Joel Schalit
@jschalit.bsky.social
Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief @ The Battleground • i24News • Ex-EURACTIV, France 24 & Tikkun • Akashic Books, NYU Press & Pluto Press.
It’s not just Trump misbehaving. According to Ari Paul, the Greenland crisis is another chapter in the settler colonial assault on native populations. If you ever wondered why American politicians turn a blind eye to the Palestinian genocide, let US history be your guide.
Never Mind the Natives: Trump's Settler Colonialism
Ruthless Cosmopolitan
thebattleground.eu
January 13, 2026 at 9:42 AM
It’s not just Trump misbehaving. According to Ari Paul, the Greenland crisis is another chapter in the settler colonial assault on native populations. If you ever wondered why American politicians turn a blind eye to the Palestinian genocide, let US history be your guide.
When dubstep first emerged in South London, the genre was barely identifiable. Slowed-down drum and bass, with effects borrowed from dub, was sonically limited. Hybridised with dancehall, EDM and grime, the 20-year-old style is getting a second lease on life, and leftist politics.
Battleground Playlist #86
open.spotify.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:40 AM
When dubstep first emerged in South London, the genre was barely identifiable. Slowed-down drum and bass, with effects borrowed from dub, was sonically limited. Hybridised with dancehall, EDM and grime, the 20-year-old style is getting a second lease on life, and leftist politics.
Nicolás Maduro’s arrest belongs to a world in which the only laws that exist are those that serve state interests. John Foster, on the Trump Administration’s insecure imperialism and the anti-democratic measures it’s resorting to in order to retain power.
Imperialism Without Confidence
The Arrest of Nicolás Maduro
thebattleground.eu
January 10, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Nicolás Maduro’s arrest belongs to a world in which the only laws that exist are those that serve state interests. John Foster, on the Trump Administration’s insecure imperialism and the anti-democratic measures it’s resorting to in order to retain power.
German riot control equipment is a permanent fixture at most of the leftist protests I've covered in Europe. Particularly at the big antiwar demos I've been to since October 7.
War of Position
Soaked by water cannons. Askatasuna eviction protest, Torino.
thebattleground.eu
January 10, 2026 at 11:26 AM
German riot control equipment is a permanent fixture at most of the leftist protests I've covered in Europe. Particularly at the big antiwar demos I've been to since October 7.
Coco Bryce decided to make a jungle record that nods to the Mediterranean aesthetic of Sephardic Jews. Charlie Bertsch, on Bryce’s new Noches Sephardies LP and embracing Jewish multiculturalism.
Jungle for Multiculturalism
Noches Sephardies, by Coco Bryce
thebattleground.eu
January 9, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Coco Bryce decided to make a jungle record that nods to the Mediterranean aesthetic of Sephardic Jews. Charlie Bertsch, on Bryce’s new Noches Sephardies LP and embracing Jewish multiculturalism.
In 2025, The Battleground published 85 weekly playlists, covering every conceivable underground, politically significant artist that we, of course, like. This was my favourite of the bunch, and the one I'm most proud of, featuring multilingual music from Israel, Palestine and Syria.
Battleground Playlist #82
open.spotify.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:07 AM
In 2025, The Battleground published 85 weekly playlists, covering every conceivable underground, politically significant artist that we, of course, like. This was my favourite of the bunch, and the one I'm most proud of, featuring multilingual music from Israel, Palestine and Syria.
Trump's imperialism isn't an anomaly. It's a feature of American history. Ari Paul, on the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and why it's time for the United States to stop pretending it's above the law.
Might Makes Right: Opposing American Exceptionalism
Ruthless Cosmopolitan
thebattleground.eu
January 7, 2026 at 10:44 AM
Trump's imperialism isn't an anomaly. It's a feature of American history. Ari Paul, on the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and why it's time for the United States to stop pretending it's above the law.
The Telegraph has focused so relentlessly on combating Antisemitism that it is making the problem worse. Josh White, on the UK's most respected right-wing newspaper, and how it's capitalising on racism. The third article in a series for his forthcoming Battleground book on British media.
Failing British Jews
The Telegraph on Antisemitism
thebattleground.eu
January 7, 2026 at 10:42 AM
The Telegraph has focused so relentlessly on combating Antisemitism that it is making the problem worse. Josh White, on the UK's most respected right-wing newspaper, and how it's capitalising on racism. The third article in a series for his forthcoming Battleground book on British media.
In a country where class remains a perpetual visual cue, what better reminder do journalists need about the economy than witnessing people sleeping rough on the streets, and dressed as bears? This is how I remind myself why street photography is such an effective way of reaching people.
