In short
Podcast Episode Notes: IHIP News - Netanyahu Blames Palestine in Mass Shooting & Muslim Man Tackles Shooter in Heroic Move
Episode Overview In this episode, hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan discuss the tragic mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia that resulted in the deaths of at least 15 individuals. The episode delves into the political ramifications of the shooting, particularly focusing on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response, as well as broader themes of anti-Semitism, racism, and the societal implications of violence against marginalized communities.
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Key Topics Discussed
- The Tragic Shooting in Australia
- Event Details: A mass shooting occurred at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people, including children and a rabbi.
- Hosts' Response: Jennifer and Pumps express deep sympathy for the Jewish community, acknowledging the persistent threat of violence based on identity.
- Netanyahu's Response
- Blame on Palestinian Statehood: Netanyahu attributes the shooting to Australia's acknowledgment of Palestinian statehood, suggesting it fuels anti-Semitism.
- Critique of Netanyahu: The hosts argue that Netanyahu’s approach is hypocritical given Israel's actions against Palestinians, including violence against children.
- The Complexity of Identity and Violence
- Binary Choices: The hosts challenge the narrative that individuals must choose sides — either for Jewish people or for Palestinians — emphasizing that it is possible to support human rights for all.
- Generational Hatred: They note the troubling idea of hatred being passed down through generations, exemplified by the father-son duo involved in the shooting.
- Heroism in the Face of Violence
- Muslim Hero: Ahmed Al Ahmed, a bystander who tackled one of the shooters, is identified as a hero. Initially misreported as Jewish, it was revealed he is a Muslim immigrant.
- Impact of Misrepresentation: The hosts highlight the importance of recognizing shared humanity rather than reducing individuals to stereotypes based on religion or background.
- The Larger Context of Bigotry
- Intersectionality of Hate: The conversation broadens to include anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of discrimination. They argue for a united front against all forms of bigotry rather than competing narratives.
- Criticism of Authoritarianism: Both Netanyahu and Trump are characterized as authoritarian figures, promoting divisive rhetoric that exacerbates societal tensions.
- Societal Implications of Gun Violence
- Reflection on American Gun Culture: The hosts discuss the pervasive nature of gun violence in the U.S., lamenting the loss of safety in everyday activities and emphasizing the need for collective action against the gun lobby.
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Key Takeaways
- Empathy Across Identities: It is crucial to empathize with all marginalized communities, recognizing that violence affects everyone regardless of identity.
- Rejecting Simplistic Narratives: The binary narrative presented by political leaders does not reflect the complexity of human experiences and should be actively challenged.
- Understanding Extremism: Extremism exists across various ideologies and manifests in violence. Acknowledging this can help in addressing the root causes of hate.
Closing Thoughts Jennifer and Pumps conclude the episode by reiterating the importance of standing in solidarity with all oppressed groups and advocating for a nuanced understanding of complex social issues. The episode ends with a reminder of the role of media literacy in navigating political narratives.
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Listen to the full episode [here](https://groundnews.com/ihip) for more insights and discussions.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:04Over the weekend, Jewish Australians went to the beach for Hanukkah celebration. in something that's relatable for all of us. We're excited about the holiday seasons, no matter what aspect that you celebrate, whether it be Christmas or Hanukkah. And sadly, there was a massive, massive shooting that killed children, a rabbi, innocent passersby. It's just so incredibly tragic to see these mass shootings. Kylie, pop up the headline, Bondi Beach shooting latest gunmen who killed 15 were father and son and more victims are named. And so I just want to say on behalf of Pumps and Me, our heart goes out to all Jewish people and the overwhelming dark cloud that it must feel that people are targeted simply because of their identity because they are Jewish.
1:03And I think it's horrifically sad. And oftentimes after things like this happen, we're presented with binary choices. You're either on the side of the Jewish people or you're on the side of the terrorists. And oftentimes we're always just on the side of life and justice and equality. And so as you navigate the news right now, and you see these very extreme positions on both sides. I just want to state for the permanent record, what happened in Australia was extreme. It was horror and it was terror. Pumpson and I grew up in Oklahoma City and we both lived in the city when the federal building was bombed by a domestic terrorist.
