Myths of Israel

A myth is a story passed down through generations that attempts to explain the origins of something. The foundational myth of Israel was “a land without people for a people without a land.” That myth had profound consequences that reverberate today. There were people there – the Palestinians. Such myths are characteristic of settler colonial societies such as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. Sure there were a few primitive savages but they had to give way to superior beings. John Kennedy famously said: “We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier. The pioneers gave up their safety, their comfort, and sometimes their lives to build our new west.” Kennedy did not mention the great Indigenous nations that were slaughtered by the colonizers. We must deconstruct the myths and reveal the realities behind them.

Recorded at Socialism 2024.

Speaker: Ilan Pappé

Ilan Pappé has been called “Israel’s bravest historian.” He taught at the University of Haifa and was chair of the Touma Institute for Palestinian and Israeli Studies in Haifa. Currently, he is a professor of history at the University of Exeter in England. He is the author of many books including The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Gaza in Crisis, On Palestine with Noam Chomsky, Lobbying for Zionism and Ten Myths About Israel.

Description from www.alternativeradio.org