Real Talk
Real Talk is a Middle East Eye interview series hosted by Mohamed Hashem. The show features conversations with a diverse range of guests, including artists, musicians, politicians and more. Each episode explores the unique stories and experiences of its guests.
Episodes
AIPAC spent millions to unseat me. Here’s why they’re now losing: Ex-congressman | Jamaal Bowman
'You cannot run in a Democratic primary as a pro-Israel candidate and not get destroyed.’ AIPAC poured nearly $15 million to unseat Jamaal Bowman in 2024, making it the most expensive House primary in US history at the time.The former Congressman joins Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk to break down what the progressive wave, including Abdul El-Sayed's primary win in Michigan. means for the Democratic P
Why the US pro-Israel lobby wants Trita Parsi out of America | Real Talk
'That pro-Netanyahu, pro-Likud crowd have been gunning for me for 25 years’ Trita Parsi, political analyst and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, joins Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk to respond to the campaign against him, including calls for his deportation from the US, and explains why it backfired.
He's one of the world's most celebrated photographers. Then he spoke on Palestine | Misan Harriman
"I am now getting death threats from registered Telegraph readers."Misan Harriman is a widely celebrated photographer and activist. He’s also the first Black male photographer to shoot the cover of British Vogue, and the director of an Oscar-nominated short film. His work has spanned at least three continents, documenting protest movements from the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 to the pro-Pa
I tried cooking for London's top Palestinian chef. And interviewed him in the process | Fadi Kattan
Fadi Kattan is a renowned Palestinian chef from Bethlehem and the co-founder of Akub, one of London's most celebrated Palestinian restaurants.In this conversation on Real Talk, Fadi invites Mohamed Hashem into his restaurant to talk about Palestinian food,Israel's appropriation of Palestinian cuisine, and why food is one of the most powerful tools of cultural survival.All while Mohamed attempts t
I was an Israeli peace negotiator. Here’s what I later realised about Zionism | Daniel Levy
"You got me to talk about things I don't talk about normally."Daniel Levy is a former Israeli negotiator who served under two prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak. Today, the British-born analyst and president of the US Middle East Project is one of the most prominent voices heavily critical of Israel's actions against Palestinians.But in this conversation on Real Talk, Daniel Levy speaks
Molly Crabapple spent 7 years recovering the Jewish history Zionism tried to erase
'Hundreds of people are coming to my events, many of them Jewish, and they tell me I gave them their ancestors back'Molly Crabapple is an Emmy Award-winning artist, author and journalist. Her new book, Here Where We Live Is Our Country, tells the largely forgotten story of the Jewish Labour Bund, a secular, socialist, anti-Zionist mass movement founded in 1897 that at its peak was the largest Jewi
Arsenal fired me on Christmas Eve for opposing Israel | Mark Bonnick
‘I regret losing my job. Not what I said’ Mark Bonnick worked at Arsenal for 22 years. Then on Christmas Eve 2024, the former kitman was fired over posts he made on X criticising Israel over the genocide in Gaza.Arsenal accused him of bringing the club into disrepute. The case was quickly framed by media outlets as one of antisemitism. But reports later revealed that the Football Association told
Why Ana Kasparian is ready to work with the right on Israel
"The left loves to lose. They can't get enough of it."Ana Kasparian has been an influential and prominent voice in US independent media for nearly two decades.The co-host and executive producer of The Young Turks speaks with Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk to make the case for a left-right coalition on Israel, and why she believes the establishment of both parties has failed the American people.Kaspar
‘Mom, I’m at our house’: How this war reporter covered the horrors of Sudan’s war | Yousra Elbagir
"Mom, I'm at our house."Yousra Elbagir is Sky News UK's Africa correspondent. She has been highly praised for her reporting on a war that's been largely absent from mainstream news coverage: Sudan.As the fighting enters its fourth year, Sudan has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Millions have been displaced as cities are destroyed by a brutal power struggle and foreign interference. B
Did the US military turn a blind eye to recruiting neo-Nazis? | Matt Kennard
"My commanders liked the fact I was a Nazi. They saw it as making me a better warrior."Matt Kennard is a British investigative journalist who co-founded Declassified UK, and is also the author of Irregular Army. It’s a book that uncovers how the US military, desperate to fill its ranks during the War on Terror, began looking the other way on things that would once have disqualified soldiers from s
Why this lifelong Conservative turned on the British establishment | Peter Oborne
