Ep 34 - Diana Buttu (Palestinian Lawyer, Former PLO Advisor & Human Rights Advocate)

In Episode 34 of The Enlightenment Podcast, Shamim and Hanan speak with Diana Buttu — a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer, political analyst, and former legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Diana played a pivotal role in the early 2000s as a spokesperson and negotiator for the PLO’s Negotiations Support Unit — one of the few women at the table during peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian representatives.She holds degrees from the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Stanford Law School, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management . Diana has also been affiliated with Stanford University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and is currently associated with the Institute for Middle East Understanding.Born and raised in Canada to Palestinian parents, Diana moved back to Palestine in 2000. She lived in Ramallah from 2000 to 2005, then moved to Gaza, where she stayed until mid-2006. After being denied reentry into Gaza, she returned to Ramallah briefly before moving to Nazareth to live with her grandmother. In 2010, she purchased a home and settled in Haifa, where she continues her legal and advocacy work today.​Diana’s work has long focused on exposing the imbalance of power in so-called “peace processes” — and on highlighting the human cost of occupation. In interviews and op-eds, she has been a powerful voice for Palestinian rights, speaking out against land theft, apartheid, and the international community’s complicity in maintaining the status quo. In this episode, Shamim and Hanan discuss Diana’s legal background, her behind-the-scenes experience in negotiations, and her evolving perspective on why justice — not just diplomacy — must be the foundation of any future for Palestine.Follow Diana Buttu:📍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianabuttu/📍 X (Twitter): @dianabuttuFurther Reading:🔗 “Point-Blank Range”: How Israel Executed 15 Medics in Gaza (Zeteo) - https://zeteo.com/p/point-blank-range-israel-executed-medics-gaza?r=a61yu&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAactdZmJZCeuZ_Gw1HSd_Pp_IgiuRlQYAGrTkjwsRHseiUYxkoPWVBGcjQJimA_aem_Cj_xpD5nho-AaxhmpMJXag✍️ Articles by Diana Buttu (Al Jazeera) - https://www.aljazeera.com/author/diana_buttu_161207133658884Learn more about the movement:🌍 BDS Movement - https://www.bdsmovement.net/#theenlightenmentpodcast #dianabuttu #palestine #palestinianvoices #legalactivism #humanrights #justiceforpalestine #palestinianlawyer #endtheoccupation #freepalestine #palestinianrights #resistance #palestinefreedom #podcastforjustice #middleeastexplained