Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views, Prof. Joel Beinin joins the program to discuss his July 2023 972 magazine essay "A century after its founding, the Israeli Communist Party is at a crossroads". In said essay, Prof. Beinin gives a history of Communism and the Communist Party in Israel/Palestine that offers an insight into how the Left dealt with issues such as Zionism, anti-Zionism, Arab nationalism, partition, imperialism, and colonialism as they related to Israel/Palestine and the Middle East during the 20th century. In our conversation Prof. Beinin will give a history on the Communist Party in Israel/Palestine that delves into the splits between Palestinian and Israeli in this history as well as how the Soviet Union, the Cold War, the aftermath of the Holocaust, Egyptian President Abdel Nasser and Arab anticommunism, the formation of Hadash (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) in Israel, the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Communist Party successful mobilization against Israeli Minister of Agriculture Moshe Dayan's proposed Consolidation of Lands Law in the 1960s, and more. We'll also discuss the failings of the Communist Party in Israel/Palestine and the lessons that can be gleaned from those failings for the Left today in regard to Israel/Palestine.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Leila Hilal, an international human rights lawyer and the former co-director of the New America Foundation Middle East Task Force, joins the show to discuss her experiences as an advisor to Palestinian negotiators, Israel/Palestine, Israel's assault on Gaza, the situation in the West Bank and settler violence, misunderstandings about UNRWA, the U.S.'s refusal or inability to reign in Israel during this war, dynamics of extremism and containment, Yasser Arafat and the PLO in the era of the Oslo Accords, risks of regional war and the recent confrontation between Israel & Iran, the role of the Arab world in Israel/Palestine going forward, the "Palestinian Never Miss an Opportunity to Miss an Opportunity" trope and dehumanization of Palestinians, the recent settler attack on an aid truck, the one-state reality and Palestinians' struggle for bare life survival/search for dignity in the West Bank, the Second Intifada's effect on Palestinians and Israelis, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Palestinian children's books author Rifk Ebeid, author of Baba What Does My Name Mean?: A Journey to Palestine, You Are the Color, and Birthday Kunafa, joins the show to discuss her books, Palestinian identity and experience, and her animated children's short I Am From Palestine. We'll also discuss how one of her books was censored a Philadelphia library, the need for Palestinians to know their stories and identity, suppression of Palestinian identity, positive and negative feedback she's gotten on her children's books, thoughts on the Gaza protests, centering Palestinian voices, the Nakba ("The Catastrophe" or 1948 Palestinian expulsion) and the Naksa ("The Setback" or the 1967 Palestinian expulsion), Rifk's awareness of her Palestinian identity even going back her early childhood, Ron DiSantis and Republican book banning efforts, the absurdity of being theatened by a children's book, Rif's work in speech language pathology, censorship, and a number of other topics.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israel has commenced its operation in Rafah. As this was happening I was interviewing Khalil Sayegh, a D.C.-based Palestinian Christian who was born and raised in the Gaza Strip. Khalil is also the co-founder and President of the Agora Initiative, a non-profit that works to promote democracy in the Middle East. Khalil gives a crash course in the Palestinian perspective on Israle/Palestine in the course of our conversation starting with a discussion of his own background and experiences as a Palestinian who grew up in Gaza. We also end up discussing issues related to how the Palestinian cause, the quest for Palestinian self-determination, can advance forward in these turbulent, uncertain, and grim time of war and bombardment. Among the topics covered are: the need for external pressure to be put on Israel, Israeli obstinance on a two-state solution, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Marwan Barghouti, Zionism and anti-Zionism, diplomacy, the Occupation, the West Bank, the shrinking Israeli left, Benjamin Netanyahu, the problem with thinking that a figure succeeding Netanyahu such as Yair Lapid or Benny Gantz will immediately lead to optimal outcomes, the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, the Nakba and Palestinian displacement, Israeli maximalism, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, we've got a trouble feature. First, Jordan Elgrably of the Marza Review and editor of the new volume Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction joins the show to discuss Israel and attacks on writers and journalist past and present who forward Palestinian perspectives. We'll also talk about Gaza as a laboratory for laboratory for repressive, surveillance technologies that are then later used in the U.S.; racist depictions of Arabs and Palestinians in U.S. media and the professional Islamophobia industry; social media, the attacks on TikTok, and the way social media has advanced Palestinian perspectives; the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; and much, much more! In the second segment of the show, reporter Kevin Gosztola from The Dissenter joins us to discuss his latest article "Israel Could Ban Other Media After Banning Al Jazeera". We discuss the raid of Al Jazeera and the 45-day band being placed on the news organization shortly after World Press Freedom Day. In the third and final segment of the show, Jonah Raskin, a legendary figure from late 60s/70s left-wing counterculture and activism, speaks with us about his Counterpunch op-ed "Columbia Protests Now and in ‘68". What are the parallels between the days of rage that were the 1960s and 1970s, when FBI COINTELPRO thought to disrupt student activism and the National Guard was sent in to put down protesters in what became known as the Kent State Massacre, and the incredible moment of protest arising on today's college campuses around the issue of Gaza?

On this edition of Parallax Views, a triple feature on campus protests and the Antisemitism Awareness Act that just passed Congress. First up, Mel Buer, a staff writer for the The Real News, joins us hot off her Democracy Now appearance to discuss her on-the-ground experiences and reporting on the UCLA Gaza protests. Then, Chris Habiby joins the show to discuss the Antisemitism Awareness Act bill that just passed in Congress and other legislation that could muffle Palestinian and Arab voices in America. And, finally, Richard Silverstein of the Tikun Olam blog joins returns to discuss the campus protests and what he refers to as the powerful backlash alliance against them, the ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt, Bill Aickman, Israel-Russia relations and the Russian oligarchs in Israel, his message to liberal Zionists, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Prof. Jodi Dean, who was recently relieved of teaching duties after the publication of her Verso blog post "Palestine speaks for everyone" on April 4th, 2024. In said piece she described the sight of Hamas paragliders breaking through Israel's air defenses to get into Israel as "exhilarating". Although many have condemned her blog post, even a number of commentators who disagree with her, chief among them Sohrab Ahmari of Compact Magazine, have argued that relieving Dean of her academic duties amounts to viewpoint discrimination that goes against standards of academic freedom. This is the basis for the conversation. This is sure to be one of the most controversial episodes of Parallax Views to date. I encourage my listeners to read Dean's original blog post as well as the piece it was responding to: Judith Butler's October 19th, 2023 London Review of Books essay "The Compass of Mourning". Another piece that I would argue is necessary reading for this episode is Judith Butler's response to Jodi Dean that is also at Verso's blog entitled "There Can Be No Critique". My primary reason for reaching out to Prof. Dean was in regard to academic freedom and the issue of viewpoint discrimination. If speech has ideational content, it should be debated freely in the halls of academia no matter how much we may disagree with said content. Since October 7th, I have strived to be sensitive when discussing anything related to Israel/Palestine especially as someone who has friend in both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It is my hope that listeners will engage with me in respectful dialogue and critique of this episode but also my episodes in general. Your feedback is welcome.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Middle East scholar Prof. James M. Dorsey of The Turbulent World w/ James M. Dorsey Substack blog returns for another update on the situation of Israel/Palestine and the broader Middle East. This hour and a half conversation delves into many different areas including: - The Gaza War - Violence in the West Bank - The past month of tensions between Iran and Israel starting with Israel's attack on an Iranian consulate compound and Iran's strike in response; the Biden administration's response to the Iran attack; the 7-year-old Bedouin girl injured in the Iranian strike - The U.S. foreign policy establishment and Iran hawks - The Gaza protests at Columbia University and other campuses around the U.S. - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his policy on Palestine, and related matters related to Bibi - Will the situation of Gazans really fundamentally change in a post-Netanyahu Israel? - Khan Younis mass graves allegations - UNRWA situation and Israel's information war (which Dorsey argues Israel is losing) - The different flavors of both Zionism and anti-Zionism; militant anti-Zionism vs. conciliatory anti-Zionism - The genocide discourse, legal definition of genocide, and war crimes/human rights violations - Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Hamas, and the Arab street - Nancy Pelosi's conspiracy theory about Gaza protests being tinged by the influence of foreign powers - Personal anecdote from James about an experience he had involving Zbigniew Brzezinski and Iran - Extreme rhetoric within Israel, especially amongst elements in Israel's army and amongst religious leaders; Rabbi Mali's comments suggesting the Israel kill Palestinian women to prevent the births of future Palestinian boys - And much, much more

