Bad Hasbara - The World's Most Moral Podcast - Bad Hasbara 13: The IDGAF of the Irish, with Tadhg Hickey

Episode Date: February 17, 2024

Irish stand up comedian Tadhg Hickey talks to Matt about UNRWA, zionism, and the Irish peoples' immunity to hasbara.Buy tickets to see Matt Lieb and Francesca Fiorentini headline the Punch Line in Sacramento on Sunday, March 17th at 7pm. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/bad-hasbara/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Moshwamha, bitch, driven polka We invented the dirty tomato And weighs USB drives and the iron dome Israeli salad, oozy stets, a javas or troves I'm from chipsis fuss, iPhone salads us, taco salads us Bothamabodos, all of garden us, white foster us, Zabra Hamas, as far as us Welcome to Bad Hasbara, the world's most moral podcast.

I am your host, the world's most moral host, Matt Lieb. Hi, how are you doing? I hope everyone's having a great, whatever day I put this out. I'm having a good one, except for the strep throat is still here. My child gave me strep throat, and now everything hurts. I can't eat without it hurting, which is, I don't know, that's, it's appropriate given the mass starvation that's going on in Gaza. It's nice to know that I can show solidarity or that my baby forced me to by fucking making

me sick as shit. I think she put my toothbrush in her disgusting mouth, and now it's ruined my life. So, again, if I sound like occasionally like I'm crying, I'm not crying. It's just I have strep throat. Before we get started, a few announcements. Once again, everybody, give us five stars and a review on all of the podcast apps. If you're listening to this on a podcast app, if you're not and you're watching it on YouTube, give us five stars and review on a podcast app anyways.

You can do it. Just go in there. Give us the review. It helps. It helps me. It helps you. Everyone wins. Nobody loses. It's nice. Also, another thing that you should know, there we go, now my screen looks good.

Sacramento Punchline, me and my wife, Francesca Fiorentini, we're going to be headlining Sunday, March 17th at 7 p.m. That's St. Patrick's Day. So come out, celebrate your Irish heritage, or if you're near Irish people, and you want to celebrate them. come and then you know see a you know a couple of people talking about Palestine but in a funny way once again Sacramento Punchline March 17th 7 p.m. Please come. Finally last announcement Patreon.com slash Bet Hasbara that is now the Patreon. Please join that because then you get

you know you'll get at some point you'll get bonus stuff but for now you're just supporting a podcast that is constantly demonetized. on YouTube and you know that it'd be nice to help me out you know something i need money because of the strep throat let's just say that uh okay excuse me today we're going to be talking about lots of things our main subjects this week are twofold one unra and two why are the irish so fucking cool so first we're going to start with some news about unra if you don't already know all this. Sorry for repeating it, you know, if you do know it. But the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, that is a mouthful, but that's

what UNRWA stands for, has suffered funding cuts after several of its staff were accused by Israel of involvement in the October 7th Hamas attacks. Now, the timing of this couldn't be more calculated by Israel as the Israelis made these allegations the literal same day as the International Court of Justice did their interim ruling telling Israel

hey it kind of looks like you guys are doing a fucking genocide maybe don't do that literally the same day this happened and if that insanely blatant attempt to change the news cycle wasn't bad enough Israeli Hasbaris of course

did what they always do and inverted the narrative, and they accused UNRWA of being the ones who were trying to change the news cycle, as I will show in this tweet, by Alon Levy. Unra sure as hell chose a convenient moment to drop this news and hide it under all the ICJ coverage any other day, and this would have been a major headline. And the headline, by the way, is Israel submits evidence of UN employees completely. publicity with Hamas. Once again, what do you mean? Unra is the one who was trying to change the news. You literally, it's Israel. All right. And now I'm just getting mad. I'm getting mad way too early on this pot. I'm sorry, but listen, this is a very intense subject. Okay. So a little bit of background on Unra. It was established in 1949 in order to cater to Palestinians who have been

ethnically cleansed from their homes by Jewish militias, you know, during the War 48, and, you know, in areas that currently form parts of Israel. So they are refugees and they, UNROW works in a number of areas. They do, you know, primary and vocational education. They do health care. They do relief, social services, infrastructure, camp improvement, you know, they are literal refugee camps. They do finance and emergency response, but most importantly, they also provide food to 75% of all Palestine refugees in Gaza. So that is a lot of people who are dependent on UNRWA for food. So after the Israeli government successfully smeared UNRWA as being Hamas, funding of the refugee agency was suspended by the U.S., by Canada, by Australia, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Finland, Estonia, Japan, Austria, and Romania. So this is a, you know, a good portion of their funding in 2022-44.3% of the agency's total pledges, or $1.17 billion, came from EU member states who contributed $520 million, including funds allocated by the institution via the European Commission.

The funding cut was achieved rapidly, despite the fact, that those Israeli intelligence documents did not provide any evidence of anything at all, as was made abundantly clear in this interview that Alon gave with this guy, Krishnan, who people in the UK know. I only recently learned about him, but on Channel 4, so I'll play a little bit of that for you.

Huge consequences as a result of your naming of people who worked for UNRRA. What the world has not seen is the accompanying evidence. I just want to know, is there accompanying evidence? Is there anything beyond those names? And have you shared it with the United Nations investigation that is going on? Because there is millions of pounds of aid that is resting on those claims and hundreds of thousands of lives dependent on it. When we said that UNRWA, at least 13 UNR staff members were directly involved in the October 7th massacre, that was the tip of the iceberg. Yeah, do you have any evidence for that?

That's my question. Of course, because this was all collected, because this was all collected on the basis of intelligence that has been shared with our allies. Intelligence that has been shared with our allies. When was it shared with Britain? Because Britain claimed it didn't know. I can't speak to the specific intelligence that has been shared with individuals. Western partners, but that evidence is out there. It is clear. This is not deflection. Is there direct evidence about those 13 names? Where is it? Have you passed it to the UN investigation or not?

