Hi everyone. I am working on throwing together a podcast about the ongoing crisis in Israel/Gaza. I don’t want to fly off the handle or get loose with the facts, so give me a day or two. In the meantime, I thought I’d share a book list for those of you who would like to read up on the issue for yourself. This list is obviously far from exhaustive - it contains maybe 10% of the books I read for Fear & Loathing - and I won’t even claim it’s representative… Basically I just perused my bookshelf and pulled down a stack I thought you’d be interested in.
So weird that I finished Fear and Loathing last week. As others have commented, it sure makes this bullshit even more depressing. Thanks, Darryl, for making me even more unpopular among my libertarian and conservative friends.
Ironically, even the act of listening to Fear and Loathing has made me unpopular among my hyper-liberal friends. One even broke up with me. Despite this, I'm incredibly thankful for your enormous effort to tell a complicated history, Darryl, and your dedication to nuance.
Since listening to your podcast on the background of this conflict, I look at what just happened with completely different eyes than I did just a couple of years ago.
Thanks for these! Now would also be a good time to update the Administration of savagery episode, with the story of the Yom Kippur war that you forgot to include the first time around.
Darryl, not knowing Israeli law,I’m wondering. Does Israel have an armed populace similar to America? I’m guessing no,but don’t know for sure. I’ve seen video of hamas militants breaking into houses and killing and kidnapping. Think to myself how dangerous that would be for them if trust tried that in America. I know for certain they wouldn’t break in unscathed into my residence same for millions of other Americans. Just another good reason for us in this country to protect 2A at all costs. If all their civilians would have been armed I picture that going a lot different for hamas.
Ah I came in to ask the exact same question. Bummed that no one has answered. It’s akin to us living 3km away from the Taliban and not being armed. I’m thoroughly confused why more Israelis aren’t rocking at the very least shotguns at home when people who want them dead are a matter of minutes of walking distance away. I’m probably missing something obvious here but not sure what it is.
Yeah man I don’t get why civilians aren’t armed to the teeth. From what I’ve garnered in the past month, there’s an implicit understanding that the IDF will protect the civilians, but that obviously didn’t happen. There are some isolated accounts of Israelis fighting back, but their home defense firearms are next to nothing so I still don’t get that
This is an excellent list. I can especially attest to Segev's One Palestine Complete; got that recommended straight from Darryl a while back and it's served me well in my own research. There's a lot of general history in here I'll probably dive into at some point, but my own focus these last few years has pretty much stayed on Hajj Amin al-Husseini.
On a side note, since al-Husseini is probably the most infamous (and at this point I'd argue nefarious) figures in the Palestinian nationalist movement's history, I recommend anyone interested in the work out there that looks at a lot of this history in the context of al-Husseini's life, check out some other really good monographs. These include Philip Mattar's The Mufti of Jerusalem, Zvi Elpeleg's The Grand Mufti, Klaus Gensicke's The Mufti of Jerusalem and the Nazis - The Berlin Years, and Gilbert Achcar's The Arabs and the Holocaust. Al-Husseini's own writings from the 1950s also provide a very clear picture of where his mind was at following the war and the formation of Israel. I just wish his memoirs would be translated into English at some point.
In any event, thanks for this list and forthcoming thoughts. Much as I personally find Hamas to be deserving of nothing less than, well, what they're getting, I appreciate the nuance you've been bringing to the picture.
Daryl. You had a tweet earlier today replying to Dave Rubin. I couldn’t be a bigger fan of yours. I honestly consider you brilliant. You helped me see things about the Palestinians I had not previously seen. But, you lost me today (not permanently, just today), when you dismissed the question about Gaza. As you asked in your Fear and Loathing series, “what would you do if your were the European Jews before WWI, before WWII, and after WWII?”
What would you propose the response of Israel should be right now to the acts of Hamas?
If I was the Israeli Prime Minister, I'd make Netanyahu look like Ghandi. There really is no other choice than massive retaliation after something like this.
