John Mearsheimer isn't entitled. He went on Israel National Radio to answer questions from two raving Israeli Zionists, Jeremy Gimpel and Ari Abramowitz, who start out by accusing him of "not necessarily the oldfashioned antisemitism" but "the sophisticated antisemitism… anti Zionism."
Mearsheimer: "We're not anti-Zionist… We think it's a wonderful thing that there's a state of Israel…"
When Ari and Jeremy (I couldn’t tell who was talking when) say that Israel is just like the U.S., a democracy, Mearsheimer says well actually it’s a Jewish state that “privileges Jews both in theory and in practice.. the United States is not a Christian state. it’s a liberal state…”
Well, Ari and Jeremy say, Israel shares the same Jewish values of equality that “America was founded on.” But Mearsheimer points out, “Jews have been treated far better in the Islamic world over time than they have in the Christian world….”
Ari and Jeremy say they have a “biblical and historical birthright” to the land. It’s “always been our homeland… that’s the reason why we’re here and that’s the reason why we’re going to stay here…” The idea of giving up the West Bank is simply “ethnic cleansing.”
Mearsheimer then warns, “Israel’s going to end up looking like South Africa…[and it will be] very difficult to generate much sympathy for Israel in Europe and the United States…”
Ari and Jeremy ignore this point. Though they agree that the two state solution gives the Palestinians “two little blotches of land… it doesnt seem like much of an option either.” Then they say, “Why aren’t you advocating for Jordan to be the Palestinian state?” That’s where all the Palestinians are.
Mearsheimer says this isn’t the best idea. In Gaza the Arabs live like caged animals, and actually the Arab world has accepted the “fact” of Israel. The radio guys laugh. “We’re in the Middle East not the Middle West…”
The great things about this interview? Tough Israelis, fun to listen to, especially when they’re honest about their religious colonial schemes. Mearsheimer will talk to anyone. He takes people seriously. These guys came away with respect for him for showing up… Ah, dialogue.
