Naples . Yeah, absolutely. And i said no, the okay. So it could be, id say that everything points to that being precisely what it is because of the way in which they act it to me, it gives me a mutual kind. As in several of our areas of the country, criminal groups are powerful enough to play a large part of deciding who gets into power and making sure political opponents dont make it to. The post is who part the playbook. As a general have those companies thats minutes can president under his manual lopez over to door to cooper kings, unfortunate more than 600. 00 officials. Im politicians have been killed during his administration. The selection there worries the criminal groups could go further even interfering with votes, as on the election day in june mazda think the test time that i think that even the polling buddhist, i dont know, these people can show up there, and they can intimidate and, and if they can intimidate rich people, its going to be even easier to intimidate them for. And where is the state . If not absent, then we can do the gang sphere of influence. As mexico heads into the biggest selections and its history that will most inevitably means more politicians will die. John home, i would say to mexico city a city in brazil is hoping genetically modified mosquitoes or the answer to reducing an outbreak of being a fever. And suzana mosquito is carrying a modified gene have been released. The citys mayor hopes the genetic engineering will mean a 20 percent reduction in infections or thats it for me, how much im doing for now. The news continues here in alger 0 after the stream. Thanks for watching the applicant narrative from african perspective the and to continue to do show the documentaries by african filmmakers from rwanda and democratic republic of congo. Andrew cl easy on the drive on and reinventing cassava for a new series of africa direct on how to sierra the diverse nature of the policy and identity has been largely overlooked throughout the years. But israels more on gaza, which continues to divide communities across the world, is offering an opportunity for people from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds to share their experience of life under occupation. And these voices, and this is the street, the, the old city of jerusalem has been home to muslims, christians and jews for centuries. For israels longstanding policy of the legal displacement and dispossession is threatening its Diverse Communities to have been uniting in their struggle for a chance of a future of co existence and justice. For all. We start todays episode with a plunge into the rich history of the region with zachary foster, a historian on palestine was also a descendant of holocaust survivors. That zachary, thank you very much for joining us here in the spring today occupied East Jerusalem has become a symbol of the challenges faced by different ethnic and religious groups in attempting to create exist in palestine. Can you tell us a little bit about the history of the city . So when israel conquered the west bank and gaza, andrew was slum inmate in june 1967. It massively enlarged the city of jerusalem to a massive municipal boundary around all of these villages previously in which were just go just in the west bank and an ext. Uh, East Jerusalem into israel proper. However, it annex the territory. But it didnt grant the People Living in the territory is by the citizenship, which is why forest israel, East Jerusalem might palestinians are not given, is right in the citizenship, but they have to apply for it. And in most cases, theyre denied when they apply for it. They are given residency permits, blue ideas, and those blue ideas can be taken away from them. And. And its Something Like 15000 policy and ive been stripped of their residency status in East Jerusalem over the past 56 years. And zachary, your jewish, you know, i grew up facing with some of these other ethnic and religious groups experience. How did you become a historian on palestine . With my grandparents, my grandfather grew up in poland and when he was in college he his he was forced to flee. There was rumors that the nazis were, the polish police who were at that point and allied with the nazis were about to enter his town and which they did. And he was able to escape shortly before they entered, but they came into his town and they murder this entire family. He had a belief, 9 brothers and sisters. Every single one of them was who has, who was the last and pulling up the time was murdered, his parents were murdered, his entire family extended time was murdered. He got out and it was the, his experiences kind of hearing those stories that i think led me to be much more sensitive to the, to people experiencing oppression, people sling persecution. And so when i hear what East Jerusalem might go through, when i hear that theyre, theyre living in a state of constant a, theyre living in a state of the curious and this in the state of, of threat of this was a possession. And you know, i want to act, i want to speak off because thats totally unacceptable, especially when its the state thats speaking in my name thats committing those horrible on that, that kind of discrimination again and for, for one reason, one reason only, theres not 2 reasons the policy isnt users on face discrimination and persecution and dispossession. Theres only one reason and thats because theyre pulse any um they were born to the wrong city and to the wrong nationality into the wrong religion. Thats it. Zachary and foster, thank you so much for joining us here on the stream today. And for a better understanding of the current experiences of People Living in occupied pallets of in territories, i would like to bring into the conversation now shopping close at now for a palestinian activist. Im that law student john, when i are a christian posting in theologian and we were mohammed a posting and peace activist with is really citizenship. Thank you all so much for joining us here on the stream for this conversation. Shopping. Can i ask you about your experience in the african quarter of jerusalem in what ways is your afro palestinian identity intersect with the broader a palestinian and local cultural identities in the old city . I was born and raised in the old city in jerusalem and the African Community. Ive lived all my