I think more investigation needs to go into Israel's enabling of and participation in October 7th.
These facts I wrote about are especially concerning;
"According to Haaretz, Hamas did not know about the Nova Music Festival before the attack because it was prolonged an extra day at the last minute.
According to the NYT, Israeli Intelligence had detailed Hamas battle plans a year before the October 7th attack yet did not plan to stop it.
According to Business Insider. weeks before the Hamas attack of October 7th, Israel had the detailed Hamas battle plan sent to top military leadership to prepare for the attack.
Egyptian intelligence warned Israel of an imminent attack coming from within Gaza days before the attack.
US intelligence also knew a Hamas attack was imminent by October 5th and warned Israel.
The Israeli Shin-bet even had knowledge of abnormal Hamas activity the day before the attack and warned Israeli leadership of an imminent attack.
With detailed Hamas battle plans as well as knowledge of an imminent attack, the Israeli military moved over 100 troops away from the Southern border leaving their own citizens defenseless
Israeli leaders chose to extend the Nova Music Festival and not to put the border on high alert even after they knew that an attack was coming and they removed troops from the area.
Then when the Hamas attack began the Israeli military took hours to respond at all.
When the IDF did finally respond, they targeted their own citizens and soldiers with the Hannibal Directive.
Israeli tanks were ordered to shoot at homes knowing hostages were inside then over 2 dozen Israeli helicopters indiscriminately emptied their entire weapons payload, killing Hamas militants and Israeli civilians alike.
And October 7th came out of a brutal apartheid occupation enacted by Netanyahu’s
So the question is, why did the Netanyahu government facilitate the October 7th attacks?"
After nearly century, the truth is finally trickling out . The narrative that have been fed to Americans and Europeans has been exposed to be nothing but fiction and lies and generations of Palestinians have paid ultimate price for that.
I have to say, because we’ve had this discussion over dinner before: You’re use of the Lemkin definition of genocide is exactly why I can’t go along with it, even though I’ll readily accept that Gaza rises to the level of Serbrenica that was legally classified as genocide. Lemkin was a Zionist ideologue and that was precisely why he defined genocide as the attempt to eradicate a “national identity,” and the problem should not be viewed as the effort to stamp out the blood and soil tropes of the Palestinian cause - to the contrary that’s a horrible insult to the moral urgency of Palestinian freedom!! I won’t dare challenge the R. Wendell Holmes Professor of Political Science on the nature of states with regard to the Israeli trope of their “right to exist,” but God help us if we have to resort to the trope that a “national identity” has a right to exist!! Indeed, that conceit by the State of Israel is the whole root of the problem.
Genocide as defined has nothing to do with the nation states rights to exist, as Francesca Albanese pointed out when she was asked if Israel had a right to exist. States exist or don’t. What has a right to exist is a People.
“The peoples of the world foresee a time when their land with its rivers and mountains still lies under heaven as it does today, but other people dwell there; when their language is entombed in books, and their laws and customs have lost their living power.” - Franz Rosenzweig
I get what the legal definition is and my critique of it isn’t my point. My point is that to say that a “people” has a “right to exist” is starkly at odds with elementary human history and sociological reality.
John, I enjoy your work. I appreciate that Israel has a strong lobby and that not all interests of Israel are ours. That said, in your conversation with Tucker you blame Israel for the “genocide” on the Palestinians. You fail to mention that the Palestinians willing elected Hamas, supported Hamas during and after the Massacre and allowed Hamas to build tunnels in hospitals, schools and other strategic locations with the sole purpose to kill and eliminate the Jews and Israel. Did you even mention that Hamas is still holding hostages? No. The way you spoke, one got the impression that the Jews had it coming. Even more incredibly, you never once mentioned the role of fundamentalism in the Islamic world and Islamism. I suggest you read the Koran, Hadiths and the Hamas foundational covenant.
Both you and Tucker spoke of your writing partner as some esteemed professor because he is tenured at Harvard. Are you kidding me? The place is a hate factory of antisemitism as many college campuses have become.
You mentioned that the US “always “ follows Israeli foreign policy. BS. Do you remember the stupid Iranian deal we did under Obama that funded terrorism for the last 10 years? I don’t think Israel was at all keen on that deal.
This issue is more than one sided. Try massacring a bunch of Americans as the death cult that is Hamas with Palestinian support. See how many people we kill. The grade I give you. Incomplete.
After a genocide, no one is able to cry for Israel anymore. You have taken your lb of flesh 5,000 times over. Everyone knows that now, so don’t expect to gain sympathy for your point of view.
Thanks Lorene. And what is your view of October 7? Did the Jews have it coming? The Hamas Foundational Covenant? Any thoughts? Paying Palestinian Families that kill Jews? And just what is the goal again of Hamas. who you clearly support the Palestinians who support them? What is the proper response to an organized massacre of peaceful civilians? Lorene? John? Tucker?
