It is instructional that we see the other Presidential candidates making useless or incendiary statements and RFK, ignored by “legacy” media, actively brings together two voices for peace.
Around 80 million voted for Trump in 2020. Trump got rolled by the establishment that he tried to manage, but his ego and mouth got in the way. He lost the election - Biden didn't "win" it. Remember what Trump said about McCain for being a loser??? At least 30% of them do NOT want to vote for him now and will vote for Kennedy, whose policies are very similar and in many cases superior - especially because he's an independent who can unite the moderate Dem's and Rep's and create a thoughtful majority in Congress. Getting on the ballot is not an issue and will be completed in nearly every state within 4-6 weeks. You should get on board and help make it happen. www.kennedy24.com
The extra votes you are referring to would not have been enough had Trump not done such a horrible job campaigning. He lost an election that an intelligent man should have won. He's a loser. We need winners, not losers.
Well-said Kevin. A President Kennedy would not be letting his CIA Chief run the negotiations. President Kennedy would have relationships with Putin, Xi, Erdogan, Sisi, Saudis, and THEY would have the ability to implement a solution. In the meantime, Candidate Kennedy is continuing his deep engagement with Israelis and Palestinians who have the most at stake for a peaceful future for their people. AND, President Kennedy will be able to articulate and explain this to the American People - unlike both Trump and especially Biden. It's how real leaders operate and unify their people...
A great beginning. Thanks Bobby, we all can learn from this. Push past the tribalism and seek a way forward to heal the divide. Focus on the goal of peace....not victory at any cost.
In 2003, my father, Lewis Jaffe, ever a futurist, had the idea to bring together a Muslim and a Jew to hold a dialogue, not as men of different religions, but as two “grandfathers” having a conversation.
He contact Akbar Amed and Judea Perlman and convinced them to do this. The first conversation was held at U of PA and was so successful that it was covered by news orgs worldwide.
Since then, the on-stage “Daniel Pearl Dialogues for Muslim-Jewish Understanding featuring Akbar Ahmed and Judea Pearl ” have attracted large audiences at universities where Muslim-Jewish relations have been tense such as Duke University, UC Irvine, and in cities such as Toronto and Chicago. ( Including to House of Commons in England.)About one-third of the audiences have been Muslim, about one-half Jewish.
Very interesting Lynn. It is happening today, just not in high-profile ways. The next "Path To Peace" episode will be very interesting - hopefully to be released in a week or two. Thanks for listening!
Judging from the conflicting opinions expressed in the comments (e.g., RFK is a brave peacemaker vs. he's a Zionist shill), I was curious to see what RFK actually said on the podcast, so I just spent 1.5 hours listening to it. The first thing I noticed was that RFK took the "neutral" mediator's approach of respectfully listening to both sides and drawing them out. The second thing I noticed was that RFK was not really neutral, for example, he characterized his own views as deriving from extensive reading and critical analysis while "acknowledging" that the Palestinians have a counter"narrative." I definitely think the podcast demonstrated how smart people of goodwill can communicate and disagree respectfully, but to me it felt staged for political purposes, at least to some extent, RFK's Israeli and Arab conversation partners were obviously intelligent, reasonable people who have been in dialogue with each other for quite a while and already share the values and peaceful goals they discussed. I would like to see RFK tackle topics other than intellectuals' shared values and the vices of Hamas ideology and indoctrination, and instead explore the realities of everyday life for Palestinians under Israeli occupation and how those might be addressed.
Always interesting to note a point from which to begin. I choose the CSPAN bit when RFK said "we are there for all the right reasons" regarding Ukraine. They are different wars although the philosophy is more similar than different.
Now that Ukraine has been back burnered, we can still learn from positions taken...
Question: is it ok (like many Beaconites assert) to flip flop on issues like genocidal war?
Oddly many commentators think so, their side biz is printing get out of jail free passes.
Would assert that it is not ok, and certainly not Presidential.
It does appear that the US is setting up a Netanyahu takedown, after all the posturing.
Some say that Hamas was created by, and is Israel...
Interesting comments. Could you elaborate on what you mean when you say Hamas "is Israel"? I've read that Israel funded and encouraged Hamas at a time when it wanted Hamas to displace the Palestinian Authority as a force representing the interests of the Palestinian people, but it never occurred to me that it might be connected to what looks like a US effort to take down Netanyahu.