On this edition of Parallax Views, the University of Maryland's Prof. Shay Hazkani, a former Israeli journalist turned historian, joins the show to discuss the major themes of his book Dear Palestine: A Social History of the 1948 War and documentary The Soldier's Opinion in light of the Gaza War, settler violence in the West Bank, and the October 7th Hamas attack. Prof. Hazkani provides a fresh, illuminating perspective on the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that contributes a great deal to discussion of Israel/Palestine. Specifically, he takes the approach of looking at how non-elites, especially soldiers, viewed/perceived the war compared to elites on both the Israeli and Arab sides of the conflict. We'll delve deep into this as well as Prof. Hazkani's battles with the Israeli Supreme Court over the fight to declassify documents in Israel's archives; how Prof. Hazkani's work overlaps with that of the Israeli New Historians like Benny Morris, Avi Shlaim, and Ilan Pappe (as well as how it differs from those works); propaganda and the mythologies of war (and how said propaganda and myths are generated); some of the myths that Prof. Hazkoni specifically busts in the book; the damage books like Joan Peters' From Time Immemorial have caused to properly understanding Israel/Palestine; the Arab Liberation Army; how then-recent American Jewish immigrants perceived events unfolding at the time compared to Jews who had immigrated prior; and much, much more. And yes, we will discuss all of this within the context of the current Gaza War and violence in the West Bank. Prof. Hazkoni will delve into his fears about what is transpiring currently, especially with regards to messianic right-wing elements in Israeli society like the Religious Zionists, as well as how the parallels between 1948 and today. All that and more on this must-listen edition of Parallax Views!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Project Censored's Mickey Huff joins us to discuss Project Censored's State of the Free Press 2024, the media watchdog group's annual round-up of the most censored news stories in the United States. However, rather than just a straight rundown of this year's annual Project Censored offering, Mickey and I use this conversation to take the opportunity to discuss the recent controversy over the Columbia University pro-Palestinian Gaza protests, John Fetterman's comparing those protests to the Charlottesville "Unit the Right" rally, and Senator Tom Cotton calling for vigilante violence against protesters. With calls for the National Guard to be brought to Columbia University to put an end to the protests, Mickey and I reflect on the Kent State Massacre of 1970, the anniversary of which will be on May 4th. Additionally we'll discuss: - Mainstream media coverage of the Gaza war as well as the leaked New York Times memo telling journalists to avoid words and phrases like "genocide", "ethnic cleansing", and "occupied territories" when covering Israel/Palestine-related issues. - The importance of the right to protest to a functioning democracy - The lack of trust in corporate media and the worrying state of journalism today - Remembering Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg - Project Censored's coverage of PFAS or toxic "forever chemicals" and why this environmental story needs more coverage - And much, much more EDIT - NOTE: I used the term "outside agitators" at some point in the conversation when I was thinking more about isolated bad apples and agent provocateurs. Misuse of words on my part.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Sean Tomilson, a PhD candidate in Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona, a graduate of West Point, and a U.S. Army veteran, joins the show to discuss his March 2024 Responsible Statecraft piece entitled "What the French evisceration of Algeria has to do with Gaza today". We'll discuss the "Philippeville massacre" of 1955 and the reaction to it during the Algerian War of Independence and its parallels with the October 7th Hamas attack and Israel's response to it. Sean argues that the military logic of "total victory" may not be achievable for Israel in Gaza and that there's many lessons to be gleaned from the French experience in Algeria in this regard. We'll also look at the systemic roots of both conflicts and the errors made strategically by France in regards to Algeria. What can this tell us about the Israel-Palestine conflict and how Israel has waged its military operations in Gaza since October 7th? Also, where does the logic of total victory lead and how can the brutal civilian causalities inflicted actually inflame future conflict? All that and more on this edition of Parllax Views.

On this edition of Parallax Views, in the first segment Karen Dolan, a Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies who heads of said institute's Criminalization of Race and Poverty project, stops by to discuss Biden's policies in relation to the economy, the border/immigration, and Gaza/Israel-Palestine. In the course of this segment we'll delve into where Biden appears to be leaning into the progressive base's goals and where he is wildly out-of-step with the progressive base. During the conversation Karen and I go through her two most recent articles: "Parsing Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address" and "Biden’s populist budget marks the overdue end of trickle-down economics". Some of the key issues we cover our green energy policy, corporate price-gouging, inflation, child tax credits, the Pentagon budget, taxation of the wealthy, and more. In the second segment of the show, UCLA law professor Richard Abel, known for his work on apartheid South Africa (his work was even promoted by Nelson Mandela!), joins the show to discuss his trilogy of books on autocrats and autocracy. The third entry in this series Prof. Abel has penned is entitled How Autocrats Seek Power: Resisting Trump and Trumpism and deals heavily with the events of and leading up to the January 6th insurrection. We'll discuss a number of issues, have a respectful back-and-forth about the U.S.'s own relations with autocratic states that the U.S. consider allies, get Richard's thoughts on people who are conscientiously abstaining from voting for Joe Biden over Gaza, chat about Trump and conspiracy theories, and much, much more. Prof. Abel will also talk about his work criticizing the Bush and Obama administration during the War on Terror and why he considers Trump more dangerous than previous presidential administrations.

On this edition of Parallax Views, we delve into the controversial world of deathmatch wrestling with deathmatch wrestler Mike Krueger. For those unfamiliar with deathmatch wrestling, it is by far the most extreme variant of professional wrestling imaginable. When watching a deathmatch promotion like Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW), Underground Empire Wrestling (UEW), or any number of others similar promotions you can expect to see things that you'd never see in a mainstream pro wrestling promotion like WWE. This includes wrestler diving off balconies into glass, wrestler being thrown into flaming tables, and competitors using objects like light tubes and barbed wire bats as weapons. It is, in other words, the "outlaw" form of pro wrestling that is often heavily criticized for it's blood-n-guts gruesomeness. And yet, deathmatch wrestling has cultivated a rather diverse audience. On one hand there's the "anti-woke" fans of Rob Black's notorious XPW. On the other there's Game Changer Wrestling, which has become popular especially with some in the LGBTQ+ community for its inclusiveness. Additionally, despite its violence, deathmatch wrestling also has some famous fans. The Muslim gonzo punk novelist Michael Muhammad Knight, for example, is on record as being a fan of legendary deathmatch wrestler Necro Butcher. And then there's the RackaRacka Brothers aka Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou, known for directing last year's A24-distributed sleeper horror hit Talk to Me, who are not only making a documentary on deathmatch wrestling, but have actually participated in deathmatches. And they aren't the only celebrities who have been involved in deathmatch wrestling. Actor David Arquette, known for the Scream movies (as well as his infamous stint in mainstream wrestling as the short-lived World Heavyweight champion of WCW), did a deathmatch with one of the genre's biggest names: Nick Gage. Additionally, rock stars like Glenn Danzig, Korn's Jonathan Davis, Slayer's Kerry King, and former Danzig bassist Josh Lazie as well as rap duo the Insane Clown Posse made appearances or were involved with XPW in the late 90s/early 2000s. The deathmatch performance art shows of New York's Casanova Valentine have gained the attention of punk rock and urban hipster youths at bars. And VICE has tackled the topic in multiple documentaries, most notably in in season 3 of the popular TV show Dark Side of the Ring's "The Ultra-Violence of Nick Gage" episode. Violent as it may be, deathmatch wrestling is, against seemingly all odds, arguably breaking through to the mainstream. The widely listened to Joe Rogan Experience podcast devoting an entire segment to the subject with the aforementioned Phillippou Bros. should attest to that fact. What is the appeal of deathmatch wrestling though? Is there more to it than the elements of ultra-violence? And what is it like being a deathmatch wrestler? Mike Krueger will help answers those questions and more. We'll discuss a number of topics including: - The punk rock nature of deathmatch wrestling - The connection between deathmatch wrestlers and the smaller, more intimate audiences they perform for - The Mount Rushmore of death match wrestling - The trendiness of deathmatch wrestling in the past few years - What drives deathmatch wrestlers? - The dangerous nature of deathmatch wrestling and the fact that the damage the wrestlers' bodies take in deathmatches can't be fact even if the results are predetermined - Trauma, psychological issues, and deathmatch wrestlers - The psychology of deathmatch wrestling - Old school deathmatch wrestling from Japan: Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW) and their infamous barbed wire exploding death match between Terry Funk and Atsushi Onita - Storytelling in deathmatch wrestling - The wear and tear Mike's body has endured from deathmatch wrestling - The cut-throat nature of the independent wrestling scene; backstabbing in the scene; promoters that don't pay the talent - The story of Mike getting hit multiple times with a weed whacker in a match - The role of muscle memory in pro wrestling - How do deathmatch wrestlers protect themselves when being hit by glass or lighttubes? - Has deathmatch wrestling gotten too violent since the time it began? How has the deathmatch wrestling scene changed since Mike got involved in it? - Mike Krueger's background in amateur wrestling and answering the question of how many deathmatch wrestlers are properly trained - Why Mike quit pro wrestling and why he more recently made a comeback - Deathmatch wrestling and how its violence combined with the type of wrestlers it attracts makes people question the "is this fake?" question more so than other forms of wrestling? How wrestlers like the late New Jack made people believe that they may be watching a "shoot" (a real fight) - The craziest thing Mike has ever seen in a deathmatch - The falls from high heights that deathmatch wrestle

