Misperceptions on both sides. Think when the japanese side some people really believed that americans cannot schuster because their noses were too big at the same time in american there were a diaz with the japanese because of the orient to launder eyes with a shoestring. So the stupidity of people is usually boundless. I am sure japan 1941 was not the topic of your. But you probably talk a lot about it at dinner. A lot to thank you both for being with us this afternoon. [applause] youre watching book tv. No the Political Landscape in israel since the collapse of the oslo Peace Process and to those inland. He argues that the government of israel has moved increasingly to the right. This event from the National Press club in washington d. C. Is an hour and 20 minutes. [applause] know where to put this water. Thank for that. I think that the free begin will soon be reporting the you attended my promise of. This is a terrible act and your part. Thank you, to john henry and empire salon for hosting the hearing, back to his firm. Opening of what i think is killing to be an essential discussion. This is the largest meeting so far of what Eric Alderman of the nation, must book club. So welcome. I think john is know the interior minister. Thank you to bill and hillary clinton. And just kidding. My book is for sale outside. Think we have lots of copies of the book. I hope youll low support what im doing here, and i will be happy to sign your copies. There is going to be a really lovely q a session after i finish my talk. In betweenyou amounts to heckle me, i just want to warn you that Medea Benjamin is your. She will take care of you. It has been a pretty interesting few weeks, as it, and this issue. Israel, palestine, and a run it is actually an interesting few months. We have seen a pack in marriage against the will of the American Public to promote war. First attack on syria, and it failed. Failed before of the was even held in congress, a vote which would have met a pet with and that a historic defeat. And it failed again to stop the Historic Deal between the u. S. , the administration brought obama, and theyre wrong with the demonstration. Apec has been exposed as the pro more lobby. It has also been exposed for not having Restaurant Base of like the most powerful lobby in the u. S. , the National Rifle association. All apec seems to have in its fighting retreat is a whole lot of learning. And i want to say that they have failed to shut me down on my book tour. They have actually acted and attempted to stop events that have already been held on a book tour, and the heavenly failed. And this week there has been an attempt to suppress my talks and the discussion and were having here, the discussion about the facts on the ground, and is to his failed. So i think we should welcome this failure as a victory for free speech. [applause] thank you. There have been interesting new developments related to the iran deal in israel. It is there were my book take place. And over again to the geopolitics in my book. I dont deal with washington on the israel lobby to read my book is really an intimate, on the ground portrait of Israeli Society in israel, palestine, the single state under 01 discriminatory regime. At the culmination of the transitional phase that began after the crushing of the second with the rise of what israeli planners, also done, which is hebrew for separation and theres your residence of the upper, stern apartheid which simply means separateness. This is manifested in the separation wall which cuts deep into the west bank which was built in the words and then deny it to prevent demographics the lover. Manifested in the season gusher, and its manifested inside israel as an going to discuss, but it also led to a psychological transition in Israeli Society in the political transition which has resulted in what which seems to be a permanent arrive when the jury, at least permit right wings dominance of the key institutions of his reallife. This week the Israeli Democracy Institute took a poll, and the majority of jewish israelis declared that their wish was to end the special relationship with the United States and find new allies. At the same time 70 percent of jewish israelis declared that they dont believe israel will find llewellyns. In other words, israel should simply go alone. The working title from a book which i proposed was masada referring to the second air roman fortress, the second 80 second century a. D. Roman fortress where a band of jewish fanatics hold up and committed mass suicide. Lenders impose this tunnel, goliath, me. As we look at developments of the past few weeks, the first settlement of been more prepared. So my book begins in the gaza strips in and around the gaza strip. And right now i think its important to mention that while israel celebrates the festival of lights the gaza strip is placed into darkness and its one powerplant is unable to function. This is in the case for about a month, and its because of israels siege, the u. S. Supported israeli siege on the gaza strip. This transitional phase that i mentioned culminated with operation cast led to the Israeli Attack and the gaza strip in 2008 and 2009 in which over 49 residents said, mostly civilians according to the Israeli Human Rights Group were killed. Over 300 women and children, most children were killed at home. And six developments were taking place in israel at this time. It was a National Election under way. The current Peace Initiative for the Israeli Government, Israeli Society. Our troops behave like hooligans in the gaza strip during this operation, which i demanded of them. Israelis had gathered on our show with journalists who had been barred from entering the gauzes trip to skype as they have a shame. They gathered there to cheer on the attacks as americans did. One woman was killed declaring to a danish tv crew they should lift the whole thing off the map. Yep. Of a little bit faster. In these kinds of proclamations were gaining in popularity. 95 percent of the jewish israeli public in the first week declared their support in the schools in israel during this assault, collections were held. The party that won by an overall majority was the party says. Lieberman and the gain in the Third Largest amount of votes in becoming the foreign minister, israels top diplomat here really guerrillas is cleared of various charges relating to his mafia ties, by the way. Some people were not able to testify against him because they mysteriously disappeared. Now he has reemerged as one of the most popular politicians in israel. But we are in 2009 still. He campaigned on a simple platform. He rents over and over declaring no loyalty, and the citizenship. In other words, if you fail to declare loyalty to the jewish state, to the jewish state you would be stripped of your citizenship rights. This applied to the top 2 percent of the israeli public who are launches, palestinian citizens of israel. And lieberman moved to fulfill his promise as he entered his party as the Third Largest party and coalitions with your andrew members and would support from and would support even a leader of the labor party who supported an initiative which passed to require all leases as of israel to swear loyalty to the jews to credit state loyalty oaths. These loyalty of this was first introduced by a rabbi who was banned in 1988 for incitement and advocate the establishment of the theocratic fractious state in what he referred to as jeter in summary, the west bank. The total force of the transfer of all palestinians and non jews who were refusing to swear loyalty to the state of israel. So the headline declaring that he had one with the liberal Party Support. Wall after law was passed