Bad Hasbara 2: Reverse Gallows Humor with Shereen Younes

This week podcaster Shereen Lani Younes of Ethnically Ambiguous joins Bad Hasbara to talk about Israel and whatnot.

[@theveteransergeant]

I hate when people say "there was a ceasefire on October 6th" or some dumb shit like that. It's like "No, Israel literally raided West Bank in July and had killed over 200 Palestinians already this year."

[@ahmedalshabrawy202]

Israel killed 6 and injured 10 people just in Gaza on October 4

[@detrockcity3]

And just non-stop provocation. I actually predicted something like October 7 would happen (I didn’t think it’d be that big or successful), and it wasn’t that hard if you were watching Israel and have some knowledge of their historical behavior. They were killing people. Killing journalists and medics. Humiliating people left and right. I made the prediction after they ran up in al-Aqsa and started beating people, knowing that Netanyahu was facing major protests and criminal indictments. They were clearly looking to provoke an excuse to go to war. I figured it was political. I didn’t know it was going to be a full-blown ethnic cleansing operation…

[@suleydaman]

Not to mention >50 years of occupation

[@Ahreman_egy]

IKR! they even bombed gaza since march and didnt stop stealing homes and farms and water sources!

[@magdalen5108]

Israel was killing 2 Palestinian children a week before Oct 7th, 5,000 illegally detained hostages in prisons of Israel, illegal seige of Gaza with periodic massacres of civilians including hundreds of children.

[@THEE_Kisywisy]

I am loving this pod. Only 2.5 episodes, but each one a BANGER. love from a fellow anti-Zionist from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@slampersand3145]

I'm USian but my dad's parents were off the boat from Scotland so I feel a kindred to you. Blessings on this sick sad Xmas.

[@justsomethoughts6110]

Free Palestine from Scotland ❤💚🖤

[@PhotographyByDHG]

Thank you for representing Scotland against the bad example set by Eve Fartlow.

[@sencoptico]

I can't express enough how essential people like you are to stop the never ending cycle of hatred. Never underestimate the worth of being an example of a person doing the right thing.

[@Ahreman_egy]

im egyptian and i totally agree

[@arimas1977]

I am a French north african muslim and you teach me so much about zionism works. I used to not say out loud that I was antizionist because of antisemitism threat! I can’t affiliate to that type of hate, to any hate actually. But Now , as I u understand fully and grasp more about zionism, I say it out loud and am relieved that it has nothing to do with Judaism ! Love for you two ❤️

[@LunaBoo12]

"I like alive children so much." Same! And yet the leaders of the western world don't seem to feel this way. It's mind boggling 🤯 Anyway, I loved this episode. Very insightful and informative. Thanks Shereen and Matt! 🍉

[@dogblessamerica]

11:29 the discussion about the sense of humour reminded me of the story in the UK, where Jeremy Corbyn was savaged in the press for saying that Zionist disrupters at a meeting in London, lacked an understanding of "English irony", despite spending most of their lives here - in contrast with the Palestinian representatives who spoke English as a second or third language. This was portrayed as the most clearly anti-Semitic thing Corbyn had ever said, according to the media.

[@Sorenzo]

Jewish comedy has a lot of "people hate us for no reason", whereas Israeli comedy has a lot of "here's why people might wanna hate us."

[@Sambamuae1881]

I love Bad Hasbara, thank you for this incredible channel, You are one of my favorite Jewish people, Please keep up the phenomenal work you do. Thank you so much we need voices like yours

[@marie-laure.]

Your description of the need to seize territory... Was the literal Lebensraum theory, which led to a final soluce... Not kidding, they are literally coming from the same mindset

[@islatubular]

the theme song goes so hard omg

[@susemcx]

I just saw a report that the Korean foreign ministry asked the Israeli embassy to delete a video that simulated a Hamas attack against Seoul (featuring a young beuatiful mother holding her crying infant). The Israeli embassy said it was made to promote empathy with Israeli victims of the attack. I immidiately thought of your channel.

[@Libbathegreat]

Since Ari Shavit's "My Promised Land" was brought up, everyone should check out Norman Finkelstein's rebuttal to it called "Old Wine, Broken Bottle".

[@frotcast]

I had no idea! Reading this immediately. Thank you!

