Genocide, Sanctions and Smokescreens | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

This week’s episode opens with the news of sanctions imposed by the UK on Israel’s far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The UK joined a small bloc of Western states attempting to pressure Israel over its Gaza genocide. But does targeting two of the most extreme figures in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu signal genuine attempt to hold Israel to account, or is it diplomatic window dressing by governments that criminalises the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement while selling weapons to Israel? We interrogate the contradictions and timing of this move with host Mouin Rabbani.

We then unpack a startling revelation from The New York Times: Israel is arming Palestinian militias in Gaza in a new strategy to fragment the besieged territory and sow chaos. We revisit the history of Israeli support for Hamas to divide Palestinian unity, and discuss how arming criminal elements today mirrors a decades-old tactic of manipulation, one that may well backfire. Central to this story is the figure of Yasser Abu Shabab, a warlord in southern Gaza. Just who is who is Abu Shabab?

In our third segment, we explore the BBC’s rare departure from its usual deference to Israel, via an investigative report by Jeremy Bowen. With claims that Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, and insights from international law experts, this may be the most forthright report ever aired by the BBC. We consider whether this marks a shift in the UK media landscape or is a one-off anomaly prompted by global outcry.

Finally, we zoom out to assess growing international backlash against Israeli impunity. From France and the UK backtracking on Palestinian statehood to David Cameron’s threats to defund the International Criminal Court, and the hijacking of an aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg. 

We close the show with a discussion over revealing case of Eyal Yakoby, the pro-Israel student who stood next to US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson claiming he no longer felt safe—despite enjoying unprecedented institutional support from the US government. Judge dismissed Yakoby’s case against the University of Pennsylvania, who found no evidence of anti-Semitism.