Wintess to Genocide: Susan Abulhawa on Gaza and the Price of Truth

In this powerful episode of "The Watchdog," host Lowkey speaks with Palestinian-American author and activist Susan Abulhawa about her firsthand experiences inside Gaza during the ongoing Israeli assault. As one of the few Western-based voices to enter the besieged enclave during the genocide, Abulhawa shares her deeply personal account of life under bombardment, the psychological toll of witnessing mass devastation, and the political cost of speaking uncomfortable truths in Western institutions. Abulhawa reflects on the eerie stillness of Gaza’s ruins, the erasure of daily life, and the overwhelming sense of loss she encountered, both human and environmental. She also opens up about the backlash she faced upon returning to the West, including de-platforming, public smears, and institutional silencing, such as censorship from major academic venues like Oxford. This episode intersects witness, memory, and resistance, and why narratives like Abulhawa’s are crucial to breaking the wall of manufactured silence surrounding Israel’s actions in Gaza. Support the show The Watchdog is 100% independent and listener-supported. We don’t take corporate ad money. We don’t have billionaire backers. Episodes like this are only possible because of you. If you value fearless journalism and critical conversations, please consider joining our community of supporters: 🔗 Support us on Patreon Together, we can keep this work going. Lowkey is a British-Iraqi hip-hop artist, academic and political campaigner. As a musician, he has collaborated with the Arctic Monkeys, Wretch 32, Immortal Technique and Akala. He is a patron of Stop The War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Racial Justice Network and The Peace and Justice Project, founded by Jeremy Corbyn. He has spoken and performed on platforms from the Oxford Union to the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury. His latest album, Soundtrack To The Struggle 2, featured Noam Chomsky and Frankie Boyle and has been streamed millions of times.