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Plain English with Derek Thompson

Israel Has No Good Options

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News Commentary, News

4.81.8K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2023

⏱️ 39 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Two things seem true: First, Israel has a profound moral right to defend itself from terrorism. Second, its current strategy could kill thousands of civilians, destroy its international reputation, breed even more terrorist cells, and obliterate any chance for peace in our lifetime. Is it possible to keep both ideas in our head? Today's guest is Georgetown University professor Daniel Byman, one of the world's leading researchers on terrorism, counterterrorism, and Israel’s military. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Daniel Byman Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

What would you do if you got scammed? Would you suffer in silence or would you do something about it?

0:07.1

Well I got scammed once and this is the story of what I did. I'm Justin Sales, the host of the wedding scammer, a true crime

0:14.2

podcast from the Ringer. And for seven episodes, we're hunting a common man. A guy

0:18.8

with a lot of aliases, a guy who's ruined a lot of weddings and with the help with some friends

0:24.0

I just might be able to catch him listen to the wedding scammer on Spotify or

0:28.2

wherever you get your podcasts. Today's episode is about Israel's terrible choices.

0:35.0

This is the third episode that we've done on the Israel-Hamas War.

0:39.0

The first episode that we did looked at the acute reasons why Hamas attacked now. The second episode that we did just last week

0:47.5

looked at the long and tortured history of Israel and Palestine. This is about the war happening as we speak.

0:55.2

In the last two weeks, the two reasonable ideas that I've heard from the most sources,

1:02.1

from my favorite writers and podcasters from the White House

1:05.8

and politicians are these. Number one, Israel has a right to defend itself.

1:14.0

And number two, Israel must wage a moral war,

1:18.0

must do everything in its power

1:20.0

to limit civilian casualties

1:22.0

and to preserve the cause of long-term peace.

1:26.0

And this is where I have to make my confession. My confession is that I agree

1:32.0

with each of these ideas in isolation, but I'm starting

1:37.1

to worry that together they make absolutely no sense.

1:42.4

What do I mean? Israel has a right to defend itself. Yes, of course,

1:46.6

who could possibly disagree with this? Palestinian militants, terrorists,

1:51.2

acting at the behest of the state just killed more than a thousand people.

...

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