The Big Picture

The Big Picture

di Middle East Eye
Società e cultura
Stagione 4

Why are Israel and Iran on the brink of war? | David Hearst

Did Iran fall into Israel’s trap when it attacked on Saturday, or did it outmanoeuvre Netanyahu? Are we on the brink of regional war, or can the US contain the spill? When Israel bombed an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April, killing top Iranian commanders, many saw it as bait laid out by Benjamin Netanyahu to force a direct confrontation that would drag the US into a wider regional conflict. More isolated than ever on the world stage after six months of brutal war in Gaza, Israel needed a distraction.Iran vowed to respond, and despite warnings from US President Joe Biden, launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Israel, the first direct confrontation with Israel after decades of proxy aggressions between the two adversaries. Most of the attack was thwarted by the US and Israel’s aerial defence systems, with the help of British and French air power as well as, surprisingly, Jordan. It was an incredibly expensive show of defensive force that sent a message to Israel’s enemies, but also potentially exposed a contingency strategy the US had in place for years against Iran. The aftermath of the attack, which Iran declared a victory, left the region and the world reeling, fearing what could be the first spark in a much-feared regional war spilling out from Gaza - one that Israel had at times provoked, but that all its neighbours, as well as the US and even Iran itself, had desperately tried to avoid. In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Middle East Eye’s editor-in-chief David Hearst to talk about whether Iran’s attack was a stroke of strategic shrewdness, or if it played directly into Israel’s hands. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S4 · E6
15 apr 2024
43:11

Antisemitism, White Supremacy and the death of liberal Europe | Ghassan Hage

Is Europe ‘nostalgic for a racist past’ when it didn’t have to apologise for its colonialism? In this week’s episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with renowned Australian anthropologist Ghassan Hage. Hage is currently fighting against the prestigious Max Planck Society in Germany over accusations of ‘antisemitism’ over his critiques of Israel.This week, Germany’s government had to defend its ongoing military support for Israel’s war in Gaza after a legal case was filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by Nicaragua, who accused Germany of “facilitating the commission of genocide”. We go in-depth and speak about Germany, antisemitism and the end of liberal Europe. Hage was invited to a placement at a Max Planck institute last year, but soon became the target of attacks by right-wing media in Germany, who lobbied the Max Planck directors to fire him. They did.Despite being married to a Jewish refugee whose father fled Mussolini, and building a career in creating dialogue, Hage was denied a chance to defend the accusations. Now he’s fighting back, and says his case is part of a wider trend in Germany and many western nations who are using ‘antisemitism’ as a cover to keep immigrants under control. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S4 · E5
11 apr 2024
51:37

Why Sadiq Khan still believes in Labour under Keir Starmer

In this episode of The Big Picture, we sit down with Sadiq Khan for a wide ranging conversation about Labour’s election hopes, his political regrets and his vision for the future of London.Sadiq Khan wants to make history by winning a third term as London’s mayor - but his confidence is shaky.A winter of mass protests, a smear campaign in the media and a new set of voting regulations ushered in by a hostile Tory government have pushed him to rally his supporters not to take the upcoming May elections for granted. On top of that, Khan’s trying to talk his Muslim base out of punishing him and Labour in anger over the war in Gaza, which he says would be politically naive. So what’s he saying to his fellow Londonders to convince them otherwise, and what’s his view on Keir Starmer’s public positions since October 7? We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S4 · E4
4 apr 2024
48:47

Finding my voice and leaving Gaza | Plestia Alaqad

How do you humanise people facing unimaginable odds? That was the task Plestia Alaqad gave herself when she first put on her press vest on October 7. Freshly graduated from journalism school and dreaming of a bright future, she suddenly found herself in the middle of a war zone, with the eyes of the world watching.Armed with her phone and internet access, she began documenting the lives of her family and the people around her - finding stories of hope and resilience amid the rubble. Overnight, she became one of the most followed people on the internet, as each day, millions tuned in to watch the war unfold through her eyes. It was a kid of journalism we hadn’t witnessed before, immediate, empathetic and spoken through the voices of young Palestinians facing the unimaginable. In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, Mohamed Hassan meets with Plestia in Melbourne, where she and her family fled after leaving Gaza, reluctant and tearful, praying for the day they would return but knowing that day may not come. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S4 · E3
29 mar 2024
50:20

How Israel tests its weapons in Gaza then sells them to the world | Antony Loewenstein

