Journalist and author Robert Wright invited EconTalk’s Russ Roberts to his podcast, NonZero, to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, knowing that there would be plenty to disagree about. The two then agreed to release their back-and-forth on their respective podcasts. The result is a lively but respectful discussion that is more debate than the usual EconTalk […] The post A Lively Debate on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (with Robert Wright) appeared first on Econlib.

How far back should you go to understand the current moment in the relationship between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors and the attack of October 7? Some would say 2005, or 1967, or maybe 1948 when the State of Israel was founded. But for historian and author Hillel Cohen of Hebrew University, year zero was […] The post Year Zero of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (with Hillel Cohen) appeared first on Econlib.

For decades, American aid to Israel has sent a strategic message: the greatest superpower in the world stands behind the Jewish state. But does it really? Historian and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren tells EconTalk’s Russ Roberts that it’s time for Israel to stop accepting U.S. foreign aid. He also explains why […] The post Should Israel Depend on the US? (with Michael Oren) appeared first on Econlib.

[ANNUAL LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZGY3G9W. Vote for your 2023 favorites! Last day to vote: Feb. 1st.] Pollster and political scientist Dahlia Scheindlin has worked extensively with public opinion polls of both Palestinians and Israelis. Listen as she talks with EconTalk’s Russ Roberts about the dreams, fears, anger, and frustration of both sides. Along the way she analyzes […] The post What Palestinians Are Thinking (with Dahlia Scheindlin) appeared first on Econlib.

[ANNUAL LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZGY3G9W. Vote for your 2023 favorites!] How did a husband-and-wife vacation end up saving a city from the atomic bomb while destroying another? And how did a century-old murder of one family bring another into existence? Easily, explains political scientist Brian Klaas of University College London, who points out that history is replete […] The post If Life Is Random, Is It Meaningless? (with Brian Klaas) appeared first on Econlib.

[ANNUAL LISTENER SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZGY3G9W. Vote for your 2023 favorites!] Did nations get rich on the backs of other nations? Did the West get rich from imperialism? Noah Smith says no. But why not? If you can steal stuff, isn’t that better than having to make it yourself? Listen as Noah Smith and EconTalk’s Russ Roberts discuss […] The post Can a Nation Plunder Its Way to Wealth (with Noah Smith) appeared first on Econlib.

Journalist Matti Friedman worked for the Jerusalem Bureau of the Associated Press from 2006 to 2011. Looking back at that experience, Friedman argues that little has changed in the journalism landscape. Listen as Friedman discusses with EconTalk host Russ Roberts the media’s obsession with Israel and how and why the media often sidelines facts in service of ideology, […] The post The Challenge of Covering the Most Important Story on Earth (with Matti Friedman) appeared first on Econlib.

Over the 25 years he’s lived in Israel, author Daniel Gordis of Shalem College has seen many chapters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, beginning with the Second Intifada that followed the Oslo Accords. Listen as he and EconTalk’s Russ Roberts discuss why Hamas’s massacre of October 7th is different and is an existential threat to Israel. […] The post From the Second Intifada to October 7th (with Daniel Gordis) appeared first on Econlib.

Do psychologists know anything? Psychologist Paul Bloom says yes–but not the things that you might think. Bloom discusses his book Psych with EconTalk’s Russ Roberts and what the field of psychology can teach us about human intelligence, consciousness, and unhelpful instincts. They also discuss just how far psychology is from a true understanding of the human […] The post Can Artificial Intelligence Be Moral? (with Paul Bloom) appeared first on Econlib.

Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur takes us on a deep dive into the origins of Israel–how European Jew-hatred gave birth to Zionism and the founding of the Jewish state in 1948. He then turns to the rise of Palestinian terrorism and explains why the Palestinian experience and the Israeli experience are so incompatible. Along the way, […] The post An Extraordinary Introduction to the Birth of Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (with Haviv Rettig Gur) appeared first on Econlib.