July 29, 2025 • 20 mins
The world's eyes are on Gaza as the enclave faces mass starvation, but the war there is also emboldening Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.Odeh Hadalin is a Palestinian teacher and activist who campaigned against illegal Israeli settlements and settler violence. He also helped make this year's Oscar-winning film No Other Land which documents Israeli attacks on the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta.It was there that he was shot dead, reportedly after a confrontation between villagers and settlers who were using a bulldozer to destroy property.An extremist settler, previously sanctioned by the US, has been arrested.Around a thousand Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the West Bank in the last two years amid an increasing wave of settler and Israeli military violence.Joining Matt Frei on this week's episode of The Fourcast is the Palestinian film-maker Basel Adra. He co-wrote and co-directed No Other Land and was a friend of Odeh.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
I can't really believe that Aldawas shot Do.
You think that getting the Oscarhas made any difference at all?
No, not on the ground. The international community is
so late, even France now announcing that it will
recognize the state of Palestine, UK.
But on the ground the annexationis happening do.
You think there's a possibility that Trump might actually,
against many expectations, bringabout peace in the Middle East?
(00:21):
This war can stop tomorrow now if Trump decide really to stop
it. Because this jets that bombing
Gaza is made at the US, this bomb bombs are made in the US.
So if they want to end it, they can do it very easily.
But I don't believe that is America want to stop this
genocide. Hello and welcome to the
(00:42):
forecast. The world's eyes are on Gaza as
the NK faces mass starvation. But the war there is also
emboldening. Israeli settlers in the occupied
West Bank, or De Hathalin, A Palestinian teacher and
activist, campaigned against illegal Israeli settlements and
settler violence. He also helped to make this
year's Oscar winning film No Other Land, which documents
(01:05):
Israeli attacks on the Palestinian community of Masafa
Riata. It was there that he was shot
dead, reportedly after a confrontation between villagers
and settlers who were using a bulldozer to destroy property.
An extremist settler previously sanctioned by the US has been
arrested Around 1000 Palestinians have reportedly
(01:25):
been killed in the West Bank in the last two years and made an
increasing wave of settler and Israeli military violence.
Well, joining me now is the Palestinian film maker Basil
Adra. He Co wrote and Co directed No
Other Land and was a friend of Ode.
Thanks for coming on the programme.
Let's start first of all with Ode himself.
(01:46):
What was he like your friend? Roda was a very, very close
friend to us. He was an activist, he was a
father and English teacher teaching the students of the
community. He was the one that really for
for years supporting in nonviolent protests against the
(02:06):
occupation, against the settlers, against the military,
demolishing his community and the other communities in
Mesafriata. He helped welcoming solidarity
activists from UK, from the US, from all over the world who come
in solidarity to stay in his village and in other villages in
Mesafriata. He was the person that gathered
us as a Palestinian activist in the hall moments to give us very
(02:31):
small parties like BBQ like Together for a Cafe and to laugh
when we had harsh time. Our loss is really, really big.
Our hearts are break. We are not believing that he's
gone in this settler bullet. Your hearts must be broken.
Yeah, we, we're really like, we're really not believing that
(02:51):
like his body's still captured by the by the Israelis today.
They, the army invaded the mourntent that his family and us
established in his in his in at his home.
They forced us all to leave solidarity activists,
journalists and the Palestinianswho gathered there.
(03:12):
They used stun grenades to chaseeverybody away and to only allow
the the that bulldozer that was yesterday there to come and to
continue the the work at Elders Family Land.
And so the reason they gave for,you know, for, for ending the
the morning tent and the meetingwas that it was illegal or an
illegal gathering. What?
(03:32):
What was the reason they gave you?
You know, everything here where I live is done by military, by
military orders, like the law is, is is set up by Israeli
occupation military. So the commander can decide to
take my home now and to say it'sfor for security purpose.
And that would be legal in theirin their hands because we live
(03:53):
under military control. This is what means it's
apartheid. Like I can't appeal even to a
court for that. I can't protest, I can't reject.
