Noam Shuster-Eliassi: “We are broken”
It's hard to find anyone in Israel who isn't shaken to the core by the magnitude of Hamas' attack on October 7. For many in Israel, their pain and shock has translated into support for bombing Gaza. But despite public pressure, some Israelis do voice opposition to the war - even people who have deep personal connections to the victims of October 7. One of these dissenting voices has been the comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi. Since October 7, Noam has dedicated her social media platform not to comedy, but to painful, personal posts from her unique perspective as an Israeli Jew with a deep connection to her Palestinian neighbors.
It's hard to find anyone in Israel who isn't shaken to the core by the magnitude of Hamas' attack on October 7. For many in Israel, their pain and shock has translated into support for bombing Gaza. But despite public pressure, some Israelis do voice opposition to the war - even people who have deep personal connections to the victims of October 7. One of these dissenting voices has been the comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi.
Since October 7, Noam has dedicated her social media platform not to comedy, but to painful, personal posts from her unique perspective as an Israeli Jew with a deep connection to her Palestinian neighbors. Noam grew up in Neve Shalom: a unique community in central Israel where Jews and Palestinians live together intentionally. In this episode, Unsettled producer Asaf Calderon speaks to Noam about her grief, her determination to speak out, and the possible consequences.
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions. Photo credit: Lilach Raz.
Follow Noam Shuster-Eliassi on Instagram @noam_joon, on X @ShusterNoam, and on Facebook @therealnoamshuster. Read her recent writing for +972 Magazine, "Picking up the pieces of our grief."
"The worst it's ever been": the South Hebron Hills after October 7
It’s been a month since October 7, when Hamas fighters killed 1,400 Israelis and captured more than 200 hostages. It’s also been a month of Israel's retaliation: air raids and ground operations in the Gaza Strip that have killed almost 10,000 Palestinians, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to basic necessities. For the past month, Palestinians in the West Bank have also faced increased violence from settler-soldier militias. In this episode, we hear from the villages of Susiya and Umm al-Khair, where Israeli settlers have escalated their efforts to make Palestinians' lives unlivable.
It’s been a month since October 7, when Hamas fighters killed 1,400 Israelis and captured more than 200 hostages. It’s also been a month of Israel's retaliation: air raids and ground operations in the Gaza Strip that have killed almost 10,000 Palestinians, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to basic necessities. For the past month, Palestinians in the West Bank have also faced increased violence from settler-soldier militias. In this episode, we hear from the villages of Susiya and Umm al-Khair, where Israeli settlers have escalated their efforts to make Palestinians' lives unlivable.
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.
For more context on the South Hebron Hills, listen to all of Unsettled's previous reporting on the area, collected in this Spotify playlist. And follow these Instagram accounts:
Shahd Safi: "We need electricity, we need fuel, we need flour, we need bread"
On Friday, October 27th, Israel cut off internet in the Gaza Strip for 36-hours, as it expanded its ground operations. This total internet blackout left Gaza without the ability to communicate, both internally and with the outside world. Human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch warned that without the internet, their ability to document war crimes and other abuses had become increasingly difficult. The internet was restored on Sunday October 29th. Unsettled spoke with writer, translator and human rights advocate, Shahd Safi, both before and after the internet blackout about the conditions inside Gaza.
On Friday, October 27th, Israel cut off internet in the Gaza Strip for 36-hours, as it expanded its ground operations. This total internet blackout left Gaza without the ability to communicate, both internally and with the outside world. Human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch warned that without the internet, their ability to document war crimes and other abuses had become increasingly difficult. The internet was restored on Sunday October 29th. Unsettled spoke with writer, translator and human rights advocate, Shahd Safi, both before and after the internet blackout about the conditions inside Gaza.
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.
Arie Hasit: "Everybody has opened a situation room"
In this conversation, Producer Ilana Levinson speaks with Rabbi Arie Hasit in Israel. Ilana and Arie, who grew up going to the same synagogue and and summer camp, discuss what it was like to be in Israel on October 7th, and Israel's obligations toward its own citizens as well as the Palestinian people of the Gaza strip as the war continues.
Last week, Producer Ilana Levinson talked to Arie Hasit at his home in Israel, in the midst of a deadly war. Arie and his family, including two small kids, have been spending much of their time in bomb shelters. After Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking 199 Israeli hostages, Israel responded by declaring war. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces have been heavily bombing the Gaza Strip, cutting off access to electricity, water, food, internet, and supplies. As of October 18th, over 3000 people in Gaza are dead, and one million are displaced after Israel sent orders for Palestinians in the Northern part of the Gaza strip to evacuate to the south.
In this conversation, Ilana and Arie, who grew up going to the same synagogue and and summer camp discuss what it was like to be in Israel on October 7th, and what Israel's obligations are toward its own citizens as well as the Palestinian people of the Gaza strip as the war continues continues.
