The top one is from Professor Gerdes and is worth sharing again.
Note that one mentioned there is London-based political philosopher Vlad Vexler, Russian-born and Oxford-educated. He is top row, third from the left. Vlad suffers from a debilitating auto-immune condition but manages between episodes of this to produce some of the best analysis you will find on YouTube.
Here is his most recent: VLAD REACTS: Tim Snyder, Blair, Jordan Peterson, Rory Stewart, Richard Wolff. Brilliant!
As one commenter says: “I’ve probably watched over 50 Vlad Vexler Vids, this is my all-time favorite! Precise, open, interested, flexible… Reminded me of stochastic reinforcement learning: how AI can’t learn how to drive unless it’s watching a human. I don’t feel like Vlad is telling us what to think, he’s helping us to exercise the moral muscle needed to think for ourselves.” And another: “I was fully prepared to be offended, and reactionary when I initially anticipated the critique of Timothy Snyder’s view here. After listening, I believe that Snyder would humbly concede to your assessment. I would love to see a Vexler/Snyder headed think tank, books and even a speaking tour. I also respect how you can objectively listen to what someone as awful as blair has to say and find commonality and reason within, without personal judgement. Aside from being an exceptional geopolitical evaluator/strategist, you are a class act, Vlad.”
To which I can only add my humble advice: take the time to listen very carefully to what Vlad Vexler says and even more importantly to the way he says it! Rare indeed in this social media landscape, and so much needed!
He was still in Tbilisi then, but in the year since has managed to win a scholarship to study in the USA, where he now is, still vlogging, but less often. He is of course studying, and even enjoying life as a 22-year-old should!
And then there is Roman the Russian
Roman is now in Portugal and recently gave a full account of how he managed this from Tbilisi, where he lived for two years having fled from Russia in 2022.
Honestly, the whole Palestine/Israel thing is even more a total mare’s nest than ever. Fact is the creation of the State of Israel in the first place was very ill thought out — thanks, UN, and our very own H V Evatt who chaired the committee that came up with the “solution”. And yes there has been war and terrorism on all sides ever since, and in the 1945-8 period preceding. Carving two new states out of one that already existed was never going to happen wthout profound injustice and disruption to somebody. Such things happen — think of the contemporaneous goings on when India was divided between India and Pakistan, and we are still living with the fallout from that.
And true believers went from the start way beyond what the UN had outlined. Eretz Israel using borders suggested in Genesis 15:18 — “On that day Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying, “To your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates” — The Israel Bible translation — uncomfortably corresponds rather to “from the river to the sea,” though in that case the river presumably is the Jordan. I doubt many Zionists would literally be eyeing the Euphrates as a western boundary these days, but we have there the crux of a major sticking point for a “one state solution” though — they claim pretty much the same patch, and Hamas basically thinks that patch is Palestine and there really should be no Israel.
It is possible to imagine a good “one state” which is both Israel and Palestine, but everyone would have to agree it is a secular state, but hopefully one guaranteeing the rights of all.
For some time the two state solution has been the one on the table, and there have been times it did seem achievable. It is the official stance of Australia — still is — and that was bipartisan. A variation on that was all that Penny Wong had to offer today.
Me? I have the horrible feeling it has all gone too far and that the two state solution is pretty much dead. But I could of course be wrong, probably am. So secretly I really think the one state I have already described as being secular and multicultural is the only way to peace in the end.
The ruin that Gaza has become — that area so densely populated and yet half the size of Illawarra — will not lead to the end of Hamas or the ideas Hamas has promulgated. Has everyone forgotten the phoenix? That is what Israel is creating. The thirst for justice and the desire to reverse 76 years of dispossession will not die, indeed cannot be killed, no matter how many children are killed. The remaining children will grow up and they will remember. Boy, will they ever remember, and boy will they ever hate! Can you blame them?