On this edition of Parallax Views, Jon Hoffman, policy analyst in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, joins the show to discuss his Foreign Policy article "For America, Israel Is a Liability, Not an Asset". Hot off his appearance on MSNBC discussing said article, Hoffman joined me to go further into the main points that he raises throughout the piece. Specfically, Hoffman argues that is time for the U.S. to reconsider its special relationship with Israel. He argues that it has become detrimental to both the U.S. and Israel. This is not, to say, however that Hoffman thinks we should have no relationship with Israel. Instead he argues, as other such as Matthe Yglesias have also done, that it is time for a normalization of the U.S.-Israel relationship. The current nature of the special relationship, he argues, does not serve American interests and does harm to U.S. foreign policy and stability in the Middle East. We delve into such issues as the Gaza War, Israel's lack of an endgame strategy beyond "eliminating Hamas" in regards to Gaza, fury against the U.S. and Israel by the Arab streets in the region, how unconditional support for countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia can undermine belief in the U.S.-led "international rules-based order", the nature of the U.S.-Saudi relationship and oil, the argument that Israel is the U.S.'s necessary "eyes and ears" in the Middle East, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and pro-Israel lobbying efforts, how the special relationship may be empowering right-wing figures like Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu TO THE DETERIMENT of Israel itself (this is likely a key point for people who would dismiss Hoffman's piece as an anti-Israel screed; it isn't regardless of what one's views of Israel and the Gaza War are), what normalization of relations between the U.S. and Israel would look like, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Kristin Lunz Trujillo, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina, joins the show to discuss her Newsweek op-ed "'White Rural Rage' Cites My Research. It Gets Everything About Rural America Wrong". Like previous guest Prof. Nicholas F. Jacobs, Trujillo has a critique of Paul Waldman and Tom Schaller's new book White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy. Given that the book has been covered in various media outlets as of late, Trujillo's critique seems relevant, especially as many Democrats and Democratic Party strategists may take the book to heart despite the problems with the way it cites research. Trujillo and I get into the problems with both the blanket demonization of rural America as well as the romanticization of it. We'll also delve into the problems with the books depiction of rural American politics, a subject that Trujillo specializes in researching. We'll look at the rural America in relation to Christian nationalism and QAnon conspriacy theories as well as delving into how media creates a certain image of rural America that flattens our understanding of rural Americans and their voting habits. All that and more on this edition of the show! In the second, short-but-sweet bonus segment of the show The Libertarian Institute's Patrick MacFarlane joins the program to discuss the right-wing culture warriors pushing stories about Haitian cannibal gangs in light of the crisis in Haiti and how these stories may not be true and actually serve as war propaganda. In particular we hone in on the claims around Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier as detailed in his article "Culture Warriors Spread Disinfo on 'Haitian Cannibals'".

On this edition of Parallax Views, last week a number of prominent Jewish Americans came together to sign an open letter voicing opposition to AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and its influence on both major American political parties. A statement in the leader reads, "Given that Israel is so isolated internationally that it could not continue its inhumane treatment of the Palestinians without U.S. political and military support, AIPAC is an essential link in the chain that holds in place the unbearable tragedy of Israel/Palestine. In coming U.S. elections, we need to break that chain in order to help free the people of Israel/Palestine to pursue peaceful coexistence." This open letter comes at a crucial time given Israel's war in Gaza and mounting concerns over the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians at this very moment. Prominent signees include actors Elliot Gould and Wallace Shawn, journalist Martin A. Lee, playwright Tony Kushner, and previous Parallax Views guests such as Ariel Gold, Dave Zirin, Mitchell Plitnick, and Samuel Moyn. Given AIPAC activities against progessive candidates in the Democratic Party, this letter should catch the eye of progressive voters and activists. Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America and one of the main forces behind the letter, joins the show to discuss the letter, AIPAC, and related issues. Full text of the open letter below: A Statement from Jewish Americans Opposing AIPAC’s Intervention in Democratic Party Politics We are Jewish Americans who have varying perspectives. We’ve agreed to come together to highlight and oppose the unprecedented and damaging role of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and allied groups in U.S. elections, especially within Democratic Party primaries. We recognize the purpose of AIPAC's interventions in electoral politics is to defeat any critics of Israeli Government policy and to support candidates who vow unwavering loyalty to Israel, thereby ensuring the United States' continuing support for all that Israel does, regardless of its violence and illegality. Given that Israel is so isolated internationally that it could not continue its inhumane treatment of the Palestinians without U.S. political and military support, AIPAC is an essential link in the chain that holds in place the unbearable tragedy of Israel/Palestine. In the coming U.S. elections, we need to break that chain in order to help free the people of Israel/Palestine to pursue peaceful coexistence. In the same 2021-22 election cycle in which AIPAC endorsed Republican extremists and dozens of Congress members who’d voted against certifying Biden’s victory over Trump, the AIPAC network raised millions from Trump donors and spent the money inside Democratic primaries against progressives, mostly candidates of color. AIPAC is now vowing to spend even more millions in the 2024 Democratic primaries, targeting specific Democrats in Congress – initially all legislators of color – who’ve advocated for a Gaza ceasefire, a position supported by the vast majority of Democratic voters. AIPAC’s election spending increasingly works to defeat candidates who criticize the racist policies of Israel. In contrast to AIPAC, we are American Jews who believe that U.S. support for foreign governments should only be extended to those that respect the full human and civil rights, and right to self-determination, of all people. We oppose all forms of racism and bigotry, including antisemitism – and we support the historic alliance in our country of Jewish Americans with African Americans and other people of color in the cause of civil rights and equal justice. Therefore, we strongly oppose AIPAC's attempts to dominate Democratic primary elections. We call on Democratic candidates to not accept AIPAC network funding, and demand that the Democratic leadership not allow Republican funders to use that network to deform Democratic primary elections. We will support candidates who are opposed by AIPAC, and who are advocates for peace and a new, just U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine.

