“I was radicalized in the archives” - Prof. Avi Shlaim.

Have you ever wondered how an Oxford Professor of International Relations, pioneering scholar of Israel/Palestine and member of the Israeli ‘New Historians’, developed his complex political voice? In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Avi Shlaim, author of the seminal work The Iron Wall.

We delve into Avi's identity as an Arab-Jew—born to a Jewish family in Iraq and later immigrating to Israel—and his groundbreaking critical analysis of archival documents that challenged long-held narratives about Israel.

This episode unpacks pressing and provocative questions surrounding Israel/Palestine:

• Can one be both Arab and Jewish in today's political climate?

• What does the abrupt exodus of over 100,000 Iraqi Jews in 1951 reveal about centuries of coexistence?

• Is Zionism inherently a European ideology, and what does this mean for non-European Jews?

In this episode, Shlaim offers a thought-provoking viewpoint informed by his lived experience and decades of scholarship. He also shares a hopeful vision of how a past of Arab-Jewish coexistence might illuminate a path forward for the region.

So dare to listen, and discover the voice of one of the most influential scholars of Israel/Palestine!

Logo design by Bertus Dokter

Music: 'Speechless' by EduardBykovets

*Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast producers.