“I’m Palestinian — and that just ignites everything. That is a threat to them.”
If you know the work of Hamzah Saadah, you already know what he’s talking about. Since Oct. 7, the 22 year-old Palestinian-American influencer has gained international notoriety for doing something that no mainstream news outlet would dare to do: asking regular Israelis what they think about Palestine. The results have been shocking, as Hamzah’s interviews with civilians and soldiers alike demonstrate a comfort and willingness to use “genocidal rhetoric” across Israeli society. Hamzah now joins Mehdi for a live taping of ‘We’re Not Kidding’ at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah to discuss his work on social media and take some questions from the audience.
“Our work is similar where we speak to Israeli soldiers and the Israeli military,” Hamzah says to Mehdi. “But the people you speak to are media trained. They’re PR trained.”
Before Oct. 7, Hamzah was a gaming influencer, musician, and magician (yes, you read that right) with nearly 8 million followers across social media. But once Israel’s genocide began in Gaza, Hamzah made the decision to use his massive following to expose the anti-Palestinian rhetoric of some Israeli soldiers. “I decided to use that platform for good because staying quiet on something as disgusting as a genocide is, I think, inappropriate,” Hamzah says.
The two also discuss:
Receiving threats for their political work.
Larry Ellison and censorship on TikTok.
The time the police showed up at Hamzah’s house at 3:00am.
How to change the minds of audiences.
How old Mehdi is, again, and again, and again.
The two also take questions from the audience about Palestinian liberation, effective allyship, and the positive impact of their work. Make sure to watch the whole episode so you don’t miss them!
2026 Sundance Film Festival. Recorded at The Muslim House® Produced by the MPAC® Hollywood Bureau with the support of the Doris Duke Foundation.
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