Culturally Clueless

Nes Reign
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Welcome to Culturally Clueless—where we dive into culture, current events, and the everyday chaos of life. It’s raw, real, and refreshingly unfiltered, with me, Nes Reign and a lineup of fascinating guests. Together, we’ll break down the big questions and the small quirks that make life so endlessly intriguing!

  1. 6h ago

    Culturally Clueless | Macklemore Silenced, Netanyahu Warned & Russia's Back in Syria | Episode 131

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers a week where old wounds were reopened and new power moves were made without anyone asking the public's permission. Macklemore has been officially dropped from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after venues threatened cancellation if he remained on the lineup. Pink reshared a post from a pro-Israel group criticizing Macklemore, and after significant backlash responded that she was "standing up for her own people." Aaron Rowe, Finneas, and Lukas Graham — all remaining opening acts — as well as Ed Sheeran's backing band, announced they were dropping out of the remaining tour dates in solidarity with Macklemore. Nes breaks down the entire saga and asks what it reveals about who is truly being silenced and who holds the real power in the music industry. [Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran's US tour +2](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/0914/1591537-macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheerans-us-tour/) A Haaretz investigation dropped a bombshell: UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed called Netanyahu about 10 days before October 7, 2023, and during a 45-minute call warned him that Hamas's Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation against Israel that could cause significant bloodshed. Netanyahu's office called the report an "absolute lie," stating he did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question. The UAE only agreed to put out a statement about intelligence sharing — notably refusing to deny the report outright. Nes unpacks what that silence means. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/08/middleeast/netanyahu-report-warning-uae-hamas-attack-intl) [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/08/middleeast/netanyahu-report-warning-uae-hamas-attack-intl) Nes also revisits the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal through the story of Joseph Darby — the US soldier who in 2004 handed over the photos of prisoner torture and abuse at the Iraqi detention facility, blowing the lid off one of the most shameful chapters in recent American military history. She uses his story to examine what it costs individuals to tell the truth when institutions want it buried. The UAE's expanding footprint across Africa comes under scrutiny. DP World already runs terminals from Dakar in the west to Berbera on the Red Sea, with the newest deals reaching into Africa's mining belt — including a February 2026 agreement for AD Ports to develop a multipurpose terminal at Matadi on the Congo River, gateway to some of the world's richest copper and cobalt deposits. Nes asks who this really benefits — and what leverage comes with controlling the ports through which an entire continent exports its resources. [The Rio Times](https://www.riotimesonline.com/gulf-ports-africa-uae-2026/) On Syria, a four-vessel Russian convoy docked at Tartous port on September 7, signalling that Moscow is continuing to resupply its military facilities in western Syria under a new memorandum of understanding signed in August, which converts both the Tartous port and Hmeimim air base into "joint training and capacity-building centres" with Syria assuming control of civilian operations. Meanwhile, the Kurdish-led SDF has agreed to a phased integration into the Syrian state army, with governing bodies merging into state institutions — formally ending their decade-long autonomous military structure. Nes connects the dots across these developments and examines what a post-SDF, Russia-accommodating Syria means for the region. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/15/russia-resupplies-military-bases-in-syria-for-first-time-under-new-deal) [The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrian-government-kurds-agree-on-integration-deal-us-hails-historic-milestone/) Lebanon's president is visiting the south, attempting to signal stability. The people on the ground are not convinced. Nes makes clear why. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | Macklemore Silenced, Netanyahu Warned & Russia's Back in Syria | Episode 131

  2. 4d ago

    Culturally Clueless | 80,000 Witnesses, A Listening Device & A Girl From Limpopo | Episode 130