What Hamas did this weekend did this weekend is what Nazis did in the Holocaust. Geopolitics especially in the Middle East is complicated, condemning the murder of babies and the raping of young women is not.
Also curious what the appropriate level of response would be in DC’s estimation. Israel is in a no win position, nothing isn’t an option, scorched earth makes you look like the bad guy.
With pro-palestine rallys across the globe already, do you lean into being the bad guy? Downside is, lot of innocent people die.
That is the always present challenge with deciding on a response. The innocents caught in the crossfire. They will always be there, how do you minimize it? Is that cost worth "leaning into being the bad guy"?
Sometimes that's necessary, you have to pick a side and do what is necessary, but in this situation, what is that? and with the amazingly good intel of the Mossad, how was Israel seemingly so caught off guard (or were they)?
Saul Alinsky wrote that in asymmetric operations "the real action is in the reaction of the opposition"
Unfortunately, there is really no other option than to go scorched earth, but that is exactly what Hamas wants. Just like when bin Laden lured the US into a 20 year war in Afghanistan.
The problem I see is how many of Israel's mouthpieces are outright flippant about Palestinian casualties. Someone with Cooper's mindset I would forgive far more from than the ones carrying it out right now with such a cavalier attitude.
My introduction to your work was the "Fear & Loathing In New Jerusalem" series. Easily the best piece of work on the Arab-Jewish conflict I have ever heard. It took me a few years to get through because I would listen on long flights since the episodes are so long. I recommend your podcast to anyone curious about Israel and the ongoing conflict.
I remember being shocked when I heard about the King David hotel bombing and death march on Lydda and Ramle. I felt almost betrayed and angry for never being told about these in history class growing up. Anyways, great work on this topic. I consider you the foremost expert and you have the receipts to prove it.
As always, I wait patiently for your take on these events in the upcoming podcast! I have become the most unpopular person amongst my friends with the truths seldom told... and proud to be alienated for the time being, until the smooth brains figure out this is a multifaceted issue that runs much deeper than MSM sheeple believe! I thank you DC
Hi Darryl, when I listened to Fear and Loathing I was interested in which source provided you with the details of how the UN partition resolution was passed. The threats and coercion that ultimately tipped the scales.
And thanks for this list. I will certainly check out some of these books.
I've long hoped for a book list for this series, thanks Darryl. One book you referenced, I tried searching for online but had no luck - you referred to it when describing what life was like before the early Zionists went to Israel, the way the Arabs lived and farmed, the relations between Arabs and Israelis. I think the author first name was maybe Avram?
After listening to you series on this topic, there's something comically tragic about seeing all these anti-immigration border hawks rally behind Israel.
Fear and Loathing convinced me that the Zionists took Israel by evil means and set up a race based nation. I don’t see how they deserve any support when this was done in the 1900s.
Yes, so tear down Gaza’s walls and help the people out. Right? Instead they keep making the Palestinians situation worse, allowing settlers to expand territory, and electing extreme Zionist leaders. So... cut from the same cloth
I lose sympathy for Zionists after 1948. I can forgive that some of a population might spontaneously form terror networks, but when you start electing the leaders of those groups to high office...
So weird that I finished Fear and Loathing last week. As others have commented, it sure makes this bullshit even more depressing. Thanks, Darryl, for making me even more unpopular among my libertarian and conservative friends.
Welcome to the club
Ironically, even the act of listening to Fear and Loathing has made me unpopular among my hyper-liberal friends. One even broke up with me. Despite this, I'm incredibly thankful for your enormous effort to tell a complicated history, Darryl, and your dedication to nuance.
I'm sorry Emily. It's ridiculous that politics can torpedo friendships, but here we are.
Since listening to your podcast on the background of this conflict, I look at what just happened with completely different eyes than I did just a couple of years ago.
Same.
For the love of GOD, please name this episode "Big Trouble in Little Gaza"
Thanks for these! Now would also be a good time to update the Administration of savagery episode, with the story of the Yom Kippur war that you forgot to include the first time around.
Haha you guys are (justifiably) never going to let me live that one down.
