# 165: Pokémon GO AWAY, with Andrey X Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPU5bFUo4l0 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/CPU5bFUo4l0 Generated: 2025-12-10T01:31:13.926+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The podcast episode features journalist and activist Andrey X, who discusses his accidental path to obtaining Israeli citizenship after fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and his subsequent work documenting the apartheid system in the West Bank by leveraging his Israeli passport to film Israeli soldiers harassing Palestinian journalists, contrasting his relative freedom with the severe restrictions faced by Palestinians. **Key Points:** - Andrey X obtained Israeli citizenship in three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine prevented his return, stating he applied for the easiest passport available because he found himself 'unable to shut up' about political issues. - X uses his Israeli citizenship as a 'privilege' to film Israeli soldiers and document roadblocks, noting that when he shows his Israeli ID, soldiers immediately let him through, contrasting sharply with the detention of his Palestinian colleagues. - In one documented incident, after X showed his ID, soldiers let him go while two Palestinian colleagues were blindfolded, tied up, and driven away to a military base for doing the 'exact same thing' as X. - X has faced severe consequences for his work, including being attacked by a settler who pierced his eardrum, and currently faces 14 court cases in civilian courts. - X explicitly states his content is not for an Israeli audience, as that requires a different, empathetic approach he is unwilling to take; instead, his mission is to reach an international audience to generate external pressure. - Hillary Clinton criticized young people getting news from TikTok like Andrey X for smearing Israel, claiming students who say 'from the river to the sea' do not know 'what river and what sea,' which the hosts dismiss as fabricated. - The hosts view Hillary Clinton's political style as obsolete and irrelevant, noting her only remaining relevance is as a 'super villain' whose attempts to deflect anger about Gaza are transparent, especially when speaking in places like Dearborn, Michigan. **Context:** This episode of the 'Bad Hazbara' podcast, hosted by Matt Lee and Daniel Matt, features an interview with journalist and activist Andrey X, who discusses his unique position as a Russian-born Israeli citizen reporting from the West Bank. The conversation begins with typical podcast banter, including shout-outs and discussions about cold weather, before pivoting to sponsor messages for PAL Humanity and then focusing heavily on X's reporting methodology and the political climate concerning Israel, particularly reacting to recent comments made by Hillary Clinton regarding social media news consumption. ## Detailed Analysis The core of the episode is the interview with Andrey X, detailing his journey from accidentally becoming an Israeli citizen after Russia invaded Ukraine to actively documenting what he calls the 'apartheid system' and 'settler colonial project' in the West Bank. X explains that his Russian background and Israeli citizenship afford him protections that Palestinian journalists lack; he can film soldiers who then let him pass upon seeing his Israeli ID, while his colleagues face arrest, kidnapping, and administrative detention on vague charges like 'threatening regional security.' X uses this status deliberately, filming confrontations to expose the differential treatment, such as when soldiers dismissed his detained Palestinian colleagues as terrorists while acknowledging his Israeli identity granted him immunity. He has endured physical attacks and faces 14 court cases for his activism. X clarifies that his work targets an international audience, not Israelis, acknowledging that reaching Israelis requires a level of empathy he chooses not to deploy. The hosts then pivot to political commentary, dissecting Hillary Clinton's recent criticism of young people relying on social media for news, specifically citing X's content. They mock Clinton's anecdote about quizzing students on the specific river and sea in 'from the river to the sea,' viewing it as a desperate attempt to regain narrative control that has been lost due to citizen journalism, concluding that her brand of politics is now obsolete and only relevant as a 'super predator' figure. ### Guest Introduction and Background - Andrey X arrived in Israel on holiday from Russia, could not return due to the Ukraine invasion, and quickly obtained Israeli citizenship because he was 'unable to shut up' about politics - He realized he was part of a settler colonial project and decided to act, finding it easier than native Israeli activists because his 'previous life was already destroyed.' ### Leveraging Israeli Citizenship for Reporting - X uses his Israeli passport to document apartheid, noting soldiers immediately let him pass while detaining Palestinian journalists, highlighting the disparity in rights and mobility. ### Consequences and Activist Strategy - X faces 14 court cases and was physically attacked, but he remains in the West Bank working with other activists, focusing his content solely on international audiences rather than attempting to convince Israeli citizens. ### Analysis of Anti-War Reporting - X documented a soldier being told 'I heard of IOF' instead of IDF, demonstrating the power of naming the 'Israeli occupation forces' to an international audience. ### Critique of Establishment Politics - The hosts discuss Hillary Clinton's criticism of TikTok news sources, viewing her claims about students not knowing the 'river and the sea' as fabricated and indicative of her total loss of credibility and relevance. ### Democratization of Media - The speakers agree that the ability of people like X and those in Gaza to film events on their phones demonstrates the 'impending democratization of media,' which traditional outlets like the NYT cannot stop.