1:50Children were killed because these people worked at a federal building. That's why they were killed. And so when you have extremist ideology, we must be clear-eyed on the way to the other side of it, pumps. It's so disturbing because like you said, people are picked because they're Jewish or because they're black. It seems to me that it's increasing hatred across all boards, not just me. Of course, there's an increase in anti-Semitism. There's an increase in racism. There's an increase in Islamophobia. And I don't know how you stop that without acknowledging we are all the same. We are all humans.
2:33We all have choice. We all should leave each other alone and let people worship in peace. And then also a stunning part of this to me was a father and son. So the breeding of the hate was generational. And I fear that's what we have now when we're singling out other people to hate. And it's okay to inflict cruelty on Muslims. It's okay to inflict cruelty on gay people. At some point, it just means you're inflicting cruelty on everybody that's not like you. Okay, so immediately Benjamin Netanyahu responds to the shooting. And he blames Australia's position to acknowledge Palestinian statehood. And I just want to remind you that he is the guy who is committing a genocide on Palestinians.
3:27And there are reports and evidence that the IDF at Benjamin Netanyahu's instructions are targeting children. Palestinian children are getting executed here and here. that isn't intentional, that isn't collateral damage. Let's kill them while they're young so they can't breed. And so this is where I'm getting at that these tragedies happen and then we're given this binary choice. And when you have a prime minister who should be in prison right now, pre-spinning this and trying to put the onus on the Australian government for acknowledging the humanity of other people. Nothing about that, in my opinion, makes Jewish people safe.
4:13Nothing. Play the clip. Your call for a Palestinian state cures fuel on the anti-Semitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorism. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets. Anti-Semitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent. It retreats when leaders... Okay, enough here. I want to say that anti-Semitism is a cancer, Benjamin Netanyahu, but it breeds when people see Israel completely demolish and bulldoze Palestine and shoot children on purpose and target them on purpose and execute children on purpose. As a person that is not of any faith whatsoever, I'm so tired of getting this choice and it's always the Israelis that give us this option.
5:10You're either completely 100 % for Israel and you have to ignore everything that your eyes and everything that your ears see in here. And you have to completely hate Palestinians. And here's what's so sad about Palestinians is Hamas is horrible. It's a terrorist organization. But these people there are just trying to live their lives like we are. I mean, did it ever occur to anybody that maybe they just want to look at TikTok videos and make a sandwich and, you know, go make out with their boyfriend or girlfriend? It's not like they're sitting around plotting all the time, but it is a apartheid state.
5:50And I feel so much empathy for them because the Israelis try to make it like everybody in that country is a terrorist and they're not. I have Palestinian friends. They're simply not. It's just this pre-spin of all of this stuff. And at the end of the day, for our viewers, I just want to remind everybody that we get to be clear-eyed. We get to be completely empathetic to the Jewish plight and what it must be like to grow up in the shadow of the Holocaust and studying about that. And what a dark cloud of what anti-Semitism and Jew hatred can produce and that we can stand with Jewish people against that completely.
6:37And then at the same time, it appears like Jewish people really hate these Palestinians and hate them so much that they're willing to say, we'll kill all of them and even target children. And you don't have to buy into that narrative. You get to have empathy for Palestinians. You this binary choice that Benjamin Netanyahu and Zionists are always cramming down our throat, you get to wholly reject it. You get to say, as a person that supports human rights, I stand with everybody in the fight against antisemitism, but also in the fight against Islamophobia, also in the fight against anti-black racism, in the fight against homophobia, transphobia, sexism, you get to link them all.
7:25And whenever you have one group saying our rights matter than everybody else, that isn't an anti bigotry movement. It's a supremacist movement. And so let me just dive a little bit deeper. Then I'm going to get pump's feedback. There's a video of a man, a hero at the beach that ran Kylie play this video and I'll describe it for the listener. So this passerby, he goes and he tackles one of the shooters. He gets shot twice and was able to take the gun away from one of these terrorists. And here he is. He goes and he grabs him from behind and wrestles with him. And he gets the gun and holds the gun on the guy.
