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Journalist/Author Max Blumenthal Details Racism and Theocracy in Israel; Prof. David Lloyd on Vote by Academics to Boycott Israel

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Max Blumenthal’s courageous, bluntly honest look at Israel and its treatment of Arabs and Palestinians; Prof. David  Lloyd of UC Riverside on ASA boycott vote…Click here for free audiobook download, and generate $15 to PBC Podcast from Audible!

Max Blumenthal joins us for an in-depth discussion of his powerful new book, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel.  He embedded in several communities in Israel, and his narrative includes the brutal 2008-9 assault on Gaza called Operation Cast Lead, and how it affected the Israeli elections that followed almost immediately; and the deadly attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and Mavi Marmara and the way Israel showed its mastery of media manipulation by portraying their attacking soldiers as victims.  In one episode after another, Blumenthal depicts systemic racism in Israeli laws, policies, and public attitudes as he profiles the (mostly) radical leaders in the Knesset and the Netanyahu coalition government.  He shows how young Israelis are indoctrinated to hate and fear non-Jewish neighbors inside Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza.

Blumenthal interviews and profiles a parade of elected officials including radical Avigdor Lieberman, “moderate” Tzippi Livni and their colleagues who have passed increasingly fascist legislation in recent years that institutionalize the superiority of Jews and define the term “apartheid”.  Our conversation covers many aspects of Israeli life and the repression of peace activists, many of whom became disaffected during mandatory military service.  We also talk about the role of American groups in supporting harsh treatment of dissidents and get Blumenthal’s take on the difference between AIPAC and J Street, the leading Zionist lobby groups in Washington.

Max Blumenthal’s blog is here.

At 1:11 , we talk with Prof. David Lloyd of UC Riverside about the recent vote by the 5,000 academics in the American Studies Association that approved a resolution to boycott Israeli colleges and universities.  We note how international criticism has halted the expulsion of thousands of Bedouins from the Negev Desert, and that Israel is reacting with typical, extreme attacks on the academics for supporting the boycott.  You can get more information on the BDS movement here.