We do not trust the UN investigation that is taking place. So there is no evidence that you're placed in front of anybody. The United Nations cannot be trusted to conduct any sort of internal review. Have you given the evidence to the US or British governments? I'm not personally aware of what material Nobody has seen this evidence is the point of that no one has seen it

it is just something that was claimed by Israeli intelligence officials and just based on that alone more than half of their funding was completely cut just by because of the EU and the United States deciding

yeah we're going to back our ally Israel just totally fucking saying, but there's good news. And the good news is that not everyone is a little bitch. Some countries are dope. And it was reported yesterday that Ireland will give UNRWA 20 million euros after key donors suspended aid. They said, fuck y'all. We're Ireland. We always show solidarity with The Palestinians were going to, I mean, they're given 20 million. I don't know how much Ireland makes, but I imagine that that is a pretty substantial amount for Ireland. Ireland is great.

The Irish have long been in solidarity with Palestinians, which has very recently led to some Hasbaras saying some stuff that is pretty wild about Ireland, including this from Orrin Barski. How is it specifically the Irish are so ignorant, brainwashed, and anti-Semitic? To answer that question, this week's guest is a hilarious Irish comedian, also someone who I'm sure at this point my audience has seen do some both hilarious and very genuine and beautiful videos showing Irish solidarity with Palestinians. ladies and gentlemen my guest is oh boy don't know how to pronounce this my guest is

Tagajah If you you're so affectionate about me Say my name correct Todd Hajjig Tadhajig Hickey is here My family is going to be at war with yours

It's going to be a long night It's going to be a long war It's going to be a long war It's going to be a long more. I'm not going to tell you how to pronounce my name. Don't. You know what? I'd rather not know because at this point, Todd Gha. Well, it's Todd Hugga, actually. There's got the H there and the G.

Do you have Irish listeners? Do you have Irish listeners? I have a few Irish listeners. I would assume that you do. I would assume that you do. Yeah. And have they not been on to you to correct the absolute disgrace that you made of yourself the last time? No, of course. You and your darling wife butchered my name. Of course they haven't. Because they also think it's funny that I don't know.

That's the thing about the Irish. You're like, no, no, no, no. It's way better if he just keeps doing it wrong. Oh, I loved it. I loved it. That's why I think it should be a thing. I'm never going to tell you. But thank you for your beautiful, beautiful intro.

I'm a big fan of your podcast. Thank you. And I'm a big fan of yours. I've been watching your stuff. You know, I became aware of it, obviously, after you know the October 7th Hamas attack that just took over the rest of my goddamn life

and you know I I'm a really I'm a huge fan and you know I've learned so much from you regarding the Irish is the Irish and your solidarity with Palestine and it's just such a huge outlier it seems like not just

among, you know, like, I don't know, the Anglo world or whatever, the white, but like, like, just in the West, you are like the one country that it seems like you can look to for some sort of moral leadership, even if you're not listened to. And so I wanted to ask you, like, why do you hate me so much? But if you want to ask me a question, Matt, you need to use my fucking name, you know, so. Targa. Targa. So, slag. I'm just going to call you Greg. I just might call you Greg, all right?

I'll say, all right. The Anglo version of my name is Tim. So you're very welcome to kind of recolonize me and call me, Tim, if you want to. I'm happy to recolonize. I love to. And I'd love to be recolonized by you, to be honest. Yeah, well, you know. I think Ireland, you know, to be reductive about it for a second,

And it's like, there's nowhere else in the Anglo-Sphere, if you want to go down that road, because you're right, like, say Australia, New Zealand, Canada, your beautiful selves. Like, no other country other than Ireland in the Anglosphere, and I'm open to correction on that. Well, actually, I'm straight away I'm wrong, because I think the Anglosphere technically is, you know, countries where England is the dominant language. But I'm thinking about the big colonized English-speaking countries, right? So that dominate the world. We're the only ones that will understand the experience of colonialism.

So I think if there's any positive that has come out of this horror in the last few months, it's that there's kind of a waking up to colonialism around the world. That's the way it feels. And like, from your perspective, you might think that Ireland is a kind of a homogenous, like totally support Palestine. It's not like that at all, really. It's like we've got a predominant government in Ireland for a long time. We've never had a leftist government. We have like center right or centrist governments. Right.

And they're ultimately quite pro-Palestine, but we wouldn't be happy with them at all. So you could only imagine if there was, and probably the next government will be leftist. But what has happened, interestingly, right? So people in the north, because the conflict in the north of Ireland is so recent. It's only since 1998 that there's been a deal that has been signed that has brought relative peace in the north. So in the north, people from a colonized nationalist Republican background would almost all be supportive of Palestine because it's so immediate for them. Whereas in the south, we've had much longer experience of being kind of middle class and getting on with our lives. And, you know, we got the Brits out in 19, in the 1920s, 30s.

So we've fallen into a kind of a stupor a little bit of like losing touch with our colonial past. And if anything, Palestine has reawakened it. And now you've got numbers on the streets like, I've never seen protests in Ireland for anything. And I mean anything in the numbers and the ferocity. And all these little, like I'm from a smallish place in Ireland, Cork, it's in the south, and all these little towns around Cork, there's Palestine marches and displays every week. It's extraordinary, man. I've never seen anything like it. It feels like a revolution. It's beautiful to watch because, I mean, you know, and I say this of all of the Palestine solidarity marches that I've seen throughout the world. I love watching them all. There's something different, though, about the passion that I feel like I see from the Irish people. with regards to this issue and it's a passion that is

that I think most Western or whatever nations feel very hesitant to display. It is immediately spun as you know anti-Semitic or you know

somehow bigoted as a Hamas march right as a right wing you know like they'll call you Nazis and stuff with the interesting thing about the Irish is that it doesn't seem to really stick. It's like like Ireland is seems to be immune from kind of like the normal smears. And not to say that, you know, in on an individual level, you can't be smeared. Of course you can be. But it seems like there's this, um, Western sort of like not exemption, but just like the way we view the Irish is almost like, and of course the. The Irish is almost like, and of course the. Irish or, you know, they're always in favor of whatever revolutionary group wants to stop us from

stealing the stuff. General violence kind of when that looks like. Yeah. Yeah. And it's cool to see. I don't, and you know, like you're one of the few places, um, where you'll see your, you know, government, um, like you have government officials and like elected officials going, you know, on, TV going in front of cameras, like speaking at your parliament or whatever system of government you guys have in Ireland. And I'd love you to pronounce it, man. I'd love it. Whatever it is, I'd love you to pronounce the, you know. Yeah.

