Israel and its boosters argue that it’s an exceptional state in the Middle East and a necessary ally for the West. Its technical prowess is purportedly part of what makes Israel so indispensable, on full display during its assault on Gaza. But security scholar Rhys Machold contends that the idea of Israel as a innovative pioneer obscures it dependency on the West since its inception. And he suggests that such mythologies serve to deflect attention from genocide.

Rhys Machold, “The Myth of Israeli Innovation” Jewish Currents

Rhys Machold, Fabricating Homeland Security: Police Entanglements across India and Palestine/Israel Stanford University Press, 2024

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