In this longer-than-usual edition, we hear Israeli new historian Ilan Pappeâs recent presentation delivered at Harvard University. Pappe teaches at Exeter University in the United Kingdom, is the author of several books, including the definitive The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. He is a frequent lecturer throughout the world.
Pappe briefly reviews the painful history of Gaza. Before 1948, he explains, it was sparsely settled and beautiful. In 1948, Israel initiated the Nakba, driving most Palestinians out of their homes and stealing their property. Many were herded into Gaza, which became a prison camp. Israel coined the term "Gaza Strip" to show its contempt for the refugees, sealed it off, and more recently initiated its ongoing series of brutal bombings and slaughter there.
Pappe points out that uniquely in 2014, activists around the world were able to connect Israel's outrageous attacks on Gaza's population with events in Syria and Iraq, and give them the attention they deserve. He describes the need to first dehumanize the Palestinian population in preparation to apply what he calls "the logic of elimination," which Israel has adopted as its rationale for ethnic cleansing.
Pappe recognizes the USA as a settler colonial society, but its victims, the Native Americans, are fully contained. He calls Israel the last living, active settler colonial society in the world.
This Week In Palestine (a weekly part of Truth and Justice Radio) is an award-winning three-quarter-hour segment of news from Palestine and discussion of issues relevant to the Palestinians' struggle for freedom from Israel's brutal military occupation and colonization of their homeland. It speaks from the point of view of Palestinians and those who care about them. It's a regular part of Truth and Justice Radio, aired Sundays 6-10am ET on WZBC 90.3FM, Newton, MA, streaming and archived for two weeks at wzbc.org; TJR's website, truthandjusticeradio.org, has a link to This Week In Palestine archives back thru 1-6-2008; earlier editions are obtainable from radio4all.net or by navigating through our playlists. (At this important time, TJR has been airing a lot of Palestine coverage IN ADDITION to that provided by This Week In Palestine.) We hope you'll write to us at tjr@bluebottle.com if you rebroadcast our work, or have questions or comments.
This Week In Palestine -- 3-20-2016
Ilan Pappe speaks at Harvard on Gaza and the logic of elimination
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