like this. Laws like the excepted to communities law which are prized unease among the 500 to discriminate on the basis of race or religion and even sexually. The banning of the most outspoken palestinian legislator who i interview and write about extensively in my book who is currently the most hated woman in his row, banned in 2008 in 2012 by the central elections committee. Both bands were overturned by the Supreme Court, and there is now an effort not only to staff the Supreme Court with rightwing justices including the first religious and nationalist solar who is now sitting on the bench, but also to allow the veto of Supreme Court decisions. All relates to this, all law allowing settlers to sue any israeli citizen who is seen as harming their business because the call for a boycott of settlement goods also passed. And i went and interviewed one of the most important members who very few of you have ever of who is the author of many or most of these laws who had at least cosponsored them, a key deputy. He lives in the settlement which is a very large settlement. Cuts deep into the west bank. Was one of the original homes. David rakowski was just appointed to martins team of a socalled Peace Process and has issued a map in which it will be incorporated into a future state of israel. So i met him and he was very welcoming to me. He speaks in a very straightforward way. You tell it straight. I really appreciate this because when i challenge to on these laws that he was introducing and said, what youre doing is consolidating, what Thomas Jefferson would have called the maturity of the majority. Let me in the hands of the charity of the majority is the essence of democracy. And that is the way many people, many of the key figures understand democracy. The head of the Constitution Committee which is one of the most important committees because israel has the constitution for a variety of reasons including that a constitution generally requires you to set national borders. And israel has never had any International Recognized borders. Actually has no borders are no. I dont know where it is. So when someone accuses me of wanting to wear a prisoner of the members of the aisle and the men that evidence that the dollar is for me. They rarely are able to do that. Another reason that israel has no constitution as it requires you to define in National Identity. Israel has no National Identity. Batman the Supreme Court last month ruled that there is no such a thing as an Israeli National and the. Identity can only be afforded according to ethnic lines. Either you are jewish war era. This is, of course, the basis of institutional discrimination or apartheid. An interesting law was introduced in 2011. One of the authors of it. And it was actually an amendment to a preexisting law and ill talk about a second. This law was an amendment to the entire infiltration law, and under the solyndra any of the 60,000 nonjewish african refugees who have fled the sudan, have fled from oppression , fled from extreme poverty seeking sanctuary in a jewish state which they believed embody the lessons of dollar cost any of them can be detained and held without charges will without trial for as long as three years. Currently thanks to this law which passed there are thousands of nonjewish africans, entire families sleeping in the desert facility which was built basically decide the prison where palestinian Political Prisoners were held during the first intifada. You can read a fascinating account of the present in a book called prisoners by Jeff Eagleburger who was a guard there. They are sleeping, and the Supreme Court was issued a challenge by an israeli civil Rights Groups about this detention facility which has the reminiscence of this country where japanese citizens of the United States were held basically in an Internment Center for years because there were deemed to have any raise blood. According to this decision the Supreme Court ruled that the amendment should be invalidated. Already there has been a street Level Campaign to expel the nonjewish african who have lived in south tel aviv, basically concentrated in the poorest neighborhood, forced to sleep in parks, work permits. There have been attacked and what can only be described as race riots. On may 23rd 2012 a group of leading israeli members and the Israeli Government including deputy Prime Minister can interior Committee Chair person spoke before thousands of israelis. The africans are canceling israels body which according to a majority of jewish israelis agreed with. Following his rally for hours hundreds of thugs right it through african areas of south tel aviv smashing store fronts of african businesses, attacking any African Defense ministry. Days of firebombings including of an african kindergarten extremely disturbing episodes which reported in the back of the new york times. Very little attention in this country. It led to this amendment to the anti infiltration lot. That amendment has now been overturned. There is a new initiative that will provide an alternative solution that will be held in this adelle facility. They will have to check in three times a day, but they are allowed to leave during the day. They basically have to sleep there at night so that they can be sequestered from the jewish israeli public. This reminds me of so equity historian called sundown ton in the u. S. During the 1940s and 1950s. There were many towns including chevy chase, md. , which had ordinances that for bait africanamericans. And with this alternative solution that Benjamin Netanyahu has introduced and supported his role will become the largest sum downtown in the world. The amendment that i just mentioned to the entire infiltration act is actually an amendment to a law passed in 1954. These laws, these discriminatory laws are not necessarily right wing loss. There is nothing new. There is simply an extension of laws that have already been passed to consolidate israels character, the jewish state as an athlete toward jewish state to consolidate the jewish telegraphic majority of israel. Under the 1954 anti infiltration that any palestinian who of their home between the time of the u. N the passage of the un partition plan and the cessation of hostilities in the 1948 war was considered an infiltrator. Thousands upon thousands of the 750,000 palestinians who were expelled in 1947 and 48 were uprooted from their communities where they try to reunite with their families and move back to their homes and tend to their land to being violently uprooted and turn up first. This is a continuous process. Palestinians refer to it as not or the catastrophe. Take a water break here. And based on my experience the palestinian get up until the where there were five understanding eviction orders of applying to palestinian homes going to places which is to renew and seeing entire palestinian labor is demolished colossuses of israel because they can get permits. I see this as a continuous process. There is an interesting book by a journalist, an israeli columnist as been praised. Hosted and charlie rose. He is basically the toast of the town in new york. And he wrote an article for the new yorker which and the passes his arguments and his ideas in this book. The Promised Land in which she described in pretty full in terms the ethnic cleansing of the city where tens of thousands of palestinians were basically there were massacres. There are central was basically a death march never to return. He presented this in pretty frank terms, but he went on to justify. This is someone from communal of the liberal wing, the son of consensus. He justified it and said that were it not for this Massive Campaign of ethnic cleansing, i would have