December 12, 2010

Broadcast Date: 
Dec 12 2010

Just what is a hipster, anyway? Mark Grief offers a history. Abu Abdallah Rahmah, a Palestinian Gandhi in an Israeli jail; plus, the Sabra hummus wars.

Episode segments
  • What is a hipster anyway?
    New York Politics, Arts & Culture, Housing, Jewish Life
    Mark Greif is co-editor, co-founder, and contributor to n+1 and teaches literature at The New School.  He is the author of the recent New York magazine feature, What Was the Hipster?, and co-author of What Was the Hipster?:A Sociological Investigation.
    Marissa Brostoff and Kiera Feldman

    BTP explores with Mark Greif the relationship between hipster culture, ethnic identity, racial politics and where Jewish culture might fit in. 

  • Where is the Palestinian Gandhi?
    Israeli Politics, Israel/Palestine, Palestinian Politics, Occupation
    Michelle Goldberg is the author of Disobedient: The leader of nonviolent protests in the West Bank--a Potential Palestinian Gandhi--is in an Israeli Jail.
    Marissa Brostoff and Kiera Feldman

    We talk with Michelle Goldberg about the Israeli use of the charge of incitement to crush Palestinian non-violent resistance.  This practice is exemplified by the recent case of Abdullah Abu Rahma, of Bil'in, whom the Israeli army continues to keep in prison, although he has completed a one-year sentence (imposed after 10 months in detention).

     

  • The Sabra Hummus War
    American Politics, Israel/Palestine, Occupation
    Yoel Bitran is President of the Princeton Committee on Palestine and a member of the Princeton class of 2011.
    Marissa Brostoff and Kiera Feldman

    This past October the Philly BDS Coalition launched a boycott campaign against Sabra (and Tribe) hummus with a creative action at a local food market, which they then circulated via youtube.  Sabra is co-owned by Pepsico and the Strauss Group, an Israeli company that for some 30 years has proudly supported two particularly notorious units of the Israeli Defense Forces (the Golani and Givati brigades.)

    The campaign spread to other campuses, including De Paul, Georgetown and, most recently Princeton, where a referendum asking the schools dining services to offer an alternative hummus brand received 40% of the vote (and thus was defeated).  Beyond the Pale talks with Princeton activist Yoel Bitran about their campaign.

    The Jerusalem Post reported last month that, in response to the BDS campaign, Strauss’ support for the Golani Brigade had been deleted entirely from the English-language portion of its website though the Hebrew portion of the site remained unchanged.