Israel/Palestine Podcast

“Astonishing (…) a mammoth project that, in its breadth and depth — and above all in its multifaceted nature — seeks its equal. (…) With regard to societal debates, they express the wish ‚to never simplify what is complex – and to never complicate what is simple.‘ In this, a maturity is revealed that one sometimes looks for in vain among politicians and commentators today.”
— Christian Meier, political correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, covering the Middle East and Northeast Africa, Bildungswelten, FAZ, 31 December 2025 (print edition).

The project emerged in the context of the Oberstufenforum (Upper Secondary Forum) at the Catholic Academy of Berlin, a platform fostering exchange between academia and schools.

What started small, grew unexpectedly on the way with our growing curiosity and enthusiasm and the incredible willingness of renowned experts to meet with us. We don’t claim to be comprehensive, nor do we intend to lecture anyone. We are simply sharing our own learning journey here.

We have spoken to historians, legal scholars, trauma researchers and educators – many of whom are world-leading experts – to better understand a conflict that shapes identities, divides communities and echoes through generations.

Our approach has been multiperspectival. We don’t aim to resolve contradictions or controversies, but to hear different perspectives, to listen deeply where perspectives conflict. Human Rights and International Law are the foundation of responsible multiperspectivism.

Are we ready to see the world from a perspective different than our own? Can we listen and hold conflicting truths at the same time?

Find your own answers!
Or better questions.

Our wish is this:
To never simplify what is complex.
And to never complicate what is simple.
Learning is growing in the wisdom to know the difference.

Are you ready for the discomfort of learning?

Listen to all episodes right here:

You can also go directly to the provider:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Youtube

Follow us on Instagram.

How we have worked

A multiperspective journey

This project follows a multi-perspective approach that reflects the complexity of the Israel–Palestine conflict. Guided by the Beutelsbach Consensus, we aim to make visible what is controversial in academia and politics to empower students to develop empathy and think critically rather than be overwhelmed by opinion.

The podcast unfolds through eight chapters in 51 episodes that explore the human, historical, political, legal, psychological, and educational dimensions of this conflict. Together, they highlight the moral urgency of the current situation and make civil society’s perspectives for a just peace visible.

Within the historical chapter, we pursued two complementary lines: one rooted in collective narratives and one coming from an analytical distance. Both can intersect and enhance each other. Both are represented by recognized scholars. We moved from the big picture to the close-up, focusing on the Mandate and 1948, as these periods are most crucial for understanding current debates. Like this all contested topics are always explored from multiple perspectives. We have talked about 1948 with Derek Penslar, Adel Manna, Muriel Asseburg and Gudrun Krämer. The settler colonial lense is discussed with Michael Brenner, Simon W. Fuchs, Victor Kattan, Derek Penslar, Omri Boehm and Gudrun Krämer. You can find all cross-references in our comprehensive shownotes on this site.

The political debate chapter focusses on analytical depth rather than ideological polarity, showcasing complex and nuanced positions, while reflecting controversies. Our main criterion for selection was the quality of thought and expertise, ensuring that even in disagreement, we can gain insight and learn. Although simple pro/con frameworks cannot capture the subtlety of complex reasoning, we have aimed to create a balanced 5:5 debate structure.

The current debate on genocide is illustrated through two highly qualified perspectives: Prof. Omer Bartov, a world-leading scholar of the Holocaust and genocide, and Prof. Eyal Benvenisti, one of the most respected international law scholars globally. They represent the two disciplines with the expertise necessary to address this highly contested issue.

Since analytical depth was our priority, each guest brings a unique and invaluable perspective, which is not necessarily counterbalanced in every aspect, avoiding the artificial creation of controversy.

Multiperspectivity, however, never means neutrality: human rights and international law are the foundation of responsible multiperspectivism.

To help us navigate this complex field, the project is guided by two anchor episodes.

All contested historical matters are addressed by the world renowned historian Prof. Gudrun Krämer, author of the acclaimed reference work A History of Palestine. From the Ottoman Conquest to the Founding of the State of Israel (6., überarbeitete Auflage, C.H. Beck, 2015; Princeton University Press, 2007). She was awarded the Historisches Kolleg Prize 2025, the highest recognition in historical scholarship in Germany.

All contested legal matters are addressed by Prof. Claus Kreß, one of the principal authorities in international criminal law, co-author of the Rome Statute, Special Advisor to the ICC, and Judge ad hoc at the ICJ. He explains the key concepts of international law, its institutions and the current state of jurisprudence.

Our work has been AI-assisted, verified by experts. It was led by five student hosts and guided by a teacher who curated this learning journey in close collaboration with experts. All final decisions about topics and guests were made by the students.

