2017-11-07 Dr. Samir Abed-Rabbo

On November 2, 1917, the British empire declared its support for a Jewish colonial state in Palestine. Why did Zionist leaders seek support from European imperial powers. and why did the British declare support for Zionism at the height of the struggle for world empire? Is the Israeli state under Netanyahu facing a crisis of legitimacy, and if so, what would follow after an end to military occupation of Palestine? Joining us for a two-week special interview is Dr. Samir Abed-Rabbo, author of The Case for One Democratic State in Historic Palestine. Dr. Abed-Rabbo argues that if a two-state solution was ever viable, Israel's military occupation and continued ethnic cleansing of Palestinian land has made this impossible. As do many other scholars of Palestinian history, he believes that the only viable path to peace in the Middle East is now a single, democratic state spanning historic Palestine that favors social and economic justice instead of the apartheid of the current Israeli state. Also joining us for today's show is Tura Cook of the Interfaith Community for Palestinian Rights. The ICPR has an upcoming event, "Palestine & The Aftermath of Britain's 1917 Balfour Declaration," to be held on Thursday, November 16, at the Westminster Presbyterian Church on 3208 W Exposition Blvd. More information about the ICPR can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ICPRAustin. The first half of the interview will air Tuesday, November 7 at 2pm on KOOP. The second half will air the following week, November 14 at 4pm. Afterward, the whole interview will be available on our Soundcloud page, soundcloud.com/PeoplesRadioAustin.