Recommendations for a positive path forward for Israel are enormously important, but what is the likelihood that the Israel of today is willing to follow or even listen to them?
We here in the US suffer from a surplus of closed minds. For example, there is no point in trying to talk sense to Trump, he simply doesn't have the mental capacity for serious discussions. His mind is clearly going and he drifts off in mid-presentation to boast about his ballroom, arch, or some other nonsense. His followers and not what I would call good listeners and the Republican Party can't respond sensibly when they are spending all they time groveling at the feet of Trump. Still, from what I have heard on your Substacks, the overall population of the US is nowhere near as extreme as the majority of Israeli's now seem to be. Mr. Bartov spoke so rationally about antisemitism. Victimhood plays such a massive role in Israel and on the American right. The past is too heavy a burden to carry around every day and allow it to shape one's current world without relief.
Debra: NO! Not Trita Parsi. I just finished watching two discussions including Trita. The first was truly excellent. He appeared with John Mearsheimer and the back and forth between the two was superb. I look forward to seeing more of him, although I expect there will probably be repetition. Maybe you'll ask different questions. The pressure is on.
That said, Trita Parsi is an excellent guest and a great source of information.
Debra, you have consistently had the highest quality of guests of any Substack I subscribe to. The diversity has been exceptional. Thank you.
The density of content in your Substacks is what sets them apart. Others I subscribe to generally don't equal yours and certainly don't surpass them, even though some are truly excellent in their own right.
I finally received "Modernity and the Holocaust," but now I am inclined to read "Israel: What Went Wrong" first. I ordered it as an e-book, so it arrived immediately. I just finished another book and had expected to begin "Modernity...," but while it seems no less interesting than it did when I first heard about and ordered it, given what is happening in the Middle East right now, Mr. Omer's book seems to be more urgent. So much to read; so little time.
To the host. Why don't you show concern that the most genocidal regime in history possesses undeclared Nuclear weapons and no one questions that? Your hypocrisy is astounding
I am grateful for this conversation. Trita Parsi is amazing, and important voice of clarity and analysis. Thank you for this video DS and your essential and important questions.
My feeling all along has been that Trump talks about winning but he is asking (daring) to be taken down by us and now by the world. Through fear and forcefulness, conning, false cunning, the weakness of others, he got himself and us to this point. He shows such hubris and chutzpah in his bubble- at least pretending he does not get the reality.
That says a lot about us and about our democracy. It says a lot about world powers especially in the West/ Europe. A year and a half on of this we can see it just beginning to crumble for Trump. The cost of Trump is enormous and looks like will be more coming.But I guess it had to be taken to the world stage because we can't deal with it to impeach yet here at home.
Heather Cox Richardson in her recent Chat/Explainer on Youtube tells the history of how the Republicans started to move us towards a one party country decades ago. Most of us were oblivious it seems. Trump steps in and completes (or tries to) the job. We are waking up to the pain of losing our country piece by piece.
Now Trump backed himself into this corner, and took all of us with him. He is taking us down with him.
Maybe we need it to rededicate ourselves anew.
Trump vis a vis Jews- cares not a whit for them as a people. He uses them. They (SOME) use him here at home and with re Israel. Netanyahu and his coalition, their approach pushing for dominance, suits Trump. He has to dominate.
The NYTimes today 5/3/26 features front page photos of the before and after the destruction, the "grubblization" of southern Lebanon with Gaza as a template. Shame on us, shame on Israel.
We have been a Sparta in the world. Israel has become quite a Sparta. We and they will pay, are paying. We are being taken down in the eyes of the world. This is brought on by Trump as he is reaching his endpoint.. the finale. Iran maybe showing us all by surviving this and demanding terms, by becoming stronger. Ukraine is showing us that too. (What a slog it is!)
------
Trump & Co/the Republican Party blew right past the 60 day mark...so far. Republicans allowed it.. so far. The lawlessness of this regime is its feature. They make up their own version of law as they go because they are allowed.
