The chapter delves into the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, discussing the potential reasoning behind actions and the challenges of understanding without justifying. It highlights the need for empathy and efforts to comprehend root causes, focusing on issues in Gaza, limitations in the West Bank, and questions around democracy in Israel. The conversation also explores missed opportunities for peace and debates media bias in coverage of the conflict.
Journalist and author Robert Wright invited EconTalk's Russ Roberts to his podcast, NonZero, to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, knowing that there would be plenty to disagree about. The two then agreed to release their back-and-forth on their respective podcasts. The result is a lively but respectful discussion that is more debate than the usual EconTalk episode. We hope there will still be much to learn from this slightly more combative than usual episode.