On this edition of Parallax Views, freelance writer Corey Atad, who has written in such publications as Esquire, Slate, Hazlitt, and The Baffler, joins the show to discuss his piece in Welcome to Hellworld on Jonathan Glazer's Oscar speech and the reaction to said speech. Glazer decided to bring up the Gaza War when accepting the award for his Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest. He was accused of saying he was "refuting his Jewishness and the memory of the Holocaust" even though the clip was taken out of context. What he said was actually a commentary on the hijacking of Jewish identity and Holocaust memory for political purposes (which is what he sought to refute), a warning/call to resistance against dehumanization. As Glazer explained, he felt that Zone of Interest was not just a film about the past, but also the present. In other words: we need to be aware of where dehumanization has led in the past and where it could lead in the present. Glazer also made reference to Israel's Occupation of Palestinian territories during this speech. This has all sparked backlash and the aforementioned distortion of Glazer's words. A letter signed by at least a thousand people in Hollywood (some, like Jennifer Jason Leigh, recognizable, but many not) denouncing Glazer. Other, such as playwright Tony Kushner and the Auschwitz Memorial director Piotr Cywiński, have come to Glazer's defense. Corey joins the show to give his take on the speech as well as to offer his commentary on The Zone of Interest and relaying the tale of actress Vanessa Redgrave's 1978 Oscar speech which cause a similar controversy when she called out the extremist Jewish Defense League (referring to them as "Zionist hoodlums). We'll also delve into The Zone of Interest from the perspective of Hannah Arendt's "banality of evil" concept, Corey's criticism of The Zone of Interest, and the themes of alienation at the heart of The Zone of Interest's story centered on Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, his wife Hedwig, and their family against the backdrop of the Third Reich's exterminatory horrors. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Middle East scholar Prof. James Dorsey, the man behind The Turbulent World w/ James M. Dorsey blog and Substakc, returns for a Gaza War update. We discuss the clans in Gaza that may or may not end up collaborating with Israel against Hamas and their own unsavory nature, the bombing of Gaza and its infrastructure like hospitals, Israel's information war, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden's vision for the Middle East and the political obstacles he faces, the 1948 war and what came after it, the two-state vs. one-state solution, and much, much more. NOTE: There's some audio crackle that couldn't be fixed in post on this episode. I hope you will find it listenable anyways.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Colby College's Prof. Nicholas F. Jacobs, co-author with Daniel M. Shea of The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America, joins the show to discuss his piece in The Daily Yonder entitled "New Book on Rural America Started with a False Conclusion, Then Looked for Evidence". Jacobs offers a damning critique of the hot new book White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy by Paul Waldman and Tom Schaller. Waldman and Schaller's book, which has garnered a lot of media coverage in outlets like MSNBC and The Washington Post, posits that the biggest threat facing democracy is the rage of white rural voters who they are more bigoted, xenophobic, prone to anti-government violence, believing in conspiracy theories like QAnon, and more than other portions of the population. Jacobs isn't in the business of giving a defense of rural America. That's not his interest as an academic. He is, however, perturbed by claims made in Waldman and Schaller's book because, he argues they misuse data and survey research in a way that is harmful to discourse about the current American political landscape, voter attitudes, and the urban-rural divide. Moreover, he argues that Waldman and Schaller's books fan the flames of right-wing talking points about Democrats and resentment against rural populations. But most of all he focuses on the issues with the data itself that's presented in the book. Get ready for a blow-by-blow breakdown of White Rural Rage on this edition of the program.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Amb. Patrick Theros of the Gulf International Forum returns to discuss his The National Herald op-ed "Europe Must Take Charge of Europe". Amb. Theros argues that a combination of U.S. public attitudes on foreign policy (particularly amongst, but not limited to Republicans; namely, what Theros sees as the return of isolationist attitudes of the 1930s) and the U.S. foreign policy spreading itself too thin means that Europe must take charge of its own future going forward rather than relying on U.S. assistance. This gets into a discussion of NATO, the specter of another Trump Presidency in the U.S., France's President Emmanuel Macron and his vision for Europe, the Ukraine-Russia war, and much, much more. We'll also talk a bit about the war in Gaza, President Biden, and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the latter half of the program. And we'll discuss isolationism vs. pro-restraint views in foreign policy, the issue of the U.S. not using diplomacy as a tool in its arsenal nearly enough, the disaster of Libya, and more. NOTE: Messed up on the Producer's Credits on this one and put an older version of it in. This has been rectified with the correct Producer's Credits.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Jim DiEugenio, writer of Oliver Stone's JFK Revisited and co-author of The JFK Assassination Chokeholds: That Prove There Was a Conspiracy, returns to discuss the death of film criticism as well as the rise of Marvel/DC superhero movies and what he judges to be their negative impact on the movie landscape. Although he's known to most as a JFK assassination researcher, Jim has also for many years been a film critic and has an insight into the golden era of film critics that included such names as Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, Dwight MacDonald, and John Simon among others. In the course of our conversation we talk about such classic films as Lawrence of Arabia, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, Michael Antonioni's Blow-Up, and Bonnie and Clyde among many others. We'll discuss the Golden Era of New Hollywood from the mid-60s to the mid-70s and why Jim mourns the loss of this era of film and film criticism. Additionally, Jim will give his take on the latest Oscar-nominated movies like Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, the Emma Stone vehicle Poor Things, and Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. And he'll explain why he thinks the film critics Ebert and Siskel, with their show At the Movies, hurt film criticism. All that and much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, ReThinking Foreign Policy's Mitchell Plitnick and Sahar Aziz of the Center for Security, Race, and Rights join the show to discuss their recent report Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in the Palestine-Israel Discourse. Sahar Aziz is the author of the book The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom and has done extensive work on the issue of Islamophobia. Together with Mitchell Plitnick, known for his work on U.S. foreign policy related to Israel/Palestine, they are taking on the connection between Islamophobia and the silencing of Arab voices on the issue of the Israel-Palestine conflict. This has an impact on the Israel-Palestine discourse. We'll also delve into the forces at play in promoting Islamophobia and, more specifically, what is often referred to as the Islamophobia network in the U.S. In relation to all of this we will discuss the terrorist trope, Orientalism, President Joe Biden's approach to the Gaza War, and more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Vince McMahon, the former chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), was the most powerful man in all of professional wrestling (or, as he likes to call it, "sports entertainment"). Now though McMahon is completely out of WWE after horrific allegations of sex trafficking and abuse of a former employee, Janel Grant. It's not the first time controversy has follow McMahon or WWE. There's also the case of Rita Chatterton, a former WWE referee who accused McMahon of rape, and the ring boys scandal, in which WWE employees Mel Phillips and Terry Garvin (as well as Pat Patterson) were accused of being involved in a pedophile sex ring within the company. In lieu of the latest accusations, I reached out to Josie Riesman, author of the book Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, to discuss McMahon and the wrestling empire he built over the years as well as how it relates to issues like robber baron-style capitalism and labor exploitation. We'll also, of course, discuss the sex scandals mentioned above as well as diving into the early history of Vince McMahon, who initially grew up in poverty with an abusive stepfather. Moreover, we'll delve into the relationship between Vince and his biological father Vince McMahon Sr. and how the book is also about father/son relationships. Other issues discussed include: - Vince McMahon Sr. (Vince's father) and the FBI tapes in which he threatens pro wrestler Dr. Jerry Graham - The issue of "independent contractor" status in pro wrestling and how it could be seen as labor exploitation - The wrestling term "kayfabe" and why Josie believe the concept needs to be studied outside of a pro wrestling cotnext; Josie's concept of neokayfabe, omerta in pro wrestling, and the "protect the business" dictum - Tom Cole and the ring boys scandal - Vince McMahon's wife, Linda McMahon - And much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of V: The Original Miniseries. A two-part sci-fi television event that brought in around 33 million homes, V was ostensibly the story of reptilian alien invading earth to steal it's resources and turn the human population into a food source. However, beneath the surface it acted as a parable about how fascism and authoritarianism can take hold in a country. In fact, it was inspired by Sinclair Lewis' classic novel It Can't Happen Here and was initially not about malevolent extraterrestrial invaders at all. In this conversation we discuss how V came to be, the conspiracy theorists who take the miniseries and it's reptilian invasion literally and Kenny's response to them, V as a parable about fascism, Kenny's work with Vincent Price on An Evening With Edgar Allen Poe, what Kenny thinks of being compared to The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling due to his interest in sci-fi that deals with social issues, the TV how Alien Nation, the cast of V (which included such names as Marc Singer of The Beastmaster franchise, Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger fame, Jane Badler, Andrew Prine, and many others), the Holocaust and how it tied into the story of V, racism and diversity and the way those topics figured into V, Kenny's sequel novel to V entitled V: The Second Generation, the possibility of a big screen movie remake of the miniseries, looking back on V in the era of Trump (and anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theories), V's dealing with the topic of anti-science sentiments and how they can be damaging to society, the way in which V is about two powerful women (the heroine Juliet and the villainous reptilian alien Diana), the cinematic quality of V and its European theatrical release, the studio's lack of faith in V and belief that it's dealing with social issues of the time would be too intellectual for American audiences, and much, much more!