And this is what happened there.They said it's closed military
area, journalist can't be there.Solidarity activist me can't be
there because I'm from differentvillage, but the settlers can be
there. So this is this is, this is the
(04:14):
law here. And the settlers are governed by
civilian law, including the man who allegedly shot your friend,
And you are governed by militarylaw because of the occupation.
Yeah, So that's the settler thatshot shot out yesterday.
He was released today in a in a in Israeli civil court, in
(04:35):
apartheid court. But 5 from 5 people from Alder's
family are still in jail. They were arrested yesterday,
abducted by the military. They're still in in jail and
they were like postponed their detention in a military court.
So here here. Why are they being held under?
Under what charges are they being held?
(04:58):
They, they claim that they, they, the claims are that they
attacked the, the, the attacked the settler and they like throw
stones. And so for that they are held in
in in a military jail and brought in front of a military
court. But the settler who shot Alda to
to death is brought in in front of civil court and they decide
(05:21):
to release him. Right.
And apparently he's under house arrest now.
We're never going to gain any justice in in front of Israeli
courts because all settlers, their courts, army, police are
all has one goal, which is to displace us from our land,
whether to destroy our homes or schools infrastructure that it's
(05:45):
a policy by the Israeli army or the settlers violence which is
torturing our homes, burning ourcrops, building illegal outposts
and settlements and the crimes like killing our friend Alda.
It all has one goal, which is toethnic cleansing us from our our
homeland and to an exit. And they don't hide it.
Israeli cabinet member are saying it out loud and that this
(06:08):
is this is what they are doing here.
And it's, it's, it's an Israeli broadcasts like this discussion.
And do the Palestinians who are targeted by the settlers, and of
course the numbers of those targeted have gone up
exponentially since October the 7th, do they ever get justice?
(06:31):
As I said, we never gain justicefrom Israeli, from Israeli
courts. This this settlers are are
committing these crimes. These crimes are a state policy.
It's not isolated crimes happening here and there.
You see here on the ground very clear how settlers are deciding
for the police and the army to to what to do on the ground.
(06:53):
This is happening all the time. You know that the settlers tell
the soldiers what to do exactly to arrest who and to close what
and what to do on the ground. This is for us if you're we're
on the ground and this is we seeit in very clear.
And the IDF would obviously denythat.
They would say that they are in charge, but you're saying that
it's the settlers who are in charge.
(07:17):
It's, it's, it's not, it's not true.
I mean, it's that there's reallyoccupation like by its military,
by its police, as I said, by itscourt has, has the power, but
the actual power on the ground, it's in the, you can see it's in
the hand of Smothrich and Bengveer and others whose
settlers now, now they're elected and they're like
representing the state of Israel.
(07:38):
They are in the parliament and they're deciding the laws.
So they are settlers. They're just like they, they
were also facing some charges inthe past committing violence
again against Palestinians. And now they became the one
that's making this decision. So this is how you can see that
the whole policy is is is is like is done by this like by
(07:59):
this settlers. And what do you think the idea
is here? Is the idea to render any kind
of Palestinian state unviable impossible?
Definitely, yeah, they're sayingit actually where I live in is
Area C, which is a 60% of the West Bank.
And and this is where there's really like settlers, soldiers,
(08:21):
violence mainly like and mostly committed, which is to destroy
Palestinian villages and to expand more to expand more
settlements and to to create more illegal outpost farms for
the settlers. With the expansion of the
settlements in general happening, which is, yeah, to
prevent future Palestinian independent state.
And unfortunately, the international community is so
(08:43):
late even in France now announcing that it will
recognize the state of Palestine.
UK thinking about it. But on the ground the annexation
is happening because settlers and as I say that the state of
Israel is annexing more and moreof our land by expanding their
settlements and outposts and like settlers projects in
general and meantime destroying more and more Palestinian
(09:04):
villages or Palestinians are fleeing from their land due to a
settlers like bogroms and attacks.
