How Zionism Failed—With Omer Bartov
Omer Bartov joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethnonationalism.
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How Zionism Failed w/ Omer Bartov / American Prestige
Omer Bartov, Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethno-nationalism. They delve into Zionism’s formation alongside European colonialism, how settler encroachment influenced Palestinian nationalism, comparisons with European settler colonialism, whether Zionism’s “wrong turn” was in the formation of the State of Israel itself, the meaning of “never again,” how the historical memory of the Holocaust is used to justify Israeli expansion, Israel’s lack of a constitution, and liberal Zionism in the United States.
Be sure to get a copy of Omer’s book Israel: What Went Wrong?
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a news conference in Jerusalem on June 15, 2026.
(Ronen Zvulun / AFP via Getty Images)Omer Bartov, Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethnonationalism. They delve into Zionism’s formation alongside European colonialism, how settler encroachment influenced Palestinian nationalism, comparisons with European settler colonialism, whether Zionism’s “wrong turn” was in the formation of the State of Israel itself, the meaning of “never again,” how the historical memory of the Holocaust is used to justify Israeli expansion, Israel’s lack of a Constitution, and liberal Zionism in the United States.
Be sure to get a copy of Omer’s book Israel: What Went Wrong?
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The Nation Podcasts
Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
Imperialist Realism w/ Danny Bessner / American Prestige
Derek welcomes back to the show his very own co-host, Danny Bessner, to talk about his new book, Imperialist Realism: Politics and Culture at the End of the American Century, and how we see imperialist realism in American foreign policy and popular culture. They talk about the concept’s inspiration from the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the end of mass politics, the decline of grand ideology in U.S. foreign policy, the core features of imperialist realism, the Protestant missionary roots of American foreign policy, imperialist realism in pop culture, and a democratic socialist alternative to current U.S. foreign policy.
Order your copy of the book now.
Read the new piece from Danny’s Imperialist Realism Substack, “Empire of Grunge.”
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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