Rania Khalek Dispatches

Is the Democratic Party actually changing to embrace Palestine and left-wing causes, or is it doing what it always does: absorbing the movement that threatens it?

Rania Khalek is joined by journalist and writer Sana Saeed to talk about Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed, and how the anti-genocide movement has been used to give a face lift to the Democratic Party. But does it signal a more profound change of policy? They get into:

00:00 - Introduction: Movement Energy & Party Revival

00:31 - Dispatches Intro & Guest Introduction (Sana Saeed)

04:12 - How the Democratic Party...

Journalist Jasper Nathaniel just spent a month in the occupied West Bank, and he came back with a warning: while the world watches Gaza, Israel is finishing a decades-long project to dominate the West Bank and drive Palestinians off their land for good.

Rania Khalek talks with him about what settler expansion actually looks like on the ground: armed settlers storming villages on so-called “hikes,” stealing homes and launching attacks from the houses they’ve stolen, cutting off a village’s spring water and building a settlers-only swimming pool in the middle of a Palestinian town. They get into...

The media wants you to think “Greater Israel” is a fringe fantasy belonging to Ben Gvir and the settler far right. It's not. It's a project for dominating the entire Middle East, and it goes far beyond land grabs.

Daniel Levy, former Israeli peace negotiator and president of the US/Middle East Project, joins Rania Khalek to explain what “Greater Israel” actually is: annexation in Palestine, military occupation zones in Lebanon and Syria, and beyond that, a region where every state is subservient, dependent, or collapsed. Levy breaks down why Israel has no recognized borders by design, how the...

It's been over a thousand days since Israel began its livestreamed genocide in Gaza, and global politics is still shifting as a result. Candidates who refuse AIPAC money are toppling Democratic incumbents across the US, support for Israel has become a political liability and the establishment's answer has been a full-blown red scare.

Rania Khalek speaks with Palestinian novelist, poet, and activist Susan Abulhawa, author of “Mornings in Jenin,” to discuss how Palestine has become the litmus test of American politics, how AIPAC was dragged out of the shadows, and why she believes the cultural boycott and soli...

Ali Abunimah joins Rania Khalek on Dispatches to discuss the dramatic collapse of global support for Israel, the growing backlash against Western support for genocide in Gaza, and why governments are increasingly resorting to repression as public opinion shifts in favor of Palestine.

In this episode they discuss:

As Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues and Lebanon faces ongoing aggression and political pressure to capitulate, many people are grappling with fear, exhaustion, and despair.

But what if hopelessness itself is part of the strategy?

Psychoanalyst and author Lara Sheehi joins Dispatches with Rania Khalek to discuss the psychological dimensions of fascism, empire, colonial violence, and resistance — from Israeli psychological warfare and sexual humiliation as a tool of domination, to the weaponization of sectarianism in Lebanon, the role of media propaganda, and why revolutionary optimism is itself a political act.

Sheehi also disc...

The U.S. and Israel launched a massive war on Iran expecting quick capitulation. Instead, Iran absorbed the assault, retaliated across the region, and exposed major limits to American and Israeli power.

Now the Trump administration appears to be searching for an off-ramp while Israel continues pushing for escalation, including in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, sanctions, economic warfare, and the risk of a wider regional conflict continue to threaten the entire Middle East.

To break down the latest developments, the shaky ceasefire negotiations, Trump’s contradictory messaging, and whether this wa...

The Trump administration has announced a new military operation in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran is warning that any unauthorized U.S. presence will be treated as hostile.

At the same time, Washington is rejecting key parts of Iran’s proposal to end the war, including sanctions relief and limits on the blockade.

So what is this “ceasefire,” really?

Is Iran actually weakened, as Trump claims — or has the war strengthened internal support for resistance?

And is the next round already underway?

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek i...

As war spreads across Lebanon and Iran, the U.S. and Israel claim they are making progress.

But on the ground, the picture looks far more complicated.

After a supposed pause in fighting and failed negotiations, Israel escalated dramatically, launching massive strikes on Beirut while continuing its ground invasion in southern Lebanon. 

At the same time, Iran has held firm in negotiations, raising questions about whether Washington’s strategy is working.

So who’s actually winning?

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with journalist Jon Elmer of The E...

As Israel escalates its war on Lebanon, one narrative dominates: that Hezbollah is the cause of the conflict.

But that story erases decades of history.

Long before Hezbollah existed, southern Lebanon was already a frontline of anti-colonial struggle led by Palestinian fighters, Lebanese leftists, and marginalized communities resisting Israeli aggression and internal neglect.

