What if everything you’ve been told about Palestine was only half the story, and the half that kept power comfy? This week on In the Meanwhile, Marcus and Nora talk with Palestinian American scholar Karam Dana, whose new book doesn’t just unpack the crisis in Gaza—it shreds the whole suitcase of sanitized narratives we’ve been fed for decades. With the precision of a professor and the fire of someone who’s lived it, Dana explains how Palestine sits at the heart of our most urgent questions: What does real solidarity look like? Who gets to speak freely? And why are Jewish voices standing with Palestinians so often erased?
It’s heavy, yes but also clarifying, humanizing, and (somehow) hopeful. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why talking about Palestine feels like touching a political third rail, this episode gives you the history, context, and moral compass to do it anyway.
Mentioned in the episode:
To Stand with Palestine by Karam Dana | Except for Palestine by Marc Lamont Hill and Richard Plitnick | The Message, by Ta Nehisi Coates | Tolerance is a Wasteland by Saree Makdisi | Good Muslim/Bad Muslim by Mahmood Mamdani
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Nora and Marcus’ work on the podcast is separate from their professional roles and does not represent the views of their employers.
Music: No Tears for a Wolf · Ahamefule J. Oluo · Okanomodé. Used with permission.
Logo by Nikki Barron.
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