Peter Oborne spent decades at the heart of the British establishment. The award-winning journalist and author of ‘Complicit’ sits down with Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk to break down how the Iraq war set the template for Gaza, and why there is a direct path between the two.Oborne also calls out Keir Starmer for not condemning Israeli war crimes, and what it means that Margaret Thatcher was more wil
She spoke against the Iran War. Her community turned on her | Ariana Jasmine | Real Talk
"I don't feel safe with my own people."Ariana Jasmine is one of the biggest Iranian-American political content creators, whose videos on Iran's history, the US-Israeli war on the country, and US politics have been widely shared online. In this conversation on Real Talk, she speaks with Mohamed Hashem to discuss the Iranian diaspora's split over western intervention, the Pahlavi monarchist movement
Hasan Piker: Making sense of a world going to sh*t. Epstein, Israel, & US decline | Real Talk
“Can I curse on this?”Hasan Piker is one of the most influential political streamers in the world, followed by millions across platforms who tune in daily to watch him dissect news, culture and global politics in real time.In this wide-ranging conversation on Real Talk, he sits down with Mohamed Hashem to discuss the Epstein files, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the state of the Democratic Party, and
Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Israel | Murtaza Hussain | Real Talk
What was Jeffrey Epstein doing for Israeli intelligence?A new series of reports by Drop Site News has been examining this very question.Drop Site journalist Murtaza Hussain joined Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk to examine Epstein’s lesser-known ties to powerful figures inside Israeli political and intelligence circles. Hussain explains how Epstein formed a relationship with former Israeli Prime Minis
She's an insider now exposing OpenAI. Here's why you should be concerned | Karen Hao | Real Talk
If AI is an empire, Karen Hao is saying you can resist it. “We don’t need empires to benefit from AI.”Hao is an investigative journalist and author of Empire of AI, she joined Mohamed Hashem to share what she saw while embedded inside OpenAI. In this conversation, she reveals the inner workings of Silicon Valley, such as how CEOs like Sam Altman shape the story of AI, and what all that means for s
Can this pod save the UK? (Feat. Mamdani win & Nando’s) | Nish Kumar | Real Talk
Does the UK need its own Zohran Mamdani?“It’s not The Office,” says British comedian Nish Kumar. “You can’t remake it from one country to another.”The acclaimed stand-up comedian sat down with Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk for a conversation that ranged from Mamdani’s win to the UK’s Nando’s obsession. They also unpacked the state of progressive politics in the UK, and what it means to do comedy at
Facing Ben Gvir: I was stripped, beaten and detained in Israel | Yasemin Acar | Real Talk
“Ben Gvir came to me and said, ‘You are a terrorist, and you will be treated as a terrorist’.”In her first media testimony since leaving Israel, Yasemin Acar recounts what she endured after being on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian mission that set sail in international waters to break Israel’s siege on Gaza.Yasemin, a leading activist from Germany, describes the moment she was dragged, beate
‘I believed I could save her’: Inside the making of The voice of Hind Rajab | Motaz Malhees | Real Talk
“I hear her voice in my dreams.”Israel’s killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab in 2024 sent shockwaves around the world, sparking global outrage and condemnation.Hind was fleeing Gaza City with her relatives when their car was targeted by Israeli forces. She survived the initial attack and, trapped among her family’s bodies, pleaded for help in desperate phone calls with Palestine Red Crescent respo
Have Democrats lost to MAGA on Gaza? | Ayman Mohyeldin | Real Talk
On this week’s Real Talk, MSNBC host and veteran reporter Ayman Mohyeldin joined Mohamed Hashem to discuss the US political rhetoric on Gaza. For over two decades, Ayman has reported on the front lines of the world’s biggest stories - from the wars in Iraq and Gaza to the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Today, he co-hosts MSNBC’s “The Weekend: Primetime”. In this conversation, Ayman reflects on the po
Valerie Zink: Why I quit and cut up my Reuters press card over Gaza | Real Talk
“One voice message I got from a journalist in Gaza… that’s worth more to me than anything I did with Reuters.”For eight years, Valerie Zink worked as a photojournalist for Reuters. But after Israel killed her colleagues in Gaza, and western media coverage led to accusations of complicity in Israel’s genocide, she could no longer stay silent.Valerie publicly resigned and cut up her Reuters press ca
Has Gaza made the UN irrelevant? | Jeffrey Sachs | Real Talk
