Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views, Nick Bryant, the reporter who published Epstein's Little Black Book full of names and addresses of Epstein's associates, joins the show to discuss the sordid sagas of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in light of the recent unsealed documents related to the case. For some time now Bryant has been reporting on issues related to sexual political blackmail as cases of child sexual exploitation like the Jerry Sandusky scandal. In his first book, The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse and Betrayal, Bryant delved into the murky waters of the Franklin Community Federal Credit Union scandal that included allegations of child prostitution rings being ran by then rising GOP star Lawrence E. King. As I note in the conversation, I found Bryant's book on the subject more substantial than the other well-known book on the topic, Senator John W. DeCamp's The Franklin Cover-Up: Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska. Since that book, Bryant has also written or co-written two other books dealing with the phenomena of sexual political blackmail, The Truth About Watergate: A Tale of Extraordinary Lies & Liars and Confessions of a D.C. Madam: The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail (w/ Henry W. Vinson). He's also, as previously stated, played a role in drawing attention to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, like Maria Farmer and Virginia Giuffre, by publishing Epstein's little black book, writing a basic primer on the Epstein/Maxwell sagas for ScheerPost entitled "The Jeffrey Epstein Cover Up: Pedophilia, Lies, and Ghislaine Maxwell", and directing the501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Epstein Justice.

On this edition of Parallax Views, playwright Matthew Gasda joins the show to discuss his Compact Magazine piece "Downtown Demons" about micro-celebrities and micro-cultures in New York went from rebellious parties during the pandemic to feeding political nihilism in the guise of far-right politics. Matthew is the author of the play "Dimes Square" and discusses the scene culture of Manhattan during the pandemic in this regard. Those with and interest in the culture and trollish politics that have emerged out of Manhattan in the past few years through podcasts, events, and Peter Thiel money, may want to give this a listen. Matthew argues that the trollish politics of the scene culture can evolve into something much more dangerous and bleak in the course of conversation and we also manage to tie-in the pro wrestling idea of "kayfabe" into our discussion of meme culture, micro-celebrity podcasters, and the like.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Shaul Magid, author of Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical, returns to discuss his latest book, The Necessity of Exile: Essays from a Distance. In said series of essays Shaul explores Jewish identity, Israel, Zionism, anti-Zionism, Jewish intellectual history, and more from a provocative but thought-provoking manner that even manages to delve into his own intellectual evolution going back to his youthful involvement in Israeli counterculture. At much of the core of the book are the questions: "Has Zionism exhausted itself?" and what exactly is the importance of Exile in Jewish culture and thought. We'll also delve into the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movements and the Jewish community's response to it, Shaul's critique of liberal Zionism, the idea of "counter-Zionism", the Gaza war and the October 7th Hamas attack, settler-colonialism and Shaul's critique of pro-Israel voices using the rhetoric of "freeing Palestinians from Hamas" since the war began, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Jerusalem-based attorney Daniel Seidemann, known for his participation in in numerous Track II talks on Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians, joins the show to discuss the plight faced currently by the Old City of Jerusalem's Armenian Christian community amidst the chaos Israel has found itself in since the October 7th Hamas attack and Israel's war in Gaza. It's a strange story of suspicious activities and subterfuge that, as Daniel notes, could be write out of a movie or a mystery crime-thriller novel. A shady real estate developer and other actors have brought about an existential crisis for those living in the Armenian Quarter. It's a complex tale that we'll unravel involving real estate, Jewish and Israeli-Arabs, the extremist settler movement, the nature of life in Jerusalem, and more. In addition, Daniel and I will talk about the two-state solution, why remains a two-stater, the need to end Israel's Occupation of Palestinian territories (and how the Occupation is harmful to Israel), the one-state reality, a meeting Seidemann had with John McCain in 2015, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, historian of religion Prof. Daniel Boyarin joins the show to discuss his fascinating book The No-State Solution: A Jewish Manifesto. A self-described "diasporic rabbinic Jew", Boyarin grapples with Jewish identity contra both Zionism and cosmopolitanism, in the process making a radical for a Jewish nationhood without the nation-state in the form of the Jewish diaspora. This conversation, recorded in October, is a fascinating conversation that delves into Boyarin's intellectual evolution from his early days supporting socialist Zionism to eventually abandoning Zionism altogether. In addition to discussing both Zionism and anti-Zionism, Boyarin expresses his