“He’s a unifying factor among the squabbling factions of Israeli society.” -Professor James Petras

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Benjamin Netanyahu emerged triumphant from the March 17 national elections, having secured the backing of nearly a fourth of the Israeli electorate and now controlling 30 of the 120 seats in the Israeli Knesset. He is now well positioned to form a governing coalition, anticipated to be composed of several right of centre parties.

During the campaign, Netanyahu stoked fear of a nuclear Iran and announced his intention to abandon a two state solution to the long running Palestinian conflict.

Netanyahu is now enterring his third consecutive term as Israeli Prime Minister, his fourth over all. Should he complete this term, he will become the longest serving Prime Minister in Israeli history.

What accounts for the success of this credibly accused war criminal among the Israeli population?

Professor James Petras thinks he knows. In fact, as he states in this feature interview, he is not at all surprised the election results went the way they did. He believes that a settler-colonial mindset that crosses over ideologies and classes is at the root of Netanyahu’s appeal. In the first half hour of the program, he elaborates on this perspective and on how it can inform meaningful activism in service of Palestine soliarity.

In Canada, elite political an economic interests within the country have typically been protective of the Israeli State. The latest example of this would be a March 13 message from Federal Liberal Party leader, and would-be Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. As the McGill University student body was addressing a referendum question on Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction of companies profitting from Israeli Apartheid. Trudeau’s twitter post read as follows:

The BDS movement, like Israeli Apartheid Week, has no place on Canadian campuses. As a @McGillU alum, I’m disappointed. #EnoughIsEnough

In the second half hour, we hear from activist Bruce Katz about these and other obstacles facing Palestine solidarity activism in Canada.

We also hear once again from Jeff Halper of the Israeli Campaign Against House Demolitions. He presents the human face of Israeli Apartheid, his take on the potential of BDS and the problematic portrayals of the Israel-Palestine situation in mass media.

Dr. James Petras is Bartle Professor (Emeritus) of Sociology at Binghampton University in New York, and the author of numerous books an articles including the recent The Roots of Netanyahu’s Electoral Victory: Colonial Expansion and Fascist Ideology.

Bruce Katz is the co-founder and Acting President of Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), a human rights organization founded in November 2000  working for a lasting settlement to the Israel/Palestine conflict based on the principles of human rights and the strict application of international law. 

Dr. Jeff Halper, is the co-founder and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) for the past 17 years, as well as a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

Length (59:09)

Click to download the audio (MP3 format)

The Global Research News Hour airs every Friday at 1pm CT on CKUW 95.9FM in Winnipeg. The programme is also podcast at globalresearch.ca .

The  show can be heard on the Progressive Radio Network at prn.fm. Listen in every Monday at 3pm ET.

Community Radio Stations carrying the Global Research News Hour:

CHLY 101.7fm in Nanaimo, B.C – Thursdays at 1pm PT

Boston College Radio WZBC 90.3FM NEWTONS  during the Truth and Justice Radio Programming slot -Sundays at 7am ET.

Port Perry Radio in Port Perry, Ontario – Thursdays at 1pm ET

Burnaby Radio Station CJSF out of Simon Fraser University. 90.1FM to most of Greater Vancouver, from Langley to Point Grey and from the North Shore to the US Border. It is also available on 93.9 FM cable in the communities of SFU, Burnaby, New Westminister, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey and Delta, in British Columbia Canada. – Tune in every Saturday at 6am.