Look, we’re not upset if you haven’t yet watched the most recent episode of Zeteo’s award-winning podcast, ‘We’re Not Kidding’. But to quote your parents, ‘We’re just disappointed.’ That’s because Mehdi was joined by returning co-host Alana Hadid — the outspoken Palestinian-American activist, fashion designer, and Creative Director of the Palestinian-owned film company Watermelon Pictures — for a special LIVE taping of ‘WNK’ in Los Angeles. They also took great questions from the passionate audience in LA, which made for an episode that you really don’t want to miss.
Mehdi and Alana dig into the “insane” premise of Zionism and the foundational double standard the entire movement is built upon. “Isn't it amazing that Zionism is premised on the idea that people can come back to a land thousands of years later, but Palestinians should forget what happened 70 years ago?” Mehdi asks.
In response to an audience question, they also talk about the weaponization of religion by Christian Zionists and the particular hypocrisy of Evangelical Christians for not speaking out against the Israeli killings of Palestinian Christians in occupied Gaza and the West Bank: “[Evangelical Christians] moan about Christians being killed everywhere — except in Gaza,” says Alana.
The duo also discuss the dire humanitarian conditions on the ground in Gaza, the recent ICE raids in Los Angeles and the massive protests that erupted in response, which Alana participated in, and how Ted Cruz made the US-Israel relationship “Instagram official,” to quote Alana, during his now-notorious Tucker Carlson interview.
Be sure to subscribe and check out the audience Q&A that begins 32 minutes into the episode. Zeteo subscribers in the crowd ask Mehdi and Alana important questions about how to change the minds of PEPs (‘Progressive Except for Palestine’), Israel’s pinkwashing, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s endgame — one questioner even challenged Mehdi’s own political views!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This conversation in LA was recorded last month, before Mahmoud Khalil was released from ICE detention and before the US joined Israel in its bombing campaign of Iran.
Free subscribers get a 10-minute preview of the video above, while Zeteo’s paid subscribers can watch it in full. As always, you can also listen wherever you get your podcasts.