[@Libbathegreat]

@@frotcast Most welcome! I'd love to see Finkelstein on your podcast! And thank you for having these conversations, it's so needed right now. I was getting so burned out with all the terrible news every day, so seeing informed people and pointing out the absurdity and even the (gallows) humor is refreshing. Fascists can withstand everything but ridicule. Keep at it!

[@orlandodasilva2529]

This whole situation made me unable to listen to a lot of my favourite comedy podcasts because either they ignore the genocide, or in the case of Keith and The Girl, actively support it by being ignorant amd angry at protesters. You and Ethically Ambiguous are my two new favourites. Thanks!

[@lludd99]

This is my new favorite Podcast. Matt is so funny with a beautiful heart.

[@zeeshawnali4078]

My new favourite pod. All Hasbara is Bad Hasbara!

[@THEE_Kisywisy]

🚨POD SUGGESTION🚨: Could you please include links to the guests’ channels and podcasts in the description PLEASE ❤❤❤

[@slampersand3145]

Agree. This is helpful.

[@michaelboyd2404]

Another brilliant episode. I still have to watch Tantura as well, but I've seen those clips. It reminds me of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Committee testimonials - minus the reconciliation. The slow "a genocide isn't really genocide" argument sounds like the old Malcolm in the Middle bit where the dad gets a guy kicked out of the racewalkers group because he keeps jogging. Being black, what's astonishing to me is that Israelis don't seem to understand how much black(and brown) people are aware of America's Jim Crow culture. Like, WHY are you doing the Palestinian equivalent to blackface in 2023?! Ta Nehisi Coates called it out awhile back. It's impossible for (honest) black folks NOT to make that connection. It seems as though for ethno-nationalism to ultimately work as a concept, diaspora has to go away. The two cannot ideologically coexist. It's fundamentally offensive to ethno-nationalists to see any diasporic community thriving. It's just jealousy of Empire. Years ago I found out that the creator of The Last of Us game was inspired by his "experiences" serving in the IDF and I couldn't stop thinking about how post-9/11 the cinematic tropes of the "generically evil homogeneous group" have been presented. Whether it's Zombies, the Skrulls in Secret Invasion or some other IP, it all tends to feel very right-wing coded. The whole "We don't wanna have to kill them, but they just refuse to listen to reason so it's genocide. Don't worry, I'm gonna have a good cry after I pull the trigger." nonsense just feels so so very transparent now.

[@gapsule2326]

Romero never dehumanized his wacky zombies. His post 911 movies leaned pretty left.

[@ishbahmalik7675]

Highly recommend tantura and the female idf soldier documentary...I agree with everything you said... even the starvation thing is like a mirror... over here blacks are herded into ghettos not close to decent grocery stores and then charged triple at convenience stores and local expensive grocery stores... it's called a food desert. Most poor people in America aren't starving because they can't afford food, it's because they don't have access to decently priced food.

[@treesab]

You mentioned the Jim Crowe laws here in the US and how it's impossible for Black Americans to not make a connection to the similar cultural behavior in Israelis. As a white American born in late 60's, my mom used to tell me how black and white students had to drink from separate fountains, how black students werent even allowed to swim in the high school swimming pool. I remember looking at her yearbooks and seeing the signs designating for "whites" and "negroes" and the terrible injustice that sat in the pit of my gut as a little girl, who simply couldn't believe that such a society could exist. Looking back now, it's even more unnerving to realize this wasn't something that happened 100's of years ago, but was just being undone as I came into the world. I think both black and white Americans have been kept blind to the realities of what Israel is, thanks to a well crafted, ongoing propaganda campaign combined with a plethora of gatekeepers and firewalls that keep the truth sealed off.

[@michaelboyd2404]

@@treesab I agree. I think Coates made that very point very well: a part of us Americans just cannot believe that a system as I just as apartheid could still exist as the norm for Israel. But seeing it in person, it's the only honest conclusion.

[@ishbahmalik7675]

@treesab no lies told... fact is alot of blacks still don't know... most of us are trying to survive...we tend to have tunnel vision that way, also by design... we're perfectly colonialized... we pass this stuff on to our kids in some form or another... I've tried my best to break the molds with my children... but I was raised Muslim, so I'm different. My dad was a black panther also, so I had a lot of knowledge of black history...stuff not taught in schools...