never been bored. To grapple with the moral implications is to institute. In other words he would like to see the Refugee Status of palestinians who have been expelled, currently 7 million Palestinian Refugees living row, to be consolidated. This is kind of a consensus view of the zionist left in israel. It is why he has been sort of celebrated in this country. It is helping. Think that the efforts to promote his book are helping psychologically prepare people here for the coming discussion about 1948 sense of discussion no longer focuses on two states in 1967. It is going to go back to 1948. Then you have rightwingers like lieberman, like its new. To his right lung rightwingers like the sarah palin of israel and you actually speak better english than sarah palin. She is 32 years old. Shes very pretty intelligent and well spoken. And she is the deputy transportation ministers europe. And she held hearings against assimilation or jewish arab relationships. And it is valid to expel of pathe palace and the legislators who fail to take the sort of loyalty oaths and convert to zionism. These people are really the future of israeli politics and and it is because they had taken a different you a 1948 the liberals who excepted but dont want to carry any further. They also i know is that this happened love that they believe it is an unfinished project that israels at a victory is not consolidated. And their battle cry, their chants, the two words that really elevate their politics are finished 48. We hear the cry of finished 48 in the dual ladders issued by statefunded israeli rabbis it declared that it was against jewish law to rent apartments to on jews inside israel proper. We hear it in the letter issued by the airlines declining debt it is illegal under jewish law for jewish women today arab men or have a relationship the. We see it. We see the finished 48 movement in the burgeoning in time this is initial groups which are rampaging through israeli cities and gaining power in the Israeli Government which recently set up a hotline where callers can inform by jewish share couples which have issued closer to of kosher certificates to businesses that were used to employ non issues which have received funding from the Israeli Government and who inspired the youth and the 19 yearold into a coma and central jerusalem in zion square there were a live for several months because of 15 yearold girl had told them that he may a passenger. Well they chanted death to arabs. And it too has a soul. There is a son of a bitch which is also a chance of the jurors will club dozens and dozens of by standard stood by and did nothing. Echoes of the summers best in the United States, echoes of a pass without the we had that was passed as William Faulkners second of the past as in past. Eyes occurred sunday justic over the labor Party Declared at the time that israel was becoming like alabama in 1930s. Heres the president to speak up against the ways of racism. Peres said nothing in the press has been awarded, i think, in congressional medal of honor. We see in the jewish home party. His uprose of the religious specialists party which is now the Third Largest party in his role. Recently endorsed the decision by the National Civil service of the restoration of israel banning religious jewish women from volunteering at hospitals after 9 00 p. M. For fear that there would take care doctors. You know, as an american jew i find that really unusual, this decision fairly unusual because up until that is good today doctors. We see the call in the plans just issued by the World Zionist Organization which is an executive arm of the Israeli Government to plant 100,000 jewish settlers in the cowlings inside the green line in israel proper to balance the arab population there. What kind of country balances one ethnic group with another. You can an apartheid state. You can, discriminatory. You can bigotry. You can what you want. Of leprosy as the israeli professor did. One thing you can call it is democracy. To call it a democracy besmirches the very concept of democracy. We see the calls. We have seen it this week falls in the proper blend which was just authorized by the israeli supported by a host of mainstream and right wing israeli parties. Want to talk about the Promised Land. This is one of the most disturbing episodes of Human Rights Violations. It has finally been reporter on for the first time the new york times. So it has been basically went west in this country. I became aware of a plan like this in southern israel when i was called by when i got a call wonder it in the summer of 2010 to meet a group of jewish israeli activists in a parking lot in jerusalem by independence park. These activists are some of the bravest people ive met in my life and my journalistic career. There are also some of the most marginalized, castigated people i ever met. They are a few years of army service, many of them. They are teachers and educators, and the elderly level in the body against the occupation and human rights abuses. The number may be 700 total and operate under the banner of ad hoc groups about ten of us headed down to a small bus to a village. Its an unrecognizable village in the desert. They have a thousand tenants who are citizens of the state of israel who often serve in the israeli army but he cannot give recognition. Then they live under electress europes. Unable to a Public Health clinics in the village. And 100 percent of the construction of anything they build. A good environment. Its considered illegal construction with no proper rights. We ride through a row for a. M. Yoko to so few with the local residents. We awakened by this on the bulldozers. The Israeli Land Administration with stickers bearing the logo of the Jewish National fund. Perry government wants of the Israeli Government which is a 501c3 nonprofit the resistance of millions of dollars in the United States. It was just honored by Prime Minister Steven Harper in canada. The bulldozers moved in behind of failings of messed israeli right Police Officers who taught these activists away bike into crates, remove residents from their homes, threw them out on the open desert. As to decide the euro sitting on her bed in the open desert crying as she watched a bulldozer, borrow and moving in and literally wiped her village of the man. We left i left as these activists, these israeli activists attempted to help the residents rebuild homes and rebuild there structures. And since this episode occurred which i felt, you can watch an online, the village has been demolished 51 times, 51 times. There is guinness book of World Records records from demolition, and it would win. The Israeli Government has sent the residence the bill for the demolition of a row which is a frequent occurrence for palestinians in East Jerusalem the cells were demolished. As so often palestinian heads of household dollars their own houses. So i started to notice a larger plan. As i was leaving. Saw sinuses and to be the home. The wind and visited the offices fest he let me in the office. And the traditional and the video a shot of the demolition if you pick here at vote. All streaming video. The tv staffordshire seeing certain content, but this network is a christian zionist in Times Network cahuenga. Anyone like being will have to convert at the dawn of the apocalypse when jesus descends from his magical throne above the help laura will burn and everlasting light a fire. And they you know, it will be everlasting. Will probably get used to it. This organization has posted a video from the base declaring that we a partner in with the Jewish National fund to plant a forest in the desert to beautify the land for the return of the messiah. There are