Is Israel committing Genocide by defending itself? What gives. This story is not as simple as the Professor assures in his calm reassuring way
I’ll tell you, David. Palestinians have been illegally occupied since 1948. They have tried violence and they have tried peaceful marches. They have tried negotiations. Israel has blocked all peace processes with outrageous demands. Meanwhile, Gazans have been put on a limited diet of food and water (this was well before Oct. 7). Electricity had been limited to a few hours/day for years. The West Bank, Gaza and Israel proper were cut off from each other, making it nearly impossible for Palestinians to travel for work or family visits. Most Palestinians are unemployed. Hostile settlers continue to steal land and make a practice of surprise attacks on Palestinian villages, burning cars and olive groves, bulldozing homes and killing people. Oct 7 was no surprise for me. And you should know that an occupied people have the legal right to use violence against their oppressors. Israel’s ghastly acts of retribution have peeled away the veil of their “right to defend themselves.” They have no right to “defend” their sick, sadistic society. You see, it’s not a good idea to plunk yourself down on someone’s land and then treat them as subhumans. There might have been another way but Israel never tried that. The Zionists are destroying their own racist dream.
On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan, which recommended partitioning Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international administration. The vote was 33 in favor, 13 against, and 10 abstentions. The Jewish leadership accepted the plan, while Arab leaders rejected it.
Israel’s declaration of independence followed the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, and the UN’s resolution provided a framework for statehood, though it was not legally binding. The UN admitted Israel as a member state on May 11, 1949, via Resolution 273, with 37 votes in favor, 12 against, and 9 abstentions, effectively recognizing its sovereignty.
After suffering 6 million killed in Europe. It was legal.
The occupation is illegal because occupation is considered to be a temporary situation in the aftermath of war. 77 years would be considered anything but temporary. Resolution 181 was a non-starter. It gave less land to the Palestinians, who had a much larger population. Here is what the Geneva convention on occupation says. Israel has broken basically all of its responsibilities as the occupying power.
Key aspects of occupation and its legality under the Geneva Conventions:
Occupation as a temporary situation:
The Geneva Conventions treat occupation as a temporary situation arising during armed conflict, not a permanent transfer of sovereignty.
The occupying power has specific duties, including maintaining public order and safety, respecting domestic laws, administering the territory for the benefit of the local population, and ensuring the security of its own armed forces.
Prohibited acts:
The Geneva Conventions prohibit certain actions by the occupying power, such as:
Deportation or transfer of civilians: Transferring parts of the occupying power's own civilian population into the occupied territory is prohibited.
Destruction of property: Destroying private or public property, unless absolutely necessary for military operations, is prohibited.
Collective punishment and intimidation: These actions are also prohibited.
Legality of prolonged occupation:
While the Geneva Conventions don't explicitly define a time limit for occupation, prolonged occupation can raise questions about its legality, particularly if the occupying power fails to fulfill its obligations or demonstrates an intention to annex the territory.
International legal opinions:
Many international legal experts and United Nations resolutions consider prolonged occupation and the establishment of settlements in occupied territories to be illegal under international law.
Right to resist:
In situations of illegal occupation, the occupied population has a recognized right to resist, including armed resistance, under international law.
In essence, while occupation itself is not inherently illegal under the Geneva Conventions, violations of the rules governing occupation can render it illegal and trigger legal and political consequences.
Barbara. Palestine was never a country. After the Ottoman empire collapsed and the British Mandate, as proscribed by the League of Nations, administered what is now Israel and Gaza. Israel, where Jews had lived for thousands of years, was established as a home and refuge of the Jewish people. It was approved by the new United Nations in 1948. Egypt, after the British Mandate, oversaw what is now Gaza and the Palestinians people. Israel was approved and meant to be permanent. 77 years of legal for Israel. So sorry you believe that to be a non starter. You must feel the same about every other “nation” in the Middle East, they are all 20th century creations. Given your “illegal occupation “ theory, every country in the Middle East is an occupied population and illegal. Or maybe you only target Israel and the Jews? What is it?
Thank you for expressing those facts succinctly and in no uncertain terms. One thing that was not mentioned is that Netanyahu financially supported Hamas in Gaza. He was criticized heavily by his own people but he did it anyway. The second thing is that we cannot know how many hostages were killed by the Israel’s Hannibal Directive because Israel won’t allow any investigations into the matter. And lastly, ethnic cleansing by any means necessary was always part of Israel’s original Zionist agenda to create an exclusively ethnically European Zionist Jewish nationalist state.
I want to see what would you do if your movement is restricted by every means available including counting how many calories you need and allowing only that much food for you to consume. Actually never mind, I am sure you'll just accept it as a fate accompli and live your life until you die.
Dude your hypocrisy is transparent from a mile away. You are not asking people about Oct 7 in order to condemn it, you are only asking the question in order to excuse an ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing.
You are demanding people to say that Oct 7 was a war crime in order for you to be able to magically claim that anything Israel does after Oct 7 is NOT a war crime. It's really pathetic
Kostas. Who initiated the massacre? Who hid the hostages in tunnels in Gaza. Who cheered them on. Hint. I’m for those who were attacked. You support them. You are “River to the Sea” Hamas supporter? Kostas, what would you do if your people and family were innocently massacred at a music festival? Or taken hostage?
Again. Even if everyone in the world told you that Oct 7 was a war crime this would never translate in you finding that Israel is committing genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
As others have said "for Israel nothing can justify the crimes of Oct 7 and every crime can be justified by Oct 7". And that is why you are just a hypocrite.
