In Episode 10 of Dealing With the Middle East with Felice Friedson, The Media Line checks out the human expense of local dispute through the eyes of captives’ households, Palestinian refugees in Jordan, and Israeli sports leaders getting ready for the 2025 Maccabiah Games. Felice Friedson opens the episode in Jerusalem, where Ilan and Merav Gilboa-Dalal explain their suffering as their child Guy stays in captivity in Gaza after more than 500 days. Speaking at the Pals of Zion Museum, where previous Arkansas Guv and United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee got the Pals of Zion Award, the couple promised to keep Guy’s story alive. Previous captive Omer Shem-Tov likewise appeared at the occasion, stating, “Every day I existed, I awakened and thanked God.”
The program then turns to the Baqaa refugee camp in Jordan, where 100,000 Palestinians– numerous from Gaza– reside in legal limbo. Giorgia Valente reports on the locals’ absence of rights and Jordan’s political problem in incorporating them.
Lastly, the episode highlights preparations for the upcoming Maccabiah Games, where organizers state the occasion will combine sorrow and unity in the consequences of the October 7 attacks.
To hear more from those spoken with and comprehend the local stakes, read Felice Friedson’s report and watch the full episode.