An essay which takes this question seriously.

00:00 Introduction

01:00 What does condemn mean?

02:46 Condemnation and victims statements

08:54 Two paths to being condemned

11:11 Do I condemn the condemned?

12:06 Children aren´t condemned

13:23 Nemr´s Pain

16:51 Doesn't delegitimize

19:05 Native American Analogy

21:00 Manifest Destiny

23:50 Would you argue against the Trail of Tears?

26:48 The Condemnable Future is not Inevitable

29:35 A Short Answer

30:26 Nemr´s Interview from Middle East Eye

Jay discusses Palestine with historian and author Ilan Pappe. Together they ponder if we are seeing the end of Zionism and what might that collapse might look like.

Jay then reads an essay on the topic of forgiveness and redemption and how the psychology of cognitive dissonance prevents us from having evidence change our mind.

In the final part of this series, Jay dissects the definition of the words Zionism, Israel, and Judaism and delivers a Speech he wishes a future Prime Minister of Israel would give.

A conversation with Miko Peled on his journey from unquestioned Zionism to becoming an active Palestinian Activist.

In this episode we discuss:

Jacob Israel de Haan

Where are the Palestinian Nelson Mandelas?

How Miko changed his mind

When the only thing left is violence

Why Zionism is flawed from the beginning

What the future might hold for Israel

Zionism vs Judaism

and more...

A conversation with Richard English who dares ask the question "Does Terrorism Work?"

1948 Einstein and Arendt letter to the NY Times

A conversation with Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy where we take the pulse of Israel and discuss how he came to question the Zionist project and where we might go from here.

Jay Shapiro breaks down arguments being presented by popular thinkers such as Sam Harris and from Zionists who defend Israel. He walks through the complications of deciphering the popularity of Islamism and Jihadism and Hamas and he outlines the mentality of "tribal essentialism".He teases a trilogy of upcoming episodes with Gideon Levy, Richard English, and Miko Peled.

Deciphering IDF intentions

Settler expansion

Roman Abramovich

Birthright

Zionism as Colonialism

The Arab Spring

Menachem Begin

Irgun, Stern Gang, Hagana

Two State Solutions

One State Hopes

More information and recommendations at whatjaythinks.com

David Livingstone Smith has been studying "dehumanization" for decades and has written three books on the subject. In this episode Jay and Smith apply his findings to the current conflict in Israel and broaden their scope to examine how a rising modern factor of "Distance" interplays with violence.

Jay Shapiro's personal essay and account of how the disfigurement of American Judaism has forged an existential crisis for something much bigger than survival of the state of Israel.

A nuanced look at the morality of intentions and self-deceptions in the Israel Palestinian conflict.

A look at the moral distinction between collateral damage, intentional civilian targeting, and something much more common and psychologically complex which the Jewish experience makes Israel particularly suspectable to.

Referenced in this episode:

The Rest Is Politics - Yuval Noah Harari

Slavoj Zizek - Bookfair Speech on Israel and Palestine

Essay published at What Jay Thinks: What Jay Thinks