"The overwhelming will of the world is for a state of Palestine now… I want it to be imposed on Israel, pure and simple."Jeffrey Sachs joins Real Talk to discuss Israel’s genocide in Gaza, America’s complicity, and why he believes the UN still offers a hope for peace. The renowned economist and public policy analyst explains why Israel “does not speak for me” as a Jew, the danger of conflating cri
‘They used my chain to choke me’: Chris Smalls speaks out after Israeli prison assault | Real Talk
“What I experienced is a glimpse of what Palestinians have to go through.”Prominent labour activist Chris Smalls speaks out after returning to his home in the United States following his detention in an Israeli prison. Weeks ago, Smalls decided to join the Handala flotilla, which sailed towards Gaza in an attempt to break Israel’s siege. Now, after Israeli forces intercepted the ship in internatio
‘Gross betrayal’: My agents left me for speaking out on Gaza | Indya Moore | Real Talk
“I haven’t worked in a very long time.” What are the repercussions of speaking out for Gaza in Hollywood?In this Real Talk interview, US model and actor Indya Moore opens up about the cost of speaking out for Gaza, describing the “devastating” fallout with her former agents at CAA over her use of the word “genocide” and for her support for Palestine.Indya, who in 2019 was named as one of Time’s 10
Forget Starbucks. Boycott the New York Times | Mona Chalabi | Real Talk
‘These journalistic institutions have done far more to support the genocide than… Starbucks or McDonald’s’Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mona Chalabi joins Real Talk to unpack how mainstream media coverage has enabled Israel’s war on Gaza, and why she’s calling to boycott outlets aiding that effort. She also reflects on how many of these same patterns were present in the run-up to the Iraq War
William Dalrymple: ‘Britain’s education system sold me a lie about Palestine’ | Real Talk
“I was sold a lie.”One of Britain’s most acclaimed historians slams the country’s education system - which he feels has distorted the history of Palestine, portraying it as an “empty desert” before 1948.In this Real Talk interview, William Dalrymple shares his views on Britain’s historical responsibility towards Palestine, and calls out the UK government’s ongoing cooperation with Israel, includin
'I have no business with genocidaires': Actor & poet Saul Williams speaks out on Gaza, Hollywood, & the US empire | Real Talk
“I have no business with genocidaires.”That’s how artist, poet and activist Saul Williams describes his refusal to stay silent on Israel’s war on Gaza. In this Real Talk interview, Williams opens up about witnessing apartheid in Israel-Palestine, losing friends and work for speaking out, and the responsibility artists have in the face of propaganda and empire.We also explore his critique of US pol
Pakistani influencer on India, partition & the language of ‘dehumanisation’ | Bilal Hassan | Real Talk
Bilal Hassan is a Pakistani doctor who also happens to be one of the most popular travel storytellers from his country. He is a content creator whose work captures the people, the cultures, the food and the human connections across Pakistan. But then, conflict erupts and fighting escalates. Nearly 70 people are killed in a matter of days in India and Pakistan, including civilians in Kashmir on bot
I called out Microsoft’s complicity in Gaza. They fired me | Vaniya Agrawal
“The point was to make people aware… The world knows now who [Microsoft] truly are, and what they’re doing.”As Microsoft celebrated its 50th anniversary with a panel featuring Bill Gates, one employee stood up and disrupted the event. Her message: Microsoft is complicit in Israel’s war on Gaza. The young software engineer, Vaniya Agrawal, was then fired by Microsoft. Now, she’s speaking out. In th
How does western media ‘whitewash’ genocide? | Assal Rad
‘The crimes [in Gaza] are so egregious that are being carried out... The attempt to cover them up and whitewash them is failing’ Since 7 October, western media coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza has come under intense scrutiny, particularly for the language and terminology used by many outlets.As a result, the coverage has been accused of bias against Palestinians effectively providing cover for Isr
‘You’re Palestinian. No one will care’: Cherien Dabis on ‘Mo’ and making space in Hollywood | Real Talk
"You can’t be a filmmaker. You’re Palestinian - no one will care."Cherien Dabis is a Palestinian-American filmmaker and actress constantly working to break new ground for Palestinian representation in Hollywood. In 2022, she made TV history as the first Palestinian ever nominated for an Emmy, for her work on “Only Murders in the Building”. Throughout her career, Cherien has pushed back against one
Pankaj Mishra: How the West assists & enables Israel’s war on Gaza | Real Talk
In The World After Gaza, acclaimed Indian author Pankaj Mishra reckons with Israel’s war on Gaza and its far-reaching moral and geopolitical consequences.He situates the onslaught within the broader context of western colonialism while grappling with a critical question: What does the world look like after Gaza?Mishra joined us on Real Talk to discuss the book’s key themes, including the Holocaust