You are not asking legitimate questions. The world now sees through what has been going on for decades. Israel will bring about its own demise by its actions. Full stop. There is nothing you can say or do to change what the world is seeing.
No I do not think you’ll like what’s coming. You are too myopic and self absorbed to deal with anything but yourself. Donest mean you’ll be able to ignore it though 😁
Humanity might benefit from moving beyond belief systems rooted in superstition toward approaches grounded in human dignity and reason. When we examine conflicts around the world, we often see cycles where the oppressed become oppressors-a pattern that suggests we haven't learned from our own suffering.
The principle seems straightforward: kindness tends to generate kindness, while cruelty breeds more cruelty. If we genuinely want a more peaceful world, we should prioritize treating others well and working to increase human happiness wherever possible. The basic ingredients of human flourishing aren't mysterious-we understand what people need to thrive.
Yet human psychology complicates this simple formula.
Most people struggle to admit when they're wrong, and they resist being corrected. Those who sense their position is flawed often become most defensive when challenged, responding with emotion rather than reflection.
Perhaps most critically, we repeatedly allow individuals with destructive tendencies to gain positions of power.
Those who lack empathy or who manipulate others for personal gain shouldn't be entrusted with decisions that affect millions.
These observations point to fundamental truths about human behavior that aren't particularly complex. What remains puzzling is why our species continues to make choices that create unnecessary suffering when better paths seem so clear.
Beautifully said, Kevin. When humans experience fear on a major scale they tend to amass together to destroy the focus of that fear rather than mustering the courage and will to understand through conversation and empathy.
To some it is not sadly so clear. For instance; The Hamas Foundational Covenant.
- The complete destruction of Israel as an essential condition for the liberation of Palestine and the establishment of a theocratic state based on Islamic law (Sharia),
- The need for both unrestrained and unceasing holy war (jihad)
Islamism.
Note: John Mearsheimer, Maybe you might help explain. You seem to ignore this element entirely. Pardon me is I have missed something. I believe it is what Israel is actually up against and at war with. It helps explain why this continual war is so viscous and uncompromising. We witnessed this on October 7. One side’s goal is to eradicate the other to the last. It is their fundamental oath or duty according to their beliefs. Seen in this light, this battle is to the last, at least for one side. This battle literally started in 627 with the slaughter of the Banu Qurayza Jewish Tribe in Medina, after the Battle of Trench, by none other than the Prophet Mohammed.
In my opinion this is exactly why we as a species should do away with religions based on superstition and replace them with my “course”.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with tribalism (and nationalism which is a form of tribalism) but these things should be used as ways to motivate people to think and act in positive ways rather than negative ways. If our top political leaders were to make this a priority and of those of us who are fortunate enough to live in democracies demanded this kind of mindset and orientation of our top political leaders we would be moving in the right direction.
This type of reorientation of our mindsets would go a long way towards ameliorating the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in Israel between the Jewish people and the Palestinians people.
I don’t want to put words in John Mearsheimer’s mouth or speak for him but my guess would be that since the Israeli‘s are the ones that hold the lion’s share of the power in the situation and since they are in the driver seat, he would most likely argue that it is incumbent upon Israel to try to change the mindset in this continuously downwardly spiraling situation.
Without getting into too much detail, it’s my opinion that if Joe Biden had truly been a visionary leader with a vision, he could’ve nipped this situation in the bud after October 7 and not let it spin out of control into the utter disaster that it’s become.
Put another way…
This is precisely why we should move beyond superstition-based religions and embrace a more rational approach to organizing society. There’s nothing inherently wrong with tribalism or nationalism—these are natural human tendencies that can be channeled constructively. The key is directing these impulses toward positive action rather than destructive conflict.
If political leaders made this philosophical shift a priority, and if those of us living in democracies demanded such vision from our representatives, we could make meaningful progress. This kind of fundamental reorientation in how we approach human organization and conflict would significantly help address situations like the ongoing crisis between Israelis and Palestinians.
While I don’t want to speak for John Mearsheimer, I suspect he would argue that since Israel holds the predominant power in this dynamic and essentially controls the situation, the primary responsibility for changing the destructive trajectory falls to them. Power brings responsibility for initiating change.
Without delving into excessive detail, I believe that if Joe Biden had possessed true visionary leadership after October 7th, he could have prevented the situation from spiraling into the disaster we see today. A leader with genuine vision and courage could have intervened decisively when it mattered most.
The fundamental challenge remains: how do we channel our tribal instincts toward building rather than destroying, toward cooperation rather than domination?
I think the best way to answer your very good question is by way of Howard Zinn’s presentation at MIT in 2005. I would suggest that whenever Howard uses the words or term “The US” or “The United States” you replace it with “Israel”.
Netanyaahoo the hateful Zionist funded and promoted Hamas he wanted confrontation and war to avoid a peace that gave the Palestinians a sovereign nation. He wanted an extremist group to demonize and make negotiations impossible Zionists want to expand Israel and treat their neighbors like the US Cavalry treated the Indians in the Old West; wipe em out take the land.
Very good, John. Here's my take from a few months ago:
"During the “unipolar moment,” the Western foreign policy establishment got populated with idealistic and incompetent wordcels who believed that history has ended. There is a saying that “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The unipolar moment—the era after the collapse of the Soviet Union when the U.S. faced no near-term rival—was one of those “good times”. The absence of discipline imposed by the pressure of competition increased the institutional entropy in Western countries by accumulating incompetent and corrupt individuals.