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers a week where art, technology, politics, and human dignity all collide. Glenn Greenwald delivered a speech taking direct aim at Western media hypocrisy — calling out the double standard that condemns Iran, Russia, Hamas, and Syria for behavior that Western governments themselves engage in, often at greater scale. Nes gives it the platform it deserves. Netanyahu has been openly boasting about attacking Qatar — and Naftali Bennett went a step further, threatening to declare Qatar a state enemy if he wins the next election. Nes dissects the escalating rhetoric and what it signals about where Israel's political class wants to take this conflict next. Macklemore opened for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey wearing a keffiyeh, performing his protest song "Hind's Hall" to 80,000 people while Gaza footage played on the screens, and telling the crowd that saying "Free Palestine" was a big part of why he wanted to do the tour. The Israeli-American Council launched a petition demanding his removal. Macklemore doubled down, stating that wanting all humans to be treated equally should never be controversial. Ed Sheeran has not responded. Nes is firmly on the right side of this one. Adidas faced significant backlash over a new sneaker design marketed toward amputees — with critics arguing the campaign was exploitative and tone-deaf in the context of the mass amputations caused by the war in Gaza. Nes unpacks the outrage. Marcellus Williams, a prison volunteer, shared his experience working inside an ICE detention center — including being forced to remove the cover of a Quran before bringing it in to Muslim detainees. Nes uses his testimony to expose the conditions inside these facilities and the quiet degradation happening behind closed doors. The next frontier of AI is no longer a device you pick up — it is a device that listens all day. Ambient AI, designed to run passively in the background of your life and assist with decisions in real time, is being positioned as the next major leap in personal technology. Nes asks the obvious questions nobody in the industry wants to answer: who owns the data, who is listening, and what happens when your most private moments are someone else's product. Finally, Nes highlights the story of a teenage girl from Limpopo, South Africa, who at just sixteen years old developed a prototype for a smart earring with a built-in emergency button — a wearable safety device designed to protect women and girls in danger. Nes closes on this note because some stories deserve to end on proof that brilliance exists everywhere, if anyone bothers to look. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | 80,000 Witnesses, A Listening Device & A Girl From Limpopo | Episode 130

  3. Sep 4

    Culturally Clueless | Wildfires, Standing Ovations for Hate & The Last Christian Town | Episode 129

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers a packed week where hypocrisy, violence, and geopolitics intersect at every turn. Libya's rival political factions signed a UN-brokered agreement to hold long-delayed national elections within two years — the latest in a long line of promises that have repeatedly failed to materialize. Nes examines whether this roadmap will produce anything different, or whether, as one Libyan analyst put it, the political leaders are simply "trying to gain time." Algeria is battling devastating wildfires that have caused significant loss of life and destruction across the country. Nes shines a light on a crisis that has received far too little international attention. Trump has been calling the Venezuela oil deal the biggest in history. Nes cuts through the hyperbole. Mosab Hassan Yousef — the son of a Hamas co-founder and a former Israeli intelligence informant — delivered a speech at a Jewish-American summit in Los Angeles organized by Aish Los Angeles and sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish National Fund, where he told the audience he does not want Muslims in America, told them to leave, and made deeply offensive remarks about the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad — to a standing ovation. Nes calls out the summit organizers by name and asks what it says about these institutions that they sponsored and applauded this speech. Greece and Israel signed the Aspis Shield defense agreement — a major bilateral security deal. Nes unpacks what it means for the region and for Greece's positioning within the broader geopolitical landscape. A group of Israeli tourists visiting Thailand were refused entry to a wildlife sanctuary after their behavior caused concern. The refusal led to a confrontation between the group and the venue owner. Nes places this incident within the broader pattern of documented misconduct by Israeli tourists across Asia that has become a recurring story. In the West Bank, a viral video captured what appeared to be a satellite-guided strike targeting journalists and activists. Meanwhile, the last Christian-majority town in the West Bank is being strangled — settlers burning property, the military locking down access, and Christian families fleeing one by one. Nes does not let this story disappear. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | Wildfires, Standing Ovations for Hate & The Last Christian Town | Episode 129

  4. Aug 30

    Culturally Clueless | Kites, Renamed Lakes & A Child Rapping From the Rubble | Episode 128

