On Hard Knock Radio, Davey D sat down with Samer Araabi of AROC to unpack the realities in Gaza after the so called ceasefire and the political currents swirling around it. Araabi said the ceasefire created a brief window of relief but did not end the crisis. He noted that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the agreement and that promised aid is falling far short. The deal calls for about six hundred aid trucks a day, but current estimates hover near one hundred. He added that the aid entering Gaza often lacks the supplies needed to reverse acute malnutrition and excludes materials required to clear rubble or rebuild homes, signaling an intention to keep Gaza in a state of destruction.
The conversation widened to the battle over narrative. Araabi argued the ceasefire also served to reset media attention and punish organizers, even as public opinion shifted toward Palestinian rights. He pointed to expanding efforts to criminalize speech and label anti Zionism as antisemitism, and to heavy handed policing of protest that often backfires by exposing overreach. As an example of the political turn, he cited a recent landslide win in New York where exit polls showed voters were moved by a pro Palestine stance.
Davey D and Araabi connected this moment to domestic power. They discussed police exchanges, surveillance, and how US and Israeli interests align within a broader authoritarian and late stage capitalist framework. They also drew lines to Sudan and Congo, noting regional actors and resource networks that link these crises.
On what people can do, Araabi offered two tracks. Support credible groups already working in Gaza, such as the Middle East Children’s Alliance. And change the political conditions at home by cutting off arms flows. Locally, he highlighted the Oakland People’s Arms Embargo campaign focused on stopping F 35 parts shipments through the airport, along with pushes at the Port Commission, Alameda County, and the Oakland City Council. He urged listeners to plug in through AROC’s events calendar and to make this issue decisive in the coming elections.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.