Gazans are trapped in an open-air prison, denied basic rights and subjected to relentless military oppression by Israel.
— Norman Finkelstein, American political scientist and author
Eva Bartlett is a Canadian journalist, now living in Russia, with extensive experience covering conflict zones in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and the Gaza Strip, where she lived for a cumulative three years between 2008 and 2013.
I invited her onto my show to hear about her journey to Gaza and what life was like living there.
Some of Eva's photos from when she lived in Gaza
I won't get into the history of Gaza and, by extension, Israel, Palestine, Hamas and all the other Levant-related talking points because it's complex and, to be honest, others have covered all of this extensively.
However, I will recommend a few podcast episodes I've recorded on overlapping subjects.
- Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian and professor, who served in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) during the 1970s, and studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, later completing his doctorate at Oxford University. He spoke to me about his book Ten Myths About Israel (2017).
- Zachary Foster is a Jewish historian who studies the history of Palestine. He got his PhD from Princeton University. He gave me a detailed history of Hamas and it is fascinating. Is Hamas really a 'terrorist group'? If so, according to whom?
- Phil Tourney, from the USS Liberty Veterans Association, is an engineer who was aboard the USS Liberty when Israel attacked it in 1967. If Israel was (and remains) a close ally of the United States, why did the IDF attempt to sink an American ship? He answered this on my podcast.
- Vanessa Beeley is a British journalist who has lived in Syria and surrounding regions for many years, covering the ongoing wars. She recently had to flee Syria after it was invaded and now lives in Lebanon. She spoke to me about Israel’s agenda to expand its territory (known as the 'Greater Israel' project).
I must add that Israel is not ‘defending itself’ and this myth needs to be debunked once and for all. Israel is, for all intents and purposes, the aggressor, with the help and blessing of the United States (or perhaps the other way around, depending on one’s perspective).
🎙️ Podcast episode
Eva shared her experiences in Gaza with me, covering daily life, the people and culture, the random bombings by the IDF, Gazan fishermen being shot at by the Israeli navy, and the underground tunnels and their purposes.