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers a week where the absurd and the devastating sit side by side — and Nes refuses to look away from either. Settler violence in the West Bank continues to escalate. Israeli activists have been showing up to defend Palestinians on the ground, putting their own bodies between settlers and Palestinian communities. Meanwhile Netanyahu has publicly downplayed the violence, framing settlers as mere "vigilantes" rather than acknowledging the organized, systematic nature of what is happening. Nes is not letting that framing stand. In Gaza, children flew kites. Four of those kites drifted over into Israeli-controlled territory. The Israeli government used this as justification to escalate bombardment — a place already under relentless attack. Nes names what this is. Trump signed an executive order this week renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," erasing over 400 years of history tied to the Wendat word Ontari'io, meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big." Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney responded immediately, stating the name Lake Ontario predates both Canada and the United States and will remain Lake Ontario "today and forever." Canada also hit back with one-for-one tariffs on American goods. Trump, meanwhile, told the press he might run for a fourth term because without him the media would go broke. Nes is not amused. UK water authorities told Asian households to wash their rice less and asked Muslim residents to perform wudu — ritual washing — using only one litre of water to conserve resources. The same authorities whose aging pipe infrastructure leaks millions of litres daily. Nes points out the obvious: the audacity is not subtle. Legendary rapper Talib Kweli publicly praised MC Abdul — the young Palestinian child rapper from Gaza whose music has gone viral worldwide. Nes highlights the moment and what it means for a child whose voice is reaching the world from the rubble. Finally, Israel has claimed it is establishing sovereignty over southern Lebanon by deploying its army there. Nes cuts through the framing — Lebanon is still under active bombardment, its people are still being displaced, and a military presence is not sovereignty. It is occupation. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | Kites, Renamed Lakes & A Child Rapping From the Rubble | Episode 128

  5. Aug 23

    Culturally Clueless | Executions, Double Standards & A Professor Found Dead | Episode 127

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers a packed week of stories where power, hypocrisy, and human cost all collide. Rabbi Shmuley is back in the headlines — this time for remarks at an Israeli-American Council summit where, in the context of discussing Mossad operations, he said "why aren't we going after Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens." The clip went viral, with many framing it as a call for violence against two named American public figures. Defenders say he was talking about media pressure and legal action, not physical targeting. Nes examines the double standard at the heart of it — and what would happen if the roles were reversed. Trump's ongoing back-and-forth on Iran gets its own dissection — one day declaring he wants the Strait of Hormuz as US territory after defeating Iran, the next floating a deal. Nes tracks the whiplash and asks what any of it actually means for the region and for the Americans being sent to fight. The Saudi Arabian school curriculum is quietly being overhauled as MBS pushes forward with his Vision 2050 agenda to attract foreign investment. Nes takes a critical look at what is actually being changed, what is being scrubbed, and what this rebranding exercise really serves. Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir was photographed proudly posing at a construction site that, following the new law allowing the execution of Palestinians, is being positioned as the location where those executions will take place. Nes calls it what it is. In Vienna, football fans were free to chant anti-Palestine slogans through the streets without consequence. Nes draws the line clearly — and asks what would happen if the exact opposite were said about the self-proclaimed "only democracy in the Middle East." She also covers the IDF's belated announcement that it is launching an investigation into the Hind Rajab case — the six-year-old girl killed in Gaza over two years ago along with five family members and two paramedics who came to rescue her. Two and a half years later. Nes is not impressed. Finally, the story of Jason Arday lands like a gut punch. Jason Arday became the youngest Black professor in Cambridge University's history in 2023, resigned on August 5, 2026, following weeks of relentless media scrutiny over plagiarism allegations and questions about his charity fundraising claims. He denied the accusations, saying the campaign against him was racially motivated and that the "personal cost" had become "too great." Nine days after his resignation, he was found dead at his home in south London. His death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious. Nes does not rush past this one. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | Executions, Double Standards & A Professor Found Dead | Episode 127

  6. Aug 17

    Culturally Clueless | Fistfights, Death Sentences & Sailors Jumping Ship | Episode 126