You’ve created monsters lol
You should do a podcast on Israel/Palestine.
Hey good idea...
any chance you and jocko will release an unraveling episode about what's going on?
Darryl, not knowing Israeli law,I’m wondering. Does Israel have an armed populace similar to America? I’m guessing no,but don’t know for sure. I’ve seen video of hamas militants breaking into houses and killing and kidnapping. Think to myself how dangerous that would be for them if trust tried that in America. I know for certain they wouldn’t break in unscathed into my residence same for millions of other Americans. Just another good reason for us in this country to protect 2A at all costs. If all their civilians would have been armed I picture that going a lot different for hamas.
From what I just saw, it sounds like they are updating their laws to be more like our 2A based on these attacks.
https://thefederalist.com/2023/10/09/israel-loosens-strict-gun-control-laws-to-arm-as-many-citizens-as-possible/
Ah I came in to ask the exact same question. Bummed that no one has answered. It’s akin to us living 3km away from the Taliban and not being armed. I’m thoroughly confused why more Israelis aren’t rocking at the very least shotguns at home when people who want them dead are a matter of minutes of walking distance away. I’m probably missing something obvious here but not sure what it is.
You would think the Jews, out of everybody, would understand why it's not good if the government are the only ones with the guns.
Yeah man I don’t get why civilians aren’t armed to the teeth. From what I’ve garnered in the past month, there’s an implicit understanding that the IDF will protect the civilians, but that obviously didn’t happen. There are some isolated accounts of Israelis fighting back, but their home defense firearms are next to nothing so I still don’t get that
Can only own one pistol, limited to purchase 100 rounds per year. But hey, they upped it from fifty!
Israel has very strict gun laws. If you're not in the military or working in security you cannot get a gun permit.
That was his first series, fear and loathing in the new Jerusalem.
This is an excellent list. I can especially attest to Segev's One Palestine Complete; got that recommended straight from Darryl a while back and it's served me well in my own research. There's a lot of general history in here I'll probably dive into at some point, but my own focus these last few years has pretty much stayed on Hajj Amin al-Husseini.
On a side note, since al-Husseini is probably the most infamous (and at this point I'd argue nefarious) figures in the Palestinian nationalist movement's history, I recommend anyone interested in the work out there that looks at a lot of this history in the context of al-Husseini's life, check out some other really good monographs. These include Philip Mattar's The Mufti of Jerusalem, Zvi Elpeleg's The Grand Mufti, Klaus Gensicke's The Mufti of Jerusalem and the Nazis - The Berlin Years, and Gilbert Achcar's The Arabs and the Holocaust. Al-Husseini's own writings from the 1950s also provide a very clear picture of where his mind was at following the war and the formation of Israel. I just wish his memoirs would be translated into English at some point.
In any event, thanks for this list and forthcoming thoughts. Much as I personally find Hamas to be deserving of nothing less than, well, what they're getting, I appreciate the nuance you've been bringing to the picture.
Your episodes on the Balkans are the best I've heard on that topic.
Daryl. You had a tweet earlier today replying to Dave Rubin. I couldn’t be a bigger fan of yours. I honestly consider you brilliant. You helped me see things about the Palestinians I had not previously seen. But, you lost me today (not permanently, just today), when you dismissed the question about Gaza. As you asked in your Fear and Loathing series, “what would you do if your were the European Jews before WWI, before WWII, and after WWII?”
What would you propose the response of Israel should be right now to the acts of Hamas?
If I was the Israeli Prime Minister, I'd make Netanyahu look like Ghandi. There really is no other choice than massive retaliation after something like this.
What Hamas did this weekend did this weekend is what Nazis did in the Holocaust. Geopolitics especially in the Middle East is complicated, condemning the murder of babies and the raping of young women is not.
Sorry. To be clear, are you suggesting Netanyahu should respond with non-violent protest?
He’s saying he would scorch earth the entire Gaza Strip, and that Netanyahu will do something less than that.
No he's saying he would be far more ruthless than Bibi.
Got it. Makes sense.