So even if Britain, let's say, were to recognize the
Palestinian state and other European countries, you know, do
the same thing. I know the Norwegians have done
it, the Irish have done it, the Spaniards have done it.
(09:25):
But if you get a Palestinian state recognised, do you think
that might make any difference or at all to your future and
your family's future? Yeah, yes, it's important, but
it can't. But not alone it should, it
should pay consequences for it'scrimes for continue continuing
the occupation. Now there is AICG ruling that
(09:45):
the whole Israeli occupation is illegal.
The existence of Israeli military settlements here in the
West Bank is illegal. And now it's the turn to the
international community to put serious pressure and actions on
the Israeli government to end this and to stop that.
Israel can't commit those crimesagainst us and having normal
(10:06):
relationship with the UK. UK markets can't be so far
opened for the settlers like products.
It's Auk airports should not be open for the settle that shot my
friend yesterday and that the whole 700,000 settle that
illegally and criminally living here in the West Bank.
(10:27):
Yes, recognize the state of Palestine, but meanwhile we need
serious actions against the state of Israel to put an end
for it occupation and apartheid and leave us alone.
I mean, the two cabinet ministers in the Israeli cabinet
who are settlers, you know, fromthe far right, they have been
sanctioned by the UK government already, although obviously we
don't know what difference that will make.
(10:48):
I just wonder whether you think that actually the key, as ever,
lies with Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is quite
confusing because on one hand, he's very supportive of the
Israeli government. On the other hand, he's been
saying recently that, you know, that every, every morsel of food
age should get into Gaza. And he's condemned some of the
violence. So where do you see Trump's role
in all this? I don't think there is any time
(11:12):
more for like condemnations would not help anything.
There should be actions that Trump and the US administration
carry a lot of the crimes of theIsraeli settlers or governments
that's happening in Gaza or the West Bank, for example.
The settler that shot my friend out there yesterday were sanched
by UK and by the US, especially by like Biden administration and
(11:33):
the Trump removed the sanctions on, on, on this sector and all
settlers that that were that were sanched.
And this is a sign from Trump and his position to support this
settlers and this settlements project in the West Bank.
So the the US should stop playing this policy of
supporting settlers and settlements.
(11:53):
We see their ambassador to, to Israel how he's supporting
settlers and settlements. And this is this is a state
policy by by the US to support this criminal settlers.
But I mean, is, you know, American public opinion is
turning against Israel's war on Gaza.
European public opinion has turned against Israel's war on
(12:16):
Gaza. We know that Donald Trump is
desperate to get the Nobel PeacePrize, and he may love that idea
more than he likes or respects Prime Minister Netanyahu.
So despite everything you've said, do you think there's a
possibility that Trump might actually, against many
expectations, bring about peace in the Middle East?
(12:38):
Listen, this war can stop tomorrow now if Trump decide
really to stop it, because this is this jets that bombing Gaza,
it's made at the US, this bombs are made in the US.
The, the, the, the Americans aretaxpayers are paying for this
war. US foreign policy is supporting
this war and we saw it many times using the veto against
(13:02):
against the against the ceasefire.
So I don't believe any any otherthings that they can't stop it.
They can't stop it if they if they want.
For me, I believe that this is AUS war as it is Israel
genocide. So if they want to to to to end
it, they can do it very easily. But I don't believe that is
(13:22):
America want to stop this genocide.
The film that you made with Yuval Abraham, who is of course
Israeli, was very powerful. No other land.
It won the Oscar this year. You gave a very powerful speech,
as did Yuval, you know, talking about some of the things that
we've just talked about. Do you think that getting the
Oscar has made any difference atall?
(13:46):
No, not on the ground as as as you said, this brought more
public opinion and this made more people to understand.
This made the circle of people who doesn't know about what's
happening here wider. People can learn more about what
it look like to live under the occupation under apartheid
system. So it's it's succeeded like in
(14:08):
the in the Oscar and, and in thefestivals in general.