So what is it? Let me look up. Hold on. What is Irish government called? It's a day like where we, you know. Oh my God. Oreckachas. And I'm not gonna, I'm actually not gonna help you up with that either.

Don't help me. Which is cool like, yeah. But yeah. Oirakitas. Is it, if I say with an Irish accent, I say, is it, Oh, is it Oratosca? Oh, fuck, man, don't do the accent.

Whatever about not being able to pronounce the words. Like, the accent is. The accent, listen, I do a lucky charms accent. And I say things like, Jesus wouldn't like it if you masturbate. That's not bad actually That's not bad Yeah that's kind of Tom Cruise level like

Yeah yeah I just Jesus That's my favorite So I don't know what the hell that's called But your government The Orectus They

You know we'll have people That's not bad Oroctus Yeah Oroctus Yeah And the dole is Where So we've got a doil

And a Senate Which is called The Shannid so yeah so the shannett the shannid yeah so the dole if you can see the word doyle there's like d a for the i l yeah yeah d a i l and then there's a e i r e a n a n a r e a n i i'm sorry i actually think i need to need to log out man sorry no no no stay stay stay say um but no i'm actually loving it man loving it you guys have like politicians The thing is because I don't know, you know, your individual elected representatives.

Yeah. I don't know, like, who is cool or whatnot. Like, I, you know. Of course. I know what you mean. And so, like, you know, I'll see some elected representative of you are saying some real shit. And I'm just like, fuck yeah, that guy rules. Now, of course, they would rule in if, you know, they also line up with, as long as they're not right-wing

psychopaths, you know, that's usually the case. but I found this cool Irish guy and I'll play a little bit of him I don't know quite strong language used by Minister Kovny and others today so who's this guy I think you can surely pronounce this guy's name it's a it's an English it's an oh it's an oh I didn't see it means nothing

Richard boy Barrett he's a legend he's an absolute legend okay cool play away all right here's here's him as you rightly said means nothing to Netanyahu to Smotrich Ben Giver ministers today in the Israeli government saying we want to destroy Gaza. It is an uncivilized state, it is a barbaric state, and that it should have sanctions imposed on it in order to end that apartheid, end that occupation

and end the possibility of the sort of genocidal slaughter we have seen for the last four months. Impunity was given, granted, and that has given Netanyahu and the crazed bloodthirsty ministers that are his lieutenants, the confidence to believe that they can continue with this massacre.

It has to mean the end of that apartheid regime where there can be a quality between Jewish people, Muslim people, Christian people and people have no religion who can share the land of Palestine as equals. Do you know what's amazing about Richard, right? And this is another great thing about Ireland, I think, is that like, you know,

the way some people kind of popped up in the last few months and they're pro-Palestine. And to be honest, that's fucking great. And any Palestinian I know in Ireland is like, they don't give a shit, like jump on the bandwagon. They're delighted. But, like, Richard is pro-Palestine about two decades. Like, I was in Doha, recently for the Doha Forum.

It's like my first time in even that part of the world. It was amazing. But Richard Boyd Barrett is kind of known amongst every Palestinian I spoke to. And I felt really, I just kind of felt really proud, you know. I was like, that's one of our guys. Like, you know, it's amazing. And it's the dedication and the authenticity. to the support. It's not like he was supporting Palestine before it was possible to go viral

supporting Palestine, if you know what I mean. So like, yeah. A hundred percent. And like it's, it's amazing to watch and it's also so disheartening, you know, when you compare it to, you know, in the United States on the left for, you know, a long time now. The closest thing we had to sort of like a leftist populist, you know, a politician was Bernie Sanders. And of course, Bernie recently visited Ireland and got some video of a moment in which, you know, I think is a nice contrast to the full-throated condemnation of Israel. And, you know, this is Bernie's version of it right here no look just say my name again what you're waiting what i would it would thank you and all i have discussed what is going on right now is absolutely

outrageous we're going to do everything that we can to end the slaughter of the this is the men, women, and children. What I have supported, and I will work as hard as I can't forget the Biden administration to support, is a UN trying to read about a ceasefire, a humanitarian cause ceasefire, in order to provide the desperate need of aid that the cost of the people. So so far he has refused to call it just a ceasefire and wants to make it abundantly clear that it's a humanitarian pause, so still not able to fully throated, say, the ceasefire, which is such a, such a low bar.

It's just insane, and here we go. You get to the one, I get a little bit queasy, you know, I don't know, what genocide, we use the word. We've got to be careful about that word. It is a genocide. What's your definition of genocide? Bernie, you have funded Zionism yourself. you have funded the Israeli settler state, here you are, pretending you aren't. It is disgusting. Liar, liar, genocide, denier.

Liar, liar, genocide, denier. It's disgusting and it's reprehensible. You are a child killer. You are a genocide designer. The United States military-industrial complex are the largest murderers in the world. It does not matter if it is a Democrat or a Republican. You have murdered people around the world. The Native Americans are still being...

It is like... I hadn't seen that. Jesus, that's amazing. I haven't seen that kid there. It's amazing. And, you know, also, you know, you guys got an Australian there in Ireland. What the fuck he's doing here, man? Yeah, I don't know what he's doing there.

He's doing great. Um, you know, he's in good voice. Yeah, I mean, it sounds great. Is, is, is the Australian accent funny to you guys in Ireland? I'd imagine your version of it would be funny to us. Oh, it's not a knife. We'll take whatever you've got of accents, man. Whatever you got, we'll take us.

It's not a genocide. This is a genocide. I'll show you a genocide. I'll show you a genocide. But like, you know, just like seeing that in contrast, it's just so, it's so disheartening, you know, especially since Bernie, I think for a lot of young leftists here in the United States was such a inspirational figure. And he was also the one who, I think, foreign American politician had the most, you know, four Americans, like cutting critique of Israel. and he had the privilege that I think a lot of American Jews do have of being able to speak about this

without the automatic assumption that you're doing it from a place of anti-Semitism. Of course. And instead of using that, you know, to stand up for Palestinian human rights, he has done the exact opposite. And now is in this part where, like, moment where he's just kind of like got this watered down milk toast version

of like basically allowing things to go on. but being like blaming it all on Netanyahu it's of course like from an outsider's perspective it doesn't look like you guys have a left anymore like you don't have left a left and it's actually the same in Britain the Labour Party in Britain are if anything they were cheerleading harder than the Tories at the start of and again it's no mystery because you know the Israel lobby groups are at their strongest in Britain and the US and they're across all parties or across all sides of the house so but um but yeah Bernie such a disappointment I mean, I don't understand enough about it.