Whether it’s politicians, senior fellows in think tanks, scholars in International Relations, or the journalists incapable (or unwilling) of following their track record and holding them accountable, they are all part of what Marc Andreessen called the “systemic collapse of competence,” exacerbated by the unmeritocratic hiring practices like DEI.
These people were the illusion providers, patting Zelensky on the back and spouting phrases like "We stand with Ukraine.” After all, in a world where history has ended, countries are free to do what they please because they have “rights,” free from consequences and unconstrained by any real power relations."
Professor Mearsheimer, your clarity about power politics is bracing — but beneath the logic of “contain, or be contained,” isn’t there a deeper question?
The hunger to dominate — American, Chinese, or anyone’s — is what traps us in recurring tragedies. In his 2015 Harvard lecture on the Cosmopolitan Ethic, the Aga Khan IV urged that real security comes not from outpacing rivals but from recognizing our interdependence and learning from difference.
Realism describes the world as it is; pluralism imagines what it could be. Must U.S.–China competition mean permanent containment? Could it not be a race to uplift rather than outmaneuver — a step toward the planetary courage once‑rival U.S. states themselves achieved?
If the Israelis are allowed to succeed in Gaza and the West Bank it will create the precedent that will put countless minorities around the world in mortal danger.
John J. Mearsheimer - Thank you! For all you have done and will do. How have you avoided the ops with all of your truth telling...? As Richard Matsui Aoki said, layers upon layers in sort of describing the state behind the state. Some like Bernie are clearly just sheep dog steam valves that provide alternatives to (We cant say here) and are clearly counter productive for the majority. Yet you say out loud, in public, what many would suffer consequences for saying. How is this possible? Is that so many know who you are? Is it that you are protected somehow? Or may I ask, without any evidence, are you part of the game? I know the game is tightly controlled. Those who could present an issue are dealt with. Only those with "Amy Goodman" level of public support can avoid prosecution, and even Amy has taken a path change in recent years, almost telegraphing a power someone has over DN!, I'm just citizen. Explain how the new online media like yourself says things in public that would get a normal person imprisoned?
Actually John is selective in his history and his analysis. He does little discussing the Palestinian and Arab reaction over the last 70+ years. Islamism is not mentioned. Has not John, like his writing partner from Harvard, taken on the indoctrinated Colonial view, that became mandatory to acceptance in Elite higher education across America? John is a bright fellow, but this is the only issue that he discusses as an expert that he has an issue with omission. Why John? We know you are smarter than this. Why?
The thing I find stupid about Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and their ilk is that sure, Israel is not without blame. They do wrong. We have read the Old Testament. Is Christianity without blame? What is up, with all those denominations? Is Russia, China, Iran, or America without blame? Do they do wrong? Are YOU without blame? Have you looked in the mirror lately? Everyone sins. Are you going to throw the first stone, especially when Israel IS surrounded, hated, and besieged? Too many Christians are conveniently forgetting that God made an Eternal Covenant with Israel. God has grafted Christians INTO the Jewish root stock, through Jesus Christ. Christians are NOT separate, from the root. They are NOT a new root. Jesus IS still Jewish. Jesus IS the son of David AND the Son of God. Jesus was born Jewish, lived Jewish, died Jewish, rose to life again Jewish, ascended into Heaven Jewish, and Jesus is coming back Jewish. Christians ARE Jewish, through Jesus Christ!!!!!!!
You are either Jewish, with Him, or you are totally separate from Him.
Jew means Judah, which is the Israelite tribe of Judah. Jesus was born to the tribe of Judah. Jesus IS the Lion of Judah. LOOK IT UP!!!
If Palestinians have lived for thousands of years in "Palestine why haven't the Jews lived there for thousands of years? And how can they claim it now?
If only we had been listening to John Mearsheimer and taking his advice over the past few decades.
Throughout the (somewhat) recorded history, declining empires *always* refused to adjust to reality which ironically they created themselves.
.
Reality is that as empires overgrow, the cancer spreads and metastases.
Both a fascinating and disturbing chat. With regards to the possibility of Gazans being forced to relocate, this piece might be of interest:
https://brusselssignal.eu/2025/07/will-gazans-be-relocated-to-europe/
Fantastic conversation. Excited for Tucker's audience to be exposed to John's analysis.
I think more investigation needs to go into Israel's enabling of and participation in October 7th.
These facts I wrote about are especially concerning;
"According to Haaretz, Hamas did not know about the Nova Music Festival before the attack because it was prolonged an extra day at the last minute.
According to the NYT, Israeli Intelligence had detailed Hamas battle plans a year before the October 7th attack yet did not plan to stop it.
According to Business Insider. weeks before the Hamas attack of October 7th, Israel had the detailed Hamas battle plan sent to top military leadership to prepare for the attack.
Egyptian intelligence warned Israel of an imminent attack coming from within Gaza days before the attack.
US intelligence also knew a Hamas attack was imminent by October 5th and warned Israel.
The Israeli Shin-bet even had knowledge of abnormal Hamas activity the day before the attack and warned Israeli leadership of an imminent attack.