But on the ground, as you, as you can see, situation is
escalating and things going veryfast to worse and worse.
And as I said, only like decision makers around the
world, like in UK and the US, all Israel allies should take
serious actions to stop this. There's a daily killing of
(14:30):
Palestinians in Gaza and there is daily crimes committed either
by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the West Bank and this is
really need to stop. Your friend Aldo, who was
killed, was of course had a veryprominent role to play in the
documentary that you made. Are you afraid that you yourself
have now got a target on your head as a result of what you've
(14:53):
been doing? Living, living here as a
Palestinian and this situation, I think all of us has, has this
fear because we're living in, asI said, in everyday there is,
there is something going on either by soldiers or by, by
settlers. Our homes got annual invades by
(15:14):
Israeli soldiers. Our communities got like also
invades and attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers together.
So there is a there is a fear all the time on our life and
then our families and then our our friends.
Like until today, I couldn't until now.
I can't really believe that Aldowas shot and murdered in in the
(15:34):
cold blood. Like he was just like, like I
really can't believe this. And the way that the soul like I
went there and the soldiers werelike exposing their, their hate
and the racism and they were saying to us, we don't see you
as a human beings. 2 soldiers there said to my friend that
they when he when he told them that the settler shot a man in
(15:59):
this village, they they said like, I wish it was me like the
soldiers. I mean, this is the situation
where we're living at and this is has have to stop.
The occupation has been going onfor decades.
The kind of things that you've been describing have been going
on for decades. Do you think that October the
(16:20):
7th and Hamas have set back the Palestinian cause significantly
by their actions? Well, unfortunately I blame the
international community more to be honest, because Palestinian
Authority, like PLO, has laid down their arms and the 90s has
(16:41):
signed an agreement by a pressure of Europe and the US
together and were promised to get a state and were promised
that the occupation will come toan end.
But none of that happened. Palestinian civil society is
designated as a terrorist. Organizations asked if we are
banned for protests like nonviolent protests for sure to
(17:02):
build our homes. We got attacked, we got killed
international community long time ago should put pressure on
Israel and should should should have been end this suffering and
should have been end the expansion and the building of
illegal settlements on the in the in the West Bank to reach a
day like October 7th or that theday that we're living today.
(17:24):
But before October the 7th, you know, there were quite a few
Israeli citizens who were on theside of Palestinians who wanted
A2 state solution. And that number has decreased as
far as I'm concerned. You know, that's my impression
anyway. That number of Israelis who want
to have, you know, live side by side with Palestinians has
decreased dramatically since October the 7th.
(17:48):
Until today, there are Israeli amazing activist friends who who
comes here to, to support, to, to support us and to stand
against the, the apartheid, against the occupation, to
oppose this, this policies. But I don't I really don't that
much agree with you because Israel, the Israeli majority
voted, as I said, for the far right wing radical government to
(18:12):
represent them. Smote rich being we're Swiss to
go. These are settlers known as a
violent settlers and they were elected two years, I think
before October 7th. So the Israeli, Israeli public
mostly do not see us living herelike the people in in Tel Aviv
or other cities mostly do not see us here as a Palestinians do
(18:33):
not recognize the suffering thatwe suffer from, from their
policies, from their government,from their army, from the
settlers that that living here. So I, I don't think I don't
think that is like will ever we will have a solution just
because Israelis will change their minds.
It's there's no time to wait even for that.
(18:56):
I as I said as I and back to saythat if there is a hope to end
this, it's international community to really boot serious
actions out there to stop this. Just one final brief question.
When you gave your Oscar speech,you said that you hope that your
your daughter was then only two months old, would not suffer the
(19:17):
same kind of consequences, the same life that you're living
through right now. Do you really think that she
will have a different life to yours?
Briefly. I hope, I hope, I hope, I really
hope. I pray for that.
