In an age of increasing censorship and corporate media conglomeration Mondoweiss is more important than ever.
I’ve written for Mondoweiss over the years but recently I discovered first hand just how hard it is to write the kind of stories they publish, and counter the dominant media narratives about Israel and Palestine.
Two weeks ago, I wrote and recorded a monologue while guest hosting The Hill’s Rising show. I defended Rashida Tlaib from allegations of antisemitism and backed up her claim that Israel is an apartheid state by citing international law, the International Criminal Court, Israeli law, Human Rights organizations, Israeli politicians, Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu. After I recorded my monologue, I was told by the producers that higher ups saw the monologue and refused to air it. When I pushed back, I was fired. Rising is a show that prides itself for allowing hosts to say things other corporate media won’t. But even for them, telling the truth about Israel is a fireable offense.
I’m thankful to Mondoweiss for their honest and brave reporting. Will you join the fight against the dominant media narratives about Israel and Palestine. Your donation will be doubled by a generous match!
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Mondoweiss was there to not just cover what happened but provide the larger context: “The firing of Katie Halper by The Hill TV reflects growing support for Palestinian rights, and is reminiscent of the firing of Marc Lamont Hill by CNN four years ago,” wrote Philip Weiss and Michael Arria, showing that what happened to me has happened to others who have dared to tell the truth. Mondoweiss didn’t just share the story of what happened to me and others who criticize Israel. They helped make the video I recorded go viral by sharing it with a larger audience.
Support for Palestinians’ rights is growing, as are the voices willing to speak out. But you won’t see them in the mainstream media, which is why Mondoweiss is so important. It never shies away from telling the truth about Israeli oppression in Palestine, and its enablers here in the U.S.
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Of course what happened to me, a Jewish-American, pales in comparison to what happens to Palestinian journalists who literally lose their lives covering the occupation on the ground Mondoweiss brings you these essential voices as well, who are also so often kept out of the U.S. discourse.
The Hill might be afraid to allow the truth about Israeli apartheid to be shared, but Mondoweiss will never be. Whether it is bringing you the story from the ground or offering a platform for activists here in the US, Mondoweiss plays an essential role.
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Katie Halper
Katie Halper is a writer, podcast host and video correspondent. She hosts The Katie Halper Show, and co-hosts Useful Idiots with Matt Taibbi.
Changing Attitudes towards Zionism among American Jews—An Interview with Zachary Lockman – MERIP
“Changing Attitudes towards Zionism among American Jews—An Interview with Zachary Lockman”Lori Allen, Zachary Lockman 10.11.2022
Zachary Lockman is Professor of Middle Eastern studies & history at New York University & a long-time MERIP contributor & supporter. He has authored a number of books & articles, including Workers on the Nile: Nationalism, Communism, Islam, & the Egyptian Working Class, 1882-1954, with Joel Beinin (1987), Comrades & Enemies: Arab & Jewish Workers in Palestine, 1906-1948 (1996) & Contending Visions of the Middle East: The History and Politics of Orientalism (2004; second edition, 2010). Lori Allen is a reader in anthropology at SOAS University & author of A History of False Hope: Investigative Commissions in Palestine (2020). Allen interviewed Lockman on the changing attitudes towards Zionism among American Jews. This is the first of a two-part series.
EXCERPT:
Lori Allen: “Why do you think the changing attitudes towards Zionism among American Jews is a topic worth talking about? Zachary Lockman: “It’s mainly younger American Jews who are who are shifting. I think there has been a sea change. Slow, much delayed, not as advanced as we might like it to be, but I think one can see it, & it shows up in opinion polls.
Lori: “Maybe it would be useful to lay out what you see as the predominant attitudes among Jewish Americans towards Israel historically. Who slept better knowing there was a Jewish state in the world, as Peter Beinart sums up a certain kind of commitment?[1]
Zachary: “Many ancestors of today’s American Jewish community came during the period from 1880 until immigration was shut down in 1924. Several million Jewish migrants came along with all the Poles, Italians, Ukrainians, Hungarians & everybody else in that mass outpouring from Europe. Most of these people were largely working class or lower middle class, for the first generation or two. The Zionist project, which emerges in roughly the same period—1880s, 1890s—was not of great interest to them. The percentage of Jews leaving Europe who chose to go to Palestine was minute…”
It is time for Jews to question the excesses of the Zionist project. It is time for Palestinians to play cards they hold to advance freedom and equality. Peaceful co-existence is the only beneficial way forward.