I'd be commenting and I'd be talking out my ass, but it seems like Israel is like some sort of blind spot for him or something, because on other issues, he is venerable. He's the Jeremy Corbyn from our perspective of the U.S. Like, but is Israel just a blind spot for him? I think it's a big blind spot for him. I, you know, I can't claim to know the inner workings of his brain, but I do believe, um, based on people I know who, you know him or have worked with him

that like the, number one, severely traumatized by the seventh. Okay. Yeah. And number two, then this is based on me knowing Jewish, American Jews of his generation, still stuck in the idea that Israel, as flawed as it is, is a country that can do better and needs to defend itself from...

Has a right to exist. Is it a democracy? Yeah. And also, you know, like, there are people who were like, I lived in a kibbutz in the 60s and it was cool. Yeah, nostalgia like, yeah. Yeah, and they just, they can't let go of the fact that the country that they think is there is not there. And whether or not it was even there before when they were there. I think that they just are stuck in that feeling.

But, you know, that's giving, that's giving him a huge benefit of the doubt. At the end of the day, he is an American politician. And an American politician is, you know, first and foremost, someone who's interested in continuing to have power. And, you know, that's a calculation that you see a lot of people making in our political system. You know, I want to continue to have power. I don't want to be on the wrong side of the lobby, you know, and so I'm not going to, you know, I'm not going to say anything or I'm going to say just enough. to not have APAC fund my opponents, or I'm going to be full-throated and ensure my continued re-election over and over. But you're seeing, well, actually two things. One, if it wasn't so horrific,

I think it's quite humorous when you playfully said there that Israel as a country can, you know, can do better. That was your assessment of them. I thought that was a humorous assessment of the current situation, you know? I was like, that's a decent sketch. I'm stealing that. But like, do you know what, I'm not seeing as much in the states of the possibility that the lobby would be defeated by numbers on the streets protesting for Palestine, you know what I mean? So what you're seeing in Britain, I think the Labour Party is such a good example because Kirstarmer's Labour Party leader in England, right? And he, at the beginning of this whole nightmare, said things like Israel has the right to cut off food and electricity. So he, I mean, he mightn't have said that

that exact sentence, but you know, the question was posed to him and he basically said, Israel is a right to defend itself up to and including effectively starving a population to death. So at this point, that's implicit. And when you say that as your response to every time someone asks you about a war crime, it is implicit that you're saying they have the right to starve people. But they're pivoting big time man. Like they, you know, so he's, he's a good example because he's just a complete, like he's kind of like an auto matron. Like he's just, he looks like a, it doesn't look like a human being.

he's kind of like he's he's he's malevolent and duplicitous but he's got no charisma he's a really interesting fact you know because normally these guys have a bit of panache right yeah he's got nothing like he's like a kind of a wet wet towel or a fucking nappy like um but he's the claymation politician just smiling like just wallace and grommet style that's exactly it yeah he's like but they're pivoting no big time because i think uh and i'm not sure how strong the israel is in in Britain versus the US right but the numbers on the streets are so significant now all over Britain that the Labour Party want to get into power and their their latest press releases and stuff they're kind of distancing themselves from from

the genocide like you know so I think they're looking at it kind of going in spite of the lobby we've got a as you say we've got a look at power so numbers on the streets are increasing like that's why I was like I did something a video essay kind of going if we could just double the numbers of the marches right now right I feel enough politicians will flip. There'll always be the extremist that'll never flip, of course. But like, you know, if you get enough people in the middle, you could, I know what, this is probably scant consolation to people who are going through the absolute hell of it right now. But you know what

I mean? You know what I'm getting at like? Yeah. No. And I think that I saw that video and I thought it was great and it was the point that you were making in it, I think is so important, which is that this idea of like, oh, you know, we've been posting about it. marching about it for four months and, you know, it just gets worse and worse. Like, what's the point? And don't give up. It was the point. Exactly. Yeah. Because things, I also believe there's a huge sea change. I mean, you're seeing more and more, even in the United States where it is literally a no-go zone. You were seeing more and more people who are, you know, like more and more notable people, like more famous people. That's how we gauge. Of course. Who's famous and has said

something. Our politicians are the last to say anything, you know, correct when it comes to Palestine. We have a couple, you know, we have Ilhan Omar and we have Shita Talib. And to some extent, AOC has been good, despite kind of the electoral stuff she does where it's like, well, we have to vote for Biden. And it's like, you just don't talk about that. Just stop with the electoral stuff. but yeah no I mean like we are seeing a change and I do think you're right it's the the numbers you know people power is a real thing and it is great to see I want to ask you though like what is it with Ireland that it seems to be immune from from the pressure from the EU from the UK from the US from Israel like there seems to be immune to to be an immunity to the lobby that you have in your political system. Or is it in the political system? Is it inherent in it? Or is it just the people? I mean, I don't know. Yeah. Like, it is mostly the people. But again, I suppose it comes down to like we're saying about politicians

being tacticians primarily, you know. And they, you know, they need to be aware that most Irish people just in their DNA, almost in their bones, are kind of anti-colonial, I think. Right. And, you know, generally speaking, anyway. So they're going to stand by the oppressed. And there's something about the Palestinian example that just the parallels to Ireland are just kind of uncanny at times across history and across cultures and whatnot. And so I think like our politicians, as they say, I mean, we're on the verge of having a leftist government for the first time ever in the South. We haven't had one.

But even our kind of centrist governments, they need to be reelected. I feel as well they're playing like quite a skillful game with the EU because. If you look at it, like we make some of the right noises, but we're not, like, we didn't join South Africa's case. You know, that would have been really stepping out of, of, of, of, uh, culture with the EU. So, so they do a lot to kind of play both, they're, they're speaking out of both sides of their mouth a lot, but it's, it's just interesting. Even little gestures that we're doing are making world news.

