On 15 April 2024, I was interviewed by Paul Salvatori of TRT World, which is part of the Turkish public broadcast service. The discussion focused on my Realist theory of international politics, the war in Gaza, and the influence of the Israel lobby on US foreign policy.
More and more people are learning about the truth. Israel is getting more isolated by the day. After what happened on October 7, Israel should be enjoying sympathy all over the world. Instead, the opposite is happening. All these talks and discussions about what Israel is doing is a public relations nightmare for Israel. The pro-Israel lobby has probably spent billions of dollars trying to counter these bad publicity but they’re still losing. It’s a disaster.
Unfortunately, Netanyahu didn't rip off the Band-Aid. The IDF should have finished the job in two months at most, doing their best to avoid civilian casualties and taking the heat of bad publicity. But then, when Hamas was defeated, the world would be saying a big thank you. Handling this slowly to avoid civilian casualties keeps it in the news day after day. I blame Biden for putting this pressure on Israel.
She’s lucky she doesn’t live in one of the communities attacked on October 7. She would’ve been brutally murdered, or if she was younger, raped and murdered.
Can someone explain to me how the Israeli lobby donates to political campaigns as Professor Mersheimer says? I presume, he is referring to American citizens as campaign contributions from non-US citizens would be illegal. I am baffled as to why this would be inappropriate.
The lobby includes many wealthy American donors who are pro-Israel. They contribute to political campaigns directly and to political action committes like AIPAC. The activity of the lobby is legal and not "a secret conspiracy" . But Mearsheimer argues ( correctly in my opinion) that the policies pushed by the lobby actually harm the USA.
That is what I thought and I do not mind someone having that opinion. There are lots of organizations/individuals advocating for things I disagree with. Some are absolutely "nutty" but I would be far more careful attaching labels such as "Israeli lobby" particularly in places such as Turkey where such a label is far more likely to be interpreted as some sort of Jewish conspiracy. Better to say "rich Jews that I disagree with."
It's too late for me to be writing something like this but I think about the BLM movement, a loose organization that was not particularly well funded but led to adoption of policies in some places that led to negative outcomes and are now being reversed in most places that adopted them as they do not work. I would not trade their adoption and subsequent reversal for anything as it builds "buy in" to the system by groups that are likely to be marginalized otherwise.
Mearsheimer repeats the same bs about his theory while completely ignoring the facts.
When one looks closely - yes, it is Israel vs. Palestinians, but if you step back - it is Israel against entire Arab, no scrap it, Muslim world.
The basic rule in Islam is that, if something is Muslim, it cannot stop being Muslim. For example, apostacy in Islam is punished by death. And, if a land is governed by Muslims, it cannot switch to being governed by non-Muslims.
Thus, from this point of view, Israel is an existential threat to fundamental Islam, especially because it is governed by Jews - people who, as Muslims believe, were cursed by Allah, AND they had defeated Arab armies - while the holly Quran is written in Arabic.
Thus, the entire reasoning by this professor is completely false. All that Palestinians, as well as, all other Muslims want is the destruction of Israel.
Remember the Bible story of King Solomon, two women and a baby?
In 2005 Sharon did such Solomonic move - he gave Gaza to Palestinians. But instead of trying to build their state and institutions there - they started to attack Israel. Which proves - Palestinians don't want their own state, they simply don't want Jews to have one.
It’s the same repeated BS that all muslims wants the destruction of all non-muslims blah blah blah. In case you are living in a cave you need to get out and see that Saudi Arabia and all those related arab states love America and vice-versa. Look it up. There are dozens of photos of George W Bush when he was president holding hands with the Saudi prince. There are videos of Trump dancing with the Saudi royals. I’m sorry to break this to you. You should get out more of that cave. LOL.
It is a common , and effective , tactic for zionists to conflate what is essentially a nationalist struggle over land with a "clash of civilization" or religious war struggle .
Rare voice of reason in a sea of American darkness
Thank you for your wisdom
You said "Israel should have given * Palestine their own state years ago" but, l would insert one word.
* back.
That's right!
Broken record. You’ve been playing the same anti-Israel, antisemitic tune for decades. It must pay well.
Calling everything and anybody who criticizes Israel Anti-Semitic, cheapens the words.
A broken record that works. LOL.
More and more people are learning about the truth. Israel is getting more isolated by the day. After what happened on October 7, Israel should be enjoying sympathy all over the world. Instead, the opposite is happening. All these talks and discussions about what Israel is doing is a public relations nightmare for Israel. The pro-Israel lobby has probably spent billions of dollars trying to counter these bad publicity but they’re still losing. It’s a disaster.