Street Photography and News Journalism
Aperture Priorities #32
thebattleground.eu
September 16, 2025 at 6:48 PM
In a country where class remains a perpetual visual cue, what better reminder do journalists need about the economy than witnessing people sleeping rough on the streets, and dressed as bears? This is how I remind myself why street photography is such an effective way of reaching people.
Eastern Front Redux
Preparing for Ukraine. Balon, Torino.
thebattleground.eu
September 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM
The killing of Charlie Kirk is more than an isolated act. It reveals how political violence has transformed into spectacle. Today’s assassin acts alone, yet reports and images of their violence circulate endlessly, reshaping politics without ever resolving it. John Foster, in The Battleground.
Convulsions of the Body Politic
Charlie Kirk and the Molecularisation of Violence
thebattleground.substack.com
September 13, 2025 at 11:53 AM
The killing of Charlie Kirk is more than an isolated act. It reveals how political violence has transformed into spectacle. Today’s assassin acts alone, yet reports and images of their violence circulate endlessly, reshaping politics without ever resolving it. John Foster, in The Battleground.
The Economist reminds you how much the world has changed in the last ten years. @jtwhitenoise.bsky.social, on the neoliberal mag, and its crisis of legitimacy under populism. [See link in comments].
September 9, 2025 at 11:29 AM
The Economist reminds you how much the world has changed in the last ten years. @jtwhitenoise.bsky.social, on the neoliberal mag, and its crisis of legitimacy under populism. [See link in comments].
There was no way around it. Even though I was supposed to take a break, a grant opportunity arose, and it would take two weeks to apply for it. Yours truly, on preparing my first photo book, about Brussels, and ten photos of the city. This week, in The Battleground newsletter.
Brussels is a Country
Aperture Priorities Contact Sheet #31
thebattleground.substack.com
September 6, 2025 at 4:33 AM
There was no way around it. Even though I was supposed to take a break, a grant opportunity arose, and it would take two weeks to apply for it. Yours truly, on preparing my first photo book, about Brussels, and ten photos of the city. This week, in The Battleground newsletter.
For Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, particularly Donald Trump, journalism is hostile to the national project and aligned with every perceived enemy. @ariaripaulpaul.bsky.social, on the killing of Anas al-Sharif and the War on Terror buildup to their blitzkrieg against the press.
They Always Shoot the Messengers
Daniel Pearl and Anas Al-Sharif
thebattleground.eu
September 2, 2025 at 3:40 PM
For Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, particularly Donald Trump, journalism is hostile to the national project and aligned with every perceived enemy. @ariaripaulpaul.bsky.social, on the killing of Anas al-Sharif and the War on Terror buildup to their blitzkrieg against the press.
Antisemitism and Islamophobia are different variations of a common bigotry: we’re all outsiders. This is why attempts to smear Zohran Mamdani as an Antisemite offends Jews and Muslims equally. Ari Paul, in The Battleground.
@ariaripaulpaul.bsky.social
@ariaripaulpaul.bsky.social
Jews like Mamdani Because He’s One of Us
Antisemitism and Islamophobia in New York City
thebattleground.eu
August 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Antisemitism and Islamophobia are different variations of a common bigotry: we’re all outsiders. This is why attempts to smear Zohran Mamdani as an Antisemite offends Jews and Muslims equally. Ari Paul, in The Battleground.
@ariaripaulpaul.bsky.social
@ariaripaulpaul.bsky.social
In the fourth edition of Gaza War Blues, Battleground Editor-in-Chief Joel Schalit and journalist William Noah Glucroft discuss the European Union’s reluctance to restrain Israel, despite mounting evidence of genocide, and how this reflects the bloc’s drift rightwards.
A Moral Failure
The EU on Gaza
thebattleground.substack.com
July 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM
In the fourth edition of Gaza War Blues, Battleground Editor-in-Chief Joel Schalit and journalist William Noah Glucroft discuss the European Union’s reluctance to restrain Israel, despite mounting evidence of genocide, and how this reflects the bloc’s drift rightwards.
Genocide is universally condemned, yet persistently underacknowledged. Until enforcement mechanisms catch up with the weight of the word, genocide will remain a term of last resort, deployed sparingly, and often too late. @magadh.bsky.social, in The Battleground.
The Trouble With Genocide
Why It's so Hard to Evoke
thebattleground.eu
July 19, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Genocide is universally condemned, yet persistently underacknowledged. Until enforcement mechanisms catch up with the weight of the word, genocide will remain a term of last resort, deployed sparingly, and often too late. @magadh.bsky.social, in The Battleground.
