Dr David Cumin discusses the history of anti-Semitism, the state of Israel, and the Hamas attack on Southern Israel. Topics covered include the historical persecution of Jews, the establishment of Israel, the Six-Day War, and rejected peace proposals. The meaning of the slogan 'from the river to the sea,' dynamics within the Muslim world, and Hamas's motivations and strategies are also explored.
The podcast discusses the challenges faced during the formation of Israel, the Arab armies' invasion, and Israel's defense in the 1948 war for independence.
The podcast highlights the significance of the slogan 'from the river to the sea' commonly used by Hamas and its implications for the region.
The podcast explores the failure of the 'land for peace' approach in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the rise of Hamas as a militant group rejecting a two-state solution.
Deep dives
History of anti-Semitism and the Israel Institute of New Zealand
The podcast episode discusses the history of anti-Semitism and introduces Dr. David Cumin from the Israel Institute of New Zealand. The institute is an independent think tank that aims to provide New Zealanders with a better understanding of Israel through various means such as their website and social media outlets.
The partition plan and the formation of Israel
The episode covers the partition plan proposed by the United Nations, which aimed to divide the British mandate of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. It highlights the challenges faced during the formation of Israel, the Arab armies' invasion, and Israel's defense in the 1948 war for independence. It also mentions the subsequent wars, such as the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
The current situation in Gaza and the significance of the river to the sea slogan
The podcast discusses the ongoing conflict and the blockade around Gaza. It explains the significance of the slogan 'from the river to the sea' commonly used by Hamas, which refers to their desire to remove Jews from their indigenous lands and establish control over all of Israel and the Palestinian territories. It also touches on the Sunni-Shia divide and the support that Hamas receives from Iran and its implications for the region.
The Failure of Land for Peace
The podcast discusses the failure of the 'land for peace' approach in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It mentions how Israel gave up the Sinai Peninsula in the Camp David negotiations, but still faces strategic challenges and threats from groups like Hezbollah. The speaker questions the idea of a permanent benign strategic environment and believes that Israel would have been better off holding onto the territory.
The Rise of Hamas and Weak Western Response
The podcast explores the rise of Hamas as a militant and ideologically pure group that rejects a two-state solution. It highlights the failure of numerous peace proposals offered throughout history and explains how Hamas has been encouraged by the weak response of Western leaders to their actions. The speaker mentions the antisemitism and lack of condemnation from some leaders, and criticizes UNRWA for its schools promoting anti-Semitic themes and glorifying the murder of Jews.
In this interview with Dr David Cumin from the Israel Instatute of New Zealand, we talk about the history of anti-Semitism, the history of the state of Israel and some of the activities that have led to the current crisis with the Hamas attack on Southern Israel.
Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.