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers stories that hit differently when you line them all up together. A street encounter in Iceland went viral after Rabbi Shmuley Boteach filmed himself being confronted by an Icelandic couple who criticized Israel's actions in Gaza. Rabbi Shmuley presented himself as the victim — but the footage told a more complicated story, with him and his son following the couple for an extended period and intimidating the man's girlfriend. Nes unpacks the performance of victimhood and what it obscures. A physical altercation at the Digital Social Hour podcast in Los Angeles broke out between Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad and content creator Dennis Feitosa, known as Def Noodles. Haddad took part in a one-versus-ten debate when Feitosa called him a "genocidal f***ing freak" and the confrontation turned physical, spilling out of the studio and into the parking lot. Nes breaks down both sides and asks what this moment says about the state of public debate. Islam hate from government officials also comes under scrutiny, with Nes examining the ongoing pattern of elected figures using their platforms to spread hatred toward Muslims and the normalization that follows. A Syrian court handed down a historic verdict: Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher, and his cousin Atef Najib were all sentenced to death — Assad and Maher in absentia from Moscow, while Najib stood in the courtroom in a cage. The first conviction against Assad or his inner circle since the family's fall in December 2024. Nes marks the weight of the moment — and the limits of justice when two of the three are sheltered by Russia. Then there is the USS Abraham Lincoln — deployed for over 250 days in the Middle East with sailors reportedly attempting to jump overboard amid moldy showers, food shortages, broken toilets, and extreme fatigue. One sailor was confirmed overboard and rescued, with the Navy calling it a mental health episode. Pete Hegseth denied conditions were as dire as reported. The USS George Washington has been announced as a replacement — but the question of why these sailors were abandoned in these conditions for so long remains wide open. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | Fistfights, Death Sentences & Sailors Jumping Ship | Episode 126

  7. Aug 13

    Culturally Clueless | A Highway for Trump, Islamophobia for Sale & Doctors in Gaza | Episode 125

    Send us Fan Mail This episode covers stories that sit at the intersection of power, propaganda, and the fight over whose narrative gets told. Morocco's King Mohammed VI confirmed that the country's 1,055-kilometre Tiznit-Dakhla Expressway — the longest road infrastructure in Africa — will be named the Donald J. Trump Highway, citing Trump's 2020 recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara as the motivation behind the gesture. Nes examines the political currency being traded here and what it reveals about how diplomatic relationships are transacted. On the West Bank, the Seven Arches Hotel comes into focus. The iconic hotel, built atop the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem by the Jordanian government before the 1967 war, has been under Israeli custodianship of absentee property ever since. Israel is now reportedly moving to sell or expand the property — a move that would effectively strip one of the most strategically positioned landmarks in East Jerusalem from Jordanian royal ownership, with major implications for Jordan's custodianship of holy sites and the broader battle over who controls the historical and religious narrative of Jerusalem. Nes also covers the deeply disturbing Perez Hilton incident — not Paris Hilton, as she clarifies. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was hospitalized after livestreaming a TikTok video in which he appeared to engage in self-harm, prompting Miami-Dade police to respond to his home after receiving multiple calls from viewers. TikTok later admitted that a "moderator error" delayed the removal of the stream despite it being flagged within minutes. Nes uses the incident to open a wider conversation about mental health, platform responsibility, and what it means when millions of people watch a crisis unfold in real time with no intervention. She also takes on *Run Hide Fight: Infidels* — the new Ben Shapiro Daily Wire film starring Jonathan Majors in his Hollywood comeback. The film centres on "radical Islamic terrorists" who seize a liberal college campus's pro-Palestine encampment to impose Sharia law and execute infidels, with Majors playing a Delta Force veteran who fights back. The trailer cuts from 9/11 footage directly to 2024 campus protests, ending with the tagline "Coming soon... Or already here." Nes calls it exactly what it is: Islamophobia packaged as action cinema, designed to launder a political agenda through entertainment. As a counterweight, she highlights *American Doctor* — the Sundance-premiered documentary from Watermelon Pictures. The film follows three American physicians — a Palestinian, a Jewish American, and a Zoroastrian — who volunteered in besieged Gaza hospitals, treating children gravely injured in Israeli bombardments. One of the doctors described their experience in Gaza as collectively worse than all their previous mass casualty experiences combined, including 9/11, calling what they witnessed "the largest pediatric homicide of our lifetimes." Nes places both films side by side — and lets the contrast speak for itself. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | A Highway for Trump, Islamophobia for Sale & Doctors in Gaza | Episode 125

