Episode description

On this week’s bonus episode of ‘We’re Not Kidding,’ Bassem Youssef joins Mehdi for an honest and critical conversation about Oct. 7, and the avalanche of Israeli propaganda and lies that followed Hamas’ deadly attack.

Bassem and Mehdi discuss and debunk a number of lies and distortions about the events on the day, from Israel’s controversial “Hannibal directive,” which led to the Israeli military killing a number of its own citizens, to the the now infamous “40 beheaded babies” and “babies in ovens” falsehoods that began to surface only days after the attack. 

Bassem and Mehdi are also joined by NYU journalism professor and war correspondent Azadeh Moaveni, whose recent reporting went into detail about how sexual violence and claims of mass rape have been weaponized by supporters of Israel over the past eight months, and how the New York Times in particular misreported this incendiary story. 

This episode includes discussions on sexual violence, the specifics of which may be disturbing or traumatizing for some viewers and listeners. Below is a list of resources for survivors of sexual violence.

RESOURCES:

* RAINN: National sexual assault hotline

* Dart Center: Reporting on Sexual Violence

* Poynter: 11 Resources for Responsibly Reporting on Rape

SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe

WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends

FIND ZETEO:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews

FIND MEHDI:

Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan

FIND BASSEM:

Twitter: https://x.com/Byoussef

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassem/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bassem?lang=en

CREDITS:

Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan

Guest Host: Bassem Youssef

Executive Producers: Misha Euceph and Kiran Alvi

Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello

Music: Andy Clausen

Design: Alicia Tatone