On this editiion of Parallax Views, Writer and researcher Abdalhadi Alijla, author of Trust in Divided Societies and co-editor of Rebel Governance in the Middle East, joins the show to discuss his perspective on Israel-Palestine and the Gaza War from his perspective as both a researcher and writer on the region as well as someone who was born in Gaza. We'll also be discussing the aforementioned book Rebel Governance in the Middle East and examine groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Ajiljla will also look at the effect of the war on Israel as well as Palestinians, the response of the Global South to the war, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's strategy, the risks of regional war, how the war could have an impact on the U.S. Presidential election, Jordan and Egypt in relation to the current war, forced migration of Palestinians and Egyptian security concerns, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States (including most especially Qatar) in relation to the war, talk of the resettlement of Gazans by Israeli political figures, Israel's political scene and the Israeli far-right, one state vs two state solution, the IDs issued to Palestinians by Israel, the one state reality and the Occupation, the issue of human dignity in regards to Israel-Palestine, misperceptions about the Palestinian people and the specter of antisemitism, and more. NOTE: RECORDED 1/31/24

On this edition of Parallax Views, Josef Avesar of the Israeli-Palestinian Confederation joins the show to discuss not the one-state or two-state solutions to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but instead the Confederation approach to the issue. This is a very basic introduction to the Confederation model for Israel/Palestine that proposes a common government alongside Israeli and Palestinian governments. Hopefully, if this episode gains traction we can have another conversation with listener questions. In any case, it is important to think about ways that this issue can be solved. Especially in light of the October 7th Hamas attack AND the ensuing Gaza War that has seen Israel's bombing of Gaza kills tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. After 75 years of war and conflict, Avesar argues that seeking peace is the realistic approach whereas the argument that peace is not possible is actually the naive approach. We will discuss all this and much more in this fascinating conversation. Although many argue that the Confederation model is a defacto one-state solution others argue that it's a compromise between the two-state solution and the one-state democratic solution. We'll get into Josef's views, his own views on Zionism, his debate with Alan Dershowitz about Zionism, the criticisms he's received over the confederation approach, the simulations that IPC does, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Simon Matthews, author of Free Your Mind!: Giovanni 'Tinto' Brass, 'Swinging London' and the 60s Pop Culture Scene, joins the show to discuss the life and career of European filmmaker Tinto Brass. Brass is perhaps most well-known today for his erotic/softcore features as well as the epic, star-studded effort Caligula (starring Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren among others), that was re-edited at the behest of Penthouse's Bob Guccione to the point of butchering Brass' original vision. Matthews, however, hones in on the works of Brass as they relate to the the era of mod culture in the days of London's swinging 60s. With a foreward by the legendary actor Franco Nero, Free Your Mind! explores such Brass efforts as Nerosubianco (aka Attraction), The Howl, The Vacation, and The Dropout and their relation to 60s pop culture and counterculture. We'll also be discussing such Tinto Brass movies as the controversial Salon Kitty about Nazi Germany (part of the Nazi chic boom of the 60s/70s film industry), the spaghetti Western Yankee, and Brass in relation to contemporaries like Russ Meyer and John Waters. We'll look at the politics of Tinto Brass and why his filmography, especially in Britain, has been overlooked. If you're unfamiliar with Tinto Brass this will fill you in on an interesting auteur in the world of filmmaking who hasn't gotten his proper due despite working with heavyweight actors like Vanessa Redgrave and the aforementioned Franco Nero. We'll also discuss the unmade films of Tinto Brass including the adaptation of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange that he almost made and a project that never materialized with Jim Morrison of the legendary rock 'n' roll band The Doors. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

On this edition of Paralalx Views, Peter Beinart, the Editor-at-Large for Jewish Current and author of The Beinart Notebook Substack, joins the show to discuss his views on Israel/Palestine amidst the war in Gaza. In his 2020 Jewish Currents article "Yavne: A Jewish Case for Equality in Israel-Palestine", Beinart definitively moved on from his two-state solution position on Israel/Palestine by declaring, "The two-state solution is dead. It’s time for liberal Zionists to abandon Jewish–Palestinian separation and embrace equality." In other words, he became a proponent of a One Democratic State solution for Israel/Palestine that advocates equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis alike. Beinart's positions sent shockwaves through the Israel/Palestine discourse due to his high-profile as a journalist and commentator. He joined me on this edition of the show to discuss why he sees the fates and futures of Palestinians and Israeli Jews as being intertwined. We'll discuss how he came to his positions and his own intellectual evolution as well as his writings addressing subjects like the American Jewish Establishment (no, he's not talking about an antisemitic conspiracy theory, but rather the institutions that make up the American Jewish community), the dual loyalty trope, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian bigotry, and much, much more. And, of course, amidst this discussion the issue of the war in Gaza and Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has claimed an estimated 25k+ Palestinian lives, after the October 7th Hamas attack will be part of the conversation. Peter will also offer his thoughts on pushes for a ceasefire, the beliefs of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, what he believes needs to change about U.S. policy on Israel/Palestine, and a potpourri of other topics as well.

On this edition of Parallax Views, retired diplomat Patrick Theros, who served as the United States Ambassador to Qatar from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a Strategic Adviser for Gulf International Forum, joins the show to discuss Israel/Palestine and the war in Gaza from a diplomat's perspective and his Responsible Statecraft piece "Who’s the superpower around here?". We discuss what Biden must do in this situation not just for the sake of Palestinians, but also Israelis. Theros argues that if a President isn't willing to take the risk of making difficult decisions then what is the point of being President. He also laments the lack of diplomatic thought in approaching the Middle East arguing that you have to understand the perspective of the various players in the region and in many cases people do not do this. We also discuss how the GCC Gulf states have responded to the Gaza war, Iran in relation to the Gaza war, actions of past presidents like Eisenhower and HW Bush in regard to Israel/Palestine, Bill Clinton and Camp David 2000 (and the often repeated but contested claim that Arafat turned down a fair and generous offer), and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, last month I spoke to journalist Jeffrey Sharlet, known for his books on the Christian Nationalist movement (The Family and C Street; the former has been made into hit Netflix documentary miniseries), to discuss his latest work The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. The book is a series of essays exploring the chaotic moment that Sharlet calls the "Trumpocene" and delves into everything from the January 6th insurrection and death of Ashli Babbitt to the Men's Rights Movement. Given he New Hampshire primary on January 23rd, I felt that now was the perfect time to release this prescient conversation. In this conversation we cover a number of topics including: - The "F Word"; or fascism - The rise of the far-right in the U.S. and its global ascendancy - Trump and Gnosticism; Jeff's citing of the Gnostic poem "Thunder Perfect Mind" in relation to the Trump/MAGA movement phenomena - Jan 6th and the death of Ashli Babbit; what drove Ashli Babbit into Trumpism and the MAGA movement? - QAnon and the power of narratives in mobilizing the American right-wing - Revisiting Jeff's groundbreaking journalism on The Family, C Street, the Council for National Policy (CNP), and Christian Nationalism - Christian Nationalism and Trumpism as radical reinterpretations of Christianity; the Church itself as not being the be-all-end-all of Christian Nationalism (it's much bigger than that) - Jeff's experiences reporting on the MRA movement and the ways in which they start with some true observations (men have high suicide rates, custody issues, etc.) that are chucked away in favor of misogny and all-out attacks on feminism (even though some of their initial observations can also be found amongst feminist works such as Susan Faludi's Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man) - And more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli pollster, political consultant, and political scientist Dahlia Scheindlin joins the show to discuss a number of topics ranging from the war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian to her new book The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel: Promise Unfulfilled. Dahlia is also one of the main voices that has written about the confederation approach to Israel/Palestine. We will discuss what the confederation approach is, why Dahlia doesn't believe it is a one-state solution by another name (and why it actually fits into a two-state solution approach for the 21st century), how it could potentially work (especially in regard to Jerusalem) and the promise Dahlia finds in it, and more. Dahlia will also discuss her polling/survey research on Israeli public opinion, her work with Palestinian pollsters, and Israeli public opinion of the Occupation.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Prof. Ian S. Lustick, author of Paradigm Lost: From Two-State Solution to One-State Reality, returns to discuss his TIME Magazine op-ed "History Tells Us How the Israel-Hamas War Will End". Looking back at previous Israeli wars, such as the Israeli-Lebanon war of 2006, Prof. Lustick discusses what he believes will bring about the end of the current war and how the U.S. and President Biden will factor into the equation. He also gives a history lesson the trajectory of Zionist/Israeli political thought over the years, with a particular focus on comparing and contrasting Revisionist Zionist Ze'ev Jabotinsky and the party seen as his ideological heir, Likud (currently led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu). Israel, he argues, has moved beyond a key element of Jabotinsky's "Iron Wall" strategy for dealing with Israeli-Arab/Israeli-Palestinian hostilities. NOTE: THIS WAS RECORDED BEFORE SEN. BERNIE SANDERS' BID TO PROBE ISRAEL OVER HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS (noted because this is mentioned at the end of the interview)