And I think that illustrates how paltry the support is from, from governments in the West for Palestine. that if Ireland is like this wow amazing example and we're not anywhere near happy enough for what our government is doing so yeah I think maybe with the EU as well you know because of Brexit in the last few years

we built a really strong relationship with Europe because when Britain left the EU there was obviously like yeah fuck it like without going into the whole Brexit thing but actually Europe kind of had our back in that whole shit show so there's a kind of I think we've probably bought ourselves a bit of go off

and be bold in the corner and wave a Palestine flag for a couple of months a bit like you know but we're still look man we're beholden to US corporations here like you wouldn't believe I mean like we're the European

headquarters for Facebook and Google and so we're afraid to do anything really of significance on a on a governmental level that's going to piss off the American so everything all box stock with the US you know that's why we were like some of the people in solidarity group

here that I'm in touch with like everyone's just trying to get to Irish America. You know, to try and get to the Biden supporters that, that, you know, also hold that kind of nostalgic, almost famine, nostalgia, Irishness. Like, you know, to kind of say, if you, if you want to be Irish, it's kind of inconsistent to be also a militant Zionist.

Right. You know, and want fucking Palestinians to die because, I don't know, like, kind of yay us or yay white people are, you know, it's, I don't know what it is. For whatever weird reason you want to. to make up as to why that's okay. No, I know there's a lot of Irish Americans

that ended up being like fucking absolute nightmare right wingers. Oh, sure. Because we're Americans first, you know, that's the thing about it. Like, Irish Americans are very funny in the way that, I mean, I imagined for you guys

when you're watching Irish Americans claim Irish heritage and you're just like, I don't know about this guys. It's just like, you're just from Boston. I don't know what you're just, you're just a regular racist. Why are you putting us in there? Yeah, exactly. But, you know, you talked about something, you know, regarding famine and starvation that I wanted to touch on with regards to, you know, what's going on with UNRWA. So, I mean, if you've looked at the news recently when it comes to, I mean, any of this,

but specifically aid to Gaza, it seems like Israel, uh like wants to starve gossans like like it's not and not just the government but it seems like also uh many of the people now not of course saying all israelis but they have a uh substantial contingent of um psychopaths who are doing things like blocking aid physically from getting into gaza and like holding uh little raves and i uh i have a clip of a a rave that was blocking aid into Gaza. Jesus. To the rock music.

Once again, I added rock and roll McDonald's by Wesley Willis into this. Just to... What a shit rave. I mean, it would have been way better. McDonald's would make you fat. They serve Big Macs. They serve quarter pounders. They will put pounds on you.

You know, it just seems It seems like, number one, that was an absolutely joyless rave. Yeah. Like, you look at that footage and you go, like, they're not even having fun doing it. At this point, it's just, there's so much, uh, just racist rage.

It's a rage. It's not a rave, you know? And it was a kind of a socially distant. Yeah. Racist rave as well. Yeah. No, no one's, no one's touching. No one's making out.

No one's doing, you know, cool shit. with their hands and fucking there's not a pacifier in the bunch just a bunch of right wing psychos trying to block aid and like this this blocking of aid thing is is such a um it's it's not just oh well it's a couple of right wing psychos it's its policy um the new york times reported uh that smotrich blocked unra from getting flour into gaza citing allegations that some of its employees were affiliated with Hamas, which, you know, is obviously what we've been talking about here. And the Washington Post recently reported that Israelis are now, not only are they arguing that food assistance is Hamas, they are arguing that food itself is Hamas. And this is

from the Washington Post, an article called Young Israelis Block Aid to Gaza while IDF soldiers stand and watch. So from this article, Ben Shabbat argues sugar and flour can be used to make bombs. When you mix flour with potassium nitrate, you get an explosive for a warhead, he says. Every pound of sugar and flour that goes into Gaza from Israel, we will get it back by the way of, by the way of a rocket that will kill our children. So true. Yeah. I mean, listen, we all know about sugar bombs. The tactic is also about starvation. Quote, when a soldier is hungry, he's not fighting so well. And the children?

Nobody can say children are bad, he says. But, quote, the children from the past were murdering and raping and kidnapping on October 7th. Others say aid isn't even necessary. Quote, we heard they are giving them stuff that they don't really, really need. Atar says, like strawberries. I don't think people there are crying for strawberries. And the kicker at the end of this is, in Gaza, families are eating animal feed to survive. 93% of the population of over 2 million faces, quote, crisis levels of hunger, a UN-backed consortium reported in late December.

Like, it's, it seems like a kind of a collective psychosis or something, doesn't it? like that article looks like it's just a mad person like that needs to you know we need to intervene with this kind of person right i have a wacky not so much a wacky but an unexpected take and all this like i don't believe right and it's going to get a bit kind of psychobabble stuff here but i don't believe like there's loads of people are for instance psychopaths right oh yeah i i think that propaganda is a hell of a drug you know and from what i can gather like most people who are Zionist or whatever have just consumed one hell of a drug

and now there's no going back. So like when this, it feels like when the world is different now and what I'm getting the same, because I'm just judging it by the abuse that I'm getting online. Like I'm now getting, like people are no longer engaging

in any kind of arguments or anything. Like they're just like insulting my head or, you know. And like it's usually a good sign when somebody just starts mocking your hat or your head or something. You know, you may have assumed a position of authority in the argument, you know. That's a good way to tell that someone is just very mad online. Yes, yes.

When they just sort of like, you're ugly. You're just a stupid head. Yeah. Your head's not even good. Okay. I'm going to draw you some good heads. You don't even have a good head. Yeah, exactly.