With detailed Hamas battle plans as well as knowledge of an imminent attack, the Israeli military moved over 100 troops away from the Southern border leaving their own citizens defenseless
Israeli leaders chose to extend the Nova Music Festival and not to put the border on high alert even after they knew that an attack was coming and they removed troops from the area.
Then when the Hamas attack began the Israeli military took hours to respond at all.
When the IDF did finally respond, they targeted their own citizens and soldiers with the Hannibal Directive.
Israeli tanks were ordered to shoot at homes knowing hostages were inside then over 2 dozen Israeli helicopters indiscriminately emptied their entire weapons payload, killing Hamas militants and Israeli civilians alike.
And October 7th came out of a brutal apartheid occupation enacted by Netanyahu’s
So the question is, why did the Netanyahu government facilitate the October 7th attacks?"
Don't believe me? I link every source for every one of those claims in this post. Look it up; https://philosophicalrebellion.substack.com/p/never-again-is-happening-now-the
After nearly century, the truth is finally trickling out . The narrative that have been fed to Americans and Europeans has been exposed to be nothing but fiction and lies and generations of Palestinians have paid ultimate price for that.
I have to say, because we’ve had this discussion over dinner before: You’re use of the Lemkin definition of genocide is exactly why I can’t go along with it, even though I’ll readily accept that Gaza rises to the level of Serbrenica that was legally classified as genocide. Lemkin was a Zionist ideologue and that was precisely why he defined genocide as the attempt to eradicate a “national identity,” and the problem should not be viewed as the effort to stamp out the blood and soil tropes of the Palestinian cause - to the contrary that’s a horrible insult to the moral urgency of Palestinian freedom!! I won’t dare challenge the R. Wendell Holmes Professor of Political Science on the nature of states with regard to the Israeli trope of their “right to exist,” but God help us if we have to resort to the trope that a “national identity” has a right to exist!! Indeed, that conceit by the State of Israel is the whole root of the problem.
Genocide as defined has nothing to do with the nation states rights to exist, as Francesca Albanese pointed out when she was asked if Israel had a right to exist. States exist or don’t. What has a right to exist is a People.
“The peoples of the world foresee a time when their land with its rivers and mountains still lies under heaven as it does today, but other people dwell there; when their language is entombed in books, and their laws and customs have lost their living power.” - Franz Rosenzweig
That’s nice but nothing to do with what I said was the legal position on genocide.
I get what the legal definition is and my critique of it isn’t my point. My point is that to say that a “people” has a “right to exist” is starkly at odds with elementary human history and sociological reality.
John, I enjoy your work. I appreciate that Israel has a strong lobby and that not all interests of Israel are ours. That said, in your conversation with Tucker you blame Israel for the “genocide” on the Palestinians. You fail to mention that the Palestinians willing elected Hamas, supported Hamas during and after the Massacre and allowed Hamas to build tunnels in hospitals, schools and other strategic locations with the sole purpose to kill and eliminate the Jews and Israel. Did you even mention that Hamas is still holding hostages? No. The way you spoke, one got the impression that the Jews had it coming. Even more incredibly, you never once mentioned the role of fundamentalism in the Islamic world and Islamism. I suggest you read the Koran, Hadiths and the Hamas foundational covenant.
Both you and Tucker spoke of your writing partner as some esteemed professor because he is tenured at Harvard. Are you kidding me? The place is a hate factory of antisemitism as many college campuses have become.
You mentioned that the US “always “ follows Israeli foreign policy. BS. Do you remember the stupid Iranian deal we did under Obama that funded terrorism for the last 10 years? I don’t think Israel was at all keen on that deal.
This issue is more than one sided. Try massacring a bunch of Americans as the death cult that is Hamas with Palestinian support. See how many people we kill. The grade I give you. Incomplete.
After a genocide, no one is able to cry for Israel anymore. You have taken your lb of flesh 5,000 times over. Everyone knows that now, so don’t expect to gain sympathy for your point of view.
Thanks Lorene. And what is your view of October 7? Did the Jews have it coming? The Hamas Foundational Covenant? Any thoughts? Paying Palestinian Families that kill Jews? And just what is the goal again of Hamas. who you clearly support the Palestinians who support them? What is the proper response to an organized massacre of peaceful civilians? Lorene? John? Tucker?
Is Israel committing Genocide by defending itself? What gives. This story is not as simple as the Professor assures in his calm reassuring way
Legitimate question.
I’ll tell you, David. Palestinians have been illegally occupied since 1948. They have tried violence and they have tried peaceful marches. They have tried negotiations. Israel has blocked all peace processes with outrageous demands. Meanwhile, Gazans have been put on a limited diet of food and water (this was well before Oct. 7). Electricity had been limited to a few hours/day for years. The West Bank, Gaza and Israel proper were cut off from each other, making it nearly impossible for Palestinians to travel for work or family visits. Most Palestinians are unemployed. Hostile settlers continue to steal land and make a practice of surprise attacks on Palestinian villages, burning cars and olive groves, bulldozing homes and killing people. Oct 7 was no surprise for me. And you should know that an occupied people have the legal right to use violence against their oppressors. Israel’s ghastly acts of retribution have peeled away the veil of their “right to defend themselves.” They have no right to “defend” their sick, sadistic society. You see, it’s not a good idea to plunk yourself down on someone’s land and then treat them as subhumans. There might have been another way but Israel never tried that. The Zionists are destroying their own racist dream.
