PreOccupation: A Not-So-Brief History of Palestine

BONUS EPISODE - Palestine's Rebel Republic Aug 23, 2024

The Great Revolt of Palestine (1936-1939) stands as the greatest challenge to British imperial rule in the interwar period. This is a story of how the peasants of the Palestinian countryside, in partnership with urban radicals, overcame insurmountable obstacles in their struggle to drive out the British Empire from their land. While most accounts of the revolt place it as a stop on the Palestinian people's linear march toward the Nakba, this talk will focus on the innovative modes of resistance that the revolutionaries deployed in their struggle for liberation.

I will be taking a hiatus from posting new episodes for a little while, but I will still be traveling, speaking, and writing. Follow me at PreOccupationPod on Instagram for updates.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

BONUS EPISODE - Fallout From the Ismail Haniyeh Assassination Jul 31, 2024

This short episode explores how the axis of resistance will respond to the assassination of Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after 300 days of genocide.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Mini Series FINALE - A History of Palestinian Resistance Part 4 - Hamas, The Origin Story Jul 04, 2024

Many people around the world first came to learn of Hamas on October 7th. Others may be old enough to conjure up memories of the Second Intifada. This final episode of the "History of Resistance" mini-series dives into the origin of Hamas and its first 15 years of existence.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Mini Series - A History of Palestinian Resistance Part 3 - Karameh Jun 23, 2024

After the Nakba, the Palestinians found themselves dazed, displaced, divided. Part three of this mini series looks at how Palestinian resistance rose from the ashes of the Nakba, and internationalized the Palestinian struggle in the process.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Mini Series - A History of Palestinian Resistance Part 2 - The Three Lives of Izzidine al Qassam Jun 04, 2024

There is perhaps no name more synonymous with Palestinian resistance than that of Izzidine al Qassam. In part two of this mini-series, we explore the life, death, and legacy of Palestine's first martyr.

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Mini Series - A History of Palestinian Resistance Part 1 - A Sky With No Stars May 27, 2024

As British Imperialism and Zionist setter colonialism descended upon Palestine, why was there no Palestinian Mao, Che, or Ho Chi Minh? Why did no single Palestinian figure emerge to unite the Palestinians and (successfully) stave off this threat?

This mini-series opener takes a very close look at the learning landscape of Ottoman Palestine, and the learning journeys of the Palestinian notables, in an attempt to answer this question.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Season 3 Episode 2 - Between the Desert and the Sown Apr 18, 2024

The PreOccupation podcast is back, this time with some reflections on the difficulty of telling the Palestinian story, and a deep dive into one of the most neglected and ignored segments of Palestinian society. Enjoy!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Bedouin, Peasant, and Urban Palestinians in Late Ottoman Palestine Apr 18, 2024

In this episode we look at the relationships between Bedouin, peasant, and urban Palestinians in late Ottoman Palestine. The episode will also introduce you to one Palestinian's decades long game of cat and mouse with Ottoman authorities.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Mini-Series: "Resistance Inc." Episode 3 Jan 19, 2024

This three part mini-series explores the ways that resistance factions carry out their side of the information war, and the impact of the "resistance industry" on the culture of the Arabic speaking world. It is a story that will take you from Beirut to Gaza and back. Enjoy!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Mini-Series: "Resistance Inc." Episode 2 Jan 19, 2024

This three part mini-series explores the ways that resistance factions carry out their side of the information war, and the impact of the "resistance industry" on the culture of the Arabic speaking world. It is a story that will take you from Beirut to Gaza and back. Enjoy!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Mini-Series: "Resistance Inc." Episode 1 Jan 19, 2024

This three part mini-series explores the ways that resistance factions carry out their side of the information war, and the impact of the "resistance industry" on the culture of the Arabic speaking world. It is a story that will take you from Beirut to Gaza and back. Enjoy!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Bonus Episode - Three Months Into the War on Gaza Jan 05, 2024

In this bonus episode, I break with the historical theme of the podcast to share some thoughts on Israel's recent assassination in Lebanon and some of the social trends that have emerged during this war.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Season 3 Episode 1 - The Mutessarifat of al-Quds al-Sharif Nov 25, 2023

It is widely known that in the 1870s, Palestine was administratively transformed into the Mutessarifat of al-Quds al-Sharif. What is much less well known is the story of how this administrative district came into existence. Join me as we take a deep dive into the administrative boundaries of late Ottoman Palestine.