All interviews were either based on students’ own questions, complemented by the teacher to ensure a coherent learning arc, or conducted as research assignments inspired by questions that emerged along the way. In this way every interview was like a lesson hosted by the students.

Dedication

As we prepare to publish our podcast, 13. Okt. 2025, marked a turning point: after two long years of anguish, Israeli hostage families finally saw their loved ones return. While some families are still awaiting the remains of their loved ones, there was immense joy on this day. For Gazans, it was a moment of great relief amid ongoing devastation. Though the Peace Plan leaves many questions unresolved, people celebrated this day of relief across Israel and Palestine.

It is a profound gift for us that, after a year of bearing witness to these unfolding catastrophes, we could witness these deeply emotional moments of relief that reunited families on both sides.

We continue to pray and hope for a just peace, for security, dignity, and equality for all who call Israel and Palestine home.

We dedicate this Podcast to all victims and survivors of October 7, the (former) hostages and their families, to all innocent civilians killed and injured in Gaza and their grieving families and friends.

To our dear guests: Udi Goren, Khalil Sayegh, Sima and Mai who shared their losses so generously and so powerfully with us.

To their families:
Tal’s wife Ella Haimi, their children Nir, Einav, Udi and Lotan, who never had the chance to meet his father.
To Khalil Sayegh’s mother and siblings.
To Mai’s and Sima’s family, to her mother Bushra.

To the blessed memory of:
Tal Haimi,
Lara Sayegh,
Jeries Sayegh,
Mahmoud,
Danny Darlington and
Haim Perry.

Credit & Thanks

We want to express our profound gratitude to all who have supported this project, first of all to our wonderful guests who shared their time and knowledge, their losses and hopes so generously with us. We are humbled and beyond grateful for all the generous words of recognition and encouragement that we have received.

We also want to warmly thank all those who have supported us with their recommendations, advice or that have contributed in any other way to make this project possible:

Prof. David Nirenberg
Prof. Michael Wolffsohn
Prof. Rashid Khalidi
Prof. Gudrun Krämer
Prof. Claus Kress
Prof. Simon W. Fuchs
Prof. Omri Boehm
Prof. Awad Halabi
Angelica Hilsebein
Dr. Sarah Albrecht
Dr. Roi Bar
Prof. Christine Funk
Anita Haviv
Christian Staffa
Alexandra Senfft, Parents Circle Friends Deutschland
Vered Berman, Parents Circle Deutschland
Jan-Hinrich Wagner, New Israel Fund
Mohamed Ibrahim
Rabbi Dr. Tirzah Firestone
Rae Kauders
Dr. Bashir Bashir
Linda Kanellos Okur
Saraya Gomis
Regine Luebben
Andreas Post
Dr. Katrin Visse
Pater Manfred Kollig SSCC
Agnes und Franz-Josef Zessner
Dr. Gesine Palmer
Michael Brinkhoff
Charlotte Wiedemann
Mehmet Can
Tobias Nolte
Simon Klippert
Nilden Vardar
Silke Azoulay
Dr. Serge Brusselsky
Karin Stöger
Prof. Birgit Hoyer
Mathias Broekl
Stefan Förner
Johannes Rogge
Mohamed Ibrahim
Mohamed Chahrour
Team of the Catholic Academy Berlin
Parish St. Christophorus, Neukölln
Parish Martin Luther King, Neukölln
Parish St. Dominicus, Neukölln

What others say about our Podcast

Quotes of endorsement, acknowledgement and encouragement

“The students did an amazing job assembling the series and organizing the individual episodes.”
Prof. Dr. Derek Penslar, Harvard University

“This remarkable series reflects a sincere and dedicated effort to make sense of the ongoing war in Gaza. The students’ insightful questions open the door for a diverse group of scholars to explore the many dimensions of the conflict and share a fuller, more human perspective.”
Prof. Dr. Eyal Benvenisti, Tel Aviv University/Yale Law School, Legal Advisor to Israel before the ICJ in the preliminary measures phase

“I am not aware of any comparable initiative driven primarily by high school students that addresses the complex issue of Israel/Palestine with such depth, curiosity, and comprehensiveness. Multiperspectivity is a widepread buzzword that is rarely lived up to.
This podcast is quite different. The expert voices gathered here, which explore so many aspects from history and the distressing present to psychology and education, all deserve to be heard. They will greatly enrich (not only) the German debate. I am very impressed and delighted to be part of this series. Thank you very much for the invitation.”
Prof. Dr. Simon W. Fuchs, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

“Congratulations for this remarkable project. I was very impressed by the curiosity, commitment and professionalism of all those involved. It gives me great hope for the future.”
Dr. Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International

