Myths of Israel
A myth is a story passed down through generations that attempts to explain the origins of something. The foundational myth of Israel was “a land without people for a people without a land.” That myth had profound consequences that reverberate today. There were people there – the Palestinians. Such myths are characteristic of settler colonial societies such as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. Sure there were a few primitive savages but they had to give way to superior beings. John Kennedy famously said: “We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier. The pioneers gave up their safety, their comfort, and sometimes their lives to build our new west.” Kennedy did not mention the great Indigenous nations that were slaughtered by the colonizers. We must deconstruct the myths and reveal the realities behind them.
Recorded at Socialism 2024.
Speaker
Ilan Pappé
Ilan Pappé has been called “the most original, radical and hard-hitting of Israel’s ‘new historians.’” He is the director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter and a senior fellow at the University of Exeter’s Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies. He was born in Haifa, Israel. From 1984 to 2006, he taught at the University of Haifa. He moved to the UK in 2007. Among his many books are The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, The Biggest Prison on Earth, A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Lobbying for Zionism, Ten Myths About Israel and Israel on the Brink.
Martin –
Historian Pappé makes a convincing case and his reasoning is easy to follow. But when I posted one of his completely factual arguments as a Youtube comment it was immediately deleted. Why? Google owned Youtube deploys censoring algorithms that erase any and all criticism of Israel’s policies and especially the impact of their genocidal war – and it’s invisible to the public because it’s almost instantaneous. Alternative Radio is among the few sources which penetrate such censorship.
Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski –
Excellent. Very informative.
Dee Packard –
I just caught this on the radio during a long trafficked morning drive. Ilan Pappe’s delivered just what
I have wanted to know. Now for the book! .I am so happy to find you, and him, today. With gratitude, Dee,
Portland, Oregon.
Brooke –
Aaaaah, there is so much I never learned. And also, it is never too late. This was illuminating and accessible.
I hope to now read more of Pappé’s work.
Thank you, thank you.