You got a dumb head. I think that if you were to somehow break through, and it's like, it's a bit cultish, you know, it feels like you know somebody's come out of a cult like they need they need some time you're not gonna you're not gonna snap somebody out of a cult over the course of a zoom but if you were able to kind of just show them some of the information like basically just turn on aljazeera for five minutes or something I always say you know and so okay whatever about Netanyahu or some of the people at the top I think generally speaking you know Israel has been masters at you know well up until recently it feels like their propaganda team have just fucking fucked off and left

them at their most crucial moments it's bizarre yeah But I think they have traditionally done a great job at framing the narrative that makes you just kind of go, I'm not sure. And actually, my own pet theory on this as well as that, they have overplayed the anti-Semitism card. So like you said earlier, right? So Ireland, we have always found that hilarious because we don't have enough Jews to be anti-Semitic. Like we don't, like I don't know any Jews. Like I love Jews. I love Jewish comedy.

Like when I go abroad, I meet Jews all the time. And we don't have any in Ireland. and we're a tiny little country. We're just getting her head around having, like, immigrants at all. You know, so we're like, I'd have to go, like, knocking on doors and doing some research to find a Jew, like, you know, tonight. So we haven't got around to it. Like, even if we weren't too Semitic, we haven't got around to it.

So, like, they always use this one example of, like, De Valera offered condolences when Hitler passed away as well. But that's a complete and utter, like, that's a side issue because Devalera was so anti-British that it was, you know, it was, it was. was so to do with Britain. It had nothing to do with Hitler. It was like, oh, one of Britain's enemies has passed away. That's sad. That's the death of the era angle on it. He's like, he just overlooked the Holocaust. That's how Angle, it was. I was like, listen, I'm not even thinking about that. I'm just thinking about how cool it was when they were bombing London.

Exactly. Exactly. He was like, hey, he was one of our guys, you know. So, so, so that's why the anti-Semitism thing is ridiculous here. But I think what's happening now and it's like the world is catching up to Ireland. Right. It's like, what the fuck are you talking about? There's like, there's Jews online all the time. Yeah. Like, some of the most passionate advocates are Jewish and you're kind of going,

this shit doesn't check out anymore. So they've overplayed the card and what happens, I think, when you overplay your Trump card is that your whole fucking argument starts to fall apart. So they no longer have an argument. And now the propaganda has left them in a state where it's basically just shout and sound mad or admit that you've been lied to your whole life, is scary. I mean, that's terrifying. Yeah, it's like a cult. I mean, Zionism I've called Zionology because it is at this point, it's just like the way that the propaganda works

is so based on indoctrination to a degree where you're creating, you're fabricating an entire reality for somebody to explain away things that are, you know, indefensible. And so, like, and in the same way that it, like, cuts you off from, like, trusting anyone who is not also a Scientologist or Scientologist. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. And in the way that, like, if you go against it, you know, they, you know, it breaks up families. It's just like any cult, you know, as soon as you start questioning it and whatnot, you can be declared a suppressive person as they do in Scientology. And, you know, then they make you a persona non grata. not, you know, they, they ostracize people from their communities and whatnot.

Yes. And it's an us and them kind of thing. So like everyone is out to get us and everyone's anti-Semit. I mean, even your, your dude, Elon Levy, there is just the most uncomfortably creepy man in the history of human beings. Yeah, just gross. He's basically saying like the UN are now anti-Semitic. Right. And like, okay, cool. So like, it's just everyone and everything. It's like, okay, cool. Yeah. And it's so like, and it comes to a point where it like, and it's one of the reasons I think you're seeing more and more Jewish people in the diaspora and in

Israel like start to really start to resent the entire thing and start speaking out against it because of the fact that it's like you are like Israel is actively like

creating a situation in which by claiming ownership of all Jews is putting us in conflict with every single fucking group of people to a degree at which we're like wait a second at some point you're going to call everybody an anti-Semite and we're going to be isolated and like i'm listen israel feel free to isolate yourself i don't give a shit if that country decides to uh you know isolate itself don't bring me with you what are you fucking crazy like it's to me it's just

It's so clearly anti-Semitic and it's so clearly based on the continuation of a narrative that everyone hates Jews. Yes, that's another quick point. And that actually is that like, so in Ireland, another reason that we're kind of onto it is that it just doesn't check out that Palestinians would be anti-Semitic. Right. Because we immediately think of our history and we kind of think like, well, when the British came over and colonized, we didn't really give a shit that they were Protestants.

Like nobody was standing up kind of going. If these guys were only Hindu, we'd have no problem with them starving us to death and taking our land. That would be great because we love fucking the Hindus. It's just Protestants we have a problem with. It just doesn't seem to check out here at all. That I think is a really interesting point. And I think that probably also speaks to a sort of immunity that the Irish people have built up against this type of Hezbara, which is like you, you know, don't. everyone else who is just kind of vaguely aware of this issue and it's just kind of like mindlessly

thoughtlessly being like I don't know I'm pro-Israel whatever um they all say the same thing which is like well I don't know Jews and the Muslims religiously have fought each other for thousands of years like total total bullshit not not not a thing not not historically accurate um and uh where like where have they don't have. Yeah. Well, yeah, what are you talking about? Which, you know, like, Star Wars. Yeah, like, which ancient war are you inventing in your head? And, and it's, I think, yeah, for, you know, the Irish, you guys are like, no, no, no, no, no. You're, this has, it's, you know, the same kind of Hasbara was used, I think, for my understanding of the troubles. Exactly.

was, I was like, oh, it's because the Catholics hate the Protestants. Yeah, we're like, just get some Protestants, you know. Yeah, like, that is our understanding that, you know, that, that's just what we were told. And something about, like, them hating each other. I don't know. And then I saw the movie in the name of the father. And I was like, okay, I think I get it. I listened to zombie by cranberries.

I'm like, yeah, all right, whatever. But, but, like, the fact is, is that if you, if you guys know, you're like, no, it was, we don't care what religion are colonizers are. They are colonizers. That makes you, uh, you know, somewhat immune to this fake narrative, which I, I think is incredible. Yeah. Should me and Francesca move to Ireland? That was one of the questions that was, uh, Francesca wanted me to ask. Because that's all that like, Francesca was like, it was like, it was like, it was like, well, I don't ever want to leave. I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to, I need to be somewhere English speaking because I only speak English.

What are you going to do with place names and stuff like that, though? Like, you're just going to, I think you just get beat out of Ireland. I'll ask my best friend, Todd Gaghe. And I'll say, hey, how do you pronounce, you know, everything? No, man, you tell you, you'd be very welcome here. And I, I listened to, I think you did a podcast with Daniel Matte, didn't you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's the sometimes co-host of this podcast.

