The Thin Veil with Ezra Lipp

Ezra Lipp

The Thin Veil explores what happens when inherited narratives about history, identity, power, and belonging begin to break down—and what it means to move toward greater moral clarity and alignment in their wake. Centered around Palestine and anti-Zionism, and rooted in musician/activist Ezra Lipp’s own process of political unlearning later in life, the show features conversations with artists, organizers, and others navigating questions of imperialism, colonization, liberation, and the systems shaping our world.

  1. 3 days ago

    Impolite, Unstoppable and Unapologetically Palestinian: The World According to Mo Hamzeh

    Mo Hamzeh is a Palestinian American activist, content creator and author who has been repeatedly banned from Meta platforms—at the time of publishing now on his 45th Instagram account. In this conversation, he talks about growing up Palestinian in a heavily Zionist community, being bullied as a child for identifying as Palestinian, and finally visiting Palestine for the first time in September 2023, just weeks before October 7. We talk about what happened after October 7 and why Palestinians were ignored, why Mo decided he was “done being polite,” his characterization of liberal Zionism as the most dangerous form of Zionism, and why he believes Palestinians should no longer have to defend their own humanity. We also discusses accusations of antisemitism within the Palestine movement and why Mo doesn't even think we should use that term, and how Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and the worlds complicity has exposed the myth of International Law. Follow Mo on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/aya.mo.llah/ ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Coming Up (00:47) - Intro (04:31) - Welcome to the Other Side (07:30) - Mo’s Palestinian Identity (11:18) - Returning to Palestine (14:00) - October 7th & Going All In (16:30) - Breaking Through to a Zionist (18:30) - The New Zionist Rhetoric (20:00) - Liberal Zionism & Selective Activism (25:30) - “Peaceful Zionism” & Denial (27:00) - Why Mo Is Done Being Polite (30:30) - Antisemitism, Anti-Jewish Hate & Zionism (34:30) - Palestine & the Fight Against Oppression (37:00) - Palestine, America & the System (39:00) - The Collapse of International Law (40:30) - Is Revolution Still Possible? (44:30) - Finding Joy During Genocide (48:30) - The Hope of a New Generation (50:00) - Is It Too Late for Gaza? (52:00) - Reclaiming Palestinian Humanity (53:30) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  2. 2 Sept

    The Multifaceted Machinery of Palestinian Dispossession with Sam Avraham Stein

    On this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra sits down with Sam Avraham Stein, a Jewish anti-Zionist activist who, over the last five years, has repeatedly traveled to Palestine to do protective presence work in the occupied West Bank. They trace Sam’s ideological journey, from growing up in a right-wing Orthodox Zionist Jewish community in the U.S., to attending university in Tel Aviv, leading Birthright Israel trips, and eventually becoming involved in activism against the Israeli occupation and publicly advocating for anti-Zionism. Sam describes how this work—and particularly his experience living full-time in rural villages in Masafer Yatta—has shaped his understanding of Palestinian life under occupation, as well as the deep relationships he has developed along the way. He also breaks down the seemingly disparate systems through which Palestinian dispossession and violence are carried out, including Hilltop Youth settlers, the Israeli army, state law, and entrenched settlement cities. Ultimately, he reveals how these forces are not operating independently, but in conjunction as parts of a larger system of Palestinian dispossession, colonization, and ethnic cleansing. PLEASE SUPPORT SAM'S WORK AND FOLLOW HIS JOURNEY https://www.patreon.com/cw/Sam_Avraham/https://www.instagram.com/sam_avraham/ ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - — Cold Open (00:47) - — Introduction (04:31) - — Growing Up Zionist (08:06) - — The First Cracks (10:41) - — Hearing a Palestinian Story (15:22) - — From Liberal Zionism to Activism (17:43) - — Dehumanization & the Great March of Return (19:52) - — What Is Protective Presence? (22:45) - — Living in Um Al-Khair (24:44) - — Awdah: Friendship & Solidarity (27:06) - — Awdah’s Killing (30:18) - — The Machinery of Dispossession (32:22) - — What Occupation Looks Like on the Ground (38:25) - — How Dispossession Becomes State Policy (39:40) - — Areas A, B & C (43:23) - — When Settlers Become Soldiers (44:51) - — The Hilltop Youth (47:07) - — Settlements Aren’t “Moderate” (50:28) - — How Sam’s Positionality Changed (52:15) - — The World Gets Bigger When You’re Not Afraid ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  3. 25 Aug