actually providing millions upon millions of dollars to the Jewish National fund to build a force on top of the village is residents will be expelled, and this is only part of a larger plan called a proper plan named for Benjamin Netanyahu is policy and planning chief which will forcibly remove nearly all battling residents of israeli citizens, but when residents of unrecognized villages from their homes and place them in indian reservations which i the only arab towns the state of israel has ever allowed to be built for arab residents since 1948. Were talking about 40,000 to 70,000 people being removed from their homes, having their villages demolished and being forced to live in what are basically indian reservations that rate at the bottom of israel socioeconomic scale, torn away from their ancestral lands, torn away from their agricultural lifestyle. We have seen the psychological impact that this has on native americans. This is unfolding before our very eyes in the state of israel the new york toes will report on it, but i have written a book that will hopefully in for people and god bless them because this is a crime. And according to this crime 800,000 tons of wind will be taken. It will be forced to live on 1 percent of the land. There is no matter being provided for when it will be moved to the lawyer not forced to live in these concentrated indian reservation style tends, but i have a theory that there will be moved close to the agreement so that if there ever is a land swap where israel is able to consolidate the major settlement blocks as part of the future state of israel under a twostage solution it will give up that land and free itself of these people who have been identified as a demographic threat, transferring them through negotiation, something that israel is already proposed to do to the palestinian citizens of israel in the air during the one in north. There are protests all across israel palestine this past week on november 30th, the day of rage. And after these protests the Israeli Police demanded all footage from all media organizations that filmdom so that they can crack down on the protestors and arresting one by one, but also so that they can suppress the footage as they did after the raid on a free as a flotilla in which all footage shot of the israeli raid on the top deck where ninth american to 59 activists, including one american citizen were killed. All footage was destroyed and all equipment was destroyed. There was a clear effort to suppress the discussion that comes from the heart of the Israeli Government about the powers lambastes ended is emanating hours into our media. By want to close with just by talking about jerusalem and talking about the future of israeli politics. Jerusalem has been occupied, East Jerusalem has been occupied since 1967. And since 1967 the state of israel has covered the palestinians of israel according to a policy that is based around maintaining a demographic threshold, 70 percent 72 percent jewish majority in all of jerusalem. This has required thousands upon thousands of all the motions. Since 1967 the state of israel as the most over 27,000 palestinian homes unless someone. I was in the west Bank Business going on trial. Was witnessing a trial. First it was in the waiting room. Two women approached me to speak to me in english. When turned out to be a friend of a friend, donna wagner, who was a professor at North Park University of chicago who has been a really outspoken defender of palestinian rights and lost his position as a result. I learned from her. In the other woman was resident of a place she was there to visitor as into a been on trial because of his activism of College Debut is no longer an activist. And she agreed to meet me and tell a story after i had won her trust after some time. Her name was deal. And she told me that when i met her and her husband was a west bank residents. But was like a Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Authority eddy. She was a jerusalem resident. In order to maintain her jerusalem residency which turned it gives her freedom of movement and gives her more rights than the West Bank Palestinian she had to constantly prove that she lived in jerusalem. She had to abide by his real center of life policy which is aimed at maintaining a 72 percent jewish telegraphic majority. In order to do that she had to live. She took me that night. Exists as part of the jerusalem municipality, but it is on the other side of the separation will which is unusual. It was the streets from the other with trash. Cheese or from side to side through puddles that were just absolutely cavernous, worse than anything ive seen growing up in washington d. C. Our infrastructure is firstrate. She took me to the depressing Apartment Building that she had to live in, she told me. They used to live in bears a. They love to garden, are and her husband, but they can no longer have there are. It was because her husband was unable to live in jerusalem. He was unable to pass through the wall because he and the west bank eddy. She was unable to live outside of jurors will because you would be stricter residency. If she could not prove that she was abiding by the center of what policy and actually live there. So they had been forced to live together only one place in the entire holy land they could live together, this get no which had no fire service. Firemen cannot reach because the Palestinian Authority is barred from entering, and the israeli firefighters can cross to roll. Police get into for the same reason. The one traffic light was out. It received no Services Even though they paid thousands in taxes to the jerusalem municipality each year. Master, is everyone in this place like this . And she said, everyone in my building as the story. It fell in love with someone from the west bank from jerusalem. What are we supposed to do . Of fall in love with people. I said fest this is shocking to me. Its like youre refugees. She said this is the refugee camp for lovers. That is those charges to people you meet in my book you are facing the consequences of this institutional discrimination and the consequences of that telegraphic engineering that is at the base of the jewish state. And its essential logic. Their suffering under these to fund their suffering under this system. Obviously their suffering in the most existential way, the relationship. Their future is been thrown into doubt. Meanwhile, there are people like our rican who is recruited for the last four years, strong men and put out and spoke to of calling for stronger and to help of palestinians from their home to move jewish settlers and it read aloud to travel to the United States to raise money for this initiative and to adjust elected to the jurors in municipal council. There are people who has carried out a little war christmas. Little more on christmas he has banned Christmas Trees from appearing in Upper Nazareth which is uncontrollable. On a similar bill to build the only real intact your city. He has had that he will prevent a split in nine jewish symbols. He just won a landslide election. There are people like the Deputy Foreign minister and embraces the full annexation of area see a 60 of the west bank and doing away with the idea of a palestinian state forever. Theyre people like there are people like tennant and on who is the deputy Prime Minister who has embraced the same dividend down the line, in his 40s. He speaks great english. Raised in california. Hes a millionaire in the israeli tech industry. His entire platform and the reason he won so many votes as promised to do away with this whole fantasy of two states to annex the west bank and to finish 48. Finally lieberman back in his powerful