As I said — what a mare’s nest! Sorry I can’t be more cheerful. At the same time I really can’t play goodies and baddies about this either. There are great people with great hearts on both sides — tragically, perhaps…. I try here to allow their voices when they come my way, but I do not try to give a blow by blow commentary. I am not the BBC. I am just an old guy in The Gong.
Meanwhile, quite a good opinion piece just now in The Politics by Rachel Withers. I can’t link as these days it just comes in my email and has no way to view online. But here is the first paragraph.
“Foreign Minister Penny Wong appears to be choosing her words very carefully. A two-state solution is “the only hope” for peace in the Middle East, Wong told a conference last night, noting that “the international community is now considering the question of Palestinian statehood” and there is “widespread frustration” at the lack of progress since the 1990s Oslo accords. Wong made clear that Hamas could not play a role in a future Palestinian state, and pushed back on the idea that statehood would be “rewarding an enemy”, arguing that both sides would benefit. She did not, however, announce any change in Australia’s position. The minister’s cautious opening of the debate has been welcomed in many corners, including by the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, which says Israel’s “policy of apartheid” is depriving Palestinians of basic rights. Others wish she would have gone further. But no amount of care could stop the Coalition from turning Wong’s moderate speech into something “downright dangerous”, claiming that Wong’s comments, which reflect growing international thinking, were about “chasing Green votes”. Does the Coalition support a two-state solution, or does it not?….”
AFTERTHOUGHT
We shouldn’t be too hard on Doc Evatt and his crew. They did not have the gift of second sight, or the benefit of the postcolonial studies that emerged 20 or so years later, and they were dealing with a world in chaos in the aftermath of WW2. The Holocaust too was very raw in people’s minds. The world was seething with displaced people. But the same milieu gave us the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, the definition of genocide and so much more.
That sent me searching for an amazing person
Repost — the amazing American Jew who was a prosecuter at Nuremberg and an ardent champion of the International Court of Justice. Also a founding figure in the definition of genocide.
What would he think today I wonder? Here he is 10 September 2016:
“I have witnessed holocausts and I cannot stop trying to deter future genocides. After Nuremberg I laid out my life plan on how you go about saving the world. People concluded ‘that man is crazy!’ But I wanted to change the way people think. You cannot kill an entrenched ideology with a gun,” said Ferencz….
“You have to teach compassion and tolerance at a young age. The rule of law must be applied universally to protect humankind universally. It’s a long-range problem, and ‘Law, not war’ is my slogan,” he said.
It has been Ferencz’s mandate ever since at the age of 27 he secured the convictions of 22 defendants, all high-ranking SS officers, in the Einsatzgruppen Case. At the time, the Associated Press called it “the biggest murder trial in history.” Thirteen of the defendants were sentenced to death for their role in murdering more than one million people…..
Repost from 2023 — this was on our ABC very recently. The amazing man who was the Prosecutor at Nuremberg, probably the first person ever to use the word “genocide”, and a champion of the International Court of Justice where in his 90s he was given the honour of summing up the very first prosecution case. Do not miss this.
A Jew born in Odessa. 1920 – 2023!
And so inspiring and instructive is all this that I won’t say more….
Yes it has death camp scenes in it….
At 99. He passed away last April at the age of 103. A witness of so much. A true inspiration.
But some things annoy this retired teacher of History
Like really batty versions of the history of Palestine in the time of Christ! I mean, having also studied Latin, and having led an Ancient History class through the relevant Julio-Claudian period, and having read among others Tacitus and Suetonius…
Bit of a clue here as to the nature of the population of Palestine in AD 70… Which does not for a moment justify the actions of the Netanyahu government or the settlement program on the West Bank or the land grabs since 1948 — but neither should we encourage some of the less likely versions of Ancient History that have been doing the rounds.
Go to Rome for yourself and gaze upon the Arch of Titus.
And we even have a blow by blow description of these events from one Flavius Josephus. Have you heard of him?
Flavius Josephus (Greek: Ἰώσηπος, Iṓsēpos; c. AD 37 – c. 100) was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing The Jewish War, he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of priestly descent and a mother who claimed royal ancestry.
