David Marchese

Do you feel like there are things you can't or shouldn't speak to?

But surely your work is a condemnation of Israeli conduct, right?

Are there things that you say that you find are controversial among Palestinians?

What do you think the end game is for the Netanyahu government in the West Bank and Gaza?

Do you think Hamas is interested in a peace that doesn't leave it in charge of Gaza?

I've seen you refer to yourself as an eternal optimist.

Is there anything that currently gives you cause for optimism about Palestinian statehood as well as peace between Palestinians and Israelis?

Raj, I'd like to end this conversation with a question that's a little bit left field from what we've been talking about up till now.

But you're in Edinburgh right now.

Yeah.

A city that you spend some time in.

And I'm curious about something that you've said about the city, which is this.

You said, it's a place where if you love something, when you come back, you find that it is still there, that it hasn't been destroyed.

That's very comforting for someone who lives in a place that is constantly under attack.

I understand how that would be comforting, but I'm wondering if there are also more complicated feelings that come along with that sense of comfort, some internal dissonance maybe.

Is there any good Palestinian food in Edinburgh?

I guess you have that enough.

I have enough, but there is some Lebanese guy who is doing very well.

Thank you very much for speaking with me today.

I appreciate it.