    Debunking Liberal Zionist Myths About Palestinian Resistance

    In this episode of The Thin Veil, Esther and Ezra tear apart the liberal Zionist talking points that claim that if Palestinians resisted better they would not be oppressed.  Haviv Rettig Gur one Middle East analyst at Bari Weiss', Free Press, known for his liberal zionist stance claims that the Palestinian problem comes down to not understanding that Israelis are here to stay and if Palestinians only accepted that truth and peacefully protested Israel would be a democracy.  Point by point Ezra and Esther dismantle the projections and inversions of his talking points. From challenging the lie that Palestinian resistance has only ever been violent, to articulating that Palestinians have done more to take care of this land while Zi onists have actively destroyed it, and finally the recognition that the phrase from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free is one of the most beautiful phrases that should be embraced by all, as it envisions a Palestine where Muslims, Christians and Jews can live side by side in freedom and equality.  ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Coming Up Teaser (00:32) - Welcome to the Show (01:47) - The Unveiling is a Process (03:57) - Introducing the Hasbara Clip (05:57) - Critiquing Policy Not System (06:39) - Delegitimization and Projection (13:11) - Sumud and Self Determination (18:37) - Myth of Only Violence (23:38) - Liberal Zionists desire for a Perfect Victim (30:06) - Colonial Mindset demands enemies (33:59) - Palestinian Land Stewardship is a gift (35:04) - Closing and Support the Show ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  4. 18 Aug

    Sex, Drugs & Israeli Nationalism: Zionist Indoctrination at Jewish Summer Camp w/ Aaron Kreuter

    In this episode of The Thin Veil, host Ezra Lipp speaks with Canadian anti-Zionist Jewish writer, activist and academic Aaron Kreuter, author of Lake Burntshore, a novel set at a Jewish summer camp that explores Zionism, settler colonialism, Jewish identity, and the complicated relationship between diaspora Jews and Israel. The conversation explores the strange and powerful world of North American Jewish sleep-away camp: the sense of living in an alternative society, the wealth and privilege that make that communal utopia possible, and the ways Zionism and Israeli nationalism can become embedded in the fabric of camp life. Kreuter discusses Israeli soldiers serving as staff at North American Jewish summer camps, Israel programs and Birthright, military training programs for Jewish youth, and the broader project of shaping Jewish identity around the State of Israel. This conversation also explores the connections Kreuter draws between settler colonialism in Canada and Palestine, and what it means for Jews living in Canada and the United States to reckon with the land beneath their own communities. Finally, the episode examines the growing divide between Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews after October 7th, the role of anti-Zionist Jewish writers and artists, and whether internal Jewish conversations about Zionism risk becoming a distraction from the urgent reality facing Palestinians. Please Support Gaza Food Relief ProjectAARON KREUTERWEBSITEINSTAGRAM ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - — Intro + Technical Mishap Explanation (06:01) - — Aaron Kreuter: From Jewish Suburb to Anti-Zionism (10:18) - — Why Jewish Summer Camp Feels Like Another World (15:02) - — The Zionist Capture of Jewish Summer Camp (19:52) - — Israeli Soldiers, IDF Culture & Jewish Youth (24:48) - — How Zionism Became the Dominant Jewish Narrative (32:05) - — Settler Colonialism: Canada, Palestine & the Land Beneath Camp (37:33) - — After October 7: "Jewish Fiction" Inside the Jewish Community (42:15) - — Beyond Jewish Feelings: Solidarity with Palestine (45:54) - — Imagining a Better World Through Fiction ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  5. 11 Aug

