Interviewee Intro

In this episode we speak with Omri, a 35-year-old Israeli whorecently returned to live in Israel after several years in Europe. It’s worth noting that this conversation was recorded while he was still living in the Netherlands. He frequently takes part in protests against his own government, yet he also believes that Israel’s military actions – in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond – are justified. It’s a tension that many Israelis grapple with:opposing their government’s policies while still supporting what they see as the country’s right to defend itself.

Interview Buildup

In this episode, we explore that tension. We talk about whatit was like growing up in Ramat Gan in the 1990s — a childhood shaped by the aftermath of the Oslo Accords, the hope they inspired, and the disillusionment that followed. We reflect on what outsiders often misunderstand about Israelis, and how fear, trauma, and politics have shaped a country still wrestling with its identity, its security, and its future.

We also talk about what it means to be Jewish in Europe today — and how living abroad has given Omri new perspectives on his own country, as well as the broader global conversation surrounding the conflict.

This is a personal, thoughtful, and sometimes difficultconversation — one that doesn’t seek to provide easy answers, but instead offers insight into the lived reality of an Israeli who, like many others, is caught between protest and patriotism, grief and resolve, hope and heartbreak.

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Email: ⁠israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com

Coming Up Today & Biography
In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr John McMullen, an educational and child psychologist based in Northern Ireland. Dr McMullen has worked extensively with war-affected children in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and currently supports refugee pupils in Northern Irish schools. He also lectures on trauma, conflict, and the refugee experience.

Episode Buildup

Our conversation begins with how prolonged exposure to violence shapes a child’s emotional and cognitive development and how trauma manifests differently across age groups. Drawing on his experiences in East Africa andBelfast, Dr McMullen offers a grounded psychological lens on how early trauma becomes embedded in the developing brain—shaping how children view themselves, others and the world.

While his research is rooted in specific regions, such as Uganda and the DRC, his insights reveal something universal: trauma transcends borders. Whether it’s a child in Gulu, Gaza, or East Belfast, the psychological effects of violence are strikingly similar. This generalisability opens up space to explore shared risks and opportunities—especially in long-standing conflict zones like Israel-Palestine, where children live in segregated societies often shaped by inherited fear and mistrust.

We also discuss resilience—what it looks like in children exposed to war, and whether it can be cultivated through education. From integrated schools in Northern Ireland to classroom interventions in Uganda, Dr McMullen shares lessons with relevance far beyond any one context.

Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898

Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com

What happens when a person raised in one narrative suddenly sees the humanity of the other side?

In this powerful episode, I speak with Rav Hanan Schlesinger, an Orthodox rabbi and co-founder of Roots/Shorashim/Judur, a grassroots movement fostering understanding and nonviolence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Born in New York and now living in the the land, Hanan describes his early life immersed in Jewish identity but isolated from Palestinians, whom he admits he neither saw nor truly knew. A moral turning point—a moment of raw honesty while picking up a hitchhiker—set him on a path to meet the people living beside him. What followed was a profound personal transformation that led to deep relationships, painful reckonings, and the eventual co-founding of Roots alongside Palestinian partners.

We explore identity, the power of listening, the challenge of seeing the “enemy” as human, and how his Jewish faith both wrestles with and supports the work of reconciliation. This is a conversation about risk, empathy and what it means to hope—even when despair feels easier.

Tune in to hear a voice of courage from one of the most contested places on Earth.

Twitter/X: @IAPUnpacked

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558747507898

Email: israelpalestineunpacked@gmail.com

Additionally, if you know anyone who you feel would like to be interviewed or possibly fits the description, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Pádraig