Failure to Learn Historical Lessons

Jonah asks why societies ignore recent history; Lévy blames ignorance and conflicting political priorities.

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Episode notes

In this thought-provoking episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah sits down with world-renowned philosopher, author, and war correspondent Bernard-Henri Lévy (known as BHL) for an insightful conversation about the meaning of Jewish solidarity after October 7th and the collapse of moral reasoning in the West. Drawing on five decades spent on the frontlines of conflicts from Bosnia to Bangladesh, Lévy reflects on the role of the witness, the fragility of democracy, and the shattering implications of October 7th.

From Hamas to ISIS, Sudan to Ukraine, BHL draws sharp parallels between the world’s genocidal movements and the West’s habit of resisting them “just enough to help the victims survive, but never enough to let them win.” Together, Jonah and BHL explore the central arguments of his new book, Israel Alone: Israel’s unprecedented isolation, the return of antisemitism dressed in the language of antizionism, and the collapse of ethical reasoning on university campuses and in public life.

BHL speaks candidly about why jihadist groups must be militarily defeated, how antisemitism differs from other forms of racism, the challenges of Jewish life in France, and why Israel’s democracy remains a modern miracle, despite being tested by decades of war.

In the episode they discuss:

Iranian Missile Attacks and Global Reactions
The Necessity of Defeating Hamas
The Defeat of Al Qaeda and Isis
BHL’s time in Afghanistan and Rwanda
The Resilience of Israeli Society
Diverse Communities in Israel
Understanding Antisemitism
Antizionism as the Only “Acceptable” Form of Modern Antisemitic
The Role of Hate in Human History
Criticism vs. Antisemitism
Sudan's Genocide and Racist War

#BernardHenriLevy #BHL #JonahPlatt #BeingJewishPodcast #IsraelAlone #JewishIdentity #Antisemitism #October7 #MoralClarity #Philosophy #HumanRights #Israel #JewishPeople

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Mentioned In The Episode:

Bernard-Henri Levy Instagram

Bernard-Henri Levy YouTube

Bernard-Henri Levy Facebook

Bernard-Henri Lévy

Israel Alone

The Genius of Judaism

The Bloodlands of Africa - by Bernard-Henri Lévy