    How Israeli Propaganda is Failing with Palestinian Filmmaker Rolla Selbak

    In this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra sits down with Palestinian filmmaker, writer, podcaster, and storyteller Rolla Selbak for a wide-ranging conversation on propaganda, identity, Hollywood, and what collective liberation could actually look like. They explore Rolla's journey growing up Palestinian, the moment she began questioning dominant narratives, and how filmmaking and satire have become powerful forms of resistance. Also discussed is Israel's propaganda apparatus, the changing media landscape after October 7th, her experience being dropped by Hollywood's Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and why she now sees that loss as one of the greatest gifts of her career. They also dive into  what it means to have queer Palestinian identity, speaking to Jewish audiences with compassion while remaining uncompromising in the pursuit of justice, and what a truly free Palestine could mean for everyone who calls the land home. Rolla's WebsiteRolla's InstagramRolla's Youtube ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Intro (02:10) - Rolla's "Thin Veil" moment (08:45) - Growing up Palestinian & questioning dominant narratives (16:30) - Storytelling as resistance (24:15) - Satire, humor & surviving impossible times (30:45) - Queer Palestinian identity & pinkwashing (43:20) - Israeli propaganda & the changing media landscape (56:40) - Hollywood, CAA & finding freedom (01:09:15) - Speaking to Jewish audiences (01:22:30) - Jewish anti-Zionism & solidarity (01:36:00) - What does a free Palestine actually look like? (01:49:30) - Hope, collective liberation & closing reflections ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  6. 7 Aug

    "Who The F#%k Cares It's Jews?" - The Thin Veil Unfiltered (Pilot) w/ Rabbi Esther Azar

    Welcome to The Thin Veil Unfiltered—a new recurring conversation between Ezra Lipp and Rabbi Esther Azar that is meant to complement the long-form interviews on The Thin Veil. In this pilot episode, Ezra and Esther revisit one of the most nuanced and often misunderstood points from Esther's previous appearance on The Thin Veil: Is what we're witnessing best understood as Jewish supremacy—or Western supremacy operating through Zionism? They wrestle with whether Jewish voices can ever be appropriately centered while Palestinians are being slaughtered, whether Zionism functions as the true "operating system" behind the genocide, why Christian Zionism and Western empire must be part of the conversation, and what responsibility Jewish communities bear within that larger system. ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON HAKHAM/RABBI ESTHER AZARWEBSITE INSTAGRAM SUBSTACK  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Coming Up (00:00) - Chapter 2 (01:00) - Introducing The Thin Veil Unfiltered (00:00) - Chapter 4 (03:00) - How Ezra and Esther Began Collaborating (00:00) - Chapter 6 (08:35) - The Conversation That Sparked So Much Debate (00:00) - Chapter 8 (10:45) - Why This Conversation Still Centers Palestinian Liberation (00:00) - Chapter 10 (12:40) - "Who Cares That It's Jews?" — Expanding the Frame (00:00) - Chapter 12 (14:45) - Judaism, Zionism, and Western Power (00:00) - Chapter 14 (18:00) - Zionism, Jewish Identity, and Antisemitism (00:00) - Chapter 16 (21:20) - Why Seeing Zionism as the Operating System Matters (00:00) - Chapter 18 (23:20) - Accountability, Responsibility, and Jewish Communities (00:00) - Chapter 20 (25:20) - Ending the Genocide vs. Changing Minds (00:00) - Chapter 22 (27:10) - Is Zionism Itself Antisemitic? (00:00) - Chapter 24 (28:20) - Jewish Power or Western Power? (00:00) - Chapter 26 (30:15) - Are We Centering Jewish Voices Too Much? (00:00) - Chapter 28 (35:30) - Why Esther No Longer Wants to Be Called an Anti-Zionist (00:00) - Chapter 30 (38:40) - Final Reflections ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  7. 4 Aug

    How Palestine Is Hidden From Us: History, Resistance & What We're Not Taught with Riad Bahhur