I pray for elders kids also the three, three amazing kids that
they will grow up in in a betterlife and they will have good
future not to suffer as the father were were born and killed
(19:40):
lived all his life and their suffering over the occupation of
settlers attacks. And I really hope for these kids
to grow up in a in a different conditions and to have a better
future. And this suffering, this killing
of, of Palestinians, of will will end.
OK, Basil Aldra, thank you very much indeed for joining us on
(20:01):
the forecast. Until next time, goodbye.
I can't really believe that Aldawas shot Do.
You think that getting the Oscarhas made any difference at all?
No, not on the ground. The international community is
so late, even France now announcing that it will
recognize the state of Palestine, UK.
But on the ground the annexationis happening do.
You think there's a possibility that Trump might actually,
against many expectations, bringabout peace in the Middle East?
(00:21):
This war can stop tomorrow now if Trump decide really to stop
it. Because this jets that bombing
Gaza is made at the US, this bomb bombs are made in the US.
So if they want to end it, they can do it very easily.
But I don't believe that is America want to stop this
genocide. Hello and welcome to the
(00:42):
forecast. The world's eyes are on Gaza as
the NK faces mass starvation. But the war there is also
emboldening. Israeli settlers in the occupied
West Bank, or De Hathalin, A Palestinian teacher and
activist, campaigned against illegal Israeli settlements and
settler violence. He also helped to make this
year's Oscar winning film No Other Land, which documents
(01:05):
Israeli attacks on the Palestinian community of Masafa
Riata. It was there that he was shot
dead, reportedly after a confrontation between villagers
and settlers who were using a bulldozer to destroy property.
An extremist settler previously sanctioned by the US has been
arrested Around 1000 Palestinians have reportedly
(01:25):
been killed in the West Bank in the last two years and made an
increasing wave of settler and Israeli military violence.
Well, joining me now is the Palestinian film maker Basil
Adra. He Co wrote and Co directed No
Other Land and was a friend of Ode.
Thanks for coming on the programme.
Let's start first of all with Ode himself.
(01:46):
What was he like your friend? Roda was a very, very close
friend to us. He was an activist, he was a
father and English teacher teaching the students of the
community. He was the one that really for
for years supporting in nonviolent protests against the
(02:06):
occupation, against the settlers, against the military,
demolishing his community and the other communities in
Mesafriata. He helped welcoming solidarity
activists from UK, from the US, from all over the world who come
in solidarity to stay in his village and in other villages in
Mesafriata. He was the person that gathered
us as a Palestinian activist in the hall moments to give us very
(02:31):
small parties like BBQ like Together for a Cafe and to laugh
when we had harsh time. Our loss is really, really big.
Our hearts are break. We are not believing that he's
gone in this settler bullet. Your hearts must be broken.
Yeah, we, we're really like, we're really not believing that
(02:51):
like his body's still captured by the by the Israelis today.
They, the army invaded the mourntent that his family and us
established in his in his in at his home.
They forced us all to leave solidarity activists,
journalists and the Palestinianswho gathered there.
(03:12):
They used stun grenades to chaseeverybody away and to only allow
the the that bulldozer that was yesterday there to come and to
continue the the work at Elders Family Land.
And so the reason they gave for,you know, for, for ending the
the morning tent and the meetingwas that it was illegal or an
illegal gathering. What?
(03:32):
What was the reason they gave you?
You know, everything here where I live is done by military, by
military orders, like the law is, is is set up by Israeli
occupation military. So the commander can decide to
take my home now and to say it'sfor for security purpose.
And that would be legal in theirin their hands because we live
(03:53):
under military control. This is what means it's
apartheid. Like I can't appeal even to a
court for that. I can't protest, I can't reject.
And this is what happened there.They said it's closed military
area, journalist can't be there.Solidarity activist me can't be
there because I'm from differentvillage, but the settlers can be
there. So this is this is, this is the
(04:14):
law here. And the settlers are governed by
civilian law, including the man who allegedly shot your friend,
And you are governed by militarylaw because of the occupation.