It was illegal. Really?
On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan, which recommended partitioning Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international administration. The vote was 33 in favor, 13 against, and 10 abstentions. The Jewish leadership accepted the plan, while Arab leaders rejected it.
Israel’s declaration of independence followed the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, and the UN’s resolution provided a framework for statehood, though it was not legally binding. The UN admitted Israel as a member state on May 11, 1949, via Resolution 273, with 37 votes in favor, 12 against, and 9 abstentions, effectively recognizing its sovereignty.
After suffering 6 million killed in Europe. It was legal.
Israel’s narrative has become irrelevant. Deal with it.
The Palestinians had nothing to do with the death of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. Check with Germany.
The occupation is illegal because occupation is considered to be a temporary situation in the aftermath of war. 77 years would be considered anything but temporary. Resolution 181 was a non-starter. It gave less land to the Palestinians, who had a much larger population. Here is what the Geneva convention on occupation says. Israel has broken basically all of its responsibilities as the occupying power.
Key aspects of occupation and its legality under the Geneva Conventions:
Occupation as a temporary situation:
The Geneva Conventions treat occupation as a temporary situation arising during armed conflict, not a permanent transfer of sovereignty.
The occupying power has specific duties, including maintaining public order and safety, respecting domestic laws, administering the territory for the benefit of the local population, and ensuring the security of its own armed forces.
Prohibited acts:
The Geneva Conventions prohibit certain actions by the occupying power, such as:
Deportation or transfer of civilians: Transferring parts of the occupying power's own civilian population into the occupied territory is prohibited.
Destruction of property: Destroying private or public property, unless absolutely necessary for military operations, is prohibited.
Collective punishment and intimidation: These actions are also prohibited.
Legality of prolonged occupation:
While the Geneva Conventions don't explicitly define a time limit for occupation, prolonged occupation can raise questions about its legality, particularly if the occupying power fails to fulfill its obligations or demonstrates an intention to annex the territory.
International legal opinions:
Many international legal experts and United Nations resolutions consider prolonged occupation and the establishment of settlements in occupied territories to be illegal under international law.
Right to resist:
In situations of illegal occupation, the occupied population has a recognized right to resist, including armed resistance, under international law.
In essence, while occupation itself is not inherently illegal under the Geneva Conventions, violations of the rules governing occupation can render it illegal and trigger legal and political consequences.
Barbara. Palestine was never a country. After the Ottoman empire collapsed and the British Mandate, as proscribed by the League of Nations, administered what is now Israel and Gaza. Israel, where Jews had lived for thousands of years, was established as a home and refuge of the Jewish people. It was approved by the new United Nations in 1948. Egypt, after the British Mandate, oversaw what is now Gaza and the Palestinians people. Israel was approved and meant to be permanent. 77 years of legal for Israel. So sorry you believe that to be a non starter. You must feel the same about every other “nation” in the Middle East, they are all 20th century creations. Given your “illegal occupation “ theory, every country in the Middle East is an occupied population and illegal. Or maybe you only target Israel and the Jews? What is it?
Kind reminders that:
- The partition plan was not binding
- The partition plan contained SPECIFIC borders, which are different than today's Israel. You cannot use whatever parts of the plan you like.
- Israel committed the Nakba during its creation.
- It actually took the OBLIGATION of facilitating the return of the refugees in order to be admitted in the UN: http://opiniojuris.org/2024/03/11/a-forgotten-detail-the-right-of-return-was-a-condition-of-the-establishment-of-the-state-of-israel/
Stop. You sound like an inculcated Ivy League student.
Thank you for expressing those facts succinctly and in no uncertain terms. One thing that was not mentioned is that Netanyahu financially supported Hamas in Gaza. He was criticized heavily by his own people but he did it anyway. The second thing is that we cannot know how many hostages were killed by the Israel’s Hannibal Directive because Israel won’t allow any investigations into the matter. And lastly, ethnic cleansing by any means necessary was always part of Israel’s original Zionist agenda to create an exclusively ethnically European Zionist Jewish nationalist state.
"Did the Jews have it coming?"
I want to see what would you do if your movement is restricted by every means available including counting how many calories you need and allowing only that much food for you to consume. Actually never mind, I am sure you'll just accept it as a fate accompli and live your life until you die.
Dude your hypocrisy is transparent from a mile away. You are not asking people about Oct 7 in order to condemn it, you are only asking the question in order to excuse an ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing.
You are demanding people to say that Oct 7 was a war crime in order for you to be able to magically claim that anything Israel does after Oct 7 is NOT a war crime. It's really pathetic
Wrong. Are you pro Hamas. Was the massacre justified to you? These Islamic Fundamentalists still hold hostages. Why?
Kostas. Who initiated the massacre? Who hid the hostages in tunnels in Gaza. Who cheered them on. Hint. I’m for those who were attacked. You support them. You are “River to the Sea” Hamas supporter? Kostas, what would you do if your people and family were innocently massacred at a music festival? Or taken hostage?