I'd forgotten about RFK's early comments that the US was pushing Ukraine to war against Russia "for all the right reasons." I believe he talked with Scott Ritter after that and learned something about the US/NATO actions, starting in at least 2014, that led to the Russian SMO in 2022. I thought it odd that he was so poorly informed previously, but I wanted to believe in him. Then I heard RFK say that he thought people who advocated for protection of the southern US border were bigots and xenophobes before he himself visited the border with his film crew last year, and again, I wondered how he could have been so naive. But I was glad he had taken a look for himself and begun to understand the problem. Since October, I've been mystified by the seeming emotion behind RFK's defense of modern Zionism and how he interrupts interviewers who offer differing viewpoints, and so, when I saw the Beacon article titled "A Path to Peace: Kennedy Facilitates Dialogue between a Palestinian and an Israeli in a Recent Podcast," I was eager to listen to the podcast. Early on in the podcast, there's a big clue that the podcast was largely performance art intended to create the impression that Kennedy was doing some heavy lifting in "facilitating dialogue." Note how in the introduction Kennedy comments that he understands his two guests, one an Arab and one an Israeli, do not know each other. One of them corrects him and says the guests live 10 minutes apart from each other and have known each other and been in dialogue for years. Followed by silence from Kennedy. The podcast was a nice demonstration of respectful dialogue between people with some shared and some differing viewpoints, but IMHO, Kennedy didn't facilitate anything.
Thank you for your thoughtful and articulate reply. It's clear that you were paying attention to everything said. I also agree that there were times where Mr. Kennedy veered from a "neutral" position, towards one of his opinion on the issue, and as you pointed out, "as deriving from extensive reading and critical analysis while "acknowledging" that the Palestinians have a counter "narrative."" Yes - Kennedy has an opinion and he is not afraid to express it. What impresses me most about RFK Jr. is that he does so out of his own conviction, knowledge, and values - not out of "political expediency" which most politicians (certainly we are witnessing this now with Joe Biden) fall into.
Stay tuned as this is merely the first in a series of conversations that are all important in tackling those tough topics you mention. Here is one example that I think you will appreciate in the meantime:
Thank you for sharing the link to that video. I only listened to the speech, not the questions that I could not hear. I grew up believing what Dr. Wilf says, namely, that to the extent Palestinians live in unpleasant conditions, that's because their leaders have repeatedly rejected reasonable Israeli peace offers and have chosen instead to keep their people miserable and riled up. It was only after October 7, 2023, that I started reading about the Nakba and learning more about the history of that region and its people, and as a result, have come to believe that the situation may not be as simple as Dr. Wilf would have her audience believe. I don't know if she is more right than wrong about the Palestinians, but I question her grasp of reality if she thinks that the West honestly sought to uproot extremists in Germany and Japan after WWII and succeeded in doing that. Perhaps she should read the early chapters of RFK Jr's book, The Wuhan Coverup, to learn a little bit about just one of multiple ways the West protected nazis and reintegrated them into western society. I realize that my point may actually support Dr. Wilf's argument for the need to uproot hateful ideologies. But i have a hard time understanding how anyone can justify eradicating women and children on a mass scale, on the theory that they believe, or will grow up to believe, bad things.
I doubt that Wilf is able to discuss the history objectively. This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should anyone believe what she says?
Instead, I would suggest reading a couple of historians that Jeremy Sachs recommended in his Common Dreams article “Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace”:
“I refer readers interested in the detailed history of this long saga to the wise and scholarly study by my esteemed colleague Professor Rashid Khalid, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
Historian Ian Black, in his book Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel 1917-2017 ...”[from Amazon book blurbs: “A remarkable book that combines sharp insight with absolute impartiality … evenhanded study … in a field where one has gotten used to one-sided ‘narratives,’ it is refreshing to come across a historical account that simply lays down the facts … detailed and objective account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”]
Do you really think Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject? This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should I believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
“On Friday, March 1, the RFK Jr Podcast released “Path to Peace Episode One” … His podcast has previously included notable guests such as … economists Jeffrey Sachs ... among many others [e.g. Aaron Mate, Scott Ritter, Jeremy Hammond, Aaron Good]. … Kennedy’s podcast revealed the independent presidential candidate’s openness to engaging in dialogue about the conflict. … “be able to listen.”