Arie Hasit is the associate dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, which trains Masorti (Conservative) rabbis for Israel and the international community, as well as runs pluralistic Jewish leadership programs. He worked for many years in congregational rabbinic work, and currently volunteers with pastoral care in his local community and with youth across Israel. He and his family live in Mazkeret Batya.
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.
Matt Duss: "This is not a moment where people are making good policy"
To better understand the U.S. role in Israel’s war in Gaza, Unsettled producer Max Freedman speaks to Matt Duss: former foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, and now Executive Vice President at the Center for International Policy. They discuss the geopolitical context for Hamas's attack; how the U.S. provides diplomatic cover for Israel on the international stage; and why the Biden administration appears disinclined to restrain Israel from committing war crimes in Gaza.
The United States has always been Israel’s strongest ally, and President Biden has pledged his steadfast support for Israel since Hamas's surprise attack over the Gaza border on October 7. Many American supporters of Israel and even Israeli officials have celebrated President Biden for his “moral clarity” in this moment. But others have heard something else from Biden: a "carte blanche" for Israel to respond with overwhelming force.
To better understand the U.S. role in this war, Unsettled producer Max Freedman speaks to Matt Duss: former foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, and now Executive Vice President at the Center for International Policy. They discuss the geopolitical context for Hamas's attack; how the U.S. provides diplomatic cover for Israel on the international stage; and why the Biden administration appears disinclined to restrain Israel from committing war crimes in Gaza.
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.
Referenced in this episode:
President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Terrorist Attacks in Israel, October 10, 2023.
President Biden: The 2023 60 Minutes Interview, October 15, 2023.
Amir Tibon, "Bernie Sanders Initiates Congressional Letter Urging Trump to Change Gaza Policy In Light of Protests." Haaretz, April 13, 2018.
Mikhael Manekin, "Why the Safety of Israeli Hostages Must Come First." The New York Times, October 15, 2023.
Matt Duss on X, October 17, 2023.
Isam Hamad: "What sort of a life is this?"
As this crisis unfolds, Unsettled is bringing you the voices of many different people who are affected by the violence, as well as expert analysis and context. Today, producer Ilana Levinson speaks to Isam Hamad: an organizer of 2018's Great March of Return, and manager of a medical equipment company in Gaza City.
On Saturday, October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack across the Gaza border, killing more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking at least 150 Israeli hostages, most of whom are still captive in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded to the attack by declaring war and cutting off food, water, and electricity to the Gaza Strip. On Friday, October 13, Israel ordered 1.1 million people in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate as it prepares for a ground invasion, and Israeli air strikes have already killed over 2,600 people in Gaza.
As this crisis unfolds, Unsettled is bringing you the voices of many different people who are affected by the violence, as well as expert analysis and context. Today, producer Ilana Levinson speaks to Isam Hamad: an organizer of 2018's Great March of Return, and manager of a medical equipment company in Gaza City.
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.
Tareq Baconi: "There's no going back"
Over the next few days, Unsettled is going to bring you the voices of many different people who have been affected by this week's devastating escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza. We’re starting with an episode Hamas, whose surprise attack across the Gaza border on October 7th "completely ruptured the reality we thought we were operating in," says Tareq Baconi.
Over the next few days, Unsettled is going to bring you the voices of many different people who have been affected by this week's devastating escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza. We’re starting with an episode Hamas, whose surprise attack across the Gaza border on October 7th "completely ruptured the reality we thought we were operating in," says Tareq Baconi.
Tareq Baconi is the author of Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance, billed as "the first history of the group on its own terms." Shortly after the book was published in 2018, Tareq was a guest on Unsettled; he spoke with producer Max Freedman about the origins of Hamas and its complicated relationship with the state of Israel. Earlier this week, Max called Tareq again, to get his analysis of Hamas's recent moves. Why this kind of attack, and why now?
Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.
Tareq Baconi, Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance (2018)
"Tareq Baconi: Hamas, Explained" (2019, republished 2021)
A note from Unsettled Producers
Over the weekend Hamas launched an attack on Israeli towns near the Gaza border, and has also been launching rockets towards Israeli population centers as north as Tel Aviv. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and civilians are dead and dozens have been taken captive. The fact that Hamas has been able to breach Israeli defenses and launch an attack of this magnitude inside of Israel has stunned the Israeli public.
Over the weekend, Hamas launched an attack on Israeli towns near the Gaza border, and has also been launching rockets towards Israeli population centers as north as Tel Aviv. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and civilians are dead and dozens have been taken captive. The fact that Hamas has been able to breach Israeli defenses and launch an attack of this magnitude inside of Israel has stunned the Israeli public.