[@BobtheRedead]

My favorite new podcast. Keep it up, you're hilarious! Even the little jokes like "the most moral podcast in the world" are 💯. Thank you for speaking the truth.

[@JH-yj7kk]

I feel like there's an aspect of something resembling generational envy wrapped up in this. Family members of my grandparents generation were always strangely unempathetic to marginalized people, despite having grown up in poor immigrant families who experienced discrimination. My grandmother would always rant against any kind of government assistance or anything she viewed as a "hand out" or "pity party". She once told me a story about how, as a child, her family ate a significant amount of spoiled meat that was infested with maggots bc they were so poor and there were so many mouths to feed that not eating it wasn't an option. Ok, so wouldn't it be good if other people didn't have to experience that, Grandma??? Some people experience hardship and mistreatment or neglect and go on to try and make things better. Some people make their way into a comfortable enough position and then think it's their turn to be on top!

[@pest_4109]

They want to fast-forward to the part where they are America - SPOT ON!

[@JB-mf4km]

Omg an early morning episode at 6am as I’m just trying to be alive. It’s an early Christmas miracle thanks hasbara 😂😂

[@spicemasterii6775]

I love hasbara. They make the best toys and games.

[@ishbahmalik7675]

😂good one...

[@Coffeemancer]

"the trains crashed in East Palestine did you hear" Some guy on Twitter: "ISRAEL LEADS THE WORLD IN CLIMATE FRIENDLY RAILWORKS"

[@MohamedTarek-zj2zs]

Matt, this has 'very quickly' become a favourite podcast of mine, it's brilliant, it's insightful, it's funny, it's deep, and it's definitely one of positive things to come out of this dark times we're living in. Many thanks to you, Ben and Shereen. Looking forward to watching this podcast as my new habit.

[@someonefourth]

Regarding Shereen's remark on the religious symbol on the flag, we have a similar playground fight technique, where if you start to getting attacked after being an annoying piece of s**t, you just declare that you have a Religion book in your bag.. therefore you're untouchable as it would be desecration if the bag gets stepped on or something in the fight.

[@baintreachas]

"we" being...? i had a Hindu friend that said she used to surround her brother w books during the floor is lava, so he would be trapped

[@someonefourth]

@@baintreachas sorry forgot to mention it.. we Egyptians. This trick works for both Muslims and Christians here. That's a smart move from your friend :D

[@williemasterofdestruction5339]

Most informative pod with a mix of humor since leftovers blew up. Greetings from Arizona. ✌️💚🍉

[@Tinfoilpain]

Shereen! Much love from the offical most moral listener

[@b.mcboatface7319]

I know nothing, but all I've seen is if someone ever tells you they're "fighting terrorism" then your first question should be "what did you do". There's always a backstory that involves some hideous sht.

[@imad54321]

Creative and very fresh angle, you pull it off !! Brilliant.

[@soulfulgangsters]

Hi Matt, just listened to all three episodes and feeling so grateful to hear another jew talking about the work it takes to get deprogrammed from everything we're taught. If you need a guest for a show to talk about that experience, I'd love to chat with you. 🙂

[@mglaze13]

Enjoying the podcast ✌🏼️ Love from a Muslim raised in Los Angeles .

[@dr.e.ibrahim6920]

Amazing work guys thank you so much

[@Sorenzo]

There were Muslim states that had the Star of David on their flags back in medieval times, such as the Beylik of Karaman, which was absorbed by the Ottomans.

[@user-ty4jw5xe6d]

Thanks for a really funny & honest podcast.

[@DeadCanuck]

This pod is amazing; the discussion of humour among the IDF reminded me of “Generation Kill” and how, in that show, the humour the soldiers spout is contrasted CONSTANTLY with the atrocities they commit.

