115. Do We Need A Jewish State? A Conversation With Peter Beinart

This week, Uri and Rivky sit down for a thought-provoking conversation with journalist and political commentator Peter Beinart. Beinart has made a recent splash in his recent political conversion: he no longer believes in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine; rather, Beinart sees hope in a single secular binational state, with equal rights for Jews and Palestinians. Uri and Rivky ask him about fears for this new state, if he's given up on both Israeli and Palestinian self-determination, and how Judaism has impacted his evolving thoughts. They also discuss antisemitism in America and in the Arab world, the symbolism of the destruction of the Temple, and what other political positions Beinart has changed over the years - and what causes true change. Links: Peter Beinart Jewish Currents https://jewishcurrents.org/yavne-a-jewish-case-for-equality-in-israel-palestine/ Peter Beinart New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/opinion/israel-annexation-two-state-solution.html Peter Beinart 10 years ago https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/06/10/failure-american-jewish-establishment/ Response from Anshel Pfeffer https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-peter-beinart-s-one-state-solution-sounds-so-perfect-it-s-practically-utopian-1.8983601 Response from Dan Shapiro https://twitter.com/DanielBShapiro/status/1280965854759395328 and https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/end-the-jewish-state-lets-try-some-honesty-first/ Helen Thomas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVlg01QMN3k