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with scholar Nate George about:

THE ORIGINS OF RESISTANCE IN SOUTH LEBANON

THE ROLE OF THE LEBANESE LEFT AND THE PLO

HOW ISRAEL, THE US, AND...

Donald Trump has issued a shocking ultimatum to Iran: submit, or face the destruction of its civilian infrastructure and the total devastation of the country within hours.

As Washington and Tel Aviv escalate their war threats, Iran says it will retaliate in kind with potentially catastrophic consequences for Israel, the Gulf, and the wider region.

Meanwhile, Israel continues its assault across the region: threatening Tehran with the Dahieh doctrine, demanding unilateral disarmament from every force that resists it, and pushing Lebanon toward collapse and capitulation.

To break down what this moment means, Rania...

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second month, and despite repeated assassinations, attacks on infrastructure, and growing civilian casualties, Iran has not collapsed.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is threatening to take Iran “back to the Stone Age,” floating the seizure of oil infrastructure, Kharg Island, and even a military reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, all while claiming negotiations may be underway.

So what is actually happening inside Iran? Is Tehran looking for a way out, or preparing for a longer war? How is Iranian society responding to mounting destruction and civilian targ...

Journalist and lawyer Dimitri Lascaris just returned from Iran, where he traveled from Tehran to the Strait of Hormuz, witnessing firsthand the impact of the US-Israeli war.

From hospitals treating the wounded to the world’s most important oil chokepoint, Lascaris saw a side of this war that Western media is barely covering.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most critical waterways on earth, responsible for a massive share of global energy flows.  But today, it has become a frontline in a rapidly escalating conflict. Trump says only with its opening would he con...

Speaking from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent and columnist Ali Hashem explains how Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq are all part of a single, interconnected battlefield, a coordinated confrontation between the axis of resistance and the United States and Israel.

That means what happens in Lebanon is directly tied to what happens in Iran, and vice versa.

Despite months of attacks, Hezbollah remains operational and has restored its ability to strike deep into Israel, underscoring that this front is far from contained.

At the same time, the war is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

...

As the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran escalates into a second month, the situation is becoming increasingly unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Iranian missiles are hitting Israeli targets at higher rates than expected, while the U.S. is deploying massive firepower, including 2,000-pound bombs.

At the same time, conflicting signals are emerging from Washington, with reports that Trump may be seeking an off-ramp even as the war intensifies.

So what is the strategy? Who is actually winning? And how far could this go?

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with Tr...

As Israel expands its war across the region, Lebanon is once again in the crosshairs.

Israeli officials are openly calling for pushing the border to the Litani River, annexing southern Lebanon, and preventing displaced civilians from returning. At the same time, the country is being bombed, depopulated, and pushed toward internal collapse.

So what is Israel actually trying to achieve?

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with Karim Makdisi, co-host of the Makdisi Street podcast and Associate Professor of International Politics at the American University of Beirut.

They discuss: 

The United States and Israel are pushing the region toward a dangerous escalation with Iran, threatening strikes on energy infrastructure and even raising the possibility of a ground invasion.

But Iran isn’t backing down.

As the war expands across the region and the global economy, the risk of a wider conflict is growing by the day.

So what is the real strategy here? Is this brinkmanship, or the early stages of a war that could spiral far beyond anyone’s control? Have the U.S. and Israel fundamentally misjudged Iran?

Rani...

In week 4 of the U.S.-Israeli war of aggression on Iran, the global economy has been pushed to the brink. 

Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz shows just how key it is to global energy markets, supply chains, and food systems, putting millions at risk.

So what happens when the U.S. no longer has a monopoly on economic coercion?
Has Trump overplayed his hand?

Are we witnessing the limits of American power and the beginning of a more chaotic global order?

To break it all down, Ran...

Three weeks into the war on Iran, the conflict is expanding more than ever.

The Strait of Hormuz is closed, energy infrastructure is under attack, and U.S. bases are increasingly vulnerable. Israel and Washington are escalating.

According to Middle East expert Vali Nasr, this is actually all part of Iran's strategy.

Iran isn’t trying to win quickly. To “win” is to survive — and for that it wants to make the war longer, more expensive, and politically unsustainable for the United States.

In this conversation with Rania Khalek, Nasr explains:

Israel has expanded its war across the region, bombing Lebanon and Iran while preparing a potential ground invasion into southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials claim the goal is simply to create a “buffer zone” for security. But many Israeli politicians and commentators are openly discussing something much bigger: territorial expansion to the Litani River and beyond.

This is not about security, it’s part of much longer historical Greater Israel project

On this live episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined by historian Zachary Foster to examine the long history of Israeli invasions of Lebano...

The war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran could send shockwaves through the global economy.