entire life under occupation and we all know life on the occupation is difficult. And for all palestinians, not just palestinians living in jerusalem, but also for the 2300000 People Living in casa in the gaza strip right now, is there has never had in its expansion his plans in palestine and has been actively working to fulfill these plans since 1948 to dangerous love, these plans are clear from the ongoing land grab and home at demolished ends and replication of presidency cards. And from the palestinians in the city asked for me as a member of the African Community in jerusalem. Im part of this patchwork of Diverse Communities in jerusalem. And it is clear to me, dental and to all of how occupational authorities try to try try but every mean to dismantle the fabric of these communities that make up the unique character of drew. A slo, for example, is really a thirtys and, and then every activity in the city that represents published a new culture, a cultural and heritage including i for palestinian culture. And i want to just point out that palestinian diversity is multi layered. The 1st original character of Palestinian Society is diverse and natural, and made up by different ethnic and social groups such as us as a part of these ethnic groups, as acro palestinians. And but also the 2nd level is man made created by the call him a colonialist powers and primarily israel, which divided palestinians. Its a geographical area such as the west bank of the gaza strip and East Jerusalem. And the 1948 grades inside the green line. However, this diversity is not part of the integral fabricate fabric of Palestinian Society. But it is meant to divides and separates and isolate palestinians from one. But it is meant and one another. And the separation was find by that as well, the separation wall along and inside the west bank and the 100 of the hundreds of military check points that are put between all of these big places. John, you were off in jerusalem as well. And i, i wanna ask you about a story. I heard you tell about your father. He was driving you around. You were a kid, you guys were going to pick up some of your Football Team mates. And you told him not to answer the phone in case it was work and you would have to answer in arabic. And he told you then something very powerful. We have to understand that as a, as opposed to him growing up in jerusalem or posting and growing up in other areas in the state of israel. Posting identity is under a threat or attack by different groups or trying to be suppressed, surpassed by the suppressed by the government. And therefore, when youre a child growing up in jerusalem, youre often aware of who knows your identity. What might be the implications of someone has a non guide entity and therefore you might receive these types of stories. The, as i told in a different context about me and my father. But at the end of the day, he did tell me to be ashamed of my identity and to embrace that. But thats a very difficult and long journey that many palestinians have to go through regardless the way they live in. Busy is basically fighting against these forces. I tried to suppress our identity. Absolutely. Um, but i still find that quote, very powerful to fight for who you are and not to be a shame for we want. I mean, where you are a palestinian is really you grew up in shakes. Youre all, can you tell us about your experience as well . My experience, i think as, as you said, it is my experience. I. I cant speak for, for a palestinian living in the west bank and gaza, or a refuge past any energy or someone who is a product and he lives in das pro. But my, my experience as a child, these words, occupation occupier, west difference between was thank history some, even the difference between easters, well and western so is as not anything concrete, but it touch while youre growing up. However, it creates you live and see, or one of the earliest memories that i have is coming back from school, just seeing a bunch of Israeli Soldiers chanting for the and coughing for the demolition of the 2nd story of my own home. And after, after i graduated, i wanted desperately to get into a great university, a Good University because education processing in custody and are one of the most educated people for catholic that i wanted to get go into the Hebrew University as in his really citizen. But because i graduated from the college to hit Education System that there was a hit and it was extremely difficult for me to uh, to, to enter and to get approved. So i had i and then the, in the end went to study in the, in the west bank and of course university. And just going every single day through check points from easter, some to west or some where youre supposed to be. Its your home. It makes like a 20 or 20 minutes ride into sometimes an hour, an hour and a half, probably due to due to the the check on so. Hm. And thats just like small stories of what it is like it is such um, a diverse and complicated upbringing that you guys all mention in each one in your, in your, in your respective ways. Uh we, we want to bring it now to the whole idea of the identity of what it means to be palestinian. Weve seen this sentiment that palestinians are not a monolith shared, quite often online on social media. Nice Palestinian Christian artist says the palestinians are diverse. We call me no face shapes and sizes and will not allow you to erase our identities. And as always felt assuming christian stand hand in hand with our muslim brothers and sisters, we are one shot and how come have, have you also come across this kind of over simplified perception about palestinians and how do you go about communicating different ways, different realities, your reality for example, i mean it is now very clear to us the palestinians, and for me as a, just the might, that is there is ultimate goal is to create a just united and fragmented posting and people including their national identity, which makes it easier for it to up to concrete and displace all the palestinian territories for of silver its, its very clear for us to see all of these um these, these plans that are have been happening since the 1948 and now which is more clear after the 7th of october and their goals are very a very clear to us. So thats why, um, our main goal is just to, to be there in publish, then its b and just are being