    In this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra speaks with Palestinian-American filmmaker, historian, and Sacramento City College professor of Contemporary Palestinian History and Culture, Riad Bahhur. After his parents were denied the right to return to Palestine following Israel's occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Riad spent his early childhood in Venezuela before his family settled in the United States. He reflects on his childhood visits to Palestine, the lessons he learned about living under Israeli military occupation, and the beauty, resilience, and depth of Palestinian culture as embodied by his grandmothers. Later, Riad returned to Palestine to help document the First Intifada, work that contributed to the documentaries People and the Land and Two Blue Lines. Drawing on decades of teaching Palestinian history and culture, he describes the profound sense of betrayal many of his students experience when they encounter these often-overlooked histories for the first time. Toward the end of the conversation, Ezra shares a vulnerable reflection on how dramatically his own understanding of Palestine has changed in a relatively short period of time, and why questioning the narratives he inherited ultimately led to the creation of The Thin Veil. ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOWLEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Riad Episode Edit (04:22) - Childhood in Palestine (12:58) - Clip The zionist Project (13:35) - Going back to America, Green (13:56) - Clip? The realest place is Gaza (15:31) - Always called to tell a story (filmmaking) (19:25) - First Intifada History Lesson (24:46) - Intifada - Underground schools and resistance - Green, trim 15% (29:43) - Teaching Palestine - Green (33:07) - Why People Can't See Palestine - Green (42:12) - Palestine Course and culture - Green (43:57) - Mixtape Confession - green (move earlier) (47:38) - Palestine Cultural Theft - Green (49:57) - More Zionist Discussion - Green (merge into previous section) (49:58) - Can Palestine Be Decolonized (Ending?) - Green "don't rush it" (56:51) - Iran/Palestine Trip - Yellow ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

  8. 29 Jul

    Witnessing Genocide: How Gaza Changed Dr. Mark Brauner

    Dr. Mark Brauner is an emergency physician who has spent his career responding to trauma, but nothing prepared him for what he encountered while volunteering at Nasser Hospital in Gaza. In this conversation, he reflects on the overwhelming conditions inside the hospital, the starvation crisis, the moral weight of treating mass casualties, and the profound relationships that changed him forever. Rather than finding hatred in the midst of unimaginable suffering, Mark describes encountering extraordinary generosity, compassion, and humanity from the very people enduring the violence. He shares how those experiences reshaped his understanding of medicine, witness, grief, and what it means to remain fully human amidst the most trying circumstances. PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING DOCTORS AGAINST GENOCIDE FOLLOW DR. MARK BRAUNERWEBSITE - INSTAGRAM - SUBSTACK ⭐️PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW OF THE SHOW ❤️ SUPPORT THE THIN VEIL!LEAVE A ONE-OFF TIP ON KO-FI BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER ON PATREON  🇵🇸GET INVOLVED  JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE CONNECTING GAZA 🎙 LISTEN / WATCH / FOLLOW THE THIN VEIL THE THIN VEIL ON ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS THE THIN VEIL ON YOUTUBE THE THIN VEIL ON INSTAGRAM ✍️REACH OUT / SEND FEEDBACK THETHINVEILPOD@GMAIL.COM 👋 FOLLOW EZRA EZRA ON INSTAGRAM EZRA ON FACEBOOK EZRA'S WEBSITE EZRA ON YOUTUBE 🎵 THEME MUSIC BY MAGIC IN THE OTHER MAGIC IN THE OTHER WEBSITE MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON INSTAGRAM MAGIC IN THE OTHER ON YOUTUBE (00:00) - Coming Up (01:00) - Welcome & Episode Introduction (04:18) - Dr. Mark Brauner's Path to Gaza (07:05) - "I Thought I Was Walking Into a War" (08:30) - Speaking From the Heart & Bearing Witness (12:05) - How Gaza Changed Him (13:20) - Kindness Inside Nasser Hospital (17:10) - The Formula Crisis & Failing to Save Children (19:40) - Lessons Palestinians Taught Him (21:30) - Leaving Gaza & The Aid Blockade (24:20) - Hunger, Starvation & Losing 25 Pounds (27:40) - Caring for the Dying (28:30) - Emergency Medicine in Mass Casualty Conditions (31:00) - Coming Home With Trauma (34:15) - Becoming a Full-Time Witness (36:20) - Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Aid Sites (38:15) - Systematic Gunshot Wounds to Children (42:00) - Why the Death Toll Is Likely Higher (46:00) - Scholasticide & Destroying Gaza's Future (48:15) - Returning Home to America (50:50) - Compassion, Complacency & Bearing Witness (55:10) - Doctors Against Genocide (56:10) - Why Humanity Is More Effective Than Outrage (56:55) - Closing Thoughts ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

About

The Thin Veil explores what happens when inherited narratives about history, identity, power, and belonging begin to break down—and what it means to move toward greater moral clarity and alignment in their wake. Centered around Palestine and anti-Zionism, and rooted in musician/activist Ezra Lipp’s own process of political unlearning later in life, the show features conversations with artists, organizers, and others navigating questions of imperialism, colonization, liberation, and the systems shaping our world.

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