“I’m sitting here with Mahmoud who has so much to risk and who has risked so much, who has sacrificed so much… and I look at these people [Hollywood celebrities] who have absolutely every privilege imaginable to mankind, and they cannot utter a single word.” - Hannah Einbinder
For the first-ever ‘Beyond Israelism’ LIVE event, host Simone Zimmerman sat down with Emmy award-winning actor and comedian Hannah Einbinder, British-Palestinian novelist Isabella Hammad, and Columbia University graduate and former ICE detainee Mahmoud Khalil at New York City’s famous Riverside Church.
Filmed in front of an audience of over 700 people in a historic space that has long been home to movements for justice and liberation, Simone and guests unpacked the meaning and material impact of Zionism, increased political repression in the US, the importance of solidarity, the changing landscape of public opinion on Israel-Palestine, and took an array of questions from the audience.
“Dismantling Zionism means ending a system that treats people as unequal, that gives people power or even rights based on their race and religion.” - Mahmoud Khalil
In her opening remarks, Simone reflected on the dramatic shifts taking place over the last two years as millions of people — on campuses, in churches and synagogues, in unions, community organizations, and families — have challenged longstanding narratives about Israel and Palestine. As Israel’s devastating wars across Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and the broader region continue, support for Palestinians has grown dramatically, particularly among young people. The conversation explored not only how Zionism is being newly understood in this moment, but also the ongoing ripples of the Gaza genocide and the impact of the student encampments, over two years later.
“Even if the material effects of the [2024 student] encampments in the short term seem to be negligible or not as large as you would hope, the effects of it are still yet to be seen. One is that a whole generation will be formed by this experience, which echoed across the world and that generation will grow up and we’ll see what they’ll do.” - Isabella Hammad
Together, Hannah, Isabella, Mahmoud, and Simone wrestled with questions of identity, power, empire, and collective liberation, and what it means to imagine a future beyond violence and supremacy.
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This event was produced and presented by Zeteo, Project 48, Tikkun Olam Productions, Palestine Circle of The Riverside Church.
Special thanks to everyone who helped us organize this event: Ibrahim Zubairi, Miriam Yousaf, Lucas Brooks, Sekar Paramitta, Carly Shaffer, Columbia SJP, and Columbia/Barnard JVP.
‘Beyond Israelism with Simone Zimmerman’ is a provocative new video podcast series from Tikkun Olam Productions, the team behind the viral and award-winning 2023 film Israelism. In this series, Simone will host bold and inspiring conversations that face, head on, the growing global reckoning with Zionism, the debates over Jewish identity, and the urgent struggle for Palestinian freedom. The episodes will unpack the myths of Zionism; dive deep into the meaning of Palestinian liberation, and through raw and fearless discussions examine the Jewish relationship with Israel.
If you enjoyed this conversation, here are some additional resources:
Hannah’s recommendation: Donate to Pal Humanity
Isabella’s essay in The Yale Review: Reading During a Genocide: What Etel Adnan’s Novel Taught Me
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