position as foreign minister. He is never engage in negotiations with Benjamin Netanyahu, pact which would merge in the next National Election and guarantee the Prime Ministers office until 2017, making lieberman the natural successor. The natural successor as Prime Minister missouri. I think americans need to be prepared for this area. They need to understand that regardless of the conclusions that i come to, and that no pulling punches in my talks to be an apology punches in my writings. Ive really come to certain conclusions that might be unpopular in the mainstream of this country, borealis what they think of that, there are certain facts on the ground it cannot be denied. And one fact is that as long as the status quo continues, the status quo that has been encouraged from the heart of washington, the trends that i just described in the stock and the trends that appear in the pages of my book will continue. Therefore the effort has to be from here, the outside, shifting the status quo, challenging it, undermining in unraveling it regardless of what you think of my conclusions. Thank you. [applause] they cute. Also for other kind of centristoriented parties. There is a future, basically, stoking resentment against the ultra orthodox, declaring that, it cited figures on how little soldiers made and how much benefits Orthodox Jews receive. And there have been, theres just widespread resentment against them. And i think its important to note that the ultra orthodox also practice gender segregation in their communities and that there have been protests against that from secular elements in tel aviv from the liberal, enlightened class of israel. But those who have protested them and those who support the Party Support demographic segregation. They supported the separation wall, they support aggressive, violent measures to separate from palestinians and to engineer a demographic majority of jews. So which is worse . And why are ultra Orthodox Jews the enemy . Why are they considered culturally retrograde when in a possible scenario on which pal stints and palestinians live under equality, theyre happy to accept that. They dont really care one way or another as long as theyre left alone to live their lifestyle in their communities. So in my opinion, its the resentment against them and the arabs thats inspiring the victors of israeli National Elections. Am i calling on people . Because we have someone is that mark back there . I want to get a word from mark, because i know im not mark, but oh, youre not . [laughter] sorry, i see guys with glasses, is all i see. Max, thanks for your presentation. I must tell you that i found far less a challenge in what you said this evening than what you did in your book. That said, i think that youre describing a scenario that if the analogy would be to describe the situation in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s without acknowledging that there was a Civil Rights Movement here, or without acknowledging that there was an antiapartheid grassroots effort in south africa that provided an element of conscious to whatever conscience to whatever was going on in those countries. I think for you to ignore the society in israel is to do a disservice to a great number of people and organizations that of their own initiative with help from seem outside of israel who are interested in seeing a more Ethical Culture and environment take root is to to really do a disservice to that part of israel that recking nices these recognizes these egregious problems and yet try ares to do something about them. I think what you have projected this evening is more black and white, heavily onbe the black. On the black. But i think at least youve got to acknowledge there are israelis of all persuasions who are making an effort to right some of those wrongs. Im glad for the question, because i spend maybe hundreds, if not scores of pages in my book about those jewish israelis who have taken the words of the great israeli [inaudible] seriously this which he in which he urged them to organize mass movements against injustice. He said it is the only totalitarian state that exists in the enlightened world, and he urged jewish israelis to refuse military service and refuse to participate in injustice. I think that he has sort of failed to inspire this mass movement, but in my book youll meet the minority of jewish israelis who have resisted mass indoctrination and really put themselves on the line against human rights violences. Were not veelingses. Were talking about Human Rights Violations. Were talking about millions of people who have been denied basic human rights. And these jewish israelis understand it. Schaap rah, i dedicated chapters in my book to him. Hes one of the bravest people ive ever met. Major figures from the Israeli Air Force refused to participate in bombing raids on Palestinian Refugee camps in the gaza strip. He has turned into one of the most prominent activists in the world to boycott sanction against the Jewish National fund. And in my book you will read about his interrogation by the General Security Service of israel which declared that we are going to pass a law which will criminal ease what youre ize what youre doing. In other words, were the precrime unit, and you should be aware. He was not deterred. I want to also mention that another person in my book, maya wind, shes refused israeli army service. She is actually active in the Columbia University students for justice in palestine, and she is on tour now. Shes here in washington, d. C. , and one of the best organizations in this country on combating Human Rights Violations in israel palestine jewish voice for peace will sponsor her. So if you really want to meet this ragtag band of human rights activists not civil rights activists and definitely not people who on the one hand call for human rights and on the other hand support the demographic imperatives of the state of israel if you want to meet them, you just need to open my book. [applause] thank you. My names [inaudible] journalist in town. And hi question to you is very simple. Its on the viability of the twostate solution in light of the deadlocked negotiations and the expansion of settlement, and that seems to be going no where. Is there still hope for the twostate solution, and if not, what is an alternative for the palestinians . Thank you. Thanks for the question. You know, i could spend another hour talking about why the twostate solution will they have happen. I mean will never happen. I describe some of the political figures who are leading figures in the Israeli Government who are not just against a twostate solution, but also against giving up any part of jerusalem. It has to be understood that the jewish israeli public does not really, is not really amenable to it, so they cant be convinced to do it with just, you know, red rick and arguments about rhetoric and arguments about coercion. There has to be sanctions placed on israel. Not just on iran, but on israel to make them do something to give the palestinians rights or a state. And he said that it shouldnt just be limited to the settlements. This is the former spokesman of shimon peres and a major function their in the labor party. So dont think this is some crazy leftwinger. Bds is moving because the United States can and washington will not apply any exsearch pressure. Quite the contrary, theyre funding the occupation to the hilt, and now its high school. Since toes low accords, 200,000 jewish settlers have been held in israeli jails. The separation has been built, the palestinians have been deprived from 85 of the water in the west bank, and it sits underneath ariel which will be incorporated into the state of israel. The