Al Mayadeen aired an episode of The Proximate Aspect, hosted by Zeinab al-Saffar, featuring US journalist, activist, and filmmaker Abby Martin. The interview tackled the ongoing war on Gaza, the role of Western media and governments, and the broader collapse of the Zionist narrative through the lens of resistance, free speech, and global awakening.

Opening the segment, al-Saffar highlighted the seismic shifts in global awareness caused by the events in Gaza, noting that while mainstream headlines focus on chaos and destruction, a deeper battle is being won, a battle for legitimacy, narrative, and consciousness. Martin framed the Resistance not as a mere military operation but as a counterforce dismantling Zionism’s moral and political credibility. "Zionism has become a global accusation, not a badge of legitimacy," she said.

Addressing the use of the term genocide to describe the Israeli war on Gaza, Martin cited legal experts, including UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and the ICJ ruling that pointed to documented genocidal intent by Israeli leaders, describing the destruction of civilian infrastructure, ecological devastation, and the systematic targeting of Palestinian life and culture as undeniable evidence. "It is so clear as day that it is genocide," she asserted, pointing to the consensus among human rights organizations and genocide scholars.

When asked whether the October 7 operation by Palestinian resistance was worth the subsequent destruction, Martin reframed the question: "Why is the victim of a genocide being asked to disarm?" She pointed out that the Resistance in Gaza had offered to release captives within a month, but "Israel" responded with overwhelming force. She argued that the occupation used October 7 as a pretext for an already planned campaign of annihilation, reinforcing her view that no action or inaction by the Resistance would have prevented the occupation's aggression.

Martin criticized the Trump ceasefire plan as a geopolitical deception meant to rebrand occupation as economic aid, pointing to the plan's lack of Palestinian representation and its prioritization of Israeli interests, describing it as an extension of apartheid under the guise of development. "This is not peace. This is restructured oppression," she said.

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Al-Saffar raised the question of whether the world is witnessing the slow collapse of the Zionist project. Martin responded affirmatively, citing the Zionist state's moral bankruptcy and increasing global isolation. "Zionism cannot survive because it only knows how to kill to exist," she said, referencing polling that shows declining support for "Israel," even among young Jews in the US.

Youth uprising and anti-colonial awakening

Martin emphasized the transformative role of youth, particularly across college campuses and digital platforms. She described the current wave of protests as a global anti-colonial awakening, rooted in solidarity with Palestine and interconnected struggles against imperialism and ecological destruction. "This is not a trend. This is a generation refusing to be lied to," she said.

Shifting focus to US foreign policy, Martin condemned recent airstrikes off Venezuela's coast as imperial provocations aimed at regime change. She characterized the US as a fossil fuel-driven military empire that disregards international law and democratic sovereignty.

On the state of free speech, Martin warned of rising repression in the US, especially targeting critics of "Israel" and anti-BDS activists, citing laws designed to criminalize solidarity and suppress dissent, saying, "The First Amendment is under attack in the name of protecting apartheid."

Discussing the role of media in enabling genocide, Martin argued that mainstream outlets use sanitized language to obscure reality. Terms like "Hamas-run Gaza" or "Israel's right to self-defense" serve to justify state violence and manufacture consent. "Genocide doesn't happen in a vacuum," she said. "It needs PR."

Concluding the interview, Martin delivered a message of hope and inevitability: "Zionism has a shelf life. Democracy, freedom, and Palestinian liberation are the future. Gaza will be free."