[@oladarkal9207]

Thank you very much, this is amazing #FreePalastine

[@user-yv6wk4gw9u]

This is pretty much my favorite podcast

[@grizzuh]

Greetings from Germany ❤

[@NoGoZoon]

1:02:50 'because i like alive children so much' ... made me cry there in the last minute

[@Libbathegreat]

My Jewish grandfather unironically LOVED Christmas and every Christmas post-1973 would proudly put up his fake white tree with the blue lights and giant blue baubles 🤣

[@NoName-lq6vw]

I mean Christmas is by no means a Christian holiday. Humans have been gathering in acknowledgment of the winter solstice in various ways for thousands of years

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

Even orthodox christian and chatolic dont celebrate december christmas😂😂

[@vivalapalestine7235]

Love this keep up the good work

[@gorgeoushammer]

excellent podcast. you two are wonderful people.

[@PaulDarcy-wr9fh]

This was great

[@xalivt]

first comment .. FREE PALESTINE , STOP THE GENOCIDE

[@detrockcity3]

Great work.

[@aydilla85]

This is amazing! Loving every episode. 💫👌🏽

[@kqharvey]

Just found this podcast and just loving it. Matt, you are hilarious in an enlightening way. Thank you!

[@janicej3436]

The Hamas calendar!!! 😹😹😹😹😹

[@g-radical349]

This podcast is amazing, loving the lighthearted vibe you guys are somehow able to bring to this important and difficult conversation in the midst of all the chaos and crimes against humanity. Also where the heck can i listen to the full track in the opening theme?

[@slampersand3145]

Good one, y'all. I appreciate you.

[@casparwijn]

Can't wait to see/hear your next episode!

[@shanefoster2132]

I really just am not a christmas person. It's winter, i have to wake up earlier to clear the snow from my car, and there's less sun. Gifts? I don't want any. Can we just fuck off and do this in the summer?

[@annoyedaussie3942]

Move to the southern hemisphere and pick a warmer climate.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

😂😂 touche

[@illadinr]

Thank you for this episode

[@Rsa20000]

Appreciate the content you’re putting out!keep going..

[@rueDegreen]

Goddamn.. Matt Lieb! I'm super impressed. you made my day.

[@MissMaserati]

Thanks for doing these podcast, they're very informative and interesting on this subject.

[@cringelemon5365]

Awesome episode! Loving this show, really talking about topics that so many other (purposefully in some cases!) completely ignore.

[@Darisiabgal7573]

Beautiful guest, so fun

[@TylerHumphrey05]

Great job. Really enjoyed. Keep it up

[@nbeizaie]

Great podcast! I am sharing your link with others. Hopefully they enjoy it as much as I do. Yuo are honest and also it is refreshing to see jews standing to Israel taking advantage of them for their nefarious purposes and also to see all of humanity stand for what is right. It is especially great to see muslims and jews and christians going back to their roots and be able to live together as they did for centuries (as the NY rabbi Weiss has said and showed us so many times).

[@Jc-yu2ot]

Great show great guest 💯

[@PanikaMCD]

drip irrigation was invented in China in the first century BCE and the first use of modern drip irrigation was in Germany in the 1860s. the Israeli innovation was the use of plastic pipes which are a petrochemical product so…

[@ansgarm.cordie9659]

I don't know the Tantura documentary. In another film, I saw former Israeli soldiers crying about what they were involved in during the Nakba. Some Israeli's lives were destroyed, too, because of what they saw in 1947/1948. One Israeli woman cried, because she had the baby shoes of a Palestinian toddler in her hands, but no child could be found any more. It's these individual cases, that make the crimes so visible to us.

[@ghamouda]

46:56, actually six-pointed star dates to the Canaanites way before Judaism. Jews adapted that symbol, but you can also find it in the Palestinian art and heritage.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

Same with svastika, that have nothing to do with Nazi's Haken-kreutz, 1000+ years belong to asia, we go ????? When japan olympic mayhem about it😂😂

[@lmac9718]

Love this podcast. Love Matt……but please let your guests speak ✊🇵🇸🗝

[@agoodfilter7139]

Hahahahasbara

[@annettekubler6998]

thank you so much. we do not do it like nazi germany, we do it like america ... on the point!

[@florin-titusniculescu5871]

mate , that's a very cool shallows shade you got up there

[@edgarlampkin3151]

fire pod breh

[@ayaya173]

I need this song damn it!

[@lanegeorgeton8266]

Thx

[@user-pn1ce3dz5c]

You should show more, like her tweets.

[@aanaddha]

Israel: excuses of the abusive spouse.

