This week's episode is extra special to us. In this episode, we dive into the history of Israel and the conflict in the Middle East, attempting to provide nuance to an extremely polarizing subject. We answer questions like: are Israelis colonizers? Is Israel an apartheid state? Why do we even need a Jewish state? Who is the real threat in the Middle East?

Based on the fantastic book by Noa Tishby, we learn how Jews first populated the land of Israel over 2500 years ago, and established an ancestral homeland there across hundreds of years. We discuss the beginning of the Zionist movement - an effort to re-establish a safe state for Jews - which was ultimately accepted by the world after the horrifying events of the Holocaust. We then walk through the many wars and potential peace deals between Israelis and Palestinians, where a final deal for peace was abandoned by the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2000. Shortly afterwards, we see the rise of Islamic Jihadist movement and the terrorist group Hamas, who have expressed no interest in peace and would rather eradicate their neighbors. We conclude by discussing some of the progress Israel has made recently by establishing peace with a few of their other Arab neighbors. We hope for peace in the region and look forward to sharing part 2, on Son of Hamas.

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Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth - Noa Tishby

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Recommendation of the Week: Trader Joe's Peanut Satay Noodles

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The Web of Ideas: Israel - A Simple Guide (my notes on the book)

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Show Notes:

4:15 - Are Israelis colonizers? What are Jews claims over the land of Israel?

15:33 - Why do we even need a Jewish state?

25:53 - Is Israel an apartheid state?

29:01 - How do the surrounding Arab states help the Palestinians?

34:22 - A couple more wars and hope for peace

42:59 - Who is the biggest threat in the Middle East?

47:18 - A villian more terrifying than your worst nightmare - Hamas

50:32 - Western democracy is alive & well in the Middle East

56:58 - How can we reach permanent peace?