skepticism of cosmopolitanism, at least as it is often thought of in Western capitalist society, as well as trying to discover a Jewish peoplehood that is distinct from Zionism. And yes, we do discuss the Oct. 7th Hamas attack and Israel's bombing of Gaza since that time which has now claimed over 20,000 Gazans lives. Boyarin will also give his thoughts on where he and his friend the philosopher Judith Butler converge as well as where they part ways, the ideas of Simon Dubnow and Jewish autonomism, his personal belief that Zionism has been a catastrophe for the Jewish people, the possibility of a nationalism that avoids the "poison" of the state, the importance of the Jewish diaspora to his book and its thesis, thoughts on the Jewish protests against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, we dive into Israel/Palestine history, including such troubling topics as the Nakba (the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948) and the Tantura Massacre (as well as it's suppression in Israel and Israeli academia), with noted historian Ilan Pappe. Alongside figures like Benny Morris and Avi Shlaim, Pappe was one of the Israeli "New Historians" who shed light on aspects of Zionist and Israeli history (specifically the founding of Israel) that challenged conventional/traditional narratives. Joining me as a guest co-host on this edition of the program is "Karl Barx" (or Bassam) of the West Bank Robbery podcast. The conversation begins with Prof. Pappe offering his thoughts on the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza which has claimed 20,000+ lives. We then delve into Prof. Pappe's journey away from political Zionism and taking a critical approach intellectually to the history of Israel and its policies. In this we regard, we end up discussing the impact of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the first Intifada, and Prof. Pappe's service in the IDF. During the course of our conversation, we also cover: - Propaganda, dehumanization of Palestinians, and the ways in which propaganda lays upon layers of history - What has changed in Israeli narratives before the October 7th Hamas attack and now? - The argument that once Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party are gone the Israeli center or Israeli left will be able to change the Israel/Palestine situation in a radical way - Laying out the two camps within elite Israeli politics; the Israeli messianic far-right (the state of Judea) vs. secular Zionists (the state of Israel); how do Palestinians see the internal political dynamic between the two camps? - Prof. Pappe's archival work as a historian; the documents he went through showing evidence of the ethnic cleansing/expulsion of of Palestinians in 1948; declassification laws in Israel; the "Village Files" and their importance to Prof. Pappe's scholarship; suppression and reclassification of historical documents; the importance of copying and preserving documents; the importance of juxtaposing different archives - Plan Dalet or Plan D as the blueprint for the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of Palestinians in 1948; Direct Orders documentation and the specific importance of Order #40 of 1948 in relation to Israeli settlements and what is happening in Gaza today; the names of Israeli operations in the 20th century and why the specific names are important in regards to what they tells us about Israeli policy towards Palestinians - Yitzhak Rabin, The Jordanian Option, and the mass arrest of Palestinian activists in the 1970s; the origins of Israeli policies seeking to attack secular, left-wing Palestinian activists and promoting Islamic, right-wing factions at the expense of those left-wing elements as a divide-and-conquer strategy - The Tantura Massacre, micro-history, the suppression of the Tantura massacre in Israeli society and Israeli academia, and how both Prof. Pappe and one of his students, Theodore Katz, suffered major academic setback due to said student investigating the massacre; a brief rundown of the Katz Affair and the ways in which Katz and Pappe were both later vindicated in regard to the Tantura case - The myths about Israel with a particular focus on Nakba denial and Joan Peters' historically inaccurate From Time Immemorial; what Prof. Pappe considers the most noxious myths about Israel - Noam Chomsky and the question of political Zionism vs. cultural Zionism; the One Democratic State Campaign and protections for Jewish identity in a one-state Israel; where Prof. Pappe potentially disagree or takes issue with the political vs. cultural Zionism distinction - And more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Amb. Karim Haggag, Amb. Karim Haggag joins us to offer his thoughts and commentary on Israel/Palestine and the Gaza War with a particular focus on the transformation of the Israel-Palestine conflict over the past three decades, the dangers of the current moment, the divisions in the Palestinian national movement, the Israeli settlement project and the influence of the far-right in Israel, the existential narratives at work in both Israeli and Palestinian political and social life, and the erosion of the two-state solution paradigm. Karim Haggag served for twenty-five years in Egypt’s diplomatic corps, is a former Egyptian Press & Information Office Director, a professor of practice at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo, and co-managing editor of the Cairo Review of Global Affairs and director of Masters of Global Affairs. Other topics covered in the course of our conversation: - Israel's 2018 Jewish State Law, the