Israel’s Reliance on the Greatest Powers in World History

The timing for today’s interview, I think, needs no introduction. Professor Rashid Khalidi details Israel’s long history of relying on outside powers to build a Jewish state: first, the British, and now, of course, the U.S. That record reveals the sizable influence outside forces have today to end the violence unfolding in Palestine (and now Lebanon). Public opinion shifting against Israel suggests to Professor Khalidi that “both sides are almost fated to have to figure out how to reconcile,” though as you’ll see, that’s not exactly a source of hope for him right now.

Professor Khalidi is a Palestinian-American historian of the Middle East and the Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. Professor Khalidi served as editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies from 2002 until 2020. He was also president of the Middle East Studies Association and has taught at the Lebanese University, the American University of Beirut, Georgetown University, and the University of Chicago. Professor Khalidi has authored a number of books including, most recently, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine, the subject of our conversation today.