In this EISMENA interview, Lyna and Christine speak with Rony Brauman about the worsening conditions of existence in Gaza and the West Bank, the limits of humanitarian language, and the political logic behind Israel’s war and occupation.
Brauman discusses Palestinian resilience, the role of media coverage, the failure of Europe to uphold international humanitarian law, and the closure of Al-Aqsa during Ramadan and Eid. He also analyzes Israel’s broader strategy of military hegemony in the region, from Palestine to Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
00:00 — Introduction: EISMENA speaks with Rony Brauman
00:24 — Gaza, the West Bank, and the media shift after the Iran war
01:04 — Humanitarian degradation or systemic logic of occupation?
02:07 — Palestinian civil society and the limits of “resilience”
03:00 — Conditions of existence in Gaza
04:27 — Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine, and Iran: overlapping crises
04:57 — Israel’s agenda and the expulsion of Palestinians
05:30 — Colonization, apartheid, and genocide in public discourse
07:12 — Settler violence and changing regional power balances
07:43 — The colonial consensus within Israeli society
10:10 — Netanyahu, “from the river to the sea,” and double standards
11:21 — Netanyahu’s historical ambition and the expansion of Israeli control
13:32 — Why the term “colonial” matters
15:29 — Gaza as a test for humanitarian law and neutrality
16:32 — Is international humanitarian law dead in Gaza?
17:00 — Gaza and the long history of violations of humanitarian law
19:38 — Europe, law, and the failure to restrain Israel
20:21 — “Israel has the right to defend itself”: a contested framing
21:28 — Occupation, armed resistance, and civilian protection
23:06 — Europe’s active support for Israel
25:40 — Humanitarian law: born in Europe, weakened by Europe
27:33 — Media coverage, Palestine, and the limits of audiovisual news
28:37 — Can the media responsibly cover the complexity of Gaza?
30:07 — Israeli censorship and the absence of journalists in Gaza
31:09 — Israeli narratives in French media
33:29 — Written press, audiovisual media, and selective visibility
35:15 — The closure of Al-Aqsa during Ramadan and Eid
36:24 — Al-Aqsa, holy sites, and Israel’s search for hegemony
37:06 — Why Brauman argues Israel seeks military dominance, not peace
38:08 — Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iran: fragmentation as strategy
39:32 — Closing remarks