PalCast released a new episode titled A Palestinian Refugee in Trump’s America, featuring an interview with Karama Fadil, a Palestinian from Gaza. Karama, an Arabic teacher for non-Arabic speakers, shared her story of surviving five months of the Gaza genocide before leaving via coordination services to Egypt and eventually settling in the United States. The episode explored her efforts to start a new life while confronting the challenges of being a Palestinian refugee and stateless person in America.
PalCast hosts, Yousef and Tony, guided listeners through Karama’s experiences before the conflict. She described a busy life as a teacher and consultant, taking students on cultural tours around Gaza and meeting international delegates. The sudden eruption of violence and forced evacuation disrupted her routine and forced her family to seek safety in South Gaza, highlighting the chaos and difficulty of displacement for ordinary Palestinians.
Karama also discussed the barriers she faced while leaving Gaza and adjusting to life as a refugee. She noted the racism in evacuation procedures, where priority was given to foreigners and dual nationals, and described the financial and logistical struggles she endured to leave. Her stay in Egypt was limited by visa restrictions, preventing her from working despite her qualifications. In the U.S., she faced the added challenges of asylum policies that made it difficult to reunite with family, leaving her feeling stateless and disconnected.
The episode shed light on the broader realities of statelessness and displacement, contrasting Karama’s past sense of community and belonging in Gaza with her current isolation. Despite the difficulties, she holds hope for building support networks and aiding those left behind. The full episode is now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.