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Season 3 Prologue - The Final Sultan Nov 25, 2023

Season 3 is a deep dive into Palestine's "Hamidian era." That is, the period under the rule of Sultan Abdulhamid II. In this season 3 prologue, we explore the circumstances that gave rise to Sultan Abdulhamid II, and the hotly contested legacy that follows him to this very day.

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S2E6 - Season Finale Part 2 - The Annihilation of the Fellah Feb 07, 2023

Last episode we saw how the notables of Palestine cleverly adjusted to the demands of modernity, emerging as winners in the Ottoman reform era. But just as the sky parted above the urban elite, storm clouds began to gather over the fellahin of the countryside. This, then, is the story of how modernity came crashing down upon the peasants of Palestine, creating a devastation so irreparable that its impact continues to be felt to this very day.

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BONUS EPISODE - Interview with "Stories from Palestine" Jan 16, 2023

This interview originally aired on "Stories from Palestine", a great podcast where the host, Kristal, uncovers the mysteries of contemporary Palestine through interviews with Palestinian experts.

In this interview, Kristal and I discuss the emergence of Palestinian identity.

Enjoy!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

S2E5 - Season Finale Part 1 - From Turban to Tarbush Dec 28, 2022

The period of the Tanzimat - a time of rapid, relentless, state-sponsored modernization - ran from 1840 to 1876. In less than four decades, a highly decentralized empire that stretched across three continents made a great leap toward becoming a modern nation-state.

Like all social, political, economic and technological disruptions, the modernization of Palestine came with its own set of winners and losers. This, then, is the part of the story where we finally get to see how Palestine's social classes responded to the shocks and tremors of the Tanzimat.

In part 1 of the season 2 finale, we will see how the urban notables of Palestine responded to the challenges of modernity.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

S2 Interview - Usamma Makdisi and "The Age of Coexistence" Nov 21, 2022

I am joined by Dr. Usamma Makdisi to discuss his most recent book "The Age of Coexistence". In this book Dr. Usamma Makdisi explores the politics of pluralism during the Ottoman Empire and in the post-Ottoman Arab world. Rather than judging the Arab world as a place of age-old sectarian animosities, "Age of Coexistence" describes the forging of a complex system of coexistence, what Makdisi calls the “ecumenical frame.” He argues that new forms of antisectarian politics, and some of the most important examples of Muslim-Christian political collaboration, crystallized to make and define the modern Arab world.

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S2 Interview - Andrew Delatolla and "The Making of the State in Lebanon and Syria." Nov 14, 2022

Dr. Andrew Delatolla is a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Leeds. His book "Civilization and the Making of the State in Lebanon and Syria" explores the ever-shifting civilizational standards that were imposed upon the Ottomans by the West, and the implications that this had for the inhabitants of the region.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

S2E4 - The Bloody Birth of the Arabs pt 2 Nov 07, 2022

In part two of "The Bloody Birth of the Arabs", we explore how the violence of 1860 gave voice to a new message:

"Hob al watan min al iman." Love of your nation is part of your faith.

This episode is a deep dive into the local and foreign attempts to reach the children of Palestine (and beyond) using European colonialism's most successful institution; the modern school.

In classrooms inside and outside of Palestine, local visionaries, Christian missionaries, and the Ottoman state found themselves competing for the hearts and minds of children, giving rise to the political movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

SE2E3 - The Bloody Birth of the Arabs pt 1 Sep 19, 2022

In 1860, two communities in Mount Lebanon - who had coexisted for centuries - found themselves barreling toward a head on collision. With a clarity afforded by almost two centuries of hindsight, this episode explores the many ways in which this head-on clash was manufactured in the capitals of Europe.

