Israel and the Specter of Fascism Today: A Conversation with Omer Bartov

Late in 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in Israel, despite being ousted from office in July 2021. Now starting his sixth term as Prime Minister, Netanyahu has aligned himself with a number of far-right parties, commencing what some observers have described as a “fascist” era. Professor Omar Bartov discusses the conditions that have given rise to fascist governments and applies his deep historical knowledge to the political situation in Israel today.  How continuous is the present regime with the longer history of Zionism? Is the new Israeli government, with far-right figures such as Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and Maoz, fascist?  Professor Omer Bartov is the Samuel Pisar Chair of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University.