerusalem stone." She asked, "What is it like to be from there?" I answered,

to ensure that children sprout in the land of tomorrow do not suffer the uprooting of the present and the past. She asked, "What is it like to be from there?" I answered, "To write freedom in a journal covered with mud and blood. My words are tulips. I shall melt the dark ice." She asked, "What is it like to be from there?" I answered,

to face the machine with dark brown eyes. My grandfather passed. He left a kufiyya and a story of a home. She asked, "What is it like to be from there?" I answered, "To have your indigenous grape crushed." So I turned my veins into a vineyard and my blood into a fruity wine. She asked, "What is it like to be from there?"

I answered, "To infuse the word with her mystical sage. My hands are made of thyme and stones." She asked, "What is it like to be from there?" I answered, "To dwell in a cactus and accept the siege. They cut down the walnut and stole its breeze. I shall return though. I promise the moon on my charcoal beard to be back, back to the field." She asked,

Thank you Ibrahim Naser for the amazing poem. Let's move on to one of my favourite parts.

Not all of the gaps are favorite gaps. Why? Okay. Apartheid Israel's blockade means that they control everything and everyone who comes in and out of Gaza. And that's how it has been this year. Israel's argument is that these goods can have military use. But it is obvious that it is about making

Life is worse for Gaza's population. In this episode of There is a List, you get some of the scary goods Israel has refused to let into Gaza. Yes. Number one. Animal food. It's... Digg? Yes. It's digg and a very dangerous weapon. You can throw it at the soldiers. Yes.

Number two? Yes, it's lung smell. Yes, because then you can see when the settlers come to take your home. Yes. Number three? Stone fruit. You can... Throw it. Yes, or spit it. Yes. Number four? Chocolate. Joy. Endorphins are... Yes, they can't do you any good. No, they can't. And it gives you a lot of energy to throw stone from the stone fruit. Yes. Number five? Madrassas. I've heard that the ground is good for your back. Yes.

That's crazy. All these things here. But we're not done. No, no, no. Number six? It's teppes. It's actually to take culture. That's what we're sitting at home on. Do you think that if they get teppes, they'll be like Aladdin? Yes, they can fly. And which one were we on? Number seven? I think so. It's cement. Then you can build something, not sleep in a tent. Number eight?

Planks. You can also build something. This is exciting. Is it number 9? Yes. Coriander? Yes. I don't know. Number 10? Croissants. That was very specific. Why can't you eat croissants? It's hard. Maybe you can smuggle things in. Yes. Oh my god. What if it is? Is there anything that surprises you after 300 days? No, that's not really it.

Number eleven? Yes, a small add-on. It's sleeping bags with Glylos. It hurts if you scratch your hands. Yes, that's because they care. Number twelve? Headphones with batteries. You can probably turn the batteries into a mobile charger and then you can document murder. I wouldn't know that.

This is actually the worst. Yes. And it's cancer medicines. Why? It's completely insane. No comment. That's all for today. Thank you for listening to the Palestina-pod. It's very good and empowering to know that there are many who are in the same fight from every corner of Norway. Yes.

Everyone does it in different ways. So keep learning, spreading knowledge and doing your thing. Whether it's Nadia sending an email to Rema 1000 or UDI working on the inside, or going to demos or whatever. Be brave with each other. I think there are a lot of people who are frustrated now because they don't see that...

There are so many changes. It happens little by little, so we have to be grateful for that. But be careful with each other, take some breaks, be grateful, be nice to people in the movement. We all work with the same thing, towards the same goals, and that is a free palestine and justice for everyone. And it is important that we work differently on different platforms, so that we can cover as many areas as possible.

But the most important thing is to boycott, I think. But it's just me. But it's very important that we have auctions, demos, Palkveld, we talk on Zoom. All these things are very important. And everyone goes in the same direction. Exactly. If you have questions, suggestions for guests, themes, rice or rose, send an email to palessinapodden at gmail.com. You can write "Hi, Ranja", because she's the one who answers.

And as always, have a great break. Bye!