470. China vs Japan, the BBC at Breaking Point, and The Future of Satire (Question Time)
20 November 2025
126. Israel, Gaza, and the United Nations (Francesca Albanese)
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Podcast
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24 March 2025
What role does the UN play in the Occupied Palestinian territories? What is the responsibility of Western media when it comes to covering issues surrounding Israel and Palestine? How did Francesca Albanese’s Southern Italian heritage inform her passion for fighting injustice?
Rory and Alastair are joined by Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, to discuss all this and more.
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Video Editor: Josh Smith
Assistant Producer: Alice Horrell
Social Producer: Jess Kidson
Producer: Nicole Maslen
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Head of Content: Tom Whiter
Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport
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Your podcast is normally such high class, but to give this anti semitic scumbag the airtime you did was just horrific! Not once did she mention the hostages and their suffering. Not once did she mention the continuous rocket attacks coming from Gaza. She has a completely warped mind. There is no genocide in Gaza and her views are abhorrent. The Palestinians have been offered a state numerous times and always refused. Why give airtime to a person like this – to get more listeners? You just lost one!
“Polarising”
In your recent interview of Francesca Albanese when introducing her and when finishing the interview she and her opinions were described by you both as “polarising”.
Are her views polarising or are the international laws that she cites as a lawyer polarising?
It seems that when the media uses the word polarising when describing a guest , the term acts as a “get out of jail card” to minimise criticism of the interviewer (or their employer) from a segment of its listenership.
To describe a guest and their views as polarising attempts to hide or camouflage the personal views of the interviewer.
It is interesting that “polarising” is not expressed in the media, when describing views on Russia/Ukraine and acts of other authoritarian countries.
Is the use of the word polarisation when describing a guest and their views simply a commercial consideration?