Why Language Matters in Israel鈥檚 Assault on Gaza
In his to the American public on Oct. 19, 2023, President Joe Biden said, 鈥淗istory has taught us that when terrorists don鈥檛 pay a price for their terror, when dictators don鈥檛 pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction.鈥
Biden was referring to the Palestinian militia group Hamas, which carried out a series of deadly attacks inside Israel on Oct. 7. But according to media analyst , if Hamas is a terrorist organization, then, 鈥渢he same description fits the Israeli government.鈥
Solomon is the national director of , executive director of the , and author of (The New Press). He spoke with 猫咪社区! Racial Justice Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on 猫咪社区! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about why language is so important when discussing Israel鈥檚 war on Gaza.
Sonali Kolhatkar
joined 猫咪社区! in summer 2021, building on a long and decorated career in broadcast and print journalism. She is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and host and creator of聽猫咪社区! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali, a nationally syndicated television and radio program airing on Free Speech TV and dozens of independent and community radio stations. She is also Senior Correspondent with the Independent Media Institute鈥檚 Economy for All project where she writes a weekly column. She is the author of聽Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice聽(2023) and聽Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence聽(2005). Her forthcoming book is called聽Talking About Abolition聽(Seven Stories Press, 2025). Sonali is co-director of the nonprofit group, Afghan Women鈥檚 Mission which she helped to co-found in 2000. She has a Master鈥檚 in Astronomy from the University of Hawai鈥檌, and two undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. Sonali reflects on 鈥淢y Journey From Astrophysicist to Radio Host鈥 in her 2014聽聽of the same name.
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