On this edition of Parallax Views, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s former foreign policy advisor James R. Webb, son of Sen. Jim Webb, joins the show to discuss U.S. foreign policy, Israel/Palestine, Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, and the risks of the current Middle East turmoil escalating into a very nasty regional war. Webb recently resigned from RFK Jr.'s campaign over Gaza (you can read his resignation letter here). James served a Marine infantryman from 2005-2010 and has worked on the Hill, bringing him into contact with politicians like Bernie Sanders and working with Rand Paul. He'll bring those experiences to this conversation.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Nick Bryant, the reporter who published Epstein's Little Black Book full of names and addresses of Epstein's associates, joins the show to discuss the sordid sagas of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in light of the recent unsealed documents related to the case. For some time now Bryant has been reporting on issues related to sexual political blackmail as cases of child sexual exploitation like the Jerry Sandusky scandal. In his first book, The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse and Betrayal, Bryant delved into the murky waters of the Franklin Community Federal Credit Union scandal that included allegations of child prostitution rings being ran by then rising GOP star Lawrence E. King. As I note in the conversation, I found Bryant's book on the subject more substantial than the other well-known book on the topic, Senator John W. DeCamp's The Franklin Cover-Up: Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska. Since that book, Bryant has also written or co-written two other books dealing with the phenomena of sexual political blackmail, The Truth About Watergate: A Tale of Extraordinary Lies & Liars and Confessions of a D.C. Madam: The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail (w/ Henry W. Vinson). He's also, as previously stated, played a role in drawing attention to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, like Maria Farmer and Virginia Giuffre, by publishing Epstein's little black book, writing a basic primer on the Epstein/Maxwell sagas for ScheerPost entitled "The Jeffrey Epstein Cover Up: Pedophilia, Lies, and Ghislaine Maxwell", and directing the501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Epstein Justice.

