In today’s episode we are speaking with with Dr Uri Rosenberg who is currently working in academia. He's a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and lecturer at Heidelberg University, with a PhD in Middle East History from Tel Aviv University. His academic research spans the modern Turkic world, focusing on topics such as Turkish political Islam, nation-building in post-Soviet Azerbaijan, and Jewish-Muslim relations in Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Israel.

But in this episode, I am more interested in Uri's activism and hands-on experience in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Uri is the co-founder and the former co-CEO of Tech2Peace, an NGO that fosters Israeli-Palestinian dialogue through intensive technological and entrepreneurship seminars.

When managing Tech2Peace, he was mainly focused on the content, such as the design of the workshops and the creation of the alumni community. Currently, Tech2Peace has approximately 700 Israelis and Palestinians, which has helped to create a vibrant and active alumni community, even in these difficult times of war.

If you would like to learn more about Dr Uri Rosenberg and Tech2Peace, please look below at the following links:

https://www.hfjs.eu/en/chairs/ben-gurion-chair-for-israel-and-middle-east-studies/team/scientific-assistants/dr-uri-rosenberg.html

https://www.tech2peace.com/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48053200?fbclid=IwAR0YuC79KuwPZinmawSjb7LTbtqw-yA2NASRiBC2AkZspAi-ryxpuFnqXIc

In today’s episode we are speaking with Dr Erika Jiménez, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the School of Law and a Mitchell Institute Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast.

Dr Jiménez has just published a book called Rethinking human rights: critical insights from Palestinian youth, which looks at how Palestinian teenagers from the West Bank make sense of human rights when their lived experiences outside of the school environment contrast with what they learn about human rights within the school setting.

Erika is currently leading a research project entitled: Golani youth, Human Rights and the Forgotten Occupation, which explores how the occupation impacts the lives of youth from the remaining Druze communities in the Golan Heights and their views on the usefulness of human rights. It compares their perspectives with older generations and those of their Palestinian peers in the West Bank, drawing on her previous research but also new insights from the refugee community.

This project is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and is being done alongside Golani and Palestinian youth advisory groups and researchers and with support from local NGOs.

If you would like to learn more about Dr Jiménez’s academic work, please look in the description below for more details:

X: @ErikaFJimenez Profile: ⁠https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/erika-jimenez⁠ Rethinking human rights: critical insights from Palestinian youth: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/erika-jim%C3%A9nez/

‘Israel & Palestine Unpacked’ is an exciting podcast that is dedicated to exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Ya'el Interview Details In our first interview, we speak with Ya’el, who comes from a village near Haifa, a bustling port city in the Galilee region of Israel, located approximately 45 minutes from the Lebanese border.

Her village is known for its strong farming traditions, where generations of families have cultivated the land, fostering a deep connection to agriculture. Life in this close-knit community revolves around shared values, with a strong emphasis on family, cooperation, and tradition.

Growing up in such an environment, Ya’el experienced the unique blend of rural life, set against the backdrop of both the natural beauty and the political realities of the region.

Mohammed Interview Details

In our second interview today, we are speaking with Mohammed who hails from a small rural agricultural village, which produces olives, fruits and vegetables that contribute to the local economy. The village is close to the Palestinian city of Nablus, which is nestled between Mounts Gerizim to the south and Ebal to the north.

The city, itself, has been known for its famous soap production as well as its regionally famous sweet dessert, Knafeh, a dish made from pastry, cheese and syrup which can be garnished with crushed pistachios and cinnamon.

He begins his interview by speaking about his childhood, the impact that Israeli settlers had on the local community as well as the effect of the 1st Palestinian Intifada, which erupted in 1987…..

If you are interested, feel free to connect with me on one or all of the following Social Media platforms, where I will provide up to date information: Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898 Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com Additionally, if you know anyone who you feel would like to be interviewed or possibly fits the description, please do not hesitate to get in contact. Pádraig