He initially fought against the Roman Empire during the First Jewish–Roman War as general of the Jewish forces in Galilee, until surrendering in AD 67 to the Roman army led by military commander Vespasian after the six-week siege of Yodfat. Josephus claimed the Jewish messianic prophecies that initiated the First Jewish–Roman War made reference to Vespasian becoming Roman emperor. In response, Vespasian decided to keep him as a slave and presumably interpreter. After Vespasian became emperor in AD 69, he granted Josephus his freedom, at which time Josephus assumed the Emperor’s family name of Flavius
I have Jewish Antiquities and The Wars of the Jews in my eBook Library on Calibre.
Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, [for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done,] Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne; and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; but forall the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.
But Caesar resolved to leave there, as a guard, the tenth legion, with certain troops of horsemen, and companies of footmen. So, having entirely completed this war, he was desirous to commend his whole army, on account of the great exploits they had performed, and to bestow proper rewards on such as had signalized themselves therein. He had therefore a great tribunal made for him in the midst of the place where he had formerly encamped, and stood upon it with his principal commanders about him, and spake so as to be heard by the whole army in the manner following: That he returned them abundance of thanks for their good-will which they had showed to him: he commended them for that ready obedience they had exhibited in this whole war, which obedience had appeared in the many and great dangers which theyhad courageously undergone; as also for that courage they had shown, and had thereby augmented of themselves their country’s power, and had made it evident to all men, that neither the multitude of their enemies, nor the strength of their places, nor the largeness of their cities, nor the rash boldness and brutish rage of their antagonists, were sufficient at any time to get clear of the Roman valor, although some of them may have fortune in many respects on their side. He said further, that it was but reasonable for them to put an end to this war, now it had lasted so long, for that they had nothing better to wish for when they entered into it; and that this happened more favorably for them, and more for their glory, that all the Romans had willingly accepted of those for their governors, and the curators of their dominions, whom they had chosen for them, and had sent into their own country for that purpose, which still continued under the management of those whom they had pitched on, and were thankful to them for pitching upon them. That accordingly, although he did both admire and tenderly regard them all, because he knew that every one of them had gone as cheerfully about their work as their abilities and opportunitieswould give them leave; yet, he said, that he would immediately bestow rewards and dignities on those that had fought the most bravely, and with greater force, and had signalized their conduct in the most glorious manner, and had made his army more famous by their noble exploits; and that no one who had been willing to take more pains than another should miss of a just retribution for the same; for that he had been exceeding careful about this matter, and that the more, because he had much rather reward the virtues of his fellow soldiers than punish such as had offended.
Hereupon Titus ordered those whose business it was to read the list of all that had performed great exploits in this war, whom he called to him by their names, and commended them before the company, and rejoiced in them in the same manner as a man would have rejoiced in his own exploits. He also put on their heads crowns of gold, and golden ornaments about their necks, and gave them long spears of gold, and ensigns that were made of silver, and removed every one of them to a higher rank; and besides this, he plentifully distributed among them, out of the spoils, and the other prey they had taken, silver, andgold, and garments. So when they had all these honors bestowed on them, according to his own appointment made to every one, and he had wished all sorts of happiness to the whole army, he came down, among the great acclamations which were made to him, and then betook himself to offer thank-offerings [to the gods], and at once sacrificed a vast number of oxen, that stood ready at the altars, and distributed them among the army to feast on. And when he had staid three days among the principal commanders, and so long feasted with them, he sent away the rest of his army to the several places where they would be every one best situated; but permitted the tenth legion to stay, as a guard at Jerusalem, and did not send them away beyond Euphrates, where they had been before. And as he remembered that the twelfth legion had given way to the Jews, under Cestius their general, he expelled them out of all Syria, for they had lain formerly at Raphanea, and sent them away to a place called Meletine, near Euphrates, which is in the limits of Armenia and Cappadocia; he also thought fit that two of the legions should stay with him till he should go to Egypt.
Josephus “The Wars of the Jews” Book VII Chapter 1
Written by someone actually around at the time!
