18Forty Podcast - Benny Morris: ‘We should have taken Rafah at the start’ (NEW 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers)

Benny Morris: ‘We should have taken Rafah at the start’ (NEW 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers)

06/25/24 • 35 min

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If you want to understand Israel, then you need to know Benny Morris.
Prof. Benny Morris is a leading Israeli historian who revolutionized the field of Israeli history by digging into the government’s declassified archives in the ‘80s, ushering in the era of “New Historians” who challenged traditional views of Israel’s history. After peace talks failed and the Second Intifada began in the early 2000s, his views drastically shifted regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict—specifically its prospects for resolution. Praised and criticized across the political divide, Benny Morris’ work lies at the bedrock of Israeli history today.
Now, he sits down with us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including what should happen with Gaza after the war, Palestinian-Israeli peace prospects, whether the IDF is the world’s most moral army, and so much more.
This interview was held on June 10.
Here are some of our 18 questions:

As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes?
What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes?
What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Previous Episode

Adam and Mia Raskin: Can Families Live with Denominational Differences? [Denominations 5/5]

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Adam J. Raskin—a Conservative rabbi in Maryland—and Mia Raskin, his Orthodox daughter.
In discussing the ideological and sociological realities of Jewish denominations, we often lose sight of their real-world manifestation in Jewish life. By hearing how a real family navigates denominational differences, we might, in fact, learn a lesson or two about Jewish unity. In this episode we discuss:

What does a Conservative rabbi think about the practice of his less observant congregants?
How did Mia deal with religious observance as a Division I basketball player?
How do the apparent barriers between Jewish groups play out when we interact in the world?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might think more deeply than the labels of “secular,” “frum,” “baal teshuva,” and the like.
Interview begins at 6:58.
Rabbi Adam J. Raskin is the rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Maryland. Adam is a member of the Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international organization of Conservative Rabbis, and is a founder of the Potomac-Area Interfaith Communities.
Mia Raskin is a program director and Marketing Analyst for Athletes for Israel, a graduate of Binghamton University, where she played college basketball while keeping Shabbos.
References:
God in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Next Episode

Ammiel Hirsch: How To Understand Reform Judaism’s Anti-Zionist Crisis [Denominations Bonus Episode]

This series is sponsored by Joel and Lynn Mael in memory of Estelle and Nysen Mael.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we follow up with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch to break down the anti-Zionist crisis facing the Reform Movement.
As young Jews feel increasingly disconnected from the Jewish People, America’s non-Orthodox synagogues, summer camps, and day schools are challenged to ensure continuity and unity for the Jewish future. In this episode we discuss:
—Do we need to choose between caring about our fellow Jews and caring about the world?
—Why are younger Jews more antagonistic toward Israel than previous generations?
—Can American Jewry survive without a connection to Israel?
Tune in to hear a conversation about the past, present, and future of American Jewry.
Interview begins at 6:12.
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is a leader of the Reform Movement. He is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and former executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America/World Union for Progressive Judaism, North America. He wrote two books: The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi’s Reflections on Love, Courage, and History (2023) and One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them (2003), which he co-authored with Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.
References:
18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers
Leviticus 19:17
Genesis 12:3
Amos 9
The War of Return by Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf
Jewish Wisdom by Joseph Telushkin
The Book of Jewish Values by Joseph Telushkin
This episode is sponsored by Twillory. New customers can receive a discount by using the coupon code 18Forty.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.