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Israel’s War in Gaza is the focus of this to episode of the “DMZ America” podcast with political cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right). There have been some major developments in the war over the last week:
- French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly this September, becoming the first G7 nation to do so.
- The Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists’ union said that its reporters in Gaza are starving to death due to Israel’s aid blockade, with some, like photographer Bashar, too weak to work. AFP, alongside BBC, AP, and Reuters, issued a statement noting that Gaza’s journalists face dire hunger.
- Doctors in Gaza, such as those at Nasser Hospital and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, are fainting from hunger while treating malnourished patients, with the UN reporting a massive spike in severe malnutrition cases in children under five. Images of skeletal Gazan children are going viral.
- France’s foreign ministry stated that the famine in Gaza is Israel’s fault, joining the UK and Germany in demanding an immediate end to the “humanitarian catastrophe.”
- Over 100 aid organizations, including MSF and Oxfam, reported that their staff, including doctors and aid workers, are “wasting away” due to starvation, with 900,000 children facing hunger.
- Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain stalled.
- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called its bombing of an iconic Catholic church a “mistake.”
Scott and Ted are best friends who pride themselves on finding common ground despite the fact that they’re on opposite sides of the political divide. But agreement has been elusive on Gaza. Scott is an ardent supporter of Israel whereas Ted is a harsh critic of what he calls genocide.
Get ready for a thoughtful yet passionate argument about the crisis in the Middle East.