Yeah, So that's the settler thatshot shot out yesterday.
He was released today in a in a in Israeli civil court, in
(04:35):
apartheid court. But 5 from 5 people from Alder's
family are still in jail. They were arrested yesterday,
abducted by the military. They're still in in jail and
they were like postponed their detention in a military court.
So here here. Why are they being held under?
Under what charges are they being held?
(04:58):
They, they claim that they, they, the claims are that they
attacked the, the, the attacked the settler and they like throw
stones. And so for that they are held in
in in a military jail and brought in front of a military
court. But the settler who shot Alda to
to death is brought in in front of civil court and they decide
(05:21):
to release him. Right.
And apparently he's under house arrest now.
We're never going to gain any justice in in front of Israeli
courts because all settlers, their courts, army, police are
all has one goal, which is to displace us from our land,
whether to destroy our homes or schools infrastructure that it's
(05:45):
a policy by the Israeli army or the settlers violence which is
torturing our homes, burning ourcrops, building illegal outposts
and settlements and the crimes like killing our friend Alda.
It all has one goal, which is toethnic cleansing us from our our
homeland and to an exit. And they don't hide it.
Israeli cabinet member are saying it out loud and that this
(06:08):
is this is what they are doing here.
And it's, it's, it's an Israeli broadcasts like this discussion.
And do the Palestinians who are targeted by the settlers, and of
course the numbers of those targeted have gone up
exponentially since October the 7th, do they ever get justice?
(06:31):
As I said, we never gain justicefrom Israeli, from Israeli
courts. This this settlers are are
committing these crimes. These crimes are a state policy.
It's not isolated crimes happening here and there.
You see here on the ground very clear how settlers are deciding
for the police and the army to to what to do on the ground.
(06:53):
This is happening all the time. You know that the settlers tell
the soldiers what to do exactly to arrest who and to close what
and what to do on the ground. This is for us if you're we're
on the ground and this is we seeit in very clear.
And the IDF would obviously denythat.
They would say that they are in charge, but you're saying that
it's the settlers who are in charge.
(07:17):
It's, it's, it's not, it's not true.
I mean, it's that there's reallyoccupation like by its military,
by its police, as I said, by itscourt has, has the power, but
the actual power on the ground, it's in the, you can see it's in
the hand of Smothrich and Bengveer and others whose
settlers now, now they're elected and they're like
representing the state of Israel.
(07:38):
They are in the parliament and they're deciding the laws.
So they are settlers. They're just like they, they
were also facing some charges inthe past committing violence
again against Palestinians. And now they became the one
that's making this decision. So this is how you can see that
the whole policy is is is is like is done by this like by
(07:59):
this settlers. And what do you think the idea
is here? Is the idea to render any kind
of Palestinian state unviable impossible?
Definitely, yeah, they're sayingit actually where I live in is
Area C, which is a 60% of the West Bank.
And and this is where there's really like settlers, soldiers,
(08:21):
violence mainly like and mostly committed, which is to destroy
Palestinian villages and to expand more to expand more
settlements and to to create more illegal outpost farms for
the settlers. With the expansion of the
settlements in general happening, which is, yeah, to
prevent future Palestinian independent state.
And unfortunately, the international community is so
(08:43):
late even in France now announcing that it will
recognize the state of Palestine.
UK thinking about it. But on the ground the annexation
is happening because settlers and as I say that the state of
Israel is annexing more and moreof our land by expanding their
settlements and outposts and like settlers projects in
general and meantime destroying more and more Palestinian
(09:04):
villages or Palestinians are fleeing from their land due to a
settlers like bogroms and attacks.
So even if Britain, let's say, were to recognize the
Palestinian state and other European countries, you know, do
the same thing. I know the Norwegians have done
it, the Irish have done it, the Spaniards have done it.
