Today I talked to Jonathan Schanzer about his new book Gaza Conflict 2021 (Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 2021).
The May 2021 conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas generated headlines around the world. However, much of the reporting was uninformed and misleading, ignoring the context of history, funding, political dynamics, and other ... Show More
Mar 21
Craig Perry, "Slavery and the Jews of Medieval Egypt: A History" (Princeton UP, 2026)
What did slavery actually look like in the everyday lives of Jews in the medieval Middle East? In this episode, Rabbi Marc Katz sits down with historian Craig Perry to discuss his groundbreaking book Slavery and the Jews of Medieval Egypt: A History (Princeton UP, 2026). Drawing ... Show More
53m 19s
Mar 20
Paul Kohlbry, "Plots and Deeds: Agrarian Annihilation and the Fight for Land Justice in Palestine" (Stanford UP, 2026)
The emancipatory potential and limits of land justice, when land is at once home, property, territory, and homeland. Peasant farming was once an integral part of Palestine's agrarian fabric. But after military occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Israeli land confiscations and ec ... Show More
1h 10m
Mar 14
Matthew Moran et al., "Coercing Syria on Chemical Weapons" (Oxford UP, 2025)
In 2012, US President Barack Obama stated that the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons on its population would cross a red line that would require the US government to reconsider its approach to the civil war then underway in Syria. Syria subsequently used such weapons, c ... Show More
37m 41s
Nov 2023
Nowhere to go, and Nowhere is Safe: The massacres of Gaza and the war between Hamas and Israel
<p>The Israeli bombardment of the people of Gaza has unleashed horrors. </p><p>Thousands have been killed, including thousands of children. There’s no end in sight, and Israel does not look like it will step away from its path. </p><p>The past 27 days in Gaza have been ... Show More
41m 37s
Jan 2024
Israel-Hamas War: 100 Days Later
Jan. 15 marks 100 days since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people. Israel then retaliated by launching a ground invasion of Gaza. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, and numerous others face a dire humanitarian crisis.
After ... Show More
1h 6m
Nov 2023
Understanding the U.S. Role in the Israel-Hamas War
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are again at war. The most recent iteration of the conflict, which erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has stoked public debate throughout the world. In the United States, heated debates about the issue have play ... Show More
29m 50s
Oct 2023
Hamas, Israel and the PA at War — with Jeroen Gunning, Dana El Kurd and Uriel Abulof
<p>After a surprise attack by Hamas killed nearly 1,000 Israeli civilians, the Middle East stands on the brink of being engulfed by war. Israel’s retaliation has been no less devastating as the IDF laid siege to Gaza, killing more than 1,000 Palestinian civilians so far in a bomb ... Show More
57m 17s
Dec 2023
Two Months Later : Israel's war in Gaza and Netanyahu's political prospects
<p>The Hamas attack of 7 October shook Israel to its core. </p><p>It was a horrifying day that left at least 1,200 people dead, saw hundreds taken hostage, and a country deeply traumatised. </p><p>Israel responded with a deadly barrage of airstrikes and bombardment. Thi ... Show More
23m 58s
Nov 2023
Trouble with the 51st State: US policy on Gaza and its relationship with Israel
<p>The death toll from the conflict in Gaza passed 14,000 this week. </p><p>With a ceasefire starting on Friday evening, international diplomacy is happening, but so is the conflict. </p><p>The recent four-day ceasefire and prisoner swap was negotiated by Qatar and Isra ... Show More
33m 23s