Historian Rashid Khalidi on Israel’s Long Reign of Violence
Nov 22, 2023
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Esteemed historian Rashid Khalidi joins Intercepted for a conversation about Israel's long history of violence against Palestinians. He discusses the devastating impact of Israeli military attacks on Gaza, the evolution of Palestinian resistance, the history and current state of the Gaza Strip, shifting public opinion in support of Palestine among young people, and the biased coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the American press.
The podcast highlights the staggering civilian death toll in Gaza and the devastating impact on the population, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the casualties and the intensity of the Israeli military campaign.
The podcast delves into the historical context of Gaza, detailing its transformation due to forced displacement, Israeli occupation, and the blockade imposed by Israel, resulting in a humanitarian crisis.
The podcast examines Joe Biden's support for Israel throughout his political career and suggests that his actions may harm the standing of the United States, alienating various communities and potentially affecting his re-election prospects.
Deep dives
Overview of the Gaza situation
The podcast episode provides an overview of the situation in Gaza over the past six weeks. It highlights the massive displacement of Palestinian civilians, the high death toll, and the devastating impact on the population, including children, women, and the elderly. The episode emphasizes the unprecedented nature of the civilian casualties and examines the intensity of the Israeli military campaign. The podcast also questions the lack of international response and discusses the Israeli government's objectives and the implications for future political dynamics.
The historical context of Gaza
The episode delves into the historical context of Gaza, detailing its prosperity before the 1948 war and its subsequent transformation due to forced displacement and the influx of Palestinian refugees. The episode highlights the period of Egyptian administration and the impact of Israeli occupation and settlements. It emphasizes the increasing restrictions on movement, the siege, and blockade imposed by Israel in recent years, and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The shift in opinion and political impact
The episode highlights the significant shift in public opinion, particularly among the younger generation, regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It discusses the growing support for Palestinian rights, including among Jewish, minority, and progressive communities. The episode acknowledges the challenges of advocating for nonviolent resistance but recognizes its impact in changing narratives. However, it also notes that despite changing public opinion, political dynamics remain dominated by a media, political, and financial establishment that largely support Israel. The episode questions whether the shift in public opinion will translate into concrete political change.
Joe Biden's legacy on Israel-Palestine
The episode examines Joe Biden's long-standing support for Israel throughout his political career, emphasizing his close ties and influence of Israeli leaders. It discusses Biden's role in promoting and enabling Israeli actions, including weapon sales and political support. The episode underscores the contradiction between Biden's actions and the shifting public opinion on Israel-Palestine. It suggests that Biden's legacy may be one of harm to the standing of the United States, alienation of various communities, and potential negative impact on his own re-election prospects.
Conclusion
The episode concludes by highlighting the devastating consequences of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the urgent need for a political resolution. It highlights the potential for a paradigm shift, given the unprecedented civilian casualties and global condemnation of Israel's actions. The episode remarks on the impact of the conflict on US politics and the electoral prospects for Biden. It underscores the significance of public opinion, particularly among young people, while acknowledging the influence of established power structures that predominantly support Israel.
The civilian death toll wrought by Israel’s siege of Gaza is staggering. More than 14,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them children. More than 1.7 million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced from their homes. And President Joe Biden has presided over an open spigot of U.S. weapons and support for the war of annihilation being waged by the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
This week on Intercepted, the esteemed historian Rashid Khalidi joins Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain for a wide-ranging conversation about the long arc of the history of Israel’s political, economic, and military campaigns against the Palestinian people. Khalidi, a professor at Columbia University, is the author of several books, including “The Hundred Years' War on Palestine.” Khalidi also discusses how the war on Gaza will impact Biden’s legacy and the role of the United States in facilitating the current war and those of the past 75 years. "Biden has done permanent harm to the standing of the United States in the world, in the Muslim world, and in the Arab world. Permanent harm," says Khalidi. "He has alienated young generations that will think of the United States in terms of Gaza for a very long time."
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