“A fantastic project. As an educator, I am happy and grateful to have made a modest contribution to political education. Many schools consider the topic too sensitive and do not even discuss it. The Neukölln students, on the other hand, have done everything they can to gain a variety of perspectives and background knowledge. I am very impressed by the knowledge they have acquired and the well-founded questions they asked during my
interview about the political situation in Israel and Palestine.” 
Nazih Musharbash, President of the German-Palestinian Society

 “I congratulate and salute the students for their dedication to knowledge and criticism and I wish them all the best in their future lives as adults in this increasingly complex and troubled world.”
Prof. Dr. Omer Bartov, Brown University

 “Never forget we are human beings first. Always have the intellectual curiosity and emotional empathy to figure out why people see things differently.
When you think there are simple solutions to complicated problems, alarm bells should go off. Remember that the brightest people will always say „I might be wrong, but…”
Prof. Dr. Kenneth S. Stern, Bard Center for the Study of Hate, Lead drafter of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism

“I’ve been incredibly impressed by the students‘ curiosity, thoroughness and dedication to hearing disparate perspectives, including those that may clash directly with simpler, more „comfortable“ ones. One thing we should be able to agree upon is that this region and this conflict are massively complex, and that easy answers will rarely suffice to offer real understanding. I wish university students in Europe and America showed the same commitments to intellectual inquiry that these high school students have demonstrated. As these students continue to university, I will be that much more reassured that the intellectual future is in the hands of young people who genuinely wish to learn about – and influence for the better – the world around them. Thank you for including me in this remarkable project.”
Oren Kessler, Royal Historical Society, Author of Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict, Winner of the Simon Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature 2024. Named among the 10 best books of the year by the Wall Street Journal, finalist for a National Jewish Book Award

“They should be applauded for their maturity and inner resoluteness in their commitment to confront some of the most painful legacies of our time.”
Dr. Yael Danieli, UN Senior Representative. The pioneering trauma expert developed the first psychological care program for Holocaust survivors and their children worldwide and transformed the field of Trauma Studies through her insights in transgenerational transmissions. She is a world renowned victimologist and the only living person that helped establish all victims rights in international law. She counseled all International Genocide Tribunals and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“Change is coming! After 40 years of professional, activist and academic life, devoted to humanitarian issues and peace, I have seen many dark times, and sometimes wonder if there’s no future except this darkness.
What gives me hope is young people who have the intellectual and moral courage to confront the evils of the day, and to bring about change.”
Prof. Dr. Alex de Waal, Tufts University/World Peace Foundation

“It is a remarkable achievement. Kudos to the students for doing this.”
Prof. Dr. Victor Kattan, Nottingham University

“This is a very impressive and courageous project.”
Prof. Dr. Elad Lapidot, Université de Lille

“This is truly a flagship project.“
Prof. Dr. Ufuk Topkara, HU Berlin

“I am impressed by how much work the students have put into this podcast series while graduating. They were very well prepared, respectful, and professional. Despite the emotionally very charged topic, it was clear that they were interested in contributing to a more fact based discussion and in making the Israel – Palestine conflict something that can be talked about. I wish the series many listeners.”
Prof. Dr. Dr. Naika Foroutan, HU Berlin

“An ambitious project in which the Neukölln students dedicated themselves with great commitment to understanding historical and current debates on the Middle East conflict.
The result – this podcast series – is very impressive. One could only wish that political debate were likewise marked by such a diversity of perspectives.”
Dr. Muriel Asseburg, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

“A huge recognition to the students of Berlin-Neukölln for your amazing commitment to learning about Israel-Palestine with such depth and from multiple perspectives. Your dedication to understanding complexity, rather than settling for easy answers, is inspiring. We at SNS are honoured to have been invited to speak on your podcast, and we deeply encourage you to continue leading the way in showing how curiosity, empathy, and open dialogue can build a better future.”
Sharon Booth – CEO Solutions – Not Sides / Leading British NGO educating about the Middle East Conflict in Schools

“Great initiative!“
Dr. Per Leo, Author and Historian, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

“This initiative is both extraordinary and exemplary.”
Prof. Dr. Claus Kreß, University of Cologne, Special Advisor to the International Criminal Court, Judge at the International Court of Justice

“I have to say, that I am very impressed. This series of podcasts featuring truly internationally leading scholars in their fields, is, I believe, one-of-a-kind. In any case, I think that’s fantastic and I wanted to warmly congratulate you on it.”
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Gudrun Krämer, FU Berlin, Recipient of the Historisches Kolleg Prize 2025, the highest distinction in historical scholarship in Germany