Are we reaching a tipping point? Hoping. Thank you very much.
Sorry Debra. And I only watched the first couple of minutes so far. But don't think you should be describing Trita Parasi as at the Quincy Institute without describing what the Quincy Institute is. OR also noting that Trita Parsi was the founder and long-time head of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). And what NIAC is and what NIAC's agenda is.
No inuendos Debra! You obviously know what NIAC are. You know what the Quincy Institute are. And you know what Trita Parsi is. Obviously they’re entitled to their views as much as I am. But it’s a clear perspective. But you wouldn’t have say me on as your guest speaking about Israel or Iran - and not mention my ties to AIPAC or the agenda (promoting the US—Israel relations) And I was just a relative peon at AIPAC compared to the leadership roles Parsi had/has at those two organizations.
FYI..I am familiar with some of what has been promoted by the Quincy Institute with regard to other issues... including Ukraine. I do not agree entirely with some points of view that I have read. Regardless they have value and are worthwhile.
Trita Parsi in my opinion is exceptional in his knowledge and analysis and I read/listen to what he says anywhere he appears because this views are very valuable and solid- unlike you will find elsewhere. Lately he has shared his views in several venues. He is excellent. I would not cut him short or avoid him because of a difference with anyone else at Quincy or the Institute.
Fair points. Except I didn’t suggest Trita Parsi shouldn’t/couldn’t be a guest of Debra Shushan - or anywhere else. (I obviously don’t have a veto.) But I was suggesting that his former “affiliation” with NIAC should at least be noted. It might not be feasible in the interview format to call him out on some of his statements regarding Israel…
Thank you Dr Shushan for another illuminating conversation and I also appreciate hearing your ideas at the end of the podcast.
Thanks so much, Mary!
Thank you for this conversation. Great guest, I learned a lot. Will check out Trita’s Substack.
“ favor to humanity”😂
He’s not wrong!
Recommendations for a positive path forward for Israel are enormously important, but what is the likelihood that the Israel of today is willing to follow or even listen to them?
We here in the US suffer from a surplus of closed minds. For example, there is no point in trying to talk sense to Trump, he simply doesn't have the mental capacity for serious discussions. His mind is clearly going and he drifts off in mid-presentation to boast about his ballroom, arch, or some other nonsense. His followers and not what I would call good listeners and the Republican Party can't respond sensibly when they are spending all they time groveling at the feet of Trump. Still, from what I have heard on your Substacks, the overall population of the US is nowhere near as extreme as the majority of Israeli's now seem to be. Mr. Bartov spoke so rationally about antisemitism. Victimhood plays such a massive role in Israel and on the American right. The past is too heavy a burden to carry around every day and allow it to shape one's current world without relief.
Debra: NO! Not Trita Parsi. I just finished watching two discussions including Trita. The first was truly excellent. He appeared with John Mearsheimer and the back and forth between the two was superb. I look forward to seeing more of him, although I expect there will probably be repetition. Maybe you'll ask different questions. The pressure is on.
That said, Trita Parsi is an excellent guest and a great source of information.
Debra, you have consistently had the highest quality of guests of any Substack I subscribe to. The diversity has been exceptional. Thank you.
The density of content in your Substacks is what sets them apart. Others I subscribe to generally don't equal yours and certainly don't surpass them, even though some are truly excellent in their own right.
I finally received "Modernity and the Holocaust," but now I am inclined to read "Israel: What Went Wrong" first. I ordered it as an e-book, so it arrived immediately. I just finished another book and had expected to begin "Modernity...," but while it seems no less interesting than it did when I first heard about and ordered it, given what is happening in the Middle East right now, Mr. Omer's book seems to be more urgent. So much to read; so little time.