  8. Aug 9

    Culturally Clueless | Trump's Fear Machine, West Bank Land Grabs & A Statue in Uganda | Episode 124

    Send us Fan Mail This episode takes on fear, history, and the slow erasure of a people's identity. Nes dissects the Iran-US war and the machinery of fear that surrounds it. She examines how politicians weaponize repetitive statements and manufactured urgency to keep populations compliant, pointing to Trump's rhetoric as a textbook example of how fear has always been one of the most powerful tools of control over human beings. She also covers Solomon's Pools, the ancient water reservoirs near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, dating back as far as the second century BCE and forming part of a vast Roman-era aqueduct system that once supplied water to Jerusalem. Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stormed the site alongside hardline Knesset member Zvi Sukkot, both going swimming in one of the pools in a deliberate act of provocation, [Truthout](https://truthout.org/articles/palestinians-resist-israeli-encroachment-on-historic-west-bank-solomons-pools/) before explicitly threatening to "erase" the agreements confirming Palestinian ownership of the site. [Israelpalestinenews](https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-threatens-to-seize-ancient-water-reservoirs-near-bethlehem/) Israel has since approved $37 million to seize more than 70 occupied West Bank sites, with Palestinian media reporting Solomon's Pools among the targets, all designated as "Jewish heritage sites" in a move critics say is aimed at extending state control over Palestinian land. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/5/israel-approves-37m-to-seize-more-than-70-occupied-west-bank-sites) Palestinians have responded by flooding the site themselves, flags in hand, reclaiming it as an act of defiance. Nes lays out the pattern: erase the history, erase the people. The episode also covers the unveiling of a bronze statue of Yonatan Netanyahu — Benjamin Netanyahu's older brother — at the old terminal of Entebbe Airport in Uganda, on the very tarmac where he was killed in 1976 leading Israeli commandos in a hostage rescue operation. [Sowetan](https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-08-04-uganda-honours-yonatan-netanyahu-with-entebbe-rescue-statue/) The ceremony was led by Ugandan military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who framed the monument as a symbol of memory, reconciliation, and strengthening Uganda-Israel ties, [Mezha](https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/ba0b3ee2_uganda_unveils_entebbe/) noting that Ugandan soldiers who died during the operation were carrying out the orders of a regime that did not represent the Ugandan people. Nes examines the timing, the politics, and what this gesture signals amid the current climate. --- Legal Disclaimer The views, opinions, and commentary expressed in this podcast episode of Culturally Clueless are solely those of the host and any guests featured, and do not constitute legal, financial, political, or professional advice of any kind. All content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Culturally Clueless, its host Nes, and any guests make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to independently verify all information and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions based on content heard in this podcast. Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal counsel, political endorsement, defamation, or an attempt to harm the reputation of any individual, organization, government, or institution. Any references to ongoing legal matters, political figures, or current events are based on publicly available information at the time of recording and are subject to change. Culturally Clueless and its producers are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners in response to the content of this episode. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast or its host. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. Connect with Nes: www.linktr.ee/NesReign

    Culturally Clueless | Trump's Fear Machine, West Bank Land Grabs & A Statue in Uganda | Episode 124
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About

Welcome to Culturally Clueless—where we dive into culture, current events, and the everyday chaos of life. It’s raw, real, and refreshingly unfiltered, with me, Nes Reign and a lineup of fascinating guests. Together, we’ll break down the big questions and the small quirks that make life so endlessly intriguing!

Information

  • Creator
    Nes Reign
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    130
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Culturally Clueless
  • Show Website
    Culturally Clueless