[@johndoe-cp2hx]

Ich liebe Matt Lieb ❤

[@detrockcity3]

The ancient Jewish symbol is the Menorah, not the six-point star. In fact, there isn’t really any biblical origin for the six-point star. It does turn up in the occult a lot, though.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

yep. Kaballah was heretics that comes from many older culture like babylonian

[@agoodfilter7139]

Shireen. You look 20❤

[@Mahmood42978]

Benny Morris has some infamously heinous remarks justifying ethnic cleansing.

[@YourMajesty143]

13:18 - At first, I stopped in my tracks at her saying "Isrælis (of today) have never been victims of anything" and obviously 0ct 7th & other retaliatory attacks by Pªləstınıªn resistance would suggest otherwise, but then she elaborated on the context. However, I'm sure some people would still struggle to go along with this framework, bc this would be an easy target to claim antı-semıtısm. I think a better word than "victim" is "oppressed". The Isrælis can't be seen as the oppressed party, bc they are the ones with the power - they're doing the oppressing. They are the occupier, controller, enforcer, agitator, and initiator of the abuse that of course turns into a repetitive cycle of retaliation between the 2 groups. But since they're the ones inciting the violence (even during cəasəfırəs) and sustaining the system of abuse, then yeah the victim framework that they heavily rely on doesn't reflect the actual dynamic between them and the Pªləstınıªns. I got what she meant, but without going into deeper context, I think it's easy to misinterpret her commentary here.

[@untitledanarchistseagullch1237]

15:12 'Good names for poop puns'. 'Dudu' is an actual legit Israeli name.

[@nahumhabte6210]

Israelis like Gilad Atzmon said many years ago that Israel is a « Liebensraum» state. Apartheid is to Nice

[@DeadCanuck]

1:01:25 WHAT?! Omg I knew Shereen’s voice sounded familiar!!

[@professorhazard]

Matt, we could use some Pop Up Video type things on screen to, for instance, define "Necba" and have a little blurb under it. Necva? I don't even know how to spell it, so it's hard to learn more about it.

[@MagicAndWires]

Nakba(h)

[@professorhazard]

@@MagicAndWires Thank you

[@gatousakhel6206]

Hi guys I am kind of new !! Great episode !!Is this one of the Chapo guys?? Is he that matt??

[@frotcast]

Matt is not that matt, he is a different matt.

[@gatousakhel6206]

​@@frotcast😂❤ thank you for clarifying!! I am so very much enjoying the podcast it has such a fun concept!! YAY Another matt TO like ❤🎉

[@Coffeemancer]

Can you talk about Norman Finklestein

[@boiling_snow_water_]

9:55 this is literally a scene in "Attack on Titan" after Eren genocides a nation.

[@Darisiabgal7573]

👍👍👍👍

[@katief2593]

What documentary was she talking about? It's not mentioned in the show notes. Tenture?

[@krestr-md1ju]

The Greta Thunbergs octopus appearance is probably "Blekkulf" (loosely translated Inky?), and its from an enviornment detective kids show made in the 90s, making sure grown ups pick up their trash etc.. :)

[@detrockcity3]

Smallpox on blankets happened one single time as a strategy against a militant opponent and it was a British officer that did it, for the record.

[@YamiHoOu]

Ohhhh behind the bastards! I was going crazy trying to work put whwre i had heard you from before

[@Rammsteinn8Italia]

anyone have a link to the Sunday Monday song?

[@user-re5dm9uj9p]

👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@aerobique]

🌏🌎🌍✊

[@omarmohamad815]

Even with Matt and Shereen's commentary these IOF videos normalizing and making light of the brutality against Gazans is just way too disturbing for me rn. But thanks for your coverage of this anyway.

[@kledynk6591]

regarding the flag the ziosnists historically own this symbol, I don't think the association between the star of David and Judaism doesn't go further back than 19/20th c.

[@justreddz]

Swag

[@haraldisdead]

Wow she's gorgeous

[@grizzuh]

Thank you for this podcast. ❤ Now do a Comedy Special about Seinfeld. 😊

[@kledynk6591]

so I used to think there might be something wrong with me, until recently I figured out my Jewish roots - then comes the October 2023 and now I know for a fact there's something wrong with me 💫

[@markus_selloi]

Gallowman humor