palestinians will be deprived of any right to borders, air space, water, to raise a military, any of the components that you have to have if you want to call yourself a state under the u. S. Plan for a twostate solution. So not only is it physically impossible for a twostate solution, its never been proposed. What theyve proposed is four Population Centers and a massive economic piece with israel where humanitarian aid will be dumped, and i recently got my hands on a report prepared for the quartet at the urging of tony blair who has urged a 4 billion economic peace plan to basically pacify palestinians with massive foreign aid and donations. Because a twostate solution is basically impossible. The report was prepared by mackenzie, this consulting firm, and it issues a series of recommendations for creating lifechanging opportunities for palestinians in occupied territory. And one of the lifechanging opportunities is tourism. But then the report goes on to note that tourism to the gaza strip has been subpar. [laughter] the word occupation is never used in this document once, and it never explains why tourism doesnt happen in the gaz is strip gaza strip. It just says it has a nice coastline. Thank you so much, max, for your talk. I have a very small question in this larger thing here, because i was quite confused about a couple of things you said. So aapologize in advance if its my own understanding. When you were talking about an aide to lieberman, you said he was on some constitution subcommittee that was important, and you said because israel has no constitution and i thought i heard you to say that it has no constitution because it doesnt define, you cant define the boundaries, and you cant define the citizenship. I never heard of those being prerequisites for a constitution. We have a constitution here, i dont believe we do those things. And then that same moment you said you dealt with challengers saying draw me a map of israel. There is no map. I also thought there were very definite maps and boundaries, some codified in u. N. Resolutions, and they even have meets and bounds. So again, i misunderstood. But particularly the first two, i didnt understand the reference to theres no constitution because you cant have those things . I you lost me there. Okay. Well, there was a writer who wrote a really interesting selfpublished book who visited bengurion in the negeve december earth, and he said desert. It may require them to be what jew is, and there have been three redefinitions of what a jew means according to the state of israel or what being jewish as a state means. Constitutions generally require you to at least outline certain precepts that define a National Identity, and i think our constitution at least offers the, has offered over time and it provides the opportunities for amendments the ability for the United States to move beyond its settler colonial character and become a nation of immigrant s and to afford ethnic minorities who are discriminated against the right to vote. So this also leads to the fear of a constitution in the ethnoaccuratic, exclusively jewish state of israel. Theres also resolution 181, you say there always have been aborters. Resolution 181 was the partition plan, and the scionist zionists accepted it, all indigenous groups have rejected efforts, but the interesting thing about it is under this partition plan the state that was created as israel would have been 55 jewish and 45 arab because of the borders that were defined. And so immediately after the partition plan was introduced and passed, the Zionist Movement set out alter the borders and carry out a campaign of ethnic cleansing, and thats the only word for it. By the time bengurion signed the declaration of independence, almost 200 palestinian villages had been destroyed, and israel never abided by the borders of resolution 181. Bengurion understood that by not having any set borders, he was given a strong hand in future negotiations with arab states and now with the Palestinian Authority netanyahu understands that. But again, i welcome any attempt by the Israeli Government to prevent present even a map of where it wants its borders to be. They have never done so in negotiations. A couple of years ago there was a conference on the onestate solution up in boston, and one of the speakers was a, i think, fairly prominent israeli demographer. And one of the things he indicated is that by sort of looking at things like kids registers for a University Education overseas, people selling their properties, transferring their bank accounts, his estimate was that because of this dynamic that you describe, he estimates 1. 5 million israeli jews have left the place in the last five, ten years or so. Did you pick up on any of that kind of undercurrent of discussion among the more decent israelis who are outraged of whats going on, and theyre just leave anything masses . Yeah, thanks for that. Thats a great question. The last chapter of my book, which is called the exodus party, is dedicated to that question and to the israelis who have left. I did a talk at university of pennsylvania with ian lustick who is one of the leading analysts of of israeli demographics. And i cited a figure of about one million israelis who are living abroad which is about 14 of the population. Higher percentage than maybe of the population of mexico or sri lanka, and he put the figure at closer to 600,000. Its hard to determine, and either way thats a very large percentage of a population that is living abroad. There were ads, you know, when i was in israel on tv all the time that showed an American Flag fluttering in the background with money falling from the sky, and it talks about getting you a visa to get to the u. S. And live the good life. Most israelis want to move to the u. S. For economic reasons. They are kind of lab rats, just as the palestinians are in a great neoliberal project which has completely hollowed out their middle class and deprived them of, you know, any opportunity. Young israelis are determined to finish ive seen polls showing that a majority are open to the idea or determined to move abroad. But one of the most fascinating things i found is that thinker from 15,000 anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 jewish israelis live in berlin. And among israelis under 35, berlin and germany is the top destination. [laughter] obviously, berlin is i love it there, ask the israelis i know who live there are actually organizing, involved in activism against the occupation and are pushing papers that slam the Israeli Government. And i like it there. Its a nice city. It also affords jews is a lot of protections and rights. But in the mind of netanyahu, its almost as though this isnt happening. These young israelis were recently attacked on ap israeli channel an israeli channel. They were attacked by [inaudible] who, you know, kind of questioned their judy judaism. Theyve neglected the doom and gloom of netanyahu who recently attempted to blame the Palestinian National movement for the final solution in europe and accused palestinians and palestinian leadership of killing 4,000 jewish children in europe. And ive only seen that claim by Alan Dershowitz before. [laughter] i dont know if theres any truth to it, but this is the kind of doom and gloom that netanyahu is offering, exploiting the holocaust and negating the lessons of the holocaust. And these israeli jews are rejecting it. They want light, and day they wt justice, and to find it they have of to leave. Thank you again for this excellent talk. If you could comment on two things. One is what do you see as the influence of the immigration of russians, both jew, and nonjews into israel over the past several