Iran will now try harder to get a nuclear weapon because otherwise they get bombed
Iran gaining a nuclear weapon isn’t worth all of this .
testing
To the host. Why don't you show concern that the most genocidal regime in history possesses undeclared Nuclear weapons and no one questions that? Your hypocrisy is astounding
I am grateful for this conversation. Trita Parsi is amazing, and important voice of clarity and analysis. Thank you for this video DS and your essential and important questions.
My feeling all along has been that Trump talks about winning but he is asking (daring) to be taken down by us and now by the world. Through fear and forcefulness, conning, false cunning, the weakness of others, he got himself and us to this point. He shows such hubris and chutzpah in his bubble- at least pretending he does not get the reality.
That says a lot about us and about our democracy. It says a lot about world powers especially in the West/ Europe. A year and a half on of this we can see it just beginning to crumble for Trump. The cost of Trump is enormous and looks like will be more coming.But I guess it had to be taken to the world stage because we can't deal with it to impeach yet here at home.
Heather Cox Richardson in her recent Chat/Explainer on Youtube tells the history of how the Republicans started to move us towards a one party country decades ago. Most of us were oblivious it seems. Trump steps in and completes (or tries to) the job. We are waking up to the pain of losing our country piece by piece.
Now Trump backed himself into this corner, and took all of us with him. He is taking us down with him.
Maybe we need it to rededicate ourselves anew.
Trump vis a vis Jews- cares not a whit for them as a people. He uses them. They (SOME) use him here at home and with re Israel. Netanyahu and his coalition, their approach pushing for dominance, suits Trump. He has to dominate.
The NYTimes today 5/3/26 features front page photos of the before and after the destruction, the "grubblization" of southern Lebanon with Gaza as a template. Shame on us, shame on Israel.
We have been a Sparta in the world. Israel has become quite a Sparta. We and they will pay, are paying. We are being taken down in the eyes of the world. This is brought on by Trump as he is reaching his endpoint.. the finale. Iran maybe showing us all by surviving this and demanding terms, by becoming stronger. Ukraine is showing us that too. (What a slog it is!)
------
Trump & Co/the Republican Party blew right past the 60 day mark...so far. Republicans allowed it.. so far. The lawlessness of this regime is its feature. They make up their own version of law as they go because they are allowed.
Are we reaching a tipping point? Hoping. Thank you very much.
Sorry Debra. And I only watched the first couple of minutes so far. But don't think you should be describing Trita Parasi as at the Quincy Institute without describing what the Quincy Institute is. OR also noting that Trita Parsi was the founder and long-time head of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). And what NIAC is and what NIAC's agenda is.
If you have issues with QI and NIAC, Michael, I recommend stating and substantiating them rather than engaging in innuendo about them.
No inuendos Debra! You obviously know what NIAC are. You know what the Quincy Institute are. And you know what Trita Parsi is. Obviously they’re entitled to their views as much as I am. But it’s a clear perspective. But you wouldn’t have say me on as your guest speaking about Israel or Iran - and not mention my ties to AIPAC or the agenda (promoting the US—Israel relations) And I was just a relative peon at AIPAC compared to the leadership roles Parsi had/has at those two organizations.
FYI..I am familiar with some of what has been promoted by the Quincy Institute with regard to other issues... including Ukraine. I do not agree entirely with some points of view that I have read. Regardless they have value and are worthwhile.
Trita Parsi in my opinion is exceptional in his knowledge and analysis and I read/listen to what he says anywhere he appears because this views are very valuable and solid- unlike you will find elsewhere. Lately he has shared his views in several venues. He is excellent. I would not cut him short or avoid him because of a difference with anyone else at Quincy or the Institute.
Fair points. Except I didn’t suggest Trita Parsi shouldn’t/couldn’t be a guest of Debra Shushan - or anywhere else. (I obviously don’t have a veto.) But I was suggesting that his former “affiliation” with NIAC should at least be noted. It might not be feasible in the interview format to call him out on some of his statements regarding Israel…
What statements are you referring to ?