Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The Palestinian liberation struggle is a fundamental class and anti-colonial issue. First-time guest to the podcast, Professor Omar Zahzah, talks with Steve about the active collaboration of Silicon Valley tech giants with the US and Israeli governments to censor and suppress anti-Zionist narratives.
“What these companies are doing is digitally amplifying a physical process of settler colonial dispossession.”
Omar goes beyond labeling digital censorship as simple political bias. He argues that Silicon Valley’s actions are a direct extension of imperialist goals in Palestine: the erasure of a people, their narrative, and their history. Big Tech is not a referee – not even a biased one. It is an active combatant.
Omar provides a sharp critique of how the language of safety and anti-racism is co-opted and weaponized. Online platforms use terms like “harassment” and “hate speech” to silence criticism.
In their discussion, Omar and Steve apply Antonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony to the digital sphere. They analyze how Big Tech platforms shape our “common sense,” not just through outright censorship, but through algorithmic curation, shadow-banning, and overwhelming activists with trolls and bots, waging a “digital war of attrition” that drains energy and shifts perceptions. They also suggest the potential TikTok ban is not just a US-China trade issue but a symptom of a crisis of hegemony.
Omar Zahzah is a writer, poet, organizer of Lebanese Palestinian descent, and Assistant Professor of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies at San Francisco State University. Omar has covered digital repression in relation to Palestine as a freelance journalist since May 2021, with work appearing in such outlets as Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, Electronic Intifada, Mondoweiss, CounterPunch, and more. Omar holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from UCLA.
His recently published book is Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital Settler Colonialism in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle
@dromarzahzah on X
Chapters:
Introduction & Guest Introduction
Starts at: 0:00
Steve introduces the podcast, the topic, and guest Omar Zahzah.
2:02 - Palestinian Struggle, Social Media, and Censorship
Discussion of the book, the timeline of events, and the role of social media in the Palestinian liberation struggle.
11:38 - Cultural Hegemony and Media Narratives
Deep dive into hegemony, Gramsci, and how media shapes perceptions.
21:38 -Counter-Revolution, Hasbara, and Digital Warfare - Discussion of Israeli propaganda, digital trolling, and cyber warfare.
30:41 -Terms of Service, Censorship, and Erasing Palestine = How tech companies use terms of service to silence dissent and erase Palestinian identity.
45:41 -Crisis of Hegemony, TikTok Ban, and Resistance - The TikTok ban, US imperial anxiety, and the ongoing struggle for narrative control.
1:00:14 - Democracy, Power, and Defining Victory = Broader reflections on democracy, activism, and what victory means in the context of resistance.
Conclusion & Outro
Starts at: 1:27:54
[Scene 8](Go to Scene)
Closing remarks, where to find more from the guest, and support for the podcast.
Weaponize Knowledge with Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)
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Weaponize Knowledge with Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)
Please help our Real Progressives efforts in spreading and become a monthly donor!
At PayPal
paypal.me/RealProgressives/25
At Patreon
patreon.com/realprogressives
Write for Real Progressives
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Visit our website:
realprogressives.org
Listen to our podcast:
realprogressives.org/macro-n-cheese-podcast
We believe all materials used in this video fall under Fair Use as defined in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976.
The Palestinian liberation struggle is a fundamental class and anti-colonial issue. First-time guest to the podcast, Professor Omar Zahzah, talks with Steve about the active collaboration of Silicon Valley tech giants with the US and Israeli governments to censor and suppress anti-Zionist narratives.
“What these companies are doing is digitally amplifying a physical process of settler colonial dispossession.”
Omar goes beyond labeling digital censorship as simple political bias. He argues that Silicon Valley’s actions are a direct extension of imperialist goals in Palestine: the erasure of a people, their narrative, and their history. Big Tech is not a referee – not even a biased one. It is an active combatant.
Omar provides a sharp critique of how the language of safety and anti-racism is co-opted and weaponized. Online platforms use terms like “harassment” and “hate speech” to silence criticism.
In their discussion, Omar and Steve apply Antonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony to the digital sphere. They analyze how Big Tech platforms shape our “common sense,” not just through outright censorship, but through algorithmic curation, shadow-banning, and overwhelming activists with trolls and bots, waging a “digital war of attrition” that drains energy and shifts perceptions. They also suggest the potential TikTok ban is not just a US-China trade issue but a symptom of a crisis of hegemony.
Omar Zahzah is a writer, poet, organizer of Lebanese Palestinian descent, and Assistant Professor of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies at San Francisco State University. Omar has covered digital repression in relation to Palestine as a freelance journalist since May 2021, with work appearing in such outlets as Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, Electronic Intifada, Mondoweiss, CounterPunch, and more. Omar holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from UCLA.
His recently published book is Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital Settler Colonialism in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle
@dromarzahzah on X
Chapters:
Introduction & Guest Introduction
Starts at: 0:00
Steve introduces the podcast, the topic, and guest Omar Zahzah.
2:02 - Palestinian Struggle, Social Media, and Censorship
Discussion of the book, the timeline of events, and the role of social media in the Palestinian liberation struggle.
11:38 - Cultural Hegemony and Media Narratives
Deep dive into hegemony, Gramsci, and how media shapes perceptions.
21:38 -Counter-Revolution, Hasbara, and Digital Warfare - Discussion of Israeli propaganda, digital trolling, and cyber warfare.
30:41 -Terms of Service, Censorship, and Erasing Palestine = How tech companies use terms of service to silence dissent and erase Palestinian identity.
45:41 -Crisis of Hegemony, TikTok Ban, and Resistance - The TikTok ban, US imperial anxiety, and the ongoing struggle for narrative control.
1:00:14 - Democracy, Power, and Defining Victory = Broader reflections on democracy, activism, and what victory means in the context of resistance.
Conclusion & Outro
Starts at: 1:27:54
[Scene 8](Go to Scene)
Closing remarks, where to find more from the guest, and support for the podcast.
Weaponize Knowledge with Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)
Please help our Real Progressives efforts in spreading and become a monthly donor!
At PayPal
paypal.me/RealProgressives/25
At Patreon
patreon.com/realprogressives
Donorbox
donorbox.org/each-one-teach-one-3
Write for Real Progressives
realprogressives.org/submit-an-article
Visit our website:
realprogressives.org
Listen to our podcast:
realprogressives.org/macro-n-cheese-podcast
Subscribe to our Substack:
realprogressives.substack.com
We believe all materials used in this video fall under Fair Use as defined in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976.
#mmt
Weaponize Knowledge with Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)
Please help our Real Progressives efforts in spreading and become a monthly donor!
At PayPal
paypal.me/RealProgressives/25
At Patreon
patreon.com/realprogressives
Write for Real Progressives
realprogressives.org/submit-an-article
Visit our website:
realprogressives.org
Listen to our podcast:
realprogressives.org/macro-n-cheese-podcast
We believe all materials used in this video fall under Fair Use as defined in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976.