(09:25):
But if you get a Palestinian state recognised, do you think
that might make any difference or at all to your future and
your family's future? Yeah, yes, it's important, but
it can't. But not alone it should, it
should pay consequences for it'scrimes for continue continuing
the occupation. Now there is AICG ruling that
(09:45):
the whole Israeli occupation is illegal.
The existence of Israeli military settlements here in the
West Bank is illegal. And now it's the turn to the
international community to put serious pressure and actions on
the Israeli government to end this and to stop that.
Israel can't commit those crimesagainst us and having normal
(10:06):
relationship with the UK. UK markets can't be so far
opened for the settlers like products.
It's Auk airports should not be open for the settle that shot my
friend yesterday and that the whole 700,000 settle that
illegally and criminally living here in the West Bank.
(10:27):
Yes, recognize the state of Palestine, but meanwhile we need
serious actions against the state of Israel to put an end
for it occupation and apartheid and leave us alone.
I mean, the two cabinet ministers in the Israeli cabinet
who are settlers, you know, fromthe far right, they have been
sanctioned by the UK government already, although obviously we
don't know what difference that will make.
(10:48):
I just wonder whether you think that actually the key, as ever,
lies with Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is quite
confusing because on one hand, he's very supportive of the
Israeli government. On the other hand, he's been
saying recently that, you know, that every, every morsel of food
age should get into Gaza. And he's condemned some of the
violence. So where do you see Trump's role
in all this? I don't think there is any time
(11:12):
more for like condemnations would not help anything.
There should be actions that Trump and the US administration
carry a lot of the crimes of theIsraeli settlers or governments
that's happening in Gaza or the West Bank, for example.
The settler that shot my friend out there yesterday were sanched
by UK and by the US, especially by like Biden administration and
(11:33):
the Trump removed the sanctions on, on, on this sector and all
settlers that that were that were sanched.
And this is a sign from Trump and his position to support this
settlers and this settlements project in the West Bank.
So the the US should stop playing this policy of
supporting settlers and settlements.
(11:53):
We see their ambassador to, to Israel how he's supporting
settlers and settlements. And this is this is a state
policy by by the US to support this criminal settlers.
But I mean, is, you know, American public opinion is
turning against Israel's war on Gaza.
European public opinion has turned against Israel's war on
(12:16):
Gaza. We know that Donald Trump is
desperate to get the Nobel PeacePrize, and he may love that idea
more than he likes or respects Prime Minister Netanyahu.
So despite everything you've said, do you think there's a
possibility that Trump might actually, against many
expectations, bring about peace in the Middle East?
(12:38):
Listen, this war can stop tomorrow now if Trump decide
really to stop it, because this is this jets that bombing Gaza,
it's made at the US, this bombs are made in the US.
The, the, the, the Americans aretaxpayers are paying for this
war. US foreign policy is supporting
this war and we saw it many times using the veto against
(13:02):
against the against the ceasefire.
So I don't believe any any otherthings that they can't stop it.
They can't stop it if they if they want.
For me, I believe that this is AUS war as it is Israel
genocide. So if they want to to to to end
it, they can do it very easily. But I don't believe that is
(13:22):
America want to stop this genocide.
The film that you made with Yuval Abraham, who is of course
Israeli, was very powerful. No other land.
It won the Oscar this year. You gave a very powerful speech,
as did Yuval, you know, talking about some of the things that
we've just talked about. Do you think that getting the
Oscar has made any difference atall?
(13:46):
No, not on the ground as as as you said, this brought more
public opinion and this made more people to understand.
This made the circle of people who doesn't know about what's
happening here wider. People can learn more about what
it look like to live under the occupation under apartheid
system. So it's it's succeeded like in
(14:08):
the in the Oscar and, and in thefestivals in general.
But on the ground, as you, as you can see, situation is
escalating and things going veryfast to worse and worse.
