Grant Smith discusses the Israeli government’s occupation of Palestine and its treatment of the Palestinians. There seems to be growing recognition that Israel is presiding over a form of apartheid, including a 2017 UN report attesting to that fact, and a small plurality of Americans, according to a recent survey, who believe America should cut aid to Israel over human rights abuses. But Smith also recognizes that government policies here and abroad often follow a “ratchet” effect—that is, small changes can be made pretty easily in one direction, but almost never get rolled back once instituted. And the trend in recent years has unmistakably been toward greater subjugation of the Palestinians by the Israelis and greater American support as they do so.

Discussed on the show:

• Architects of Repression
• Israel Lobby Con
• “‘Cut Aid Over Israeli Apartheid’ Say Americans: Poll” (Antiwar.com Original)
• “Is Israel an ‘apartheid’ state? This U.N. report says yes.” (The Washington Post)
• “US: It’s our longstanding position that the West Bank is occupied” (The Jerusalem Post)
• “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid” (B’Tselem)
• Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid
  

Grant F. Smith is the author of a number of books including Big Israel: How Israel’s Lobby Moves America, Divert!, and most recently The Israel Lobby Enters State Government: Rise of the Virginia Israel Advisory Board. He is director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

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