Also curious what the appropriate level of response would be in DC’s estimation. Israel is in a no win position, nothing isn’t an option, scorched earth makes you look like the bad guy.
With pro-palestine rallys across the globe already, do you lean into being the bad guy? Downside is, lot of innocent people die.
“Will to kill and the will to die.”
That is the always present challenge with deciding on a response. The innocents caught in the crossfire. They will always be there, how do you minimize it? Is that cost worth "leaning into being the bad guy"?
Sometimes that's necessary, you have to pick a side and do what is necessary, but in this situation, what is that? and with the amazingly good intel of the Mossad, how was Israel seemingly so caught off guard (or were they)?
We will not know for 20-30 years if and what they knew.
Just found this Hamas “promo” video. Suicide drones. Wild. https://twitter.com/WarMonitors/status/1710998401356071238/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1710998401356071238¤tTweetUser=WarMonitors&mode=profile
Saul Alinsky wrote that in asymmetric operations "the real action is in the reaction of the opposition"
Unfortunately, there is really no other option than to go scorched earth, but that is exactly what Hamas wants. Just like when bin Laden lured the US into a 20 year war in Afghanistan.
The problem I see is how many of Israel's mouthpieces are outright flippant about Palestinian casualties. Someone with Cooper's mindset I would forgive far more from than the ones carrying it out right now with such a cavalier attitude.
My introduction to your work was the "Fear & Loathing In New Jerusalem" series. Easily the best piece of work on the Arab-Jewish conflict I have ever heard. It took me a few years to get through because I would listen on long flights since the episodes are so long. I recommend your podcast to anyone curious about Israel and the ongoing conflict.
I remember being shocked when I heard about the King David hotel bombing and death march on Lydda and Ramle. I felt almost betrayed and angry for never being told about these in history class growing up. Anyways, great work on this topic. I consider you the foremost expert and you have the receipts to prove it.
Now listen to the Ukraine story.
Thank you! Fear and Loathing is still my favorite thing you’ve ever done
I was literally just looking for this.
Thank you.
Britain is the fucking worst lol
They really are. Makes me wonder how much of American Francophonia is a psyop courtesy of Perfidious Albion.
*Francophobia*
As always, I wait patiently for your take on these events in the upcoming podcast! I have become the most unpopular person amongst my friends with the truths seldom told... and proud to be alienated for the time being, until the smooth brains figure out this is a multifaceted issue that runs much deeper than MSM sheeple believe! I thank you DC
It's amazing how so many hate to admit that it's much more complicated than "this guy good, that guy bad"?
I typically get a lot of side eye from family and friends when middle eastern affairs come up for the same reasons
Try bringing up anything slightly sympathetic to Russia.
Hi Darryl, when I listened to Fear and Loathing I was interested in which source provided you with the details of how the UN partition resolution was passed. The threats and coercion that ultimately tipped the scales.
And thanks for this list. I will certainly check out some of these books.
I've long hoped for a book list for this series, thanks Darryl. One book you referenced, I tried searching for online but had no luck - you referred to it when describing what life was like before the early Zionists went to Israel, the way the Arabs lived and farmed, the relations between Arabs and Israelis. I think the author first name was maybe Avram?
I'll try to remember and get back to you.
Thanks Darryl!
After listening to you series on this topic, there's something comically tragic about seeing all these anti-immigration border hawks rally behind Israel.
Fear and Loathing convinced me that the Zionists took Israel by evil means and set up a race based nation. I don’t see how they deserve any support when this was done in the 1900s.
The people who live there today inherited the situation, though.
Yes, so tear down Gaza’s walls and help the people out. Right? Instead they keep making the Palestinians situation worse, allowing settlers to expand territory, and electing extreme Zionist leaders. So... cut from the same cloth
Netanyahu says “we didn’t want this war, but we will finish it”. Come on; we all know he has been salivating for exactly this opportunity
I lose sympathy for Zionists after 1948. I can forgive that some of a population might spontaneously form terror networks, but when you start electing the leaders of those groups to high office...