A Genocide Scholar Asks “What Went Wrong” in Israel

About this episode

<p>Omer Bartov is an Israeli professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University. He grew up in a Zionist home and served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, but he has long been concerned about Israel’s use of military power. In a new book called “<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250436184/israel/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israel: What Went Wrong?</a>,” Bartov argues that Zionism has morphed into an ideology of extremism that led to genocide in Gaza following the Hamas attacks of October 7th. “There is growing criticism of American support for these kinds of Israeli policies, both on the American left and on the American right,” Bartov tells David Remnick. Bartov believes that Israel requires “shock therapy” because “it has not still come to identify the limits of its own power, because those limits are in Washington, DC and it's there that those limits have to be set.” “For Israel, that would be good, because I think Israel needs to be liberated from that kind of dependence on American power. I think, for American society and for American Jewry, that’s a very bad thing because there is a rise of . . . antisemitism from the Tucker Carlsons of the world, who are a rising force right now.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Further reading: </p> <ul> <li>“<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250436184/israel/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israel: What Went Wrong?</a>,” by Omer Bartov</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-holocaust-scholar-meets-with-israeli-reservists#rid=1c89eda6-8015-4785-b666-23f881f418d5&q=omer+bartov" rel="noopener noreferrer">A Holocaust Scholar Meets with Israeli Reservists</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-to-define-genocide#rid=1c89eda6-8015-4785-b666-23f881f418d5&q=omer+bartov" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Define Genocide</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, <i>New Yorker</i> staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>