On this edition of Parallax Views, playwright Matthew Gasda joins the show to discuss his Compact Magazine piece "Downtown Demons" about micro-celebrities and micro-cultures in New York went from rebellious parties during the pandemic to feeding political nihilism in the guise of far-right politics. Matthew is the author of the play "Dimes Square" and discusses the scene culture of Manhattan during the pandemic in this regard. Those with and interest in the culture and trollish politics that have emerged out of Manhattan in the past few years through podcasts, events, and Peter Thiel money, may want to give this a listen. Matthew argues that the trollish politics of the scene culture can evolve into something much more dangerous and bleak in the course of conversation and we also manage to tie-in the pro wrestling idea of "kayfabe" into our discussion of meme culture, micro-celebrity podcasters, and the like.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Shaul Magid, author of Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical, returns to discuss his latest book, The Necessity of Exile: Essays from a Distance. In said series of essays Shaul explores Jewish identity, Israel, Zionism, anti-Zionism, Jewish intellectual history, and more from a provocative but thought-provoking manner that even manages to delve into his own intellectual evolution going back to his youthful involvement in Israeli counterculture. At much of the core of the book are the questions: "Has Zionism exhausted itself?" and what exactly is the importance of Exile in Jewish culture and thought. We'll also delve into the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movements and the Jewish community's response to it, Shaul's critique of liberal Zionism, the idea of "counter-Zionism", the Gaza war and the October 7th Hamas attack, settler-colonialism and Shaul's critique of pro-Israel voices using the rhetoric of "freeing Palestinians from Hamas" since the war began, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Jerusalem-based attorney Daniel Seidemann, known for his participation in in numerous Track II talks on Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians, joins the show to discuss the plight faced currently by the Old City of Jerusalem's Armenian Christian community amidst the chaos Israel has found itself in since the October 7th Hamas attack and Israel's war in Gaza. It's a strange story of suspicious activities and subterfuge that, as Daniel notes, could be write out of a movie or a mystery crime-thriller novel. A shady real estate developer and other actors have brought about an existential crisis for those living in the Armenian Quarter. It's a complex tale that we'll unravel involving real estate, Jewish and Israeli-Arabs, the extremist settler movement, the nature of life in Jerusalem, and more. In addition, Daniel and I will talk about the two-state solution, why remains a two-stater, the need to end Israel's Occupation of Palestinian territories (and how the Occupation is harmful to Israel), the one-state reality, a meeting Seidemann had with John McCain in 2015, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, historian of religion Prof. Daniel Boyarin joins the show to discuss his fascinating book The No-State Solution: A Jewish Manifesto. A self-described "diasporic rabbinic Jew", Boyarin grapples with Jewish identity contra both Zionism and cosmopolitanism, in the process making a radical for a Jewish nationhood without the nation-state in the form of the Jewish diaspora. This conversation, recorded in October, is a fascinating conversation that delves into Boyarin's intellectual evolution from his early days supporting socialist Zionism to eventually abandoning Zionism altogether. In addition to discussing both Zionism and anti-Zionism, Boyarin expresses his skepticism of cosmopolitanism, at least as it is often thought of in Western capitalist society, as well as trying to discover a Jewish peoplehood that is distinct from Zionism. And yes, we do discuss the Oct. 7th Hamas attack and Israel's bombing of Gaza since that time which has now claimed over 20,000 Gazans lives. Boyarin will also give his thoughts on where he and his friend the philosopher Judith Butler converge as well as where they part ways, the ideas of Simon Dubnow and Jewish autonomism, his personal belief that Zionism has been a catastrophe for the Jewish people, the possibility of a nationalism that avoids the "poison" of the state, the importance of the Jewish diaspora to his book and its thesis, thoughts on the Jewish protests against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, we dive into Israel/Palestine history, including such troubling topics as the Nakba (the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948) and the Tantura Massacre (as well as it's suppression in Israel and Israeli academia), with noted historian Ilan Pappe. Alongside figures like Benny Morris and Avi Shlaim, Pappe was one of the Israeli "New Historians" who shed light on aspects of Zionist and Israeli history (specifically the founding of Israel) that challenged conventional/traditional narratives. Joining me as a guest co-host on this edition of the program is "Karl Barx" (or Bassam) of the West Bank Robbery podcast. The conversation begins with Prof. Pappe offering his thoughts on the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza which has claimed 20,000+ lives. We then delve into Prof. Pappe's journey away from political Zionism and taking a critical approach intellectually to the history of Israel and its policies. In this we regard, we end up discussing the impact of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the first Intifada, and Prof. Pappe's service in the IDF. During the course of our conversation, we also cover: - Propaganda, dehumanization of Palestinians, and the ways in which propaganda lays upon layers of history - What has changed in Israeli narratives before the October 7th Hamas attack and now? - The argument that once Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party are gone the Israeli center or Israeli left will be able to change the Israel/Palestine situation in a radical way - Laying out the two camps within elite Israeli politics; the Israeli messianic far-right (the state of Judea) vs. secular Zionists (the state of Israel); how do Palestinians see the internal political dynamic between the two camps? - Prof. Pappe's archival work as a historian; the documents he went through showing evidence of the ethnic cleansing/expulsion of of Palestinians in 1948; declassification laws in Israel; the "Village Files" and their importance to Prof. Pappe's scholarship; suppression and reclassification of historical documents; the importance of copying and preserving documents; the importance of juxtaposing different archives - Plan Dalet or Plan D as the blueprint for the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of Palestinians in 1948; Direct Orders documentation and the specific importance of Order #40 of 1948 in relation to Israeli settlements and what is happening in Gaza today; the names of Israeli operations in the 20th century and why the specific names are important in regards to what they tells us about Israeli policy towards Palestinians - Yitzhak Rabin, The Jordanian Option, and the mass arrest of Palestinian activists in the 1970s; the origins of Israeli policies seeking to attack secular, left-wing Palestinian activists and promoting Islamic, right-wing factions at the expense of those left-wing elements as a divide-and-conquer strategy - The Tantura Massacre, micro-history, the suppression of the Tantura massacre in Israeli society and Israeli academia, and how both Prof. Pappe and one of his students, Theodore Katz, suffered major academic setback due to said student investigating the massacre; a brief rundown of the Katz Affair and the ways in which Katz and Pappe were both later vindicated in regard to the Tantura case - The myths about Israel with a particular focus on Nakba denial and Joan Peters' historically inaccurate From Time Immemorial; what Prof. Pappe considers the most noxious myths about Israel - Noam Chomsky and the question of political Zionism vs. cultural Zionism; the One Democratic State Campaign and protections for Jewish identity in a one-state Israel; where Prof. Pappe potentially disagree or takes issue with the political vs. cultural Zionism distinction - And more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Amb. Karim Haggag, Amb. Karim Haggag joins us to offer his thoughts and commentary on Israel/Palestine and the Gaza War with a particular focus on the transformation of the Israel-Palestine conflict over the past three decades, the dangers of the current moment, the divisions in the Palestinian national movement, the Israeli settlement project and the influence of the far-right in Israel, the existential narratives at work in both Israeli and Palestinian political and social life, and the erosion of the two-state solution paradigm. Karim Haggag served for twenty-five years in Egypt’s diplomatic corps, is a former Egyptian Press & Information Office Director, a professor of practice at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo, and co-managing editor of the Cairo Review of Global Affairs and director of Masters of Global Affairs. Other topics covered in the course of our conversation: - Israel's 2018 Jewish State Law, the rise of the messianic Jewish far-right in Israel and the mainstreaming of expulsioninist rhetoric in Israel, and Palestinians fears of a new Nakba (referring to the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians) - The Israeli intelligence ministry concept paper that lays out a program for pushing Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and how Egypt & President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's objections to this plan - El-Sisi's core considerations: 1.) not wanting Egypt to be party to another expulsion of Palestinians (we discuss this in relation to criticisms arguing that Egypt simply doesn't want to accept refugees), 2.) the security threat potentially posed by such an expulsion (ie: if Gazans are pushed into the Sinai so too will Hamas) - Criticism of Israel's lack of clearly stated strategic goals in the current war beyond "the destruction of Hamas", the logic of Israel's previous "mowing the grass" military approach to the conflict in the past and its failure, and the maximalist approach Netanyahu is taking to the Gaza War - The failure Western diplomatic approach to the conflict and the assumption that there will be a "Day After" scenario where Hamas is destroyed - Entrenched divisions in the Palestinian national movement between Hamas and Fatah - The Camp David 2000 Summit that brought together Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, and Yasser Arafat in peace talks; the narrative that Arafat passed up a "generous offer" from Israel - And much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, we return after a Christmas break to continue coverage of the Gaza War and Israel/Palestine. In recent days Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, and publications like The Jerusalem Post have talked about plans for a "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and trying to get other countries in the region to "absorb" displaced Gazans. As comments like these continue to be made and the bombing of Gaza goes on, destroying the 25-mile strip of land and its infrastructure, Palestinians warn that this all amounts to a second Nakba, referencing the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and society. Before the holidays, I spoke with Holocaust and genocide studies scholar Raz Segal, an Israeli historian, about a piece that he wrote in October 2023 for Jewish Currents entitled "A Textbook Case of Genocide". Segal argues that Israel's action in Gaza do, in fact, amount to a genocidal assault on Gaza and that multiple statements from various Israeli officials shows the intent. This conversation should be especially relevant in light of Netanyahu's most recent statements. We discuss international law, Prof. Dov Waxman's criticism of Raz's Jewish Current piece, misunderstandings of what genocide is, settler colonialism, other genocides and ethnic cleansings in history, the protests against Israel's current approach to Gaza, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, a double feature continuing our coverage of Israel/Palestine. First up, Democratic Socialists of America member and Jacobin contributor Yaseen Al-Sheikh (aka Y.L. Al-Sheikh) joins the show to discuss the DSA perspective on the Gaza War and Israel/Palestine. We'll also be hearing Yaseen's perspective as a Palestinian. And yes, we do cover the controversy around the DSA that has arisen in the media since the October 7th Hamas attack. On the second segment of the show, Bassam of the West Bank Robbery podcast joins as special guest co-host to speak with Belgium-based French author, filmmaker, and longtime pro-Palestinian activist Frank Barat. Frank has interviewed such influential figures as philosopher Judith Butler, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and Israeli historian Ilan Pappe on issues related to Israel's bombing of Gaza and Palestinian liberation. Frank will talk about his involvement with the Palestinian cinema/film community, his work with the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, and more. Please check out Frank's work: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71XS626j36e2HSXoEyJnBA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4frankbarat/

On this edition of Parallax Views, muckraking journalist Ken Silverstein, the man who covers the seedy, sleazy side of beltway politics he calls "Washington Babylon, returns to discuss a potpourri of topics. We begin with a discussion of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has occurred in response to the Oct. 7th Hamas attack and has incurred a terrible loss of Palestinian civilian lives. Ken is openly calling it a genocide. We discuss why as well as his feelings about all of that has occurred in the past few months with regards to Israel/Palestine from his perspective as an antifascist Jew. We then switch to number of different topics including the role Ken played in publicizing and popularizing the now infamous photos of the recently deceased Henry Kissinger seemingly picking his nose in public and eating his boogers. We also revisit the story of Ken's late friend/collaborator, former Counterpunch head honcho, and Village Voice "Beat the Devil" columnist's Alexander Cockburn's troubles with the Israel Lobby. We look at this story in the context of criticism of Israel in the current day and fears of criticism being shutdown. Before closing out Ken tells us about his latest story for The New Republic, Did "Bob Menendez’s Donors Know They Were Paying for $64 Steaks?", and how politicians live the luxurious high life thanks to the failures of campaign finance law.