Inside Trump’s crackdown on Columbia University | Prof. Bruce Robbins | Real Talk
"The more they offer the Trump administration, the more the Trump administration is going to ask - and the demands in that letter [sent to Columbia] are absolutely unacceptable."In this Real Talk interview, Columbia humanities professor Bruce Robbins reveals why he’s concerned he could be "thrown to the lions" over steps he took during last year's campus protests.Robbins speaks about how in April
This Jewish academic shared an anti-Zionist post. She was then fired | Maura Finkelstein | Real Talk
Over a year ago in January 2024, Jewish-American academic Maura Finkelstein found herself placed on administrative leave by her institution at the time: Muhlenberg College. A few months later she was fired, despite having tenure. The reason? She was told it was because of a post she shared on her Instagram story which heavily condemned Zionism. Finkelstein joined us on Real Talk to reflect on thi
How Jewish scholars are attacked in the US for calling out Gaza genocide | Raz Segal | Real Talk
“From the moment Israel was created, there’s this idea that it is unimaginable that it can perpetrate any crime under international law, let alone genocide.” US-Israeli genocide scholar Raz Segal was the first academic to label Israel’s war on Gaza a ‘textbook case of genocide’ in 2023. But that also came with a price. The prominent Israeli-American historian delves into the context, the intense b
Richard Wolff: Trump's victory & theatrics are just symptoms of US decline | Real Talk
Will Brics nations pose a real challenge to Donald Trump’s second term in office? And how do Trump’s tariffs stack up against this rising bloc? US economist Richard D Wolff joined us for an extended conversation on Trump, tariffs, Brics, as well as the US plan to ‘take over’ Gaza. “This is difficult here in the US for people to hear, but it’s the truth. The American empire is declining,” argues Wo
How Elon Musk is taking over the MAGA movement | Rick Perlstein | Real Talk
"Elon Musk has been given by Trump… almost dictatorial power” Today we’re taking on the MAGA ‘civil war’ that’s publicly erupted within Donald Trump’s own ranks. Did Elon Musk and the tech billionaires already win the battle for Trump’s ear against Steve Bannon’s nationalist right? US historian Rick Perlstein is one of the leading voices on America’s conservative movement. He joins us to explain h
Inside Gaza's health system: British doctor tell of harrowing experience amid Israeli bombardment | Victoria Rose | Real Talk
“I don’t believe this is about Israel’s security.”What’s it like to be a medic inside Gaza’s shattered healthcare system?British plastic surgeon Dr Victoria Rose joins us on Real Talk to share her first-hand account of the harrowing scenes she witnessed in Gaza. She opens up about why she believes Israel is “definitely” targeting medics, how this has become a “war on children”, and her experience
Hind Hassan on western media & Gaza: ‘If you’re an Arab journalist, you’re political’ | | Real Talk
“If you’re an Arab, specifically a Palestinian journalist…you are political. Your identity is political.”We recently sat down with award-winning journalist and filmmaker Hind Hassan for a reflective conversation that delves into Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Russia-Ukraine. We also discussed Western media’s coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza, with Hind reflecting on the challenges faced
Assad took my father: One woman's fight to find her dad in Syria | Wafa Mustafa | Real Talk
Nearly 12 years after her father was arrested in 2013, and days after Bashar al-Assad was toppled, Wafa Mustafa is now going back to Syria driven by a determination to find him. Wafa has not returned to her home country since escaping over a decade ago, shortly after her father, Ali, was forcibly disappeared by Bashar al-Assad’s government forces during the Syrian uprising. Speaking just before e
The rise of Syria's brutal Assad dynasty rule | Joshua Landis | Real Talk
How did Hafez al-Assad rise from an army officer to establish a dynasty that brutally ruled Syria for 54 years?From seizing power in 1970 to the Hama massacre, and Bashar inheriting power, Professor Joshua Landis joined us for an in-depth conversation on the Assad family’s rise to power.Landis, chair and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, has spent nearly
How AIPAC unseated US congressman Jamaal Bowman over Israel | Real Talk
“AIPAC is a pro-Israel lobby and they need to be defeated for that reason. But they also represent white supremacy and everything that comes with that.”US congressman Jamaal Bowman reflects on losing his seat after AIPAC poured millions into his Democratic primary to unseat him, reportedly making it the most expensive House primary race in US history.The progressive member of ‘The Squad’, who call
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Gaza genocide, witnessing Israel’s apartheid & the US elections | Real Talk
