One cannot do this complex topic justice in a few pages, so I publish it as a series of articles. My initial observations as I embark on this potentially controversial series:
- The public discourse on Palestine is highly acrimonious and polarized, to the extent that rational discourse seems virtually impossible
- Despite the strong passionate views people have, most seem to have very little historical perspective
- It remains concerning to what extent both public opinion and government policies alike are driven by well-established but unexamined narratives.
I want to lead into this series by sharing 11 carefully selected quotes, which I regard as highly relevant for a critical historical investigation like this. It is worthwhile reflecting on these quotes up-front, and again as we revisit them during the series:


I am painfully aware of this pearl of wisdom from George Monbiot. Be that as it may, I still have hope (maybe naively) that this series could make some difference. May I suggest you ask yourself 3 questions at the outset:
- Do you regard yourself as a critical thinker?
- How did you investigate any of the narratives you were raised with or are bombarded with constantly?
- Do you think these core narratives inluence the way you look at historical Palestine and its news coverage?
Series Table of Content and Publishing Schedule
Date3306_4451dd-99> |
Ep No3306_1ba2cd-18> |
Episode Title3306_9ab8e6-a3> |
Published?3306_d09401-13> |
31 Jan 3306_0bc574-50> | 3306_4ce692-c7> |
Episode 1 – A Proposed Multi-Layered Model of the Zionist Narrative 3306_2c819e-01> | 3306_86ca91-c3> |
31 Jan 3306_a3d0cf-d5> | 3306_01722a-a9> |
Episode 2 – The Rise and Fall of the Israelites and their Kingdoms during the Bronze and Iron Ages 3306_bfa5c6-4f> | 3306_61d538-48> |
14 Feb 3306_cf5585-75> |
S1E03 3306_97313b-ff> |
Episode 3 – From Assyrian Rule to Civil War in the Hasmonean Kingdom (722 to 63 BCE) 3306_61ca02-f3> | 3306_81ce9a-e9> |
28 Feb 3306_a060dc-21> |
S1E04 3306_d75012-4b> |
Episode 4 – Roman and Christian Rule, Proselytism and Ethnicity (63 BCE to 638 CE) 3306_352ed7-b0> | 3306_a08cfd-a9> |
21 Mar 3306_47386d-22> |
S1E05 3306_b61052-f2> |
Episode 5 – Muslim Rule and the Crusades (638 CE to 1917) 3306_a0da54-c8> | 3306_572a73-64> |
4 Apr 3306_b5c2bd-c6> |
S1E06 3306_8aa407-dd> |
Episode 6 – Jewish Communities in Europe: From the Middle Ages to the Rise of the Nation-State 3306_1ec8e0-c3> | 3306_d36244-4a> |
18 Apr 3306_a01366-c7> |
S1E07 3306_92f7aa-18> |
Episode 7 – Intellectual Roots: The Rise of Antisemitism, Christian Zionism, Zionism and Religious Zionism 3306_07327e-d7> | 3306_15b6cf-1e> |
2 May 3306_2181ac-8f> |
S1E08 3306_481ba7-c6> |
Episode 8 – The Arrival of Orthodox Russians and the First Zionists in Palestine, WWI, and the end of the Ottoman Empire 3306_ffbc46-55> | 3306_18cf9f-4a> |
23 May 3306_f2bc68-a6> |
S1E09 3306_ab4d72-f5> |
Episode 9 – The First 16 Years of the Palestine Mandate (1920 to 1936) 3306_9c6be2-fc> | 3306_8a339f-1c> |
6 Jun 3306_288266-31> |
S1E10 3306_70d9eb-43> |
Episode 10 – The Last 12 Years of the Palestine Mandate, including WWII (1936 to 1948) 3306_9940db-be> | 3306_cf9e4f-5b> |
20 Jun 3306_f3bba8-52> |
S1E11 3306_310d8d-de> |
Episode 11 – The UN and Resolution 181 (1946 to 1947) 3306_6137f9-08> | 3306_523025-4c> |
4 Jul 3306_346f9e-c0> |
S1E12 3306_9f1a3d-0b> |
Episode 12 – The Start of the Nakba (10 Dec 1947 to 14 May 1948) 3306_6b3d1d-f7> | 3306_33a2a1-2e> |
18 Jul 3306_7ed96b-6b> |
S1E13 3306_2dd3f0-b4> |
Episode 13 – The Birth of Israel, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the Continuation of the Nakba (1948 to 1952) 3306_0b8dbb-42> | 3306_fa6c96-fa> |
1 Aug 3306_2d37ed-b6> |
S1E14 3306_2eb85e-93> |
Episode 14 – From the PLO to Hamas, and from Secularism to Islamism to Jihad (1964 to 1993) 3306_fa5bc3-1b> | 3306_0508a7-31> |
15 Aug 3306_a00a69-ed> |
S1E15 3306_fea4cb-86> |
Episode 15 – From the Oslo Accords to the Split between the West Bank and Gaza (1993 to 2009) 3306_68c15d-02> | 3306_bb890c-c2> |
29 Aug 3306_b63025-fd> |
S1E16 3306_3b56ea-8d> |
Episode 16 – Back to the Present (2009 to 2023) 3306_14838b-74> | 3306_5bdd80-4c> |
12 Sep 3306_8f0266-31> |
S1E17 3306_85c64d-6f> |
Episode 17 – 7 Oct 2023 and its Aftermath (2023 to 2024) 3306_0edd6b-81> | 3306_39949e-24> |
7 Oct 3306_921535-3b> |
S1E18 3306_f0f914-7e> |
Episode 18 – A Critical Secular Perspective on Palestine and Zionism 3306_0bdb7b-bb> | 3306_a5b687-67> |
7 Oct 3306_8ff7c1-2a> |
S1E19 3306_6e68ea-a5> |
Episode 19 – Appendix A: Settler Colonialism – Personal Experience in Apartheid South Africa 3306_8b0e3f-06> | 3306_114ab3-9b> |
7 Oct 3306_5b0223-32> |
S1E20 3306_1c4ab9-95> |
Episode 20 – Appendix B: Notable Voices 3306_a08606-6e> | 3306_848834-37> |