On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our coverage of the Gaza War and Israel/Palestine. Robert A. Pape, a Professor of Political at the University of Chicago specializing in international security studies (and author of such books as Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It with James Feldman; Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War) joins the show to discuss his Foreign Affairs piece "Israel’s Failed Bombing Campaign in Gaza: Collective Punishment Won’t Defeat Hamas". We discuss why, based on Pape's research, the likely outcome of Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has claimed thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians, will result in radicalizing more Palestinian/bolstering support for Hamas. We'll also discuss the problems with Israel's justification for the nature of it's bombing campaign (specifically its invocation of the Allied bombing of Dresden and Hamburg in WWII), the Israeli concept paper that argued for pushing Gazans into Egypt's Sinai, the bait-and-bleed strategy of terrorism (in which a violent non-state actor seeks to engender and extreme response from a state actor in order to bolster support for itself), the Abraham Accords, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our coverage of the Gaza War w/ guest John Robb, proprietor of the Global Guerrillas blog and author of The Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization. Robb has been arguing as of late that Israel has lost the information war long-term on Israel/Palestine and that this is due to the open-source, tribal network warfare employed by critics of the Israeli state. He points towards a dramatic shift in how those under the age of 40 view Israel. In other words, support for Israel among the youth is cratering. Robb will explain his views on networked tribalism which involves three key ingredients: empathy triggers, moral framing (tribal pattern matching), and fictive kinship. This, he says, has allowed critics of Israel to make gains in the information war over Israel/Palestine. We'll also discuss the issues of antisemitism, attempts to conflate antisemitism and antizionism, the campus free speech debate over free speech, American hedge fund manager Bill Ackman's crusade against pro-Palestinian campus activists, Candace Owens' hosting Norman Finklestein on her show, Ben Shapiro, how pro-Israel advocates could conceivably even lose segments of right-wing support, manufactured hate crime incidents, and much, much more.

On this edition of the Parallax, we go over the life and career of controversial diplomat Henry Kissinger, who passed away at the age of 100 on November 29th, 2023. Although hailed by many in the U.S. Establishment as one of the most important minds in international relations and diplomacy through the 20th century, many on the Left (and even, as we shall see, some on the Right) take a more critical view of Kissinger. Namely, many left-wing activist and commentators, including, most famously, the late Christopher Hitchens, have argued Kissinger was a war criminal. In the first segment of the show, Michael C. Desch, Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations at the University of Notre and founding director of the Notre Dame International Security Center, discusses Kissinger from an realist perspective. Kissinger, as anyone familiar with him will know, is often considered one of the prememinet realist school of international relations figures of the 20th century. Desch, however, argues otherwise making the case that Kissinger was only an "occassional realist". In this conversation we delve into what realism is, the rift between Kissinger and his realist mentor Hans Morgenthau over Vietnam, why Desch thinks realist's should look towards Morgenthau more than Kissinger for foreign policy realism, the accusation that realism is social darwinism applied to nation-states, conservatism and realist thought, a realist perspective on the overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende, the conflict between big L Liberalism and realism, the Thucydides quote "the strong do what they cand and the weak suffer what they must", balance of powers and realism as a theory of peace rather than war, and much, much more. In the second segment, journalist Tim Shorrock, Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing, returns to discuss Henry Kissinger and his bloodstained legacy in international relations and foreign policy from an anti-imperialist perspective, Tim offers a scathing critique of Kissinger's life and career from Kissinger's involvement in Vietnam, the bombing of Cambodia, the overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende, the East Timor massacre, and more. We'll also delve into Kissinger and President Richard Nixon opening up the U.S.-China relationship in the 1970s, which many assess as one of the more positive moments in Kissinger's career. We also delve into why Kissinger is so well-regarded in the U.S. Establishment. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Mark Ames, journalist and co-host of the popular podcast Radio War Nerd w/ John Dolan (aka Gary Brecher), joins the show to discuss his 2014 NFSFWCORP piece "The Kings of Garbage, or, The ADL Spied on Me and All I Got Was This Lousy Index Card". Due to his anti-apartheid activism at Berkeley, Mark Ames found out in the 90s that he'd been spied upon by the ADL. His file listed him marked him as a "Pinko". This leads us into the story of Roy Bullock, an investigator who spied on anti-Apartheid activists for the Anti-Defamation League and the South African apartheid regime. Working with SFPD intelligence officer Tom Gerard (who also had a spooky background involving CIA dirty wars in Latin America), Bullock was involved in all kinds of skullduggery, including a case that almost led to the murder of a Simon Wiesenthal Center researcher so that an ADL researcher could take his job and make some extra cash. It's a wild story that involves a spy ring within the ADL spying on American anti-apartheid activists. This also takes us into a discussion of how the Irwin Sewell and the ADL had dossiers on antifascist researchers like Chip Berlet of Political Research Associates, the relationship between Israel and South African apartheid, the ADL's shift from focusing on far-right movement like the John Birchers to left wing activists in Berkeley and Arab Americans, the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and the car bombing assassination of Palestinian activist Alex Odeh, Abe Foxman (national director of the Anti-Defamation League from 1987 to 2015), the FBI (and LA Times?) vs. the ADL, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt's embrace of Elon Musk (and curious comments comparing him favorably to noted antisemite Henry Ford), ADL spying on black Americans like former Congressman Ron Dellums, the ADL as part of the National Security State, philosemitic antisemitism, Israel as being its own worst enemy, the canceling of author and journalist Vincent Bevins in Germany, and more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, historian Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and author of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017 and Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness, joins the show to discuss the Gaza War and the paradigm shift he beleives it has brought about. We are in a "new era", Prof. Khalidi argues. We also discuss the Biden administration's response to the bombing of Gaza. We also delve into the histories of Zionism, the state of Israel, and the Palestinian identity. Additionally, Prof. Khalidi comments on the settler-colonial paradigm and the controversies around it. Prof. Khalidi also addresses what he sees as the biggest misunderstandings and misconceptions people have about the Palestinian perspective and gives his thoughts on the October 7th Hamas attack, the 2018 Israeli Nation-State Bill, and more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Kenneth Roth, former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch from 1993-2022, joins the show to discuss the Israel-Hamas or Gaza War from an international law perspective with a focus on the issue of war crimes. We begin the conversation by discussing HRW's notable report on Israel and apartheid, which focused on the West Bank, from a few years ago. From there we delve into the question of war crimes in relation to the Israeli bombing of Gaza. Kenneth Roth will address the responsibilities of a country engaged in a war, the "Hamas uses human shields argument" employed by pro-Israel voices when Israel is criticized for disproportionate civilian casualties, the Oct. 7th Hamas attack, the question of genocide, the importance of international law and human rights in the 21st century, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza (lack of clean water and food), and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our coverage of the Gaza War with three different segments and guests. First up, Antiwar.Com's news editor Dave DeCamp joins the show to discuss the bombshell reports by the New York Times and Israel's 972 magazine related to the war. NYT reported recently that Israel ignored vital intelligence, specifically the blueprints for a major attack, in the lead-up to the October 7th attack. Meanwhile, 972 reports on the use of AI systems to hit non-military targets in Gaza; 972 referred to it as a "massive assassination factory). We'll discuss the significance of these two stories as well as the Biden administration's response to the war and what may be going on behind the scenes. In the second segment of the show, David C. Hendrickson, the president of the John Quincy Adams Society and professor emeritus of political science at Colorado College (and author of such books as Republic in Peril, Peace Pact, Union, Nation, Empire, and most recently Freedom, Independence, Peace: John Quincy Adams and American Foreign Policy) returns to give his take on the Gaza War, the Biden administration's response to it, the Israeli intelligence failure of October 7th, the massive casualties inflicted on innocent Gazans, the different varieties of international relations realism, John Mearsheimer Vs. Henry Kissinger and liberal realism vs. a crude "the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must" realism, dissent in the State Dept. over the Gaza War, Benjamin Netanyahu, Eisenhower vs. Israel (and George HW Bush vs. Israel), Obama's problems with Netanyahu, the lack of security around Israel's southern border before October 7th, and much, much more. In the final segment of the show, Muhammad Sahimi, a contributor to Responsible Statecraft and Antiwar.Com, joins the show to discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran's response to the Gaza War and the differences in approach between the hardliner and moderate/pragmatist factions in Iran when it comes to the war, the U.S. role in the Middle East, Israel, and related issues. NOTE: In the conversation with Prof. Hendrickson I misquote Thucydides. He wrote "The strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must" not "The strong do what they can, the weak do what they must".