Events are developing rapidly. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has declared war and Israel has launched air raids on Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed thus far, most of them in clashes inside of Israel. It seems likely that the situation will continue to escalate: the Israeli minister of energy signed an order to cut electricity to Gaza, and Israeli leaders are considering a full ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Some Israelis are hearing sirens and have to run to shelters; but for Israelis living in the more southern parts of Israel, those sirens indicate a more grave threat. Palestinians live under constant, daily threat of violence and destruction, in Gaza, civilians are running for shelter from air raids as well, and Netanyahu’s declaration of war means something we don’t yet know.
The Unsettled team is following the news closely. We are planning to share voices of people impacted by the unfolding war as well as context and analysis on these events. While we’re working on this, we recommend listening to some of our older episodes that we think can provide context to what’s happening today – specifically our interview with Tariq Baconi about Hamas and a conversation between Asaf and Unsettled producer Ilana Levinson called “politicized pain.”
Make sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss our upcoming reporting, and follow us on Instagram for updates as well.
Unsettled is made by Emily Bell, Asaf Calderon, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson.
Groundwork: Three Bullets
Groundwork is a podcast about Palestinians and Jews refusing to accept the status quo and working together for change. This episode from their recently released second season follows activist Maisam Jaljuli as she visits the grieving families of Palestinian citizens of Israel that have lost family members to organized crime and violence. Note: This episode includes descriptions of gun violence, death, and bereavement.
Groundwork is a podcast about Palestinians and Jews refusing to accept the status quo and working together for change. This episode from their recently released second season follows activist Maisam Jaljuli as she visits the grieving families of Palestinian citizens of Israel that have lost family members to organized crime and violence.
Note: This episode includes descriptions of gun violence, death, and bereavement.
CREDITS
Groundwork is hosted by Sally Abed and Dina Kraft and produced by Yoshi Fields. Today’s story is by Maria Rashed and scored by Joel Shupack. Art and design by Nick Acosta. Groundwork is a joint production of New Israel Fund and the Alliance for Middle East Peace.
For more resources on the topics discussed in this episode:
Women Wage Peace
Women of the Sun
AChord
Abraham Initiatives
To hear more from Groundwork: https://groundworkpodcast.com/
Amjad Iraqi: The Myth of Israeli Democracy
Israel is often called "the only Democracy in the Middle East,” with activists, politicians, and even journalists pointing to Israel's Supreme Court as a prime example. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to weaken the Israeli judiciary, sending Israeli Jews into the streets en masse to protest. For months, Israelis have been engaged in marches, strikes, and even boycotts to stop what many are calling a judicial coup. But for millions of Palestinians who live under Israeli rule, the Supreme Court is just another instrument of their subjugation. To better understand this conflict – who’s on what side and who’s being left out of the conversation – we invited +972 Magazine Senior Editor Amjad Iraqi back to Unsettled.
Israel is often called "the only Democracy in the Middle East,” with activists, politicians, and even journalists pointing to Israel's Supreme Court as a prime example. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to weaken the Israeli judiciary, sending Israeli Jews into the streets en masse to protest. For months, Israelis have been engaged in marches, strikes, and even boycotts to stop what many are calling a judicial coup. But for millions of Palestinians who live under Israeli rule, the Supreme Court is just another instrument of their subjugation. To better understand this conflict – who’s on what side and who’s being left out of the conversation – we invited +972 Magazine Senior Editor Amjad Iraqi back to Unsettled.
Unsettled is made by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music from Blue Dot Sessions. You can follow Amjad Iraqi at @aj_iraqi.
Escalation in the South Hebron Hills: Awdah Hathaleen
Awdah Hathaleen lives in the village of Umm al-Khair, in the South Hebron Hills: a region of the West Bank where Israel has full civil and military control. At the start of 2023, the Israeli military announced plans to forcibly evacuate more than a thousand people from eight villages in the South Hebron Hills. Even though Umm al-Khair is not one of those eight villages, Awdah says life has still become much more difficult for his family and community in the past year.
Awdah Hathaleen lives in the village of Umm al-Khair, in the South Hebron Hills: a region of the West Bank where Israel has full civil and military control. At the start of 2023, the Israeli military announced plans to forcibly evacuate more than a thousand people from eight villages in the South Hebron Hills. Even though Umm al-Khair is not one of those eight villages, Awdah says life has still become much more difficult for his family and community in the past year.
You can hear more from Awdah Hathaleen and his cousin Tariq about their life in Umm al-Khair in “The Birthday Party”: a special four-part series Unsettled published last year, reported on the ground in the South Hebron Hills. Follow Awdah on Instagram @awdah.hathaleen.