in jerusalem or any place in palestine is, am, is our main goal to, to, and this is how we resist and do exist. The acts of resistance. Exactly. Oh john, how about you . Have you come across this kind of perception as well . The policy is, are only one thing and, and do you sense that right now precisely because of whats happening in gaza. There is an opportunity here to you nice these different struggles and resist as one common identity with these all these different layers within it of stuff. So literally, i cant tell you the amount of times the people were surprised to find out the other students can also be christian. Mm hm. And i think during this Christmas Period that has perhaps being one of the load or forces coming out of, of bethlehem jerusalem. And specifically around christmas and, and the heads of churches announcing that this wrote to be a year of celebration. This wont be a year of joy for us. Instead, this is going to be a season, a Christmas Season of lament because we are in grief of what is happening in gaza, which according to some and Many International that International Law experts is ethnic cleansing and genocide. Were also in lament for what is continuing to happen in the west bank, the continued aggression there and also for the victims of october 7th. So this year, during christmas i think the past in christian voice has been particularly loud, but this is a voice that has often been ignored by Many International christians, so often ignore the fact that there is a christian that an Indigenous Christian Community here, but actually continue to support the policies that eventually damage us and supports the perhaps also ethnic cleansing of, of our community here. And so weve seen recently evangelical pastors who have come from the us to put all sorts of drawings and signatures on different missiles that are going to be launched into gaza. So theres, i think people need to understand the diversity within posting and identity and history. And im going to quote you back to you again because you said something very powerful. You said that you find in religion uh the tools to resist making people empower uncomfortable, holding them accountable. You said was what jesus did. Can you . Are you starting to find Common Ground with the other christians across the world and it is. Do you think that this is actually coming through and they are listening to, to what youre saying more right now. I think thats through the Christmas Season and the sort of focus on bethlehem has allowed us to sort of speak about our christian identities, the ology and religion in order to try and connect to other christians around the world. And for them to understand the context of conflict and the reality with which we live in. And this is particularly the case if for many who have been following social media and different media platforms. Weve seen that the fiction of jesus as a palestinian or zene activity story happening inside of gaza. So theres this strong, the logical you understanding among palestinians both muslims and christians. But if jesus was to be born today, he would be born in these very difficult circumstances. And this is something that has often misunderstood by both international or israelis as well before making a theological claim here that jesus is on the side of the a press to wherever they are and when whatever context. And in this context, its a post indian child and goes a mirror. I want to talk about whats been happening since october. The 7th shot and mentioned there are similar attacks have reports of the more than doubled rains have intensified. We talk about some 200 palestinians killed in the west bank prior to october 7th. Since then there were more than 300 that have been killed in the past 3 months. Can you tell us if you are sensing that the facilities are getting worse around you . Absolutely. I saying that obviously i have every, every single escalation, every single word that happens these tributes into context. You need to talk about whats happening during and after, and also prior to the, the situation of eastern. So im, in my opinion, or in our region is a situation of bubbles. We live in multiple, multiple levels. And when you go and if youre sold submerged into that level, that you only feel that that is the only reality when it comes to easter. So im, i agree with both 7 and john and how they said that there is a aspect of, of separation between the Palestinian People on a separation that is not just a phone like made by, by the occupier by israel. But also we practiced it. Unfortunately, we send the difference between a truce length and it was banker, it a west banker and 48. 00 arrow unfortunately. Um, but when it comes to difficulties. So after the 7th of october, you have the, the low East Jerusalem is not all inside of the, of the great wall of the green line. You have um, people across the news that work inside the residence of history, stuff that work inside of the, of either East Jerusalem or what is known as israel. And can, can go through because its real practice a collective punishment. Whenever any kind of escalation happens, whether thats the fruitful attack on the 7th of october or any other. So theres a severe employment issue and how trusting you can get to their jobs. Theres also, you mentioned, the settler, the sets are violent that has, that has increased. Theres also the minister of national security. Marvin was here that has issued some, some sort of civilian are in our groups and then giving increasing the amounts of arms that is being distributed to civilians. How am i as approaching and civilian, even as in his various citizen, how am i supposed to a seal . Ah, what a noise, if it isnt of any country safety, when any, any civilian of the, of the other that is known as the other is armed and has the capacity of identifying whether i am a threat or not. Mm hm. And thats only part of a sudden your take here very briefly, if you may also because we, we talked about very concrete ways there in terms of oppression. But even social media posts these days can get you will rest. And so can you tell us if youve experienced anything like that . Yes, sir, but we have to understand something in the beginning, but thats what happened in the 7th of october. It was not a surprise to anyone, man, nor was it unprovoked. What