Energy markets, shipping routes, fertilizer supply, and cloud infrastructure are all at risk. Even a short disruption could drive inflation, food shortages, and economic instability worldwide.

Rania Khalek speaks with economist Yanis Varoufakis, former Finance Minister of Greece, about why this conflict could become one of the most economically disruptive wars in decades.

As war between Iran, Israel, and the United States escalates, what’s actually happening on the battlefield, and how is the conflict being viewed inside the U.S. military itself?

On this live episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined by two guests to break down both the military realities of the war and the growing opposition to it inside the United States.

Jon Elmer, contributing editor at The Electronic Intifada, joins the show to analyze the military dynamics of the US-Israeli war on Iran — including Iran’s strategy, the effectiveness of Israeli and U.S. def...

As Israel expands its war on Iran and U.S. officials float the possibility of American boots on the ground, what is really happening behind the headlines?

Iran expert at Johns Hopkins Vali Nasr joins Rania Khalek to explain:

Nasr argues that Iran’s strategy isn’t to win quickly. It’s...

Mike Huckabee’s reference to borders stretching “from the Euphrates to the Nile” has sparked a diplomatic firestorm across the Middle East.

Even governments that normalized relations with Israel — including the UAE — publicly condemned the remarks. Why did this rhetoric hit such a nerve? And is it really new, or just unusually blunt?

At the same time, tensions between Israel and Saudi Arabia are rising, fractures between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are deepening, and the risk of a U.S.–Iran war looms in the background, a conflict that could drag Gulf states into a confrontatio...

At the Munich Security Conference, Marco Rubio said the quiet part out loud.

No more “rules-based order.” No more liberal pretense. Just open coercion.

After Gaza — after a genocide livestreamed for the world — U.S. empire isn’t even pretending anymore.

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined by Dylan Saba — attorney with Palestine Legal and co-host of Turbulence — to unpack what this moment represents:

• Gaza as the capstone of the War on Terror

• The return of gunboat...

The United States is mobilizing for a new war on Iran — repositioning military forces, floating assassination threats, and insisting on negotiations at the same time.

As this military buildup intensifies, Western media is reviving a familiar propaganda narrative: that Iran is collapsing, its government has lost control, and foreign intervention might actually help.

To cut through the noise, Rania Khalek is joined by Navid Zarrinnal, an Iranian-American academic and host of The Colony Archive, speaking from inside Tehran. Navid breaks down what’s actually happening on the ground — from internal debates over negotiations, to Iran’s potent...

Join Rania Khalek and Zoe Alexandra for a special live show as Minneapolis erupts after Border Patrol agents killed nurse and legal observer Alex Pretti, just hours after a historic general strike shook the state. Zoe will report from Minneapolis as protests surge nationwide and fury at ICE and federal occupation explodes. With special guests, Rania and Zoe will discuss the Democrats’ weak response, the connections between imperial violence from Gaza to Minnesota, and the rising calls to defund ICE and a national general strike against ICE terror. 

Special Guests:
-Craig Mokhiber, Human Rights Lawyer 
-Meg...

Rania Khalek is joined by former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber, whose recent Mondoweiss article, "Ushering in the age of impunity: Venezuela, Palestine, and the end of international law," unpacks how recent U.S. aggression from Venezuela to Gaza signals a dangerous unraveling of the post-World War II legal order. 

We’ll discuss:

• What the U.S. attack on Venezuela reveals about the limits of global legal restraints. 

• How the violence in Palestine fits into a broader pattern of unchecked power. 

• The crisis facing international law and global institutions like the UN, ICC...

The U.S. military raid on Venezuela on January 3 shocked the world. On Dispatches, Rania Khalek is joined by Jorge Arreaza, Venezuela’s former foreign minister, to explain what actually happened and to respond directly to U.S. media narratives about “betrayal,” regime change, and control.

Rania Khalek is joined by journalist and political economist Ben Norton, editor of the Geopolitical Economy Report, to break down why the Trump administration attacked Venezuela—and what comes next. 

Norton explains how Trump’s bombing of Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro are not isolated acts, but part of a broader U.S. imperial offensive in Latin America. The goal: control strategic resources like oil, gas, rare earths, and critical minerals, reassert U.S. dominance in the region, and build a supply chain that cuts out China.

Rania Khalek is joined by Zoe Alexandra of People’s Dispatch and special guests for a live episode of Dispatches examining the Trump administration’s unprecedented attack on Venezuela. The US has invaded and bombed Venezuela, kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and is openly threatening to expand its campaign against Venezuela’s neighbors and allies. We break down the lies used to justify this aggression — and what comes next.