decades and, two, i have heard i dont know if this is true that the Israeli Government has been taking people, Indigenous People from the americas, from peru and other countries and having them quickly convert to judaism and settle in the west bank as sort of a bulwark because they are not palestinian. And im just curious whether or not theres any truth to that. Thank you. Yeah. To answer your, the second part, that is true. A tribe of peruvians who i think live in the amazon jungle were discovered as lost jews [laughter] and were brought to settlements in the west bank to help balance out the demographic threat of gestating palestinian fetuses. The logic behind doing this is that theyre eligible for the right of return which was a law passed in 1950, the first discriminatory law passed by the state of israel, or 1949 it might have been. And i, too, am eligible for the right of return. While palestinians whose families have lived in the holy land for hundreds of years, who have legitimate claims and even property titles on the land and who have been expelled have no right to return. Ask my right of return was granted because i supposedly 4,000 or 3,000 years ago im not an archaeologist i was, you know, kicking it on the corner with methuselah, and, you know, i have this sort of tie to the bible. Naftali bennett recently attempted to assert this claim with i think he brought some art tact with hebrew writing on it on to a tv program in the u. S. To prove that the jewish people have had a claim on judeo ya and sumeria, now the west bank, for 3,000 years, and it turned out he had actually illegally transported this artifact out of the country, that theres a law against doing so. And, of course, this artifact had probably been stolen well before bennett. Then theres also netanyahu who carries around a special ring that he got at a pawnshop. [laughter] the ring, you know, this is like straight out of of toll key yen. And he presented the ring to george will when will visited him, and will talked about this ring that shows netanyahu has this link to the 3,000year dream and to the jews who are living in jerusalem during the roman era. The problem is netanyahus great grandfather changed his name from milikovsky to netanyahu. [laughter] he is a lithuanian jew which means netanyahu probably has more ties to sarah palin whose maternal become is said to be a lithuanian j well, well, s thae does to any biblical era semimite. [laughter] thank you. You painted a very vivid picture of the current situation. Id like you to cast your eyes forward and take your opinion somewhat flippantly to so what . One, so what happens next and, two, because were in washington so what with if we could ever agree on something should we do about it . These are the questions where i always get in trouble because i said what to do. [laughter] but i said i dont pull any punches. It upsets you, it offends your liberal humanitarian sensibilities, well, then stop funding it. [applause] we are the patrons. The United States government, i want to thank them for making this only. 30 be billion the next ten years and more. And lots of political cover at the u. N. I think that we have to acknowledge end looking at congress behavior on the iran deal that we have very little influence on our elected representatives on this issue. And we have to start moving our activism into the grassroots can people are already doing, groups like jewish voice for peace through the bds movement. [applause] and i think that we have to support the bds movement and stop complying with israeli institutions and ambassadors who are supporting the occupation and Human Rights Violations against, against palestinians and who are corroding social fabric of jewish Israeli Society. Yes. I have a question. First, i want to thank you for a very powerful talk. Thank you. And the bravery of what youve done. But, you know, when you used the term zionism, you know, i think theres also the term revisionist zionism. And you sort to of make a religious narrative. And i think its important to bring out what revisionist zionism means and its history in europe and its connections to mussolini and other people and even netanyahus involved in this. And i think that would help separate some of the Jewish Community from an overidentification with these very repressive measures. And just a second part which is what do you think, you know, were in geopolitical politics, for what reason do you think the u. S. Gets from having israel pursue this policy . Thank you. Ill try to answer that briefly, because its a great question. I dont think revision zionism can be segregated from labor zionism in the current context. You know, its just intellectually dishonest to do so. And, i mean, i write about this in my book. So revisionist zionism is sort of, as you said, its connected to netanyahu, the godfather is saab tin sky whos most his greatest contribution was his 1923 essay the iron wall. He declared that there can be no possibility of negotiating with an Indigenous People which like the native American Indians of the United States, the blacks of south africa, will resist a project which is colonial in nature. And the only thing we can do is combat them with an iron wall of bayonets. In other words, pure force because there cant be negotiations. We see that through netanyahus strategy of peace without peace or managing the occupation. But there is no difference between our carnivores and vegetarians on this issue. In other words, on the issue of how to handle the indigenous population, the labor zionists will close ranks with us whenever this question comes up. And he was right. It was bengurion who adopted the iron wall as the blue print for israels strategy of strategic deterrence. It was the labor Zionist Movement that carried it out in 948, in 1956 against the palestinians of the galilee, in 1967 and continues, and has carried it out until 1967. Palestinian human rights have been violated far more by labor zionism. Benjamin netanyahu is not actually, to my knowledge, formally accused of war crimes, however, his critic who is revered in israel is. He was the operator of cast lead. So i think we need to look at it as one of the key documents of zionism in general and not try and look at netanyahu as some kind of bad apple. Theyre all operating according to a certain logic, and at base of it, as i said, is demographic engineering. Yeah, okay. Im june zeitland, and i guess when i was invited to come to this talk by a friend and i didnt know anything about the book, i googled it before i came, and i read about so much controversy. A lot of the critics are people who i dont respect, but some are critics who i do respect, and i guess im a little disappointed that nobody in the audience has challenged a lot of your basic premises. I didnt come here to do that, but let me at least raise a number of the issues that kind of bothered me and i felt didnt really present the complexity of the situation. First of all, it seems pretty much that you took what you found in these last few years without placing it very much on in the his to have call historical context. Well, the israelis accepted it, but the palestinians didnt and ed on. Theres a history that begins with 1948 that has consequences up until today. Im certainly no fan of netanyahu and his policies or the occupation and will criticize them as much as the next person, but i found that a lot of your criticism were personal anecdotes, and im sitting here thinking because i do work on civil and human rights in the United States that i could point to members of our congress who say the same things that immigrants, that africanamericans, that latinos, and they get elected, and some of them hold