Über Israel und Palästina sprechen

In this episode, I speak with Yuli Novak, Executive Director of B’Tselem, Israel’s leading human rights organization documenting and opposing state violence and apartheid in the Palestinian territories. Yuli is among the few public voices in Israel who continue to insist on accountability and equality as civil society faces unprecedented pressure. Before joining B’Tselem in 2023, she served as Executive Director of Breaking the Silence, leading the publication of soldiers’ testimonies from the occupied territories — work that made her a frequent target of political attacks. Her memoir Who Do You Think You Are traces her journey from Israeli Air Force officer to outspoken critic of militarism and Jewish supremacy. In our conversation, Yuli explains why B’Tselem has now named Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, and describes how decades of occupation and apartheid have created a society increasingly desensitized to violence. She also reflects on becoming a parent during this political moment and how personal responsibility fuels her activism. We discuss international solidarity, the shrinking space for dissent, and the role queer and feminist activism can play in resisting systems of domination. Guest: Yuli Novak Host: Shai Hoffmann Links: https://www.btselem.org/node/215035 https://www.medico.de/blog/wenn-nie-wieder-jetzt-ist-20208 https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/israel-menschenrechtsorganisation-begruesst-deutschen-lieferstopp-a-90bd7e19-07e0-4396-8851-664f5dc202e6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9eASwQIq40 https://www.theguardian.com/profile/yuli-novak Special thanks to OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, Jordi Kuragari (video snippets), Lea Volz and 365 Sherpas (editorial), Simon Eichinger (post-production). This podcast is a project by Gesellschaft im Wandel gGmbH and funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to share it around!

In this episode, I speak with Limor Yaakov-Safrai, Israeli educator and CEO of the HaSadeh Association, focused on faith-based humanistic education. Limor grew up in Gush Katif in Gaza, a religious settlement evacuated in 2005, and now lives in the religious kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa. She is also a co-founder of Smol Emuni (“Faithful Left”), a movement advocating for justice, equality, and coexistence through religiously grounded progressive values. We discuss her work in education, her approach to activism within religious communities, the challenges of promoting democratic values, and her vision for social change in Israel, including relations with Palestinians. This conversation highlights the intersection of faith, education, and social justice in times of political polarization. Guest: Limor Yaakov-SafraiHost: Shai Hoffmann Links: https://north.mandelfoundation.org.il/english/fellows/pages/default.aspx https://www.instagram.com/p/DRxMpuSAmBA/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/under-shadow-of-war-conference-of-left-wing-religious-jews-grows-its-numbers/ https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-867028 Special thanks to OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, Marisa Raiser and 365 Sherpas (editorial), Jordi Kuragari (video snippets), Simon Eichinger (post-production) Thanks for tuning in — don’t forget to subscribe and share!

In dieser Folge spreche ich mit Nabila Espanioly, palästinensische Bürgerin Israels, Psychologin, Sozialarbeiterin, Feministin und Friedensaktivistin. Sie leitet das Al-Tufula Center in Nazareth, das frühkindliche Bildung und Frauenförderung unterstützt. Nabila wuchs in einer palästinensisch-christlichen Familie auf, studierte Sozialarbeit in Haifa und Psychologie in Deutschland und ist seit Jahrzehnten in Hadash/Jabha und feministischen Bewegungen aktiv. Wir sprechen über ihre frühen Erfahrungen, ihr Engagement und die Arbeit, Brücken zwischen Gemeinschaften zu bauen. Wir werfen außerdem einen Blick auf das Al-Tufula Center, seine Entwicklung und die aktuellen Herausforderungen für palästinensische Kinder und Familien, besonders nach dem 7. Oktober 2023. Nabila teilt ihre Hoffnungen und die Bedeutung von Bildung und Empowerment. Ein besonderer Dank an OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, Simon Eichinger (Postproduktion), Marisa Raiser und 365 Sherpas (Redaktion) sowie Jordi Kuragari (Video-Snippets) Dieser Podcast ist ein Projekt der Gesellschaft im Wandel gGmbH und wird von der Robert Bosch Stiftung gefördert. Danke, dass ihr dabei wart – abonniert und empfehlt den Podcast weiter! Links: https://www.instagram.com/nabilaesp https://altufula.org/en/files/userfiles/identity%20.pdf https://altufula.org/en https://www.bpb.de/mediathek/reihen/stimmenvielfalt-aus-israel/322068/nabila-espanioly/ https://klinken.rosalux.de/objekte/al-tufula-center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabila_Espanioly https://www.rosalux.org.il/autoren/nabila-espanioly/

In this episode, I speak with Ziv Stahl, the Executive Director of Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization that documents and challenges violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Ziv holds a Master in political science and is considering herself an activist, Ziv is one of the few public voices in Israel who continue to insist on accountability, equality, and the rule of law at a time when democratic space is shrinking and violence is escalating. Ziv’s commitment to human rights is shaped by profound personal loss. She grew up in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and survived the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, during which her sister-in-law, was killed. Despite this trauma, she has chosen to continue her work — refusing to abandon the belief that justice must apply universally, even in moments of national grief. Under Ziv’s leadership, Yesh Din works to expose and challenge systemic impunity for settler and military violence in the West Bank through legal documentation, petitions, and public advocacy. In this conversation, we talk about her personal journey, the limits of legal protection for Palestinians, and what it means to defend human rights in a society where dissent is increasingly unpopular. We also discuss the role of international accountability, the pressures facing civil society, and the moral clarity required to continue this work despite fear, hostility, and political backlash. Thanks for listening — subscribe and share! Guest: Ziv StahlHost: Shai Hoffmann Special thanks to OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, Lea Volz and 365 Sherpas (editorial), Jordi Kuragari (video snippets), Simon Eichinger (post-production)  Links: https://www.zeit.de/politik/2024-10/hamas-massaker-israel-ziv-stahl-palaestinenser-rechte  https://www.blaetter.de/ausgabe/2024/januar/israels-zivilgesellschaft-zerrieben-zwischen-den-extremen https://nifcan.org/ziv-stahl/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l87o1XvLb8  https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/krieg-in-nahost/deutschland-blockiert-hilfsgelder-fuer-israelische-ngo-19337943.html  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-10-23/ty-article-static/.premium/erased-isr[…]unities-in-the-west-bank/00000199-4787-d6e0-a7fb-cfcfd0400000 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-10-30/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/israel[…]-on-decline-of-democracy/0000019a-3629-ddf1-a1db-fefd25ee0000