Much of the conversation around Israel and Palestine puts pressure on choosing a side—which side's suffering matters, whose violence deserves condemnation, and whose story gets heard. Too often, this leaves little room for empathy and fuels the dehumanization of Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Shanie sits down with Palestinian human rights and peace advocate Ihab Hassan, who was born and raised in Ramallah in the West Bank. Ihab has been outspoken in condemning extremism and violence on both sides—documenting Jewish terrorism against Palestinians in the West Bank daily, while rejecting Palestinian terrorism against Israeli civilians as a means of resistance. His willingness to denounce violence regardless of who perpetrates it has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.

Ihab and Shanie discuss why it can be so difficult to hold empathy for Israelis and Palestinians at the same time, how acknowledging suffering on both sides can be mistaken for creating false equivalencies, and what gets lost when solidarity with one people requires abandoning the other. They also explore what it takes to criticize your own community and how moving beyond dueling narratives, contests of victimhood, and debates over historical grievances can create space for more productive conversations about a better future for both peoples.

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