Unsettled is made by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Original Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Escalation in the South Hebron Hills: Musa Abdullah Ali Awad
Musa Abdullah Ali Awad lives in the village of Isfey al-Fauqa. Isfey is located in a part of the West Bank called Masafer Yatta, where Israel has total civil and military control. At the beginning of January, the army informed Palestinian officials that they would soon begin carrying out the forced transfer of more than a thousand people from eight villages in Masafer Yatta. One of those eight villages is Isfey – where Musa lives. Here, Musa talks about the only home he's ever known, Isfey al-Fauqa.
Musa Abdullah Ali Awad lives in the village of Isfey al-Fauqa. Isfey is located in a part of the West Bank called Masafer Yatta, where Israel has total civil and military control. While the Israeli military has claimed for decades that much of the area is a “firing zone,” they were prevented from forcibly evacuating the villages because of an ongoing legal case. Last spring however, Israel’s High Court of Justice issued its final ruling – in favor of the military and against the Palestinians. At the beginning of January, the army informed Palestinian officials that they would soon begin carrying out the forced transfer of more than a thousand people from eight villages. One of those eight villages is Isfey – where Musa lives. Here, Musa talks about the only home he's ever known, Isfey al-Fauqa.
This episode of Unsettled is reported and translated by Ali Awad, who was featured in our last episode. Addition translation from Alaa Hassan.
Escalation in the South Hebron Hills: Ali Awad
Two weeks ago, the Israeli army informed Palestinian officials that they would soon begin carrying out the forced transfer of more than a thousand people in Masafer Yatta, a group of villages in the South Hebron Hills in the West Bank. This escalation, authorized by Israeli courts, is a war crime according to international law. This week, Unsettled will be bringing you voices from the ground in Masafer Yatta and the South Hebron Hills. This episode features Ali Awad, a resident of Tuba in Masafer Yatta, explaining what’s happening on the ground.
Masafer Yatta is in Area C of the West Bank, where Israel has total civil and military control. For decades, the Israeli military has claimed much of the region as a “firing zone.” They were prevented from forcibly evacuating the villages by an ongoing legal case. But last spring, Israel’s High Court of Justice issued its final ruling — in favor of the military and against the Palestinians.
Since then, the people of Masafer Yatta have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And two weeks ago, the army informed Palestinian officials that they would soon begin carrying out the forced transfer of more than a thousand people — a war crime, according to international law, now authorized by Israeli courts.
We featured Ali Awad on Unsettled just before and after last year’s court decision. You can still go back to listen to those episodes; called “The Campaign to Save Masafer Yatta” and “Playgrounds for the Military.” We asked Ali to explain what’s happening now.
Unsettled is made by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music from Blue Dot Sessions. You can follow Ali Awad on Instagram @ali_awad98.
Producer Pick: Politicized Pain
To commemorate five years of Unsettled, we’re closing out 2022 by diving into our archive. Each member of the team has picked a favorite past episode to republish. For this episode, producer Asaf Calderon shares Politicized Pain, a conversation between two friends processing what it means to grieve when pain is public and political, originally released in May of 2021.
To commemorate five years of Unsettled, we’re closing out 2022 by diving into our archive. Each member of the team has picked a favorite past episode to republish. For this episode, producer Asaf Calderon shares Politicized Pain, a conversation between two friends processing what it means to grieve when pain is public and political, originally released in May of 2021.
To hear all our 5 year anniversary producer picks, check out this Spotify playlist.
Help shape the future of Unsettled by filling out this listener survey! It should take only 5-10 minutes to complete.
Producer Pick: Amal Sumarin
To commemorate five years of Unsettled, we’re closing out 2022 by diving into our archive. Each member of the team has picked a favorite past episode to republish. For this episode, producer Ilana Levinson shares The Great March, a report originally released in 2019, on a mass demonstration in the Gaza Strip attended by thousands. The Great March of Return was originally planned to last six weeks, but continued for many months. How did it all begin, and who are the protestors who risked their lives to participate?
To commemorate five years of Unsettled, we’re closing out 2022 by diving into our archive. Each member of the team has picked a favorite past episode to republish. For this episode, producer Emily Bell shares a documentary produced in collaboration with the +972 podcast. The documentary tells the story of Amal Sumarin, who lives with her family in East Jerusalem, in the Palestinian village of Silwan. However, they have been at risk of being forcibly evicted from their home for decades.
This episode was produced by Ilana Levinson, Max Freedman, and Emily Bell. Music from Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Henriette Chacar and Edo Konrad at +972; Asaf Calderon, Uri Blau, Ayat Yaghmour, Hagit Ofran, and Leena Dallasheh.
For more on the Jewish National Fund, listen to our interview with activists Maya Rosen and Daniel Roth.
To hear all our 5 year anniversary producer picks, check out this Spotify playlist.
Help shape the future of Unsettled by filling out this listener survey! It should take only 5-10 minutes to complete.