“I can’t watch a guy plugged up to an IV burned alive.” Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of America’s most celebrated writers. His latest book, The Message, took him to Senegal, South Carolina and Israel-Palestine. The book has been both praised and slammed for calling out Israeli apartheid. Coates joined us to reflect on the backlash, but also takes his time to offer a deeper perspective on the Gaza genoc
Iran, Gaza, & Lebanon: How the pro-Israel lobby influences US policy | Stephen Walt | Real Talk
“The relationship with Israel is in a different league entirely” In light of Israel’s multi-front war in the region, including Gaza, Lebanon, and the escalation with Iran, how can we understand the US-Israel ‘special relationship’? And where does the pro-Israel lobby in the US fit inside this framework? That’s what we’re asking Harvard professor Stephen Walt, who joined us for an extended conversa
Why Humza Yousaf is sounding the alarm: Islamophobia, far right, & Elon Musk
“It happens because of years of anti-Muslim, anti-migrant hatred.” It’s been several months since Humza Yousaf stepped down in May 2024. Now, the Scottish former First Minister, who in 2023 became the first Muslim leader of a western democracy, is sounding the alarm. In one of the longest interviews he’s given since resigning, Yousaf warns of rising Islamophobia in UK politics, the far right threa
America’s Gaza policy failed. Now what? | Matt Duss, ex-Bernie Sanders adviser | Real Talk
“I now rage that my government is behaving the way it’s behaving.” As Israel’s war on Gaza, and now Lebanon, continues with no end in sight, we’re delving into why America’s Gaza policy failed. Today on Real Talk, we’re joined by Matt Duss, former foreign policy adviser to Bernie Sanders and the executive vice president at the Center for International Policy. We discuss how President Joe Biden’s r
How Gaza exposed the US empire ‘like never before’ | Matt Kennard | Real Talk
‘They're not ready for the storm that's happening... The average Joe has Twitter and is seeing what's going on [in Gaza].’On Real Talk, we sat down with investigative journalist Matt Kennard to discuss his latest book, The Racket.In this conversation, Kennard dives deep into US hegemony and foreign policy, especially in light of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. He also unpacks the broader implication
Alana Hadid: ‘Gaza gave me a greater understanding of the Nakba’ | Real Talk
Recorded: 28 January 2024 Alana Hadid belongs to one of the most recognisable Palestinian families in the world. So when she sat down with us on Real Talk, we tried to unpack the pressures that come with that. In our conversation with Hadid, we spoke about Gaza and how she was impacted by the last few months. We also spoke about her activism, her views on how Gaza may influence the upcoming US ele
US presidential candidate Cornel West slams Joe Biden’s Gaza policy | Real Talk
Recorded: 12 March 2024Our guest in this episode is US independent presidential candidate Cornel West, and we ask him why he called Joe Biden a “war criminal”. He also explains why he feels Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a “gangster”, why Biden’s Gaza policy makes him a “hypocrite” and how Arab-American voters will turn their backs on him.Catch all our Real Talk episodes on YouTube h
‘They don’t care about Jewish safety’: Mahmoud Khalil slams US government & Columbia after detention
“The existence of a Palestinian student or pro-Palestine students on campus is an issue for [Columbia].” Mahmoud Khalil became the face of the US government’s crackdown on pro-Palestine protests across American campuses. A Columbia University graduate, he was one of the lead negotiators during Columbia’s Gaza solidarity encampments — a movement that quickly spread across universities worldwide.Whe
Chris Hedges: Is this the end of the American Empire? | Episode 5 | Real Talk
Today on Real Talk, we speak to Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and author, about the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the US elections.We delve into why he believes we are “at the end of empire”, whether Trump or Harris would have different Gaza policies, the rise of Christian nationalism in the US, and his thoughts on Joe Biden’s presidential legacy.Recor
Francesca Albanese: Israel should be treated as a 'pariah state' | Episode 4 | Real Talk
“Israel should be treated as a pariah state,” argues Francesca Albanese.In this Real Talk interview, we speak with Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, about the reported abuses inside Israel’s Sde Teiman prison and delve into whether the UN is doing enough to ensure Israel’s compliance with international law. We also asked her about the personal attacks lev
Rana Ayyub on Hindu nationalism, India-Israel relations & Modi’s anti-Muslim rhetoric | Episode 3 | Real Talk
Recorded: 24 April 2024 ‘The solidarity with Israel has never been stronger’ Voting has begun in the world’s biggest election in India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third five-year term. Indian journalist and author Rana Ayyub joined us on Real Talk to speak on Modi’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, India’s elections, and its current relationship with Israel.Catch all our Real Talk episod
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