In this episode, I draw on My Palestine by Mohammad Tarbush to examine two often-overlooked episodes in the history of Zionism and its global reception.
First, we revisit the 1975 United Nations General Assembly vote that declared Zionism a form of racism—an extraordinary moment that sent shockwaves through international diplomacy, reshaped alliances in the Cold War, and left a lasting legacy in debates about race, colonialism, and nationhood.
Second, we turn to the influential role of the British press—particularly The Times newspaper—in shaping early public sympathy and legitimacy for the Zionist movement. Through Tarbush’s extracts, we explore how media narratives intertwined with imperial politics, setting the stage for decades of tension over Palestine.
This is an episode about words and power: how the framing of an idea—whether in the chamber of the UN or the pages of a newspaper—can reverberate across generations.
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