In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein to talk about how for decades, Israel used its occupation of Palestinians as a testing ground for new weaponry, which it then packages and sells to governments around the world.In fact, Loewenstein argues that since its inception, Israel built its economy around military and surveillance technology, exporting it to some of the world’s most repressive regimes including Myanmar, Pinochet’s Chile and apartheid South Africa. As the devastating war in Gaza wages on, Israeli defence contractors have already begun advertising drones, hightech firearms and robot dogs battle-tested in the field and ready to be sent abroad.The Big Picture is produced and presented by Mohamed Hassan. It’s a weekly show about the big ideas that shape our past, present and future. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S4 · E2
21 mar 2024
1:05:12

Changing the narrative around Palestine | Randa Abdel Fattah

What does coverage of Gaza tell us about how the West sees the rest of the world? A recent report into mainstream news coverage found Islamophobic and anti-Arab language was widely used in coverage of the events after 7 October, with Israeli victims described using emotive language 11 times more than Palestinian victims. It also documented how pro-Palestinian voices were frequently vilified and treated with hostility during interviews. So why is this happening? In our first episode of Season 3 of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with sociologist and writer Dr Randa Abdel Fattah, who speaks about her first-hand experience as an outspoken Palestinian academic. She argues in her work that media narratives paint Palestinians and Arabs as ‘unreasonable, unrestrained and uncivilised’ as a way of maintaining a western colonial order. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S4 · E1
14 mar 2024
51:02
Stagione 3

Why the West is wrong about Islam | Peter Oborne

Why are Western societies so fearful of Islam and Muslims? One can answer this question by examining history, particularly that of European colonial powers, and the ways in which they justified their actions in the Global South by painting its peoples and religions as alien and in need of reformation. Another answer can be found in the murky ties between our modern political parties, powerful media figures and well-funded think tanks, who have all benefited from casting Muslim communities as antagonists. This week on The Big Picture podcast, we speak to celebrated journalist, author and columnist Peter Oborne, who has spent years tracing the roots of anti-Muslim hatred in Western history, and the people who shape its modern manifestations in Britain, the US and France.He presents his findings in his 2023 book ‘The Fate of Abraham: Why The West Is Wrong About Islam’. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S3 · E14
24 gen 2024
1:03:11

The Labour Party has a racism problem | Ali Milani

How deep does racism run within the Labour Party? Since the start of the Gaza war, there's been a growing anger within British Muslim communities at Labour's perceived lack of leadership on the Palestinian issue, and on the calls for a ceasefire. Under Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition party has towed the government line, publicly supporting Israel's devastating war, despite the outcry of many Labour MPs - many who quit in protest. But some have remained to fight. This week on The Big Picture, we speak with Labour Party member and former Uxbridge candidate Ali Milani, who says he's ready to publicly challenge the way senior members of the party view Palestinians, and Muslims in general. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S3 · E13
18 gen 2024
54:16

How to build a mass movement around Palestine | Chris Nineham

This week on the Big Picture, we speak with British political activist, author and deputy chair of the Stop The War Coalition, Chris Nineham.Nineham was instrumental in organising the historic anti-war demonstrations in 2003 against the invasion of Iraq - which saw millions flood the streets in major cities across the globe - and is considered the largest protest in UK history.Now he's helping bring together another global call to action on January 13 - this time to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after three months of continuous action.We speak with Nineham about what it takes to build a mass movement, bringing together activists, unionists and community groups and turn the momentum of the last three months of action into a worldwide push to end war, injustice and poverty. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S3 · E12
11 gen 2024
1:01:31

The 'righteous anger' of Palestinians | Omar Suleiman

It is impossible not to feel overwhelmed by the ongoing war in Gaza - the death toll, the horrific footage, the world’s inability to bring it to an end. That is compounded for Palestinians, many with family members directly impacted, who feel they’ve always been seen through a racist and islamophobic lens, and that speaking out is a political act with consequences. So how do Palestinians and Muslims navigate their feelings of anger with their faith? This week on The Big Picture, we sit down with Palestinian-American scholar and activist Dr Omar Suleiman, the founder of the Yaqeen Institute in Texas. Dr Suleiman built a reputation as a religious voice who resonates with the growing Muslim diaspora searching for leaders, and as a millennial often on the frontlines of social issues and protest movements in the US. He speaks to us about his own anger, his commitment to challenging his government and why this is a turning point for how he sees himself as an American. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG
S3 · E11
4 gen 2024
1:27:06
4 di 7