8:14And Now, Kylie, put up the headline. Okay. So of course, seeing this act of heroism is just incredible, right? And the bravery and the cat-like reaction to just put yourself there to save other people's lives. Like you always think, what would you do in that situation? I'm afraid that I would probably freeze and shit my pants. This, not this guy. He just went straight into the line of fire. So Australian media confirm that 43 year old Ahmed Al Ahmed was the heroic man who tackled one of the Bondi Beach shooters risking his life. And Benjamin Netanyahu right afterwards said that this man was Jewish and it was an act of Jewish heroism, which the man could be Jewish.
9:01Right. Man could be Christian. Turns out he's Muslim and he's an immigrant. Kylie put up the final headline. Australian Muslim bystander disarms and tackles Bondi Beach shooter. He's a hero. 100 % he's a hero. Once we saw on social media, he's 100 % a hero. The man's cousin, Mustafa Al Ahmed said, and this guy owns a fruit stand and he's not only is he Muslim, he's a Muslim immigrant. And so pumps, as I was researching this episode, I was just struck by how everybody so desperately wants the shooter to be a certain thing. Like in the Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk, there has to be a trans thing.
9:49Okay. So this guy right here, they wanted him to be a Jewish hero and it comes out that he's Muslim. So then people on the right were spinning. Oh no, he's actually from Lebanon and he's a certain type of Christian from Lebanon. Well, he's not, but there was multiple, multiple, multiple tweets trying to make him a Christian. And I think my message is we have to get above all of this and whether he was Jewish, whether he was Muslim, whether he's Christian or an atheist like pumps in me, there's just extraordinary people in the world that stand against all forms of bigotry and hate. And when you hear fascists like Benjamin Netanyahu who weaponize antisemitism to force you into an immoral binary choice and tell you that you can't care about two things at one time, you're dealing with authoritarian thought.
10:38And we can wholly reject that. And we can have moral clarity and say, we oppose all extremists. Look at the extremists in the United States of America right now. Look at the January 6 extremists. Look at the Oklahoma city bombing, right-wing extremists. You do not have to be forced into a binary choice. You can stand against violence across the board, whether that is an attack at the beach, anti-Semitic attack on a beach, or if it's an attack at the state Capitol, you can stand against it across the board. And I just think there are extremist nuts everywhere, everywhere. And the Benjamin Netanyahu blaming Palestinian statehood while he's committing genocide on them is just a level of hypocrisy that I had to call out.
11:30And this does not make Jewish people safer and it does not promote anything other than rising anti-Semitism. I completely agree. If everybody came to the table and said, I don't care what color you are, what religion you are, you're a person. So I'm going to be kind to you because you're the golden rule or whatever. But here's just my thought on Benjamin Netanyahu. He is just a better communicator than Trump, but they are both authoritarian wannabes. They are both corrupt as fuck. You have him going on and on about how Hamas is so terrible and Hamas is so terrible. But we have credible information that he was aware the attack of October 7th was going to happen.
12:18We have credible information and reporting that he was supplying finances or financial help to Hamas, all to stay in power because he's being tried for corruption in his country. And it's just, we have got to see through the rhetoric, just like MAGA wanted to make the Charlie Kirk murder all about, you know, now we have to do all these things because, you know, we have to take away the right of assembly. We have to take away free speech, all those things. We have to look at if you are trying to sell us a narrative that is politically motivated and it does not match up with the facts, then you are no longer a credible messenger.
12:58And we will not believe you. I mean, Benjamin Netanyahu has no credibility. Trump has no fucking credibility. It's amazing that these men are still in power when all they do is feed hate and they do make people less safe. Full stop. Consuming news can be so incredibly frustrating, and here's why. Let me give you a headline from a far-right publication. Trump admits he's not sure GOP will hold onto House next year. I can't tell you. Real news now. I have found out by using the Ground News Vantage plan that this is a far-right headline. Most important part, very low factuality. Conversely, here is a headline from a left-leaning publication with very, very high factuality.
13:44The U.S. president said he had provided the, quote, best economy in history, but it could be that people need a while to understand that, says Trump. This is why Ground News is so valuable to me, because they're basically the Spotify of news telling you who owns each outlet where it leans politically and whether you're reading original reporting or recycled messaging. Listener, join us by going to groundnews.com forward slash I have to get 40 % off the ground news vantage plan that we use every single day. They're subscriber funded. And my favorite part is that they are female founded by subscribing.