pretty powerful decisions lets wrap it up with the question. [applause] so i guess i would like to hear what is your solution besides defunding it . What is your solution . If its not a twostate solution and you want a democratic state, and i would say that the secular the ultra orthodox are as antidemocratic as some of the others are antijewish and palestinian. Do you want a jewish state, or do you think it shouldnt be a jewish state . I guess im just really confused about where you want to go with it besides defunding the netanyahu government, which of i dont have a problem with. You say you work on civil and human rights issues, do you want a White Christian state . No. Well, then why would you support an earth knock rah si anywhere else that privileges one ethnic group over another . Thats the essence of the jewish state. [applause] and this is the progressive except for palestine mentality, but i dont understand how you can be a liberal and support a state with all your heart that practices demographic engineering and sets a threshold on the level of citizens it can have of a certain ethnic group. You referenced resolution 181 again. I think, you know, maybe there could be a solution if israel would go back to the borders afforded to it in 181, but the Arab High Committee rejected it for the same reason that the lakota sioux have challenged the black hills treaty. It threw their land over to a group that represented 7 of the population and fave them a majority of their land majority of their land. That really is the basis of the has estimatings. Hostilities. Finally, on the criticism ive been getting, the criticism from israel is much less hysterical from the time ive gotten in the u. S. , and its because they understand that these are the facts and that this is the kind of situation theyre living in. Of course, their solution might differ there mine. My solution is equal rights, that the idea of palestinian sovereignty or a palestinian state which has never actually, honestly, been offered them has to be given up at least in the near term, and the struggle should be bassed on equal rights for all People Living between the river and the sea. And resolution 181 which was accepted by the state of israel in 1949 as a condition for their acceptance to the u. N. General assembly should be honored. Thats the right of return for Palestinian Refugees. The only reason Palestinian Refugees arent allowed to return is because theyre of the wrong ethnic group. Thats 80 of the residents of the gaza strip. Theyre living under siege, plunged into darkness because theyve been deemed a demographic threat. I dont understand how thats acceptable. [applause] thanks, max, for a great talk. Palestinian, israeli citizen are what you call 48, so from someone who lived on the inside and you argue this in your book, weve been noticing younger generations have been getting more and more racist against arabs, more and more prosettlement, and, therefore, politicians have been promoting policies that are more and more racist towards arabs, more and more prosettlement, or perhaps its the other way around. But its a cycle of racism against arabs and settlements, and the situation is just getting worse and worse. What fuels that, and how can we stop that . I think this also goes to the kind of situation, what you described and, you know, its been described to me, i witnessed it myself, and youll see it in videos ive shot inside jerusalem and inside tel aviv. But i also hear it especially from palestinian citizens of israel, 48 palestinians, that the jewish youth are much more aggressively racist than the next generation, than the older generation. And, you know, the founding generation of israel, i mean, they were responsible for this mass expulsion campaign, but they also had an idea the National Identity of israeliness that transcended a bellicose vision of judaism. But the idea has been lost to the kind of idea, this tribalistic and militaristic idea of judaism thats embraced by people like Naftali Bennett and the majority of the israeli youth. The thing that drives it are two factors, the israeli Education System which i write about extensively and is educating them to become good soldiers because all of them at age 18 have to around in israeli army service in the domination and control of palestinians and the second factor is the army, which is the host respected institution in jewish Israeli Society. As the occupation deepens, so does the indoctrination in jewish israeli schools. And just a final anecdote, i know that anecdotes are journalists arent allowed to give anecdotes, but i was in jerusalem in september, and i walked around central jerusalem and talked, you know, i just like to talk to people about their attitude, and i sat with three jewish High Schoolers who were very well spoken and friendly at a table at a outdoor cafe, and they described to me, you knowness having instead of like sex ed classes, having classes about at least having some classes in the context of sex ed, about the danger of dating arabs and how jewish women should beware of arab men because they will steal them and kidnap them and make them in the words of in this young woman, make them savages. Sorry, treat them like salve ams. So this is also happening in israeli education. Thats why i wanted to go into it in my book and interview israeli educators and interview, you know, israeli principals who have been persecuted for trying to resist the indoctrination. John henry asked that i should suggested that i ask the last question, and the last question, lets not look at the next five to ten years, lets look as historians in the future, in the next 3050. And under this perspective given all the developments and changes that we may expect in the arab world, is it possible that the state of israel will simply find its present situation untenable, that the state of israel one or another way in its present form will cease to exist . Many jews may leave, others may become a minority and a larger forhaitian. But theres no reason, it formation but theres no reason, it seems to me, under this longterm perspective to expect that the zionist ideology can historically actually maintain itself against the arabs in a world with boundaries and processes that as we know there the decline of American Power are completely changing. Thanks for that softball question. [laughter] i think the question is what David Petraeus asked paula broad welshing how does this all end . [laughter] broadwell, how does this all end . [laughter] because he recognized that he was involved in a doomed project. [laughter] and the current structure that animates israeli, the state of israel and controls everyone through different, a variety of means from the river to the sea is a doomed project. Its an anachronistic project rooted in blood and soil of settler colonial ideology that has really very little place in the modern world, but it hasnt been exposed. And so there is very there is not sufficient pressure on the state of israel for it to change. Obviously, there has to be a price tag on the Israeli Government and the Israeli Military for it to change, for democratic space to open inside israel and for equal rights to be afforded to palestinians. There are two ways that price tag can be imposed, it can be imposed through violence which might and a bloody civil war or some kind of, you know, allout assault which will lead to mass bloodshed and potentially jewish israelis experiencing what their ancestors visited on palestinians. Or it it can be done through nonviolent Civil Society means which this jewishisraelis are offered the ability to become part of the region, to become legitimized as part of the middle easts, as part of