Israel and Palestine Unpacked27 Touko 2025

Episode 18: Rav Hanan Schlesinger: The Stranger in My Backyard: Rediscovering Humanity in a Divided Land

What happens when a person raised in one narrative suddenly sees the humanity of the other side?

In this powerful episode, I speak with Rav Hanan Schlesinger, an Orthodox rabbi and co-founder of Roots/Shorashim/Judur, a grassroots movement fostering understanding and nonviolence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Born in New York and now living in the the land, Hanan describes his early life immersed in Jewish identity but isolated from Palestinians, whom he admits he neither saw nor truly knew. A moral turning point—a moment of raw honesty while picking up a hitchhiker—set him on a path to meet the people living beside him. What followed was a profound personal transformation that led to deep relationships, painful reckonings, and the eventual co-founding of Roots alongside Palestinian partners.

We explore identity, the power of listening, the challenge of seeing the “enemy” as human, and how his Jewish faith both wrestles with and supports the work of reconciliation. This is a conversation about risk, empathy and what it means to hope—even when despair feels easier.

Tune in to hear a voice of courage from one of the most contested places on Earth.

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.

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Jaksot(22)

Yossi Klein HaLevi - Letters to my Palestinian Neighbour

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Episode 20: Omri - Seeing Israel From Within and Without: One Man’s Story

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24 Kesä 202527min

Episode 19: Dr John McMullen: Trauma, Resilience and Childhood in Conflict Zones

Coming Up Today & BiographyIn today’s episode, we are joined by Dr John McMullen, an educational and child psychologist based in Northern Ireland. Dr McMullen has worked extensively with war-affected ...

10 Kesä 202531min

Eps 17: Nicholas Blincoe – The Beautiful Game: Football and National Identity in Israel and Palestine

In today’s episode, we explore the role of football in Israeland Palestine. Our guest discusses what drew them to this subject and shares surprising insights from their research. We dive into the orig...

29 Huhti 202547min

Eps 16: Khalil Sayegh - From Gaza to the Agora Initiative: On Faith, Democracy and Humanising the Other

On today’s episode of Israel & Palestine Unpacked, we speak with Khalil Sayegh, a Palestinian Christian political analyst and peace advocate, born into a refugee family in the Gaza Strip. Raised amid ...

15 Huhti 202534min

Eps 15: Shachar Erez – Healing in the Aftermath: A Trauma Therapist on War, Grief, and Glimmers of Hope

In this episode of Israel & Palestine Unpacked, host Pádraig speaks with Shachar Erez, an Israeli Marriage and Family Therapist who also trains therapists and leads workshops on love, communication, a...

1 Huhti 202536min

Eps 14 - Dr Eleni Fotou (Radicalisation & Deradicalisation)

On today’s episode of Israel & Palestine Unpacked, we speak with Dr. Eleni Fotou, a forensic psychologist, about radicalisation and de-radicalisation. Dr. Eleni Fotou received her BSc in Psychology fr...

18 Maalis 202530min