rise of the messianic Jewish far-right in Israel and the mainstreaming of expulsioninist rhetoric in Israel, and Palestinians fears of a new Nakba (referring to the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians) - The Israeli intelligence ministry concept paper that lays out a program for pushing Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and how Egypt & President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's objections to this plan - El-Sisi's core considerations: 1.) not wanting Egypt to be party to another expulsion of Palestinians (we discuss this in relation to criticisms arguing that Egypt simply doesn't want to accept refugees), 2.) the security threat potentially posed by such an expulsion (ie: if Gazans are pushed into the Sinai so too will Hamas) - Criticism of Israel's lack of clearly stated strategic goals in the current war beyond "the destruction of Hamas", the logic of Israel's previous "mowing the grass" military approach to the conflict in the past and its failure, and the maximalist approach Netanyahu is taking to the Gaza War - The failure Western diplomatic approach to the conflict and the assumption that there will be a "Day After" scenario where Hamas is destroyed - Entrenched divisions in the Palestinian national movement between Hamas and Fatah -  The Camp David 2000 Summit that brought together Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, and Yasser Arafat in peace talks; the narrative that Arafat passed up a "generous offer" from Israel - And much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, we return after a Christmas break to continue coverage of the Gaza War and Israel/Palestine. In recent days Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, and publications like The Jerusalem Post have talked about plans for a "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and trying to get other countries in the region to "absorb" displaced Gazans. As comments like these continue to be made and the bombing of Gaza goes on, destroying the 25-mile strip of land and its infrastructure, Palestinians warn that this all amounts to a second Nakba, referencing the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and society. Before the holidays, I spoke with Holocaust and genocide studies scholar Raz Segal, an Israeli historian, about a piece that he wrote in October 2023 for Jewish Currents entitled "A Textbook Case of Genocide". Segal argues that Israel's action in Gaza do, in fact, amount to a genocidal assault on Gaza and that multiple statements from various Israeli officials shows the intent. This conversation should be especially relevant in light of Netanyahu's most recent statements. We discuss international law, Prof. Dov Waxman's criticism of Raz's Jewish Current piece, misunderstandings of what genocide is, settler colonialism, other genocides and ethnic cleansings in history, the protests against Israel's current approach to Gaza, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, a double feature continuing our coverage of Israel/Palestine. First up, Democratic Socialists of America member and Jacobin contributor Yaseen Al-Sheikh (aka Y.L. Al-Sheikh) joins the show to discuss the DSA perspective on the Gaza War and Israel/Palestine. We'll also be hearing Yaseen's perspective as a Palestinian. And yes, we do cover the controversy around the DSA that has arisen in the media since the October 7th Hamas attack. On the second segment of the show, Bassam of the West Bank Robbery podcast joins as special guest co-host to speak with Belgium-based French author, filmmaker, and longtime pro-Palestinian activist Frank Barat. Frank has interviewed such influential figures as philosopher Judith Butler, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and Israeli historian Ilan Pappe on issues related to Israel's bombing of Gaza and Palestinian liberation. Frank will talk about his involvement with the Palestinian cinema/film community, his work with the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, and more. Please check out Frank's work: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71XS626j36e2HSXoEyJnBA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4frankbarat/

On this edition of Parallax Views, muckraking journalist Ken Silverstein, the man who covers the seedy, sleazy side of beltway politics he calls "Washington Babylon, returns to discuss a potpourri of topics. We begin with a discussion of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has occurred in response to the Oct. 7th Hamas attack and has incurred a terrible loss of Palestinian civilian lives. Ken is openly calling it a genocide. We discuss why as well as his feelings about all of that has occurred in the past few months with regards to Israel/Palestine from his perspective as an antifascist Jew. We then switch to number of different topics including the role Ken played in publicizing and popularizing the now infamous photos of the recently deceased Henry Kissinger seemingly picking his nose in public and eating his boogers. We also revisit the story of Ken's late friend/collaborator, former Counterpunch head honcho, and Village Voice "Beat the Devil" columnist's Alexander Cockburn's troubles with the Israel Lobby. We look at this story in the context of criticism of Israel in the current day and fears of criticism being shutdown. Before closing out Ken tells us about his latest story for The New Republic, Did "Bob Menendez’s Donors Know They Were Paying for $64 Steaks?", and how politicians live the luxurious high life thanks to the failures of campaign finance law.