happened must be seen as part of the struggle context, the palestinians in which is a 75 year old, illegal occupation. But am after the 7th of october, isabel escalated its arbitrarily and oppressive measures against palestinians in jerusalem. Including good taste restrictions such as the freedom of expression and movement after imposing their emergency regulations during war time. Which, which, which bands any public thing and even put something just the, just any condolence with the, the, the people who were murdered in gaza or anything that is, that is um, that has any of a part of the whats happening get in gaza or during this ward, so this, this policy of collective punishment on palestinians has always been a policy used on the people under the occupation, which is not something new. However, it has used this excuse the israel has used this excuse after the war and goes up to take these measures to another level altogether. And for me, like as a law student, im very aware that the palestinians and people under any occupation in the world have the, have the right to resist by all available means. And this is something that the International Community doesnt focus on and keeps from condemning palestinians just for the right of resistance. So any, any, any meaning and any way we use to just to fight and to be and to just live here is, is something legitimate for us. So this is something we also have to focus on that we are the, we have these rights and we have to stay and we have to resist by all these available means for don. Or how do you see the future of these communities . Where do we go from here, or how do we restore again, a sense of common sites and im a struggle in order to get justice for all these peoples living in, in policy and, and territories. Yeah, i would also just, uh add the 2023. We just moved into 2020 fall. The 2023 has been the most difficult here for our christians living in jerusalem. Uh theres been uh, at least in the 2nd half of 2023 more than 6. They reported a tax or the cases of spitting over vandalizing a church or christian property, and about more than 1010. 00 to 15. 00 statements by the heads of churches about these cases of a tech spike, mostly right wing is really groups. And we just witnessed, on the 28th of december at around 30 young, is really extremist who i talked to the Armenian Community in church. They were massed and masked the attack. Some of the clergy men women. And were really single correct down on all palestinians. But also on the posting in christian community, which in jerusalem were talking about around 10. 00 to 12000. 00 people. So a very small community. Mm hm. I think we all need to ask ourselves, what is our vision for the future . Mm hm. Do we want to endorse a policy . I feel a g t that was all communities to live here in safety and harmony in their quality. Or do we want to promote an ideology and see elegy that excludes certain ethnic, religious or National Groups . And i dont think that many of our communities as well as post indians, we need to ask this as well. Mm hm. To what extent is our vision inclusive for office amira . Is this conversation even possible right now with everything that is happening in gaza . And i think that this question like the amazing question, i think this question should be asked not just only to boston and but also to is raise because the, the wound is so fresh, the 7th of october is still in the memory of all is re lease and costing in the entrusting and so like because that some of the victims on 7th, october rolls, so costing is one of which was an eastern so my bus driver actually um and that is it. We need time. We need time. I dont saying we cant, we cant wake up tomorrow tomorrow morning and decide that we want to to forget our roads and forgive. However, we need to work towards that because like john said, we need to decide what 1st of all we are and what do we want, how do you want to be in the future . Not just, not just for us, not just the near future, but the future of the next generation. Do want to appeal the cycle of violence and cycle of trauma to us. The next generation or do we want to fix and repair and learn from the pain of our ancestors both posted in end is rarely. Mm hm. Um and we see that happening unfortunately because of the Current Situation because of the heat and its all in violence. However, there is, there are the peace activists are still alive because of still working on. And thats part of the complexity of being one of ill send you this riley and to being a p fact the best amongst one of the most violent times in my life. Personal forgive for certainly not forget and, and then start a conversation potentially, but with time. Thank you all so much. Im your shot and john for joining us today. We really appreciate your time and of course, thank you all for watching. Dont forget to stay in touch on social media, and if you have a topic or a conversation that youd like to see us discuss here, all you have to do is use the high side or the handle ag stream, and well look into it. Take care and ill see you soon. The, all the good study in the dining and short of this uh, auto pay. I like lenny lost a lot of a lot of a lot of odd, huge in interviews as a un ambassador position given to you by or does have both. Youve described that is better than is that at any of the thoughts provided . Hang on my question to you all the good coups i think is the most difficult press than a part to answer facing realities. Usb to in the security council. This is a may just something book is a good access to if he of the story on told to how does era the peoples free story. Im a former president , united states, how the content of the without charged for profit for years, place to have put so essentially leaving prices and around the wealth. Pine is tackling Climate Change shows or, and living through the groundbreaking sounds from award winning. So make his witness on out his era, the innocent and in harms way. Several children die and, and northern gauze, a hospital from malnutrition and dehydration. The time how much im doing this is algebra live from door. Im also coming up for the children still alive and gaza every day is a struggle to you and warns one and for palestinians. And this trip are on the brink of famine. Plus i know its for sure. On capitol hill and