A DSA member just won one of the most significant left-wing electoral victories in recent memory with Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York — despite red-baiting, anti-Palestinian smears, and a full-on campaign to demonize socialism.

But that victory has raised big questions: Why keep Jessica Tisch as NYPD commissioner? Why discourage a primary against Hakeem Jeffries — and then endorse him for Speaker? What does accountability look like when socialists actually win power?

To unpack all this, Rania Khalek is joined by the national co-chairs of the Democratic Socialists of America, Megan Romer and Ashik Siddique, to t...

As the world slides deeper into imperial rot — from Trump’s transformation of the U.S. into a Department of War state, to Europe’s political collapse, to global leaders shamelessly bowing to Washington — a socialist shockwave has erupted in New York City: Zohran Mamdani has just won the mayoral race while proudly defending Palestine.

What does this contradiction reveal about the global moment we’re living in?

Yanis Varoufakis — economist, political leader, former Greek finance minister, and author of “Technofeudalism” — joins Rania Khalek to unpack the rise of fascistic politics, the failures of global capitalism, the my...

As Israel continues its relentless assault on Gaza, killing and starving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with Western backing, even during so-called ceasefires, one thing has become clear: this isn’t just about Palestine. It’s about Western supremacy, empire, and the racism that underpins them both.

To discuss this, Rania Khalek is joined by Dr. Ghada Karmi — academic, physician, and Nakba survivor — who has written powerfully about how Western imperialism, Arab complicity, and Zionism’s own contradictions have led us here. Dr. Karmi is a former research fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the Uni...

Dozens have been killed in U.S. airstrikes on boats off the Venezuelan and Colombian coasts.

The Trump administration claims it’s targeting drug traffickers — but there’s no evidence. And now they’re threatening airstrikes inside Venezuela.

U.S. warships now encircle Venezuela, joined by 10,000 troops and the Navy’s largest aircraft carrier.

This is a war in slow motion, justified by recycled lies, CIA covert ops, and billionaire-backed propaganda.

Rania Khalek speaks with Zoe Alexandra, managing editor of Peoples Dispatch and co-author of “Why Venezuela? How the US tries to undermine...

Big Tech loves to sell itself as a liberatory force for connection, free speech, and empowerment.

But when it comes to Palestine, those same companies have partnered with Israel to censor, surveil, and criminalize.

To unpack this “digital settler colonialism,” Rania Khalek was joined by Omar Zahzah, Assistant Professor of AMED Studies at San Francisco State University and author of "Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital Settler/Colonialism in the Palestine Liberation Struggle,” which argues that understanding Palestine is essential to understanding the global struggle against Big Tech and U.S. imperialism.

👉 Su...

What we’re witnessing in Gaza is not just another chapter of Zionism — it’s the final stage. That’s the argument of Israeli historian Ilan Pappé, who joins Rania Khalek on Dispatches to explain how Zionism is in fact “collapsing” even in its most ruthless moment. He discusses Israeli society is fracturing from within, the impact of Trump’s return, Israel’s widening regional war, and what a post-Israel Palestine could look like.

Watch the full interview exclusively on Breakthrough News Patreon: https://Patreon.com/BreakthroughNews

Subscribe and click the bell so...

Israel and its U.S. backers are advancing a clear project: Greater Israel. That means weakening every state in the Levant, fueling sectarianism, and pressuring Lebanon to disarm — leaving the south of the country defenseless.

But disarming resistance in the middle of Israel’s expansion isn’t peace. It’s surrender. So how should the Levant respond?

Rania Khalek speaks with Antoun Issa, co-founder of DeepCut News, about the rise of “Greater Israel,” why disarmament would be catastrophic for Lebanon, the targeting of journalists, Syria’s instability, his resignation from The Guardian, and what a real sovereign...

U.S. military veteran Greg Stoker joins Dispatches from the ship deck of the Global Sumud Flotilla, comprised of dozens of boats that just launched from Barcelona with the goal of breaking Israel’s starvation siege on Gaza.

Stoker, who served in the U.S. Army, explains why he chose to risk his life by joining the flotilla, how his military experience radicalized him on Palestine, and what it means for veterans to stand against U.S. empire.

He responds to Israeli threats against the flotilla, reflects on the ge...

Israel murdered Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022, then lied about it. The Biden administration helped them cover it up. Now, Israel is targeting even more journalists — with impunity.

Rania Khalek is joined by Dion Nissenbaum, executive producer of the new documentary “Who Killed Shireen?” and Lina Abu Akleh, human rights advocate and Shireen’s niece, to discuss the murder, the media disinformation campaign, the U.S. obstruction of justice, and why Israel is deliberately targeting journalists.

They also discuss the ongoing detention of veteran...