Oh man, I thought it was excellent. It was like the point you were discussing about the fact that like, you know, the Zionist thing as well as being so horrific and brutal, it's it just lacks any kind of sense of self-awareness. And so it's not funny. Like, you know, the way they do these little videos and there's no humor in it. And like that was just when I think you were you were discussing that something

kicked for me because I was like, why are they so not funny? You know, because like they're Jewish. Like all my comedy idols are Jewish. I'm like, why are you guys not funny? And I was like, because you don't, and I was thinking to myself, if Ireland had had an empire. Yeah. We'd have no jokes like, because all our jokes are set deprecating, drinking ourselves to death, alcoholism, pain, misery, torture. And that's why Irish and Jewish and just get on so well.

Yeah, let Matt, you know, mispronounce everything. Yeah, that's, you know. Matt shitting me and fucking wage war on my family and I love all that shit, like, you know. But yeah, I thought that was a really nice, interesting, subtle point. You know, like one, like that creepy guy that we ran about earlier, he did a spoof of one of my, videos which was kind of weirdly flattering in a way because I was like at least I'm annoying somebody that I you know detest but but it was just it was like it wasn't even not funny it was like it's like it didn't it's like he doesn't understand what

humor is you know it's like it doesn't understand what comedy is or something yeah it's just like a disconnected like robot facsimile of what a joke is it's just kind of like copy and paste like I've seen this yes I've seen this elicit of a laugh I don't understand it, but I'm going to try. It's almost like the effects of if you swallow the propaganda that like one of the the Faustian pact elements is that like you lose your soul and you lose your kind of humor and it's weird, yeah. Yeah, yeah, 100%.

I mean, like trying to make sense of Zionist comedy has been one of the joys and just like one of the absolute worst things for my soul. Yeah, it's just like just watching the cruelty of the humor and then mixed in with just like other groups taking strays for no reason like that they can't do a like sketch about how much they hate Arabs without also being like oh by the way we also hate trans people. Just in case you in case you were confused as to who else we hate. it's just like you know hi I'm trans and I love Hamas

I hope I don't get raped and it's like Jesus guys I know you think that making rape jokes is okay yeah yeah but not but like maybe just be subtle like you don't have to scream

the word in every sketch like you know it is it is it's just the worst like listen I'm also a stand-up comedian and I've been to open mics where I've been less horrified. Absolutely. Like, I've seen some crazy sets done by people with severe, severe emotional issues

done in the middle of the afternoon at some weird cafe in, you know, Melrose. But, dude. But man, have you met a stand-up? I mean, Parczyinism for a second, have you met a stand-up who wasn't, deeply and profoundly emotionally disturbed that's true no they're all emotionally to listen we're pretty much like there's a reason why we're doing this shit like yeah across the board we are troubled and degenerate but yeah uh we may sometimes be able to use that uh to our advantage by making a joke yes like i the the amount of like official like zionist comedy like from comedians

who are you know working And, you know, from, you know, sketch comedy shows in Israel, I'm just like, you guys are, you're sicker somehow than the people who show up to the open mic two hours early. Definitely. You know, like, you guys are somehow worse. But it's like, how would it work, though? You know, it's like how would, because you're, you're inherently punching down as well. It's like why punching down comedy all with struggle. So you've got to, in order to laugh at it, you've got to kind of be okay with genocide and ethnic cleansing.

That's a tricky position to be in from an audience perspective. Yeah, and I also think that it's about, you also have to have some, like, you have to be able to read a room. And if there's one thing that Zionists can't do, it's his read a room. They don't know, they don't know what general sentiment is. They only know their own story. And so the only rooms that they read are just what's around them, you know, whatever bubble they're in. If they're in Israel, it's other Zionists. If they're in America, it's other Zionists.

This is, you know, how they, this is how they kind of stay in this protected bubble. And because of the fact that they're coming into a joke with the, well, we all know I'm the victim. And everyone's watching it going, like, what are you fucking talking about? Yeah. You know, like nobody, it's like from that moment on, you're like, no, you have not read this room. No one is sitting here thinking like if there's one person who's the victim in this conflict. There seems to be some confusion here. It's the Israelis. It was just like guys. And you know, and I think for them they and I think this is true in general about the way anti-Semitism is talked

about, not just in Israel, but I think in America too and in the West is, We have framed anti-Semitism as not just, you know, bigotry, but the worst bigotry. We have put it on top of every other form of bigotry. And I think that has been one of the reasons that a lot of liberal Zionists, I know, have been, you know, American liberal Zionists have been so disturbed by, the discourse quote unquote, you know, online. Because it's like number one, there are absolutely anti-Semites who, you know, like are

painting themselves as pro-Palestinian. Of course. And online, you're always going to find a fucking Nazi. Always. But then they'll see like just something, things that I would consider like careless statements from people

who are, you know, real people who are doing pro Palestinian advocacy. and they'll be horrified that someone will do a trope or someone will do a stereotype or say the wrong word or like, you know, just something will set them off and they'll be like, well, that's anti-Semitic. Now, the thing may be like anti-Semitic. I've seen people, you know, do something. I've been like, yeah, that's, you know, that's, that's, that's, crosses a line that I would personally not cross. The difference is is that. I think they are like, well, if you're willing to do that, if you're crossing that line, that must mean you are the worst person because you are doing the worst racism. Yeah.

And you don't have an argument because you've made that error. Like, so your whole position is null and void. And I think like the idea of giving grace to people who don't know the parameters of the correct language and whatnot is like a very touchy subject. because people say like, you know, there's no tolerance for anti-Semitism. I agree. I don't have tolerance in my life for racism, for anti-Semitism for anything. If I am perceiving it, the problem is that people are perceiving anti-Semitism in things that I think is completely in bad faith. And they are taking that and going like, and that's the worst thing you can do.

