UpFront

Israeli bombardment of Gaza weakens healthcare and continues to kill hundreds; Plus: honoring Malcolm X on his birthday

Buildings in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City are decimated by Israeli airstrikes. Photo courtesy of Dr. Medhat Abbas.

On this show:

0:08 – To continue our coverage of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, we speak with Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, about the effectiveness of Tuesday’s general strike across Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. His most recent book is “The Hundred Years’ War On Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance.”

0:36 – Tamara Payne is the daughter of the late journalist Les Payne and co-author with him of The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X. She joins us to discuss the book on Malcolm X’s birthday. The book is based on decades of research by Les Payne and was awarded the National Book Award for Nonfiction. For a contribution of $150 during our Spring Fund Drive, listeners can receive their own copies of The Dead Are Arising. 

0:43 – Dr. Medhat Abbas is the director of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, where Israeli bombardments have destroyed medical facilities and severely weakened access to healthcare. Dr. Abbas shares what he’s been observing — overcrowding in schools causing spikes in COVID-19 cases, limited hospital capacity, and hundreds of civilian casualties.

1:10 We devote the second hour of today’s show to honoring the life of Malcolm X on his birthday. We air one of his speeches entitled Friends and Enemies, which he gave at Detroit’s Ford Auditorium on February 14, 1965, the day after his home was bombed, and a week before he was assassinated. This speech is included in the Digital Malcolm X Collection, which listeners can receive for a contribution of $100 during our Spring Fund Drive!