It's Bibi's get-out-of-jail free card, and then some. Yours truly, on the Israeli-Iranian war and its political significance, at home and abroad. @doughenwood.bsky.social's Behind the News show, together with Mouin Rabbani.
fresh audio product:
two perspectives on Israel’s war on Iran: Mouin Rabbani on the regional/global context and Joel Schalit @jschalit.bsky.social on Israeli society and politics
www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html#S...
two perspectives on Israel’s war on Iran: Mouin Rabbani on the regional/global context and Joel Schalit @jschalit.bsky.social on Israeli society and politics
www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html#S...
June 20, 2025 at 12:59 PM
It's Bibi's get-out-of-jail free card, and then some. Yours truly, on the Israeli-Iranian war and its political significance, at home and abroad. @doughenwood.bsky.social's Behind the News show, together with Mouin Rabbani.
Combatting the legacy of Antisemitism is the right thing to do. But honouring Alfred Dreyfus without acknowledging how the discrimination he suffered is linked to the discrimination against Muslims today misses the point. @magadh.bsky.social, in The Battleground.
Postcolonial Racism Rehearsal
Antisemitism and the Gaza War
thebattleground.eu
June 9, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Combatting the legacy of Antisemitism is the right thing to do. But honouring Alfred Dreyfus without acknowledging how the discrimination he suffered is linked to the discrimination against Muslims today misses the point. @magadh.bsky.social, in The Battleground.
No Other Land immerses us in a tale of dislocation and resilience. By turning raw footage of this event into the montage found in fictional narratives, it succeeds where countless documentaries about Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinians have failed. Charlie Bertsch, in The Battleground.
Story From Below
No Other Land Sets the Record Straight
thebattleground.eu
May 29, 2025 at 4:20 PM
No Other Land immerses us in a tale of dislocation and resilience. By turning raw footage of this event into the montage found in fictional narratives, it succeeds where countless documentaries about Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinians have failed. Charlie Bertsch, in The Battleground.
Forget Gaza. The real story is Kneecap. That’s what the British press wants you to believe. The true scandal is that mainstream journalists are far more concerned with the deeds of a Northern Irish rap group than the horrors being inflicted on Palestinians. Josh White, in The Battleground.
Bait and Switch
The Kneecap Scandal
thebattleground.eu
May 26, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Forget Gaza. The real story is Kneecap. That’s what the British press wants you to believe. The true scandal is that mainstream journalists are far more concerned with the deeds of a Northern Irish rap group than the horrors being inflicted on Palestinians. Josh White, in The Battleground.
Italo-Palestinian and black metal rap, UK hip-hop and trap, experimental punk and techno, noise and musique concrète. Battleground editor-in-chief Joel Schalit, with this week’s Office Ambience playlist.
Office Ambience
What I'm Listening To
substack.com
May 23, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Italo-Palestinian and black metal rap, UK hip-hop and trap, experimental punk and techno, noise and musique concrète. Battleground editor-in-chief Joel Schalit, with this week’s Office Ambience playlist.
This is the situation in #Europe. The political right creates chaos, shifting the goalposts to refashion every failure as a victory. Meanwhile, the centre-left proffers the xenophobic libertarianism dominating the right. @magadh.bsky.social on Tariq Ali's The Extreme Centre, in The Battleground.
Fascism is Not Eternal
Remembering the Resistenza
thebattleground.eu
May 17, 2025 at 10:20 AM
This is the situation in #Europe. The political right creates chaos, shifting the goalposts to refashion every failure as a victory. Meanwhile, the centre-left proffers the xenophobic libertarianism dominating the right. @magadh.bsky.social on Tariq Ali's The Extreme Centre, in The Battleground.
Modern feminist hardcore. This week's Office Ambience playlist, featuring Stress Positions, Slant, Buggin, Influx, Tozcos, Cannonball, Petrol Girls, Punitive Damage, Dry Socket, False Reality, Pest Control, Scowl, and the almighty Habak. Compiled by Joel Schalit, for The Battleground newsletter.
Office Ambience
What I'm Listening To
thebattleground.substack.com
May 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Modern feminist hardcore. This week's Office Ambience playlist, featuring Stress Positions, Slant, Buggin, Influx, Tozcos, Cannonball, Petrol Girls, Punitive Damage, Dry Socket, False Reality, Pest Control, Scowl, and the almighty Habak. Compiled by Joel Schalit, for The Battleground newsletter.
What Novara has achieved without corporate backing is a testament to technological change and the decline of traditional news. It’s a millennial left response to status quo media, made possible by YouTube and other platforms. @jtwhitenoise.bsky.social, for @battlegroundeu.bsky.social .
Leftist Success Story
The Case of Novara
thebattleground.eu
May 13, 2025 at 9:10 AM
What Novara has achieved without corporate backing is a testament to technological change and the decline of traditional news. It’s a millennial left response to status quo media, made possible by YouTube and other platforms. @jtwhitenoise.bsky.social, for @battlegroundeu.bsky.social .