This two part episode explores how this watershed moment in the history of the region gave rise to new ways of thinking about who the people of the region truly are.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

S2E2 - The Tanzimat Jun 13, 2022

The Tanzimat reforms stretched from 1839 to 1876. In that time, the Ottoman empire engaged in a centralization campaign that completely altered the relationship between the Ottoman government and its subject population.

This episode picks up where we left off in season 1, with an impending clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Khedive, Mohammed Ali Pasha. From there, we explore how European ambition, Ottoman survivalism, and questions about the role of religion set the empire on a series of reforms that would change life in Palestine forever.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

S2E1 - A Matter of Faith May 15, 2022

Is diversity a problem, or a blessing?

For centuries, the Ottoman Empire was arguably the most diverse polity in the history of the world. But as the Ottoman crescent began to wane, the pressures of modernity forced the High Porte to reevaluate the benefits of its heterogeneity .

In the Season 2 opener, we shift our focus away from the particulars of life in Palestine to explore the nature of intercommunal relations in the Ottoman realm of the 19th century.

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Special Announcement Feb 21, 2022

A special announcement regarding season 2!

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Season Finale - The Peasant Revolt Aug 02, 2021

Between 1831 and 1840, Palestine fell into the hands of Mohammed Ali Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt.

During his reign, the first spark of Palestinian peoplehood emerged.

In the season finale, we travel to the moment where the Palestinian people were born.

Be sure to follow @PreOccupationPod on Instagram for regular updates!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

BONUS EPISODE - Conversation with Adar About Normalization Jul 02, 2021

On July 1st I spoke with Adar, creator of the Sulha network.

Adar and I have had numerous private conversations on the subject of peace, normalization, Palestinian identity, and the future of Palestine.

We decided to turn one of these conversations into a live session on his YouTube channel. This is the unedited audio of our conversation.

Enjoy!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Ep 4 - The Rise of Colonialism, The Fall of Acre Jun 08, 2021

Between the 16th - 19th centuries, Europe experienced technological and social transformations that had a profound impact on Palestine.

Simultaneously, the era of the Strongman is coming to an end in Palestine, but not without a fight.

Join me, as I journey through Acre's final days as Palestine's most prosperous city.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Ep 3 - Napoleon's War Machine May 12, 2021

In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte makes landfall in Jaffa. This represents the first saga in Palestine's long history with European colonialism.

Meanwhile, Palestine and its inhabitants continue to struggle and adapt to the country's everchanging landscape.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Ep 2 pt 3 of 3 - The Founding Father of Modern Palestine Apr 05, 2021

In the 18th century, the northern district of Safad is the centre of Palestine's lucrative cotton trade.

At the peak of Safad's cotton boom, a small conflict over farming rights becomes the genesis story of modern Palestine's founding father.

Join me as I take you through the rise and fall of the most important Palestinian you've probably never heard of.

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Ep 2 pt 2 of 3 - Mountain of Fire Mar 29, 2021

“The inhabitants [of Nablus] are most proud of it, and think there is no place in the world equal to it.”

These words were spoken by a priest traveling through the holy land in the Ottoman era. Between the 16th - 18th centuries, Nablus was unquestionably the economic heart of Ottoman Palestine. Join me as I discuss the unique social arrangements that made this city so special.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Ep 2 pt 1 of 3 - The Dawn of Ottoman Jerusalem Mar 23, 2021

This episode is part one of a three part series covering early Ottoman Palestine (16th - 18th centuries).

In the 16th century a new power came to rule over Palestine. From the onset, this new dynasty would face unique challenges as it worked to rule the Muslim world.

Meanwhile, notable families attempt to navigate their new circumstances in one of the most important cities in the Muslim world.

Join me as I take you through early Ottoman Palestine and introduce you the families that ruled the holy city of Jerusalem.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

Ep 1 - Who Are The Palestinians? Mar 19, 2021

Where does the name Palestine come from? Who are the Palestinians? Are they "Arabs" who migrated over from neighboring countries, or are they they indigenous inhabitants of this hotly contested land?

In this opening episode, I scratch the surface on these important questions.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preoccupation-a-not-so-brief-history-of-palestine/donations

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