November 28, 2023
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The Backbench
#78 Roots of Tension in Canada’s Israel-Palestine Discourse
In Canada, the political discourse on the news coming out of Israel and Palestine has given Backbench host, Mattea Roach, some “serious whiplash.”
Noor Azrieh
Producer
Aviva Lessard
Senior Producer
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor
Karyn Pugliese
Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s note: For additional context Hamas emerged in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising, or intifada, as an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch. The group is committed to armed resistance against Israel and the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel’s place.  For more: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2284721219710#:~:text=A%20spotlight%20was%20cast%20on,Ashley%20Fraser%20explores%20its%20origins.

Discussions happening online seem extremely polarized, making it difficult to have productive and nuanced conversations. In this episode, Mattea sits down with Muhannad Ayyash, a Palestinian Professor of Sociology, and Jeremy Appel, a journalist and author, to get to the root of this contention. They unpack the role of lobby groups, the conflation of anti-semitism and anti-zionism, the role of grassroots organizing, and the rising incidents of alleged hate-motivated attacks. 

 

Host:  Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Guests: Muhannad Ayyash, Jeremy Appel

 

Background reading:

 

Sponsors: oxio, Athletic Greens

 

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