Unfortunately, Netanyahu didn't rip off the Band-Aid. The IDF should have finished the job in two months at most, doing their best to avoid civilian casualties and taking the heat of bad publicity. But then, when Hamas was defeated, the world would be saying a big thank you. Handling this slowly to avoid civilian casualties keeps it in the news day after day. I blame Biden for putting this pressure on Israel.
Anyone who has followed his intellectual career and read his works knows well that Professor Mearsheimer is not at all anti-Semitic.
That's right. Did you hear this from the Europeans? May 15.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=ifQck2fzdcVYXvdz&fbclid=IwY2xjawC7F7dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHR_zdUXkUzsGOerHWF_COVh0YhINzX7sTx6Rjq7d8e5RZhxXZ8IxQS8dLw_aem_AWYj2vwHuPI8juwgtXp_oY6prImvaLbhNEPTZuygHCUmzOVNo1iZyvEiPGR3idibjyKvkzMXeel0oDwrRZe3VJtt&v=9pxM-iHVRo4&feature=youtu.be
She’s lucky she doesn’t live in one of the communities attacked on October 7. She would’ve been brutally murdered, or if she was younger, raped and murdered.
I hear this a lot. Look at what they did to us — You are next. Such fearmongering BS, nobody believes this anymore.
An excellent interview, certainly very well filmed. It is always an enriching pleasure to listen to Professor Mearsheimer.
Can someone explain to me how the Israeli lobby donates to political campaigns as Professor Mersheimer says? I presume, he is referring to American citizens as campaign contributions from non-US citizens would be illegal. I am baffled as to why this would be inappropriate.
The lobby includes many wealthy American donors who are pro-Israel. They contribute to political campaigns directly and to political action committes like AIPAC. The activity of the lobby is legal and not "a secret conspiracy" . But Mearsheimer argues ( correctly in my opinion) that the policies pushed by the lobby actually harm the USA.
That is what I thought and I do not mind someone having that opinion. There are lots of organizations/individuals advocating for things I disagree with. Some are absolutely "nutty" but I would be far more careful attaching labels such as "Israeli lobby" particularly in places such as Turkey where such a label is far more likely to be interpreted as some sort of Jewish conspiracy. Better to say "rich Jews that I disagree with."
It's too late for me to be writing something like this but I think about the BLM movement, a loose organization that was not particularly well funded but led to adoption of policies in some places that led to negative outcomes and are now being reversed in most places that adopted them as they do not work. I would not trade their adoption and subsequent reversal for anything as it builds "buy in" to the system by groups that are likely to be marginalized otherwise.
Mearsheimer repeats the same bs about his theory while completely ignoring the facts.
When one looks closely - yes, it is Israel vs. Palestinians, but if you step back - it is Israel against entire Arab, no scrap it, Muslim world.
The basic rule in Islam is that, if something is Muslim, it cannot stop being Muslim. For example, apostacy in Islam is punished by death. And, if a land is governed by Muslims, it cannot switch to being governed by non-Muslims.
Thus, from this point of view, Israel is an existential threat to fundamental Islam, especially because it is governed by Jews - people who, as Muslims believe, were cursed by Allah, AND they had defeated Arab armies - while the holly Quran is written in Arabic.
Thus, the entire reasoning by this professor is completely false. All that Palestinians, as well as, all other Muslims want is the destruction of Israel.
Remember the Bible story of King Solomon, two women and a baby?
In 2005 Sharon did such Solomonic move - he gave Gaza to Palestinians. But instead of trying to build their state and institutions there - they started to attack Israel. Which proves - Palestinians don't want their own state, they simply don't want Jews to have one.
Period.
It’s the same repeated BS that all muslims wants the destruction of all non-muslims blah blah blah. In case you are living in a cave you need to get out and see that Saudi Arabia and all those related arab states love America and vice-versa. Look it up. There are dozens of photos of George W Bush when he was president holding hands with the Saudi prince. There are videos of Trump dancing with the Saudi royals. I’m sorry to break this to you. You should get out more of that cave. LOL.
First of all, I did not write that "all muslims wants the destruction of all non-muslims".
As for our presidents holding hands and dancing with royals - this is diplomacy. We were not at war with THESE countries.
It is a common , and effective , tactic for zionists to conflate what is essentially a nationalist struggle over land with a "clash of civilization" or religious war struggle .
There is a nationalist element in there as well. But:
1. Hamas is offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood - an Islamist fundamentalist organization - and it enjoys a wide support by "Arab street"/
2. All Muslim countries had steadfastly refused to recognize Israel or, at least, are not sincere in doing it now.
So, nationalist reasoning is there, but it is minimal.
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