The Telos Channel

Massive student protests at Columbia University in solidarity with Gaza were met with swift and intense repression by university administrators and NYPD over the weekend, leading to the arrests of more than 100 students.

Greg Khalil, President and Co-founder of Telos, was present for some of the events over the weekend as an adjunct professor at Columbia. He shares what he saw, what he has heard from students leading and participating in the protests, and what it means for our nation as we struggle to reckon with our part of what’s happening in Gaza.

*Note: This conversation was recorded on Tuesday, April 23—the situation on college campuses across the country is evolving quickly. Protests and student encampments have grown on dozens of campuses. Police on campuses at the University of Texas, Cal-Poly University, Emerson College, and others have cracked down on these protests with violent measures, arresting hundreds of students. Our conversation hopefully offers a way forward to know how to engage these protests with a vision of mutual flourishing.

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After Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iran launched a barrage of 300 missiles at Israel from sites around the Middle East. While around 99% of the projectiles were intercepted before landing, the retaliatory response represented an escalation in a moment already fraught with risk of greater war. Then, overnight last Friday, Israel responded with a strike near an Iranian nuclear site, raising concerns that the region could be on the brink of massive violence.

In this episode, we explore the complex relationship between Israel and Iran, how the recent strikes factor into Washington’s relationship to the actors and what’s happening in Gaza, and what it all means for us—those of us who care to see the human rights of all people honored in the region.

In order to provide a range of perspectives on the issue, we brought on guest expert Joe Cirincione to discuss. Joe is the Former Director for Non Proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where he closely tracked Iran’s nuclear program and then, as the President of Ploughshares Fund, played a key role in the campaign for the Iran Deal, which rolled back Iran’s nuclear weapons development program. Joe is an internationally recognized expert on the issue and offered invaluable insights for us on this episode.

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Read Joe’s substack

Read Nicholas Kristoff in the New York Times, as mentioned by Joe: Gaza is Biden’s War Now

After an Israeli strike killed IRGC leaders in Syria, the region has waited with baited breath for a response from the Iranian regime. Could regional war be on the horizon?

We explore:

• What (and who) is a proxy?
• How does the US-Israel alliance shape Iran’s engagement in the region?
• What does the strike mean for the ongoing negotiations to end the war?

We hear the perspectives of two accomplished guest experts from DAWN: Democracy for the Arab World Now, a human rights organization founded by the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 to promote the rule of law and democracy across the Middle East, just before his murder in Turkey.

Joining us were Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s Executive Director, and Omid Memarian, DAWN’s Director of Communications and an Iranian journalist. Both have impressive resumes in human rights work in the region and offer a helpful perspective on the current moment.

There’s more to explore on Iran, so stay tuned for further conversations with more perspectives, and send us your questions from this episode to address in a follow-up conversation coming soon.

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Read more about DAWN’s work

Yesterday, after three attempts vetoed by the US, the U.N. Security Council successfully passed a resolution calling for an immediate and “lasting” ceasefire in Gaza, with the US abstaining.

We discuss: What does this reflect about the US’ ongoing relationship to the region? What difference will the resolution make on the ground, and for the protection of international norms of human rights? And what can we do to use our voice to build a world that supports the freedom, security, and dignity of all people—in Israel/Palestine and elsewhere?

The Check-in:

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UPDATE!! This morning, the International Court of Justice issued its ruling on the provisional measures of South Africa's case against Israel at The Hague, after it accused it of failing its commitments to the Genocide Convention in its campaign in Gaza.

This ruling is potentially a world-pivoting event. Listen to find out why...

BUT FIRST, be sure to listen to our previous episode discussing the case:
"The Check-in: South Africa takes Israel to Court."

*David was recording on the road today so audio-quality wasn't as sharp as normal. He promises to remember his mic next time :)

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All you need to know about South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

South Africa's complaint accuses Israel of breaching its commitments to the Genocide Convention in relation to its 100+ day war against the people of Gaza, in which more than 24,000 people have been killed. The significance of this case could not be higher.

What difference will it make for the people of Gaza and Israel, how might the US be held accountable in a future hearing, and what can we—those of us who care to see the dignity of all upheld in the region—do to support a future of mutual flourishing?

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Read South Africa's complaint against Israel.

This week, we take a deeper dive into the ongoing conversations and questions around language that have surfaced in our nation (and across the world) since October 7. We discuss how to speak in both honest and yet invitational ways that keep mutual flourishing at the center. We’ll hear from Eli, who joins us from Jerusalem, and touch on how we – as peacemakers – can hold multiple perspectives in tension at once, while practicing listening to understand.

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Resources we’d recommend:

• JDA Definition of antisemitism
• Our training on how to combat antisemitism

** Since we recorded this podcast, we received the news that Israel and Hamas had reached a deal regarding a release of hostages and a 4-day ceasefire. Check out our Instagram for our response. As such, this conversation reflects a previous reality but includes helpful discussion we think is still worth sharing. **

40 days after October 7, what are realities on the ground for Israelis and Palestinians? What does the next day after a ceasefire look like? What else can we do to support not just an end to the bloodshed, but a transformation of the deeper issues that keep the region from a true and lasting peace?

The Telos team gets together to discuss.

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Evangelicals and Israel/Palestine FAQ

In the midst of so much sorrow and grief, we released Peace Songs, a record in partnership with Good Shepherd Collective on our Principles and Practices of Peacemaking.

When it was planned to be released at the end of October, we didn't know it would come as a timely dose of beauty and hope in a time of so much sorrow. But we are glad it has.

Listen to a conversation with David Gungor and Kate Gungor, Liz Vice and Diana Gameros about the new album and one of the songs, Accomplice.

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The song was written at @laitylodge, recorded at @sonicranch, and produced by @davidgungor.

This week, we answer some of your most frequently asked questions on what's happening in Israel and Gaza, how we got here, and what it will take to get out, including questions like:

- Why did the US veto a UN Security Council resolution for a humanitarian pause?
- What will a ceasefire actually accomplish?
- If it's a 6000 year old conflict (hint, that's a myth), will it ever actually end?

Tune in for the update on the region, and a reminder of the agency each of us has in this moment to advocate for lasting, durable peace, and human rights for all.

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Sign petitions and call your MOC to call for a ceasefire
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