And as I said, only like decision makers around the
world, like in UK and the US, all Israel allies should take
serious actions to stop this. There's a daily killing of
(14:30):
Palestinians in Gaza and there is daily crimes committed either
by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the West Bank and this is
really need to stop. Your friend Aldo, who was
killed, was of course had a veryprominent role to play in the
documentary that you made. Are you afraid that you yourself
have now got a target on your head as a result of what you've
(14:53):
been doing? Living, living here as a
Palestinian and this situation, I think all of us has, has this
fear because we're living in, asI said, in everyday there is,
there is something going on either by soldiers or by, by
settlers. Our homes got annual invades by
(15:14):
Israeli soldiers. Our communities got like also
invades and attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers together.
So there is a there is a fear all the time on our life and
then our families and then our our friends.
Like until today, I couldn't until now.
I can't really believe that Aldowas shot and murdered in in the
(15:34):
cold blood. Like he was just like, like I
really can't believe this. And the way that the soul like I
went there and the soldiers werelike exposing their, their hate
and the racism and they were saying to us, we don't see you
as a human beings. 2 soldiers there said to my friend that
they when he when he told them that the settler shot a man in
(15:59):
this village, they they said like, I wish it was me like the
soldiers. I mean, this is the situation
where we're living at and this is has have to stop.
The occupation has been going onfor decades.
The kind of things that you've been describing have been going
on for decades. Do you think that October the
(16:20):
7th and Hamas have set back the Palestinian cause significantly
by their actions? Well, unfortunately I blame the
international community more to be honest, because Palestinian
Authority, like PLO, has laid down their arms and the 90s has
(16:41):
signed an agreement by a pressure of Europe and the US
together and were promised to get a state and were promised
that the occupation will come toan end.
But none of that happened. Palestinian civil society is
designated as a terrorist. Organizations asked if we are
banned for protests like nonviolent protests for sure to
(17:02):
build our homes. We got attacked, we got killed
international community long time ago should put pressure on
Israel and should should should have been end this suffering and
should have been end the expansion and the building of
illegal settlements on the in the in the West Bank to reach a
day like October 7th or that theday that we're living today.
(17:24):
But before October the 7th, you know, there were quite a few
Israeli citizens who were on theside of Palestinians who wanted
A2 state solution. And that number has decreased as
far as I'm concerned. You know, that's my impression
anyway. That number of Israelis who want
to have, you know, live side by side with Palestinians has
decreased dramatically since October the 7th.
(17:48):
Until today, there are Israeli amazing activist friends who who
comes here to, to support, to, to support us and to stand
against the, the apartheid, against the occupation, to
oppose this, this policies. But I don't I really don't that
much agree with you because Israel, the Israeli majority
voted, as I said, for the far right wing radical government to
(18:12):
represent them. Smote rich being we're Swiss to
go. These are settlers known as a
violent settlers and they were elected two years, I think
before October 7th. So the Israeli, Israeli public
mostly do not see us living herelike the people in in Tel Aviv
or other cities mostly do not see us here as a Palestinians do
(18:33):
not recognize the suffering thatwe suffer from, from their
policies, from their government,from their army, from the
settlers that that living here. So I, I don't think I don't
think that is like will ever we will have a solution just
because Israelis will change their minds.
It's there's no time to wait even for that.
(18:56):
I as I said as I and back to saythat if there is a hope to end
this, it's international community to really boot serious
actions out there to stop this. Just one final brief question.
When you gave your Oscar speech,you said that you hope that your
your daughter was then only two months old, would not suffer the
(19:17):
same kind of consequences, the same life that you're living
through right now. Do you really think that she
will have a different life to yours?
Briefly. I hope, I hope, I hope, I really
hope. I pray for that.
I pray for elders kids also the three, three amazing kids that
they will grow up in in a betterlife and they will have good
future not to suffer as the father were were born and killed
(19:40):
lived all his life and their suffering over the occupation of
settlers attacks. And I really hope for these kids
to grow up in a in a different conditions and to have a better
future. And this suffering, this killing
of, of Palestinians, of will will end.
OK, Basil Aldra, thank you very much indeed for joining us on
(20:01):
the forecast. Until next time, goodbye.
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