Yes, exactly. And I'm saying like, all racism is bad. The idea that you would be mad at like a Black Lives Matter protester for not saying the exact right word and whatnot, and then immediately be like, they are a Nazi and not at all being self-reflective about your own privilege, about your own white passing or just straight white privilege, says to me that you put anti-Semitism on this sort of like, you put, you put it above everything else and I think that shit to me like it waters down anti-semitism and it makes it and it makes it into something in which you go okay so everybody is now a Nazi we've now called everyone a fucking Nazi and which and and now I'm I'm stuck with a bunch of people who a lot of you, I think, are Nazis. You are Jewish, like, there are Jewish Nazis now next to me going, like, you know, we're all these Nazis out here. I'm like, you're fucking, I don't want to be locked

in a room with you. Exactly. Like, yeah, I think most people are just, I think the, the term Nazi is well, it's, it's, it's just become so loose-lipped now that it's lost all fucking meaning. And that's, that's actually the most anti-Semitic thing I can think of, that you've just rendered this unbelievably, unspeakably brutal regime that did murder. six million Jews. You've now rendered that to be just some lad up the road who said something that you thought could have been phrased a bit better. Come on. Yes. Yeah. And it's like, it's just the concerted attempt to water it down or to do Nazi revisionism. I don't, I don't see that from anyone who is not a Zionist. Like, I'm only seeing Zionists do this. And it's really,

you know, it's really disgusting. And, you know, it means that they're comedy. is bad. Here, here. Yeah, cheers. Before we go, I want to I want to end with this and this is always a depressing way to end because it's always

more Hasbara. But, you know, are you someone who believes that Unra should be defunded? I want to ask. Todd Gah. Me.

Yeah, do you believe that UNRWA should be defunded? I think, obviously not, but I think something that hasn't been discussed at all, which is worth just saying, is that like, why does UNRWA exist? Nobody, I haven't seen anything in the discourse kind of going, you're defunding this thing that exists. The only reason it exists is because of the Nakhba. That's the only reason it exists. Like if you didn't, if the West didn't basically turn a blind eye

to the fact that all these people were displaced to make room for this new country that the West basically created out of its own. guilt for actual anti-Semitism, then we wouldn't have the need for this organization to begin with. So, yeah, I mean, like, to cut off. So you don't think it should be defunded. Well, well, isn't that convenient, you know, because you care about like the children of Palestine. Well, what about you're not thinking about every child. Isn't there one child's voice that you are ignoring? Here's that child. global refugee chaos 36 million refugees worldwide yet 6 million Palestinians score VIP treatment with UNR others one size fits all with UNHCR back in the 40s who wasn't a refugee almost everyone including many Jews sorry back in the 40s who wasn't a refugee is

the fucking most insane it's a for listen who wasn't huh remember remember the 40s when none of us were refugees? What the fuck? Guess who's still officially on the list? Palestinians. Why do you think they're still on the list, little girl? Let them go home. Like, what the fuck?

Just to remind people, this starts out with a in-lights VIP refugees. This is from Israel's official, you know, Twitter page. Oh my yuck. Yeah, and this is our, you know, this is my, our favorite cartoon girl, who I'm just going to name, her name is Jenna, last name, side, and she is explaining why Palestinian refugees are, you know, treated too good. Oh, my gosh. Palestinians, seems only Palestinians, inherit this exclusive VIP refugee status. Unra, established in 1949, was supposed to fix this. Yet, one rule for Palestinian refugees, another for the rest.

Smells fishy, huh? Thank you, little genocide girl, for once again reminding us that Israel at this point is creating content for literally nobody. Who is that for? I've asked this every time I play her, I ask the guess, who's that for? is it for children is it for adults is it for Americans

because I don't know anyone who's going to look at that and be like that little girl's right we should defund unlaw yeah here for that little girl Jenna's right yeah Jenna's right

hell yeah oh god so just in case you wanted to leave this podcast on a high note, sorry, not happening. We live in hell, and I'm taking you with me. Oh, thank you so much, Tadgach. Matt, it was an absolute pleasure.

I loved it. I loved it too. I really love your work. I think you do such an amazing job, and it's been inspiring to watch. And where can people find you and find your videos and your content? Just everywhere. Like, it's Tyg, Hickey. I'm on YouTube.

TIG! Oh, shit. It's Tyg? Oh, no, right at the end as well. Oh, you fucked up. Shit, yeah, it's like Tiger without the Or so it's like, it's like a tie and the G. I love that. It's just one syllable, man.

It's so easy, you know, you could have got it, but you didn't. I didn't move on. But I'm glad I know it now. But yeah, I'm on one of your fucking Patreon thing in a jiggies as well. And like yourself, I'm demonetized on. on everything by a lot of things by choice to be honest because yeah but but something's not by choice and yeah people want to support me i'm on patreon but if they don't that's cool because i'm on all the others as well like instagram and and facebook and all the other rubbish so yeah thank you so much

check check out tag hickey i'm still gonna call you you're pronouncing it perfectly now which is just just breaking my heart i'll call you tadgacher i'm gonna still call you tadgacher um but Follow him, truly amazing work, hilarious comedian, and then, you know, find out where he's performing and go to his shows. You're a stand-up comic and you're hilarious. And thank you so much for coming on. Thanks, buddy. Come to Ireland. You've been more than welcome.

Do some gigs over here. We absolutely will come to Ireland. That is going to happen. Patreon.com slash bad hasbarra. Badhasbarra at gmail.com for your email. Email me. Questions, comments, concerns, stories, whatever. And yeah, thank you everyone again so much for listening.

And until next time, from the river to the sea, my favorite guy is Todd Gah Hecky. I'm dumb enough. Jumping jacks was us, push-ups was us, grab-maga us, all karate us, taking Molly us, Michael Jackson, us, Yamaha keyboards, us, Berger binks not us, Andor was us, Heath Ledger Joker us, endless fed success. Happy Meals was us, McDonald's was us, being happy us, bequem yoga us, eating food, us, breathing air, us, drinking water us. We invented all that shit. If you know someone who

live in the form illegal in States Units, Pronto will be because he willvera a car. Me called Christy NOM. I'm the Secretary of Security National of

the United. It can't avoid problems descargandos the apps and deporting to form secure. Receivary

a help economic, a flight and the possibility to return to form legal. If not it does,

we'll we'll finderable and we're sure of the President Trump, our laws are complete

and our front is secure.