Again. Even if everyone in the world told you that Oct 7 was a war crime this would never translate in you finding that Israel is committing genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
As others have said "for Israel nothing can justify the crimes of Oct 7 and every crime can be justified by Oct 7". And that is why you are just a hypocrite.
Kostas. You are delusional and not a nice person. https://substack.com/@toniairaksinen/note/c-140974465?r=6x3wn&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
https://substack.com/@roybentzvi/note/c-140676344?r=6x3wn&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
You are not asking legitimate questions. The world now sees through what has been going on for decades. Israel will bring about its own demise by its actions. Full stop. There is nothing you can say or do to change what the world is seeing.
Gosh. Nothing. And I have never met the “World Knows “. Look forward to it :)
No I do not think you’ll like what’s coming. You are too myopic and self absorbed to deal with anything but yourself. Donest mean you’ll be able to ignore it though 😁
Humanity might benefit from moving beyond belief systems rooted in superstition toward approaches grounded in human dignity and reason. When we examine conflicts around the world, we often see cycles where the oppressed become oppressors-a pattern that suggests we haven't learned from our own suffering.
The principle seems straightforward: kindness tends to generate kindness, while cruelty breeds more cruelty. If we genuinely want a more peaceful world, we should prioritize treating others well and working to increase human happiness wherever possible. The basic ingredients of human flourishing aren't mysterious-we understand what people need to thrive.
Yet human psychology complicates this simple formula.
Most people struggle to admit when they're wrong, and they resist being corrected. Those who sense their position is flawed often become most defensive when challenged, responding with emotion rather than reflection.
Perhaps most critically, we repeatedly allow individuals with destructive tendencies to gain positions of power.
Those who lack empathy or who manipulate others for personal gain shouldn't be entrusted with decisions that affect millions.
These observations point to fundamental truths about human behavior that aren't particularly complex. What remains puzzling is why our species continues to make choices that create unnecessary suffering when better paths seem so clear.
Beautifully said, Kevin. When humans experience fear on a major scale they tend to amass together to destroy the focus of that fear rather than mustering the courage and will to understand through conversation and empathy.
To some it is not sadly so clear. For instance; The Hamas Foundational Covenant.
- The complete destruction of Israel as an essential condition for the liberation of Palestine and the establishment of a theocratic state based on Islamic law (Sharia),
- The need for both unrestrained and unceasing holy war (jihad)
Islamism.
Note: John Mearsheimer, Maybe you might help explain. You seem to ignore this element entirely. Pardon me is I have missed something. I believe it is what Israel is actually up against and at war with. It helps explain why this continual war is so viscous and uncompromising. We witnessed this on October 7. One side’s goal is to eradicate the other to the last. It is their fundamental oath or duty according to their beliefs. Seen in this light, this battle is to the last, at least for one side. This battle literally started in 627 with the slaughter of the Banu Qurayza Jewish Tribe in Medina, after the Battle of Trench, by none other than the Prophet Mohammed.
In my opinion this is exactly why we as a species should do away with religions based on superstition and replace them with my “course”.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with tribalism (and nationalism which is a form of tribalism) but these things should be used as ways to motivate people to think and act in positive ways rather than negative ways. If our top political leaders were to make this a priority and of those of us who are fortunate enough to live in democracies demanded this kind of mindset and orientation of our top political leaders we would be moving in the right direction.
This type of reorientation of our mindsets would go a long way towards ameliorating the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in Israel between the Jewish people and the Palestinians people.
I don’t want to put words in John Mearsheimer’s mouth or speak for him but my guess would be that since the Israeli‘s are the ones that hold the lion’s share of the power in the situation and since they are in the driver seat, he would most likely argue that it is incumbent upon Israel to try to change the mindset in this continuously downwardly spiraling situation.
Without getting into too much detail, it’s my opinion that if Joe Biden had truly been a visionary leader with a vision, he could’ve nipped this situation in the bud after October 7 and not let it spin out of control into the utter disaster that it’s become.
Put another way…
This is precisely why we should move beyond superstition-based religions and embrace a more rational approach to organizing society. There’s nothing inherently wrong with tribalism or nationalism—these are natural human tendencies that can be channeled constructively. The key is directing these impulses toward positive action rather than destructive conflict.
If political leaders made this philosophical shift a priority, and if those of us living in democracies demanded such vision from our representatives, we could make meaningful progress. This kind of fundamental reorientation in how we approach human organization and conflict would significantly help address situations like the ongoing crisis between Israelis and Palestinians.
While I don’t want to speak for John Mearsheimer, I suspect he would argue that since Israel holds the predominant power in this dynamic and essentially controls the situation, the primary responsibility for changing the destructive trajectory falls to them. Power brings responsibility for initiating change.
Without delving into excessive detail, I believe that if Joe Biden had possessed true visionary leadership after October 7th, he could have prevented the situation from spiraling into the disaster we see today. A leader with genuine vision and courage could have intervened decisively when it mattered most.
The fundamental challenge remains: how do we channel our tribal instincts toward building rather than destroying, toward cooperation rather than domination?
I think the best way to answer your very good question is by way of Howard Zinn’s presentation at MIT in 2005. I would suggest that whenever Howard uses the words or term “The US” or “The United States” you replace it with “Israel”.