Then of course with Easter coming up we might look at the Gospel of Mark.
So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort. 15:17 They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 15:18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 15:19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him. 15:20 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purplecloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
15:21 The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus). 15:22 They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”). 15:23 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 15:24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take. 15:25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 15:26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.” 15:27 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left. 15:29 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 15:30 save yourself and come down from the cross!” 15:31 In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law – were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.
Mark 15
Mark is usually dated through the eschatological discourse in Mark 13, which scholars interpret as pointing to the First Jewish–Roman War (66–74 AD)—a war that led to the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. This would place the composition of Mark either immediately after the destruction or during the years immediately prior. — Wikipedia (and just about every reputable New Testament scholar!)
The point being that it is pretty bloody obvious what the culture was in Palestine/Judaea in the Roman period, despite the historical revisonists that abound these days.
Then there are the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Was Jesus a Palestinian?
He was not, but there is a legitimate case for saying that he is!
As a Palestinian Christian, I am proud to be a descendant of the world’s most ancient Christian community. My pride transcends the mere fact of belonging; it is rooted in the cultural legacy and global impact that our community has bestowed upon the world through nurturing and shaping Christianity from its earliest days until now. But this pride carries with it a solemn responsibility: I must be committed to preserving the integrity and values of this cultural and religious heritage, indigenous to my homeland, from being misappropriated to justify oppression, whether mine or someone else’s.
This is why I wear a shirt emblazoned with “Jesus is Palestinian” at protests I attend across the globe. My reason for wearing this shirt is beyond its provocative statement; it is a deliberate act of claiming Jesus as my ancestor to reclaim his identity as a Jewish subject under Roman occupation in first century Palestine. As a Palestinian in the United States, I know this assertion is a challenge to Christian hegemony, serving as a powerful reminder that Jesus was a disenfranchised imperial subject. For Palestinians like myself, Jesus is not only a historical or religious figure; he is a testament to our enduring heritage — an ancestor symbolizing both our deep roots and our ongoing struggle for justice and liberation.
But some Christians bristle at the assertion that Jesus is Palestinian. Why?…
Sojo.net
One can indeed also say legitimately that Jesus is Ukrainian, or Koori, or Native American…. Mosarssa is not here using the language of the historian.
In the second of his two brilliant and detailed posts Juan Cole says:
While genetic history is working itself into various forms of nationalism, I wish it wouldn’t. For one thing, human beings just aren’t that different from one another, even if they carry distinctive haplotypes. Haplotypes are “a set of DNA variants along a single chromosome that tend to be inherited together.” But humans are always evolving and intermarrying, and haplotypes come and go. Some really old human DNA has yielded haplotypes that don’t seem even to exist any more. We all have diverse ancestries, most of which can no longer be traced.
But the reverse is also true. Naive nationalists misuse genealogical history to exclude and demonize. Some Jewish nationalists or Zionists seem to really mind the scientific finding that today’s Palestinians and other Levantine Arabs show strong genetic continuity with the Canaanites. This dismay derives from the Canaanite city-states and small kingdoms having preceded Israel in history, such that they have a stronger claim on being indigenous. If Palestinians are the descendants of the Canaanites, do they have a superior claim on today’s Israel/Palestine?
Sure, if haplotypes were all that mattered. They aren’t. Human beings today have individual rights, incorporated into treaty law via UN instruments. Palestinians and Israelis both have a Canaanite heritage. That is irrelevant to their present-day human rights. Both should have the right to basic human freedoms, to citizenship in a state, to their own property and livelihoods and to self-fulfilment. Both should be able to live free of violence. These basic rights matter more than from whom they are descended or where their ancestors used to live.
#Strongwomen. "I write about the power of trying, because I want to be okay with failing. I write about generosity because I battle selfishness. I write about joy because I know sorrow. I write about faith because I almost lost mine, and I know what it is to be broken and in need of redemption. I write about gratitude because I am thankful - for all of it." Kristin Armstrong
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