Broadcast 5/11/2012 at 14:20:35 (50 Listens, 59 Downloads, 1066 Itunes)

The Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show Podcast

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Peter Beinart is author of The Crisis of Zionism ( and editor of the Daily Beast blog, Open Zion, which fosters conversation about Israel, Palestine and the Jewish future.

He is also Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at The City University of New York, Senior Political Writer for The Daily Beast-Newsweek, and a Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation

Beinart has written for The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, the Boston Globe, the Atlantic, Time,Slate, Reader's Digest, Die Zeit, and many more.

From Wikipedia:

"When I saw that Avigdor Lieberman's emergence was provoking no outcry from the organized Jewish world, it felt to me that the organized Jewish community had essentially accepted a Zionism that would go wherever the Israeli government wanted to go. It seemed Obama and Netanyahu's agendas were going to be radically different, so supporting one meant not supporting the other."[2]

Boycotting other side of green line

In the final section of the book, Beinart advocates boycotting products from Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories, but not from East Jerusalem, calling Israel beyond the Green Line "nondemocratic Israel". [2]

on Antisemitism accusations:

"Any Jewish leader who conflates disagreement in policy with anti-Semitism should be fired". [20] Beinart is dismissive of the whole notion of self-hating Jews: "What is a self-hating Jew? All Jews are self-loving and self-hating. It's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard."[21]

Notes from the interview-- questions I asked

You attend an orthodox synagogue. How have the other members of the synagogue responded to your book?

Rob: Beyond the green line settlement boycott?

boycott by three famous Jewish writers--David grossman, Amos Oz, a.b. Yehoshua

Products produced in West Bank-- boycotts that have been led by Israelis and Palestinians.

Rob: Is there a website that provides more info on the idea of a website that supports boycott of the settlements on the other side of the green line?

Americans for peace now.

Rob: Talk about zionism and it's founder's vision

Rob: Focus on victimhood and transition of American Jews.

Rob: Talk about AIPAC

Rob:Who donates to AIPAC?

Rob: What's your take on J-Street?

Rob: Is Netanyahu an extreme right winger and ally of the GOP?

Netanyahu's political consultant was a major republican consultant.

Rob: What is it about Zionism today that your books message tells us?

rob: I think that Israeli policy has been raising the level of anti-semitism in the world.

Rob: accusations of antisemitism when criticizing Israel?

Rob: Websites?

peterbeinart.com

openzion.com

Rob: What's the bottom line, the elevator short version of the message you'd like people to take away from your book?