Howard was a class act.
Netanyaahoo the hateful Zionist funded and promoted Hamas he wanted confrontation and war to avoid a peace that gave the Palestinians a sovereign nation. He wanted an extremist group to demonize and make negotiations impossible Zionists want to expand Israel and treat their neighbors like the US Cavalry treated the Indians in the Old West; wipe em out take the land.
Israel ;)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/02/world-news/hamas-releases-chilling-video-of-living-skeleton-hostage-evyatar-david/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app
Very good, John. Here's my take from a few months ago:
"During the “unipolar moment,” the Western foreign policy establishment got populated with idealistic and incompetent wordcels who believed that history has ended. There is a saying that “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The unipolar moment—the era after the collapse of the Soviet Union when the U.S. faced no near-term rival—was one of those “good times”. The absence of discipline imposed by the pressure of competition increased the institutional entropy in Western countries by accumulating incompetent and corrupt individuals.
Whether it’s politicians, senior fellows in think tanks, scholars in International Relations, or the journalists incapable (or unwilling) of following their track record and holding them accountable, they are all part of what Marc Andreessen called the “systemic collapse of competence,” exacerbated by the unmeritocratic hiring practices like DEI.
These people were the illusion providers, patting Zelensky on the back and spouting phrases like "We stand with Ukraine.” After all, in a world where history has ended, countries are free to do what they please because they have “rights,” free from consequences and unconstrained by any real power relations."
https://triangulation.substack.com/p/security-guarantees-are-like-safe
Yup. Well put!
Professor Mearsheimer, your clarity about power politics is bracing — but beneath the logic of “contain, or be contained,” isn’t there a deeper question?
The hunger to dominate — American, Chinese, or anyone’s — is what traps us in recurring tragedies. In his 2015 Harvard lecture on the Cosmopolitan Ethic, the Aga Khan IV urged that real security comes not from outpacing rivals but from recognizing our interdependence and learning from difference.
Realism describes the world as it is; pluralism imagines what it could be. Must U.S.–China competition mean permanent containment? Could it not be a race to uplift rather than outmaneuver — a step toward the planetary courage once‑rival U.S. states themselves achieved?
https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/resources/speeches/samuel-l-and-elizabeth-jodidi-lecture-harvard-university-his-highness-the-aga-khan
John is fresh air.
Thank you, sir.
You were amazing, Professor. Thank you!
If the Israelis are allowed to succeed in Gaza and the West Bank it will create the precedent that will put countless minorities around the world in mortal danger.
John J. Mearsheimer - Thank you! For all you have done and will do. How have you avoided the ops with all of your truth telling...? As Richard Matsui Aoki said, layers upon layers in sort of describing the state behind the state. Some like Bernie are clearly just sheep dog steam valves that provide alternatives to (We cant say here) and are clearly counter productive for the majority. Yet you say out loud, in public, what many would suffer consequences for saying. How is this possible? Is that so many know who you are? Is it that you are protected somehow? Or may I ask, without any evidence, are you part of the game? I know the game is tightly controlled. Those who could present an issue are dealt with. Only those with "Amy Goodman" level of public support can avoid prosecution, and even Amy has taken a path change in recent years, almost telegraphing a power someone has over DN!, I'm just citizen. Explain how the new online media like yourself says things in public that would get a normal person imprisoned?
Actually John is selective in his history and his analysis. He does little discussing the Palestinian and Arab reaction over the last 70+ years. Islamism is not mentioned. Has not John, like his writing partner from Harvard, taken on the indoctrinated Colonial view, that became mandatory to acceptance in Elite higher education across America? John is a bright fellow, but this is the only issue that he discusses as an expert that he has an issue with omission. Why John? We know you are smarter than this. Why?
https://www.aaronmate.net/ , https://chrishedges.substack.com/ , https://rumble.com/c/DueDissidence, https://judgenap.substack.com/ , I ask all of you, why I would be jailed, you are not?
The thing I find stupid about Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and their ilk is that sure, Israel is not without blame. They do wrong. We have read the Old Testament. Is Christianity without blame? What is up, with all those denominations? Is Russia, China, Iran, or America without blame? Do they do wrong? Are YOU without blame? Have you looked in the mirror lately? Everyone sins. Are you going to throw the first stone, especially when Israel IS surrounded, hated, and besieged? Too many Christians are conveniently forgetting that God made an Eternal Covenant with Israel. God has grafted Christians INTO the Jewish root stock, through Jesus Christ. Christians are NOT separate, from the root. They are NOT a new root. Jesus IS still Jewish. Jesus IS the son of David AND the Son of God. Jesus was born Jewish, lived Jewish, died Jewish, rose to life again Jewish, ascended into Heaven Jewish, and Jesus is coming back Jewish. Christians ARE Jewish, through Jesus Christ!!!!!!!
You are either Jewish, with Him, or you are totally separate from Him.
Jew means Judah, which is the Israelite tribe of Judah. Jesus was born to the tribe of Judah. Jesus IS the Lion of Judah. LOOK IT UP!!!
DUUUUHHHHHHHHH……….
If Palestinians have lived for thousands of years in "Palestine why haven't the Jews lived there for thousands of years? And how can they claim it now?