14:19You're not only getting a tool we all need today. You're also supporting our work. That's ground G R O U N D news.com forward slash I hip it's linked right below in the show notes. You will not regret it. I completely agree. When you see the people jump on board and a lot of people right now on social media and in the news are like this, even the New York Times had an opinion piece that came out last night that said, this is what globalized the intifada looks like. And that is completely false. This is what radicalized extremism does. And this is this type of pinning that we have to have these horrible opinions about Muslims.
15:14That's what I feel from hard right Jewish people that it's like, oh, they're animals. they're never going to be civilized. Oh yeah. We do a lot of animalistic, horrible, terrorist style stuff too, but we're doing it because we have a right to defend ourselves. We have a right to exist. We have a right to bully Palestinians and keep pushing and pushing and pushing them further and further and further away and make them live in an apartheid state. But we get to, because we're supreme. And so I just, as a rule of thumb for me personally, when I hear people talking about anti-bigotry, my ears perk up because that's something I care passionately about.
15:52When their anti-bigotry plight is at the expense of another marginalized group, then I know they're full of shit and they're just supremacists. And that's how I feel about hard right, you know, this Zionist idea, this hardcore right wing where they take refuge with the MAGA world and they say nothing about these young Republican tech streams or all of the, you know, there's just another neo-Nazi rally in Arkansas a few days ago. We didn't even cover it. And so it just seems to me like Netanyahu wants an authoritarian regime, a fascist regime. So does Trump. He needs an immoral partner that will allow him, because Trump gets excited about making money and developing things.
16:42And as much as we beat up on the Democrats, they wouldn't have allowed a democratic executive branch in the United States of America to just demolish all of Palestine and develop it into condos. But Trump's, you know, he posted his AI video about it. So at the end of the day, this is so sad. It's so sad because people got up, little kids bouncing, so excited to go to the beach. The rabbi, and I don't know if it was the rabbi that was a Holocaust survivor, somebody in his family. So I'm sorry if I get those facts wrong. But they wanted to go celebrate their holiday that was important to them. And they've grown up with a cloud over them because anti-Semitism is real.
17:23And it is a horrific form of bigotry. And our heart goes out to all Jewish people. And I stand with all of you in solidarity. If you can stand with us for all marginalized people, everybody. And that includes Muslims, because as we can see, the hero in this story was a Muslim immigrant. And so it doesn't help to broad stroke these things, because the one thing that like a shooter in the United States of America that shoots up kids, a shooter who goes to the beaches of Australia and shoots people up, the January 6th insurrectionist Timothy McVeigh, these are just extremists, right? Where they get focused and they value one thing over everything else.
18:12And that's what I'm saying is the danger. There's danger in Benjamin Netanyahu's response, because in my opinion, it attributes to the fundamental act of these father-son shooters that this issue is more important than all of the others. And so that's my message moving forward. I was so saddened to see this. And we also, um, I worked all night trying to put together, uh, a episode about the Brown, uh, shooting pumps and I both have kids in college, and this is just another day in America where kids are getting shot and there's so much moving information about it. And Cash Patel, of course has botched the whole fucking thing up.
18:55And so we'll have a story on that out. I just don't want to put out information to you all until we have facts. And a lot of times after these shootings, it takes a while for investigators to track down the information. But my heart goes out to those parents who must have felt such immense pride that their child got into Brown. And I just want to say this. At some point, we all have to care enough that we used to be able say, oh, our kids are safe. They're at school. That's gone. Oh, I'm just going to a movie theater. I'll be safe. That's gone. Oh, I'm just going to the mall. I'll be safe. How I'm going to a turning point rally.
19:37I'll be safe. I'm in a university. How many places are we going to allow gun violence to erode our sense of emotional safety? For money. I mean, because the NRA gives money to our congressmen and they want to sell more guns. So we've been pitched that it has to be, can't just be God. It has to be God and guns. And the United States of America government, and probably a lot of its citizens would rather watch kids die at school and kids die at universities than make less money selling guns. And that does not say anything good about our government or us as a people that we continue to allow it. I agree.
20:24All right, subscribe to our channel. We'll be back later with more news.
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Over the weekend a horrendous mass shooting in Australia targeting a hanukkah celebration took the lives of at least 15 people. Netanyahu is blaming it on calls for Palestinian statehood.
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