. . .
“Be able to listen”? Really? RFK has not listened to Jeffery Sachs who suggested a “path to peace months ago! On Nov 3rd, RFK Jr. tweeted thanking Jeffery Sach's for writing, 'By coming out for urgent diplomacy and peace in Israel and Ukraine, RFK, Jr will do the right thing and win the election, hands down.' Thanks Jeff!”
Unfortunately, the previous day, on Nov 2nd, a few hours after Jeremy Sach's thoughtful article, "Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace," was posted onto the “Kennedy Beacon” it was deleted [Sach's article can still be found on the "Common Dreams" website].
Sachs concluded by writing: "If Israel swallows Netanyahu’s poison ... Israel will isolate itself from the rest of the world and pay a devastating price. ... Israel’s friends, starting with the U.S., must help it choose diplomacy over war. Friends do not let friends commit crimes against humanity, much less provide them with the finances and arms to do so."
In addition, RFK has not invited his previous podcast guests (e.g. Aaron Mate, Scott Ritter, Jeffery Sachs, Jeremy Hammond, and Aaron Good) who have criticized RFK's support for the on-going Gaza Genocide, back onto his podcast for “dialogue.”
Finally, last August, RFK promised Jimmy Dore he would debate/talk with Max Blumenthal about Israel/Palestine issues. So far (7 months later), RFK still refuses to meet with Max (just like Dr. Peter Hotez has ducked debating RFK on vaccine safety).
Until RFK meets and talks with with such knowledgeable critics of his Gaza position , I simply don't believe the sincerity of his supposed “openness to engaging in dialogue about the conflict”.
If RFK Jr. was President, then he could do much more, but since he's not, Sash's article, while thoughtful, is useless since the vast majority of Israelis (including Israeli Arabs as well as most other Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, etc...) are behind Israel's destruction of Hamas' military and political infrastructure. Following Sash's advice would be much more devastating for Israel. Bibi will go after the war is concluded.
As for Blumenthal, RFK Jr. does not need to debate with people who lie and distort history and reality to support their agenda. You can throw Finklestein in there as well. Useless "Westsplainers" who only make matters worse and perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As I explained to you before, ad hominem attacks on character are not an argument. Could you please give me just one specific example of how Max Blumenthal and/or Norm Finkelstein "lie and distort hisotry and reality"?
Easy - Both have stated that the Arabs accepted Israel's right to exist in 1967. Anyone who knows history knows about the "three no's of Khartoum." There are numerous other historians and interlocutors of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict to debate and engage with like Dr. Einat Wilf and Haviv Rettig Gur, people who discuss and represent the narrative within the context of an accurate and un-biased historical analysis. Finklestein and Blumenthal are neither.
I support RFK Jr's candidacy, I like him tremendously on most issues. He is completely wrong on Israel - and your " Anyone who knows history" is completely wrong. I've been in Lebanon when the Israelis were bombing, they bomb all the time - using American made weapons, American paid for - the Israelis are stealing land and resources, and are now murdering huge numbers of people. Trump and Biden are just as shitty on Israel - at least RFK Jr. has a brain and will think about the 18,000 dead Palestinian children, or the thousands of Palestinians jailed, raped, murdered by these Israelis. Finklestein has impeccable credentials, Max Blumenthal is a well respected investigative journalist. I think you should shut up about Israel, you can't win on this subject.
The litany of ignorant distortionists you list are not worthy of Robert F Kennedy's valuable time. He would rather work directly with the people who matter, Israelis & Palestinians - who have dedicated and even risked their lives as warriors of peace.
What you are doing is precisely what Dr. Einat Wilf calls "Westsplaining." Rather than describe it, I will let you listen to someone with more wisdom of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab relationship, than all of those falsely referred to "knowledgeable critics" put together!
'Ignorant distortionists"? Exactly how are they ignorant? If you have to resort to ad hominem attacks, that suggests you have a weak argument. For example, Jeremey Hammond has written several books on medical freedom and on Israel/Palestine and several recent articles (e.g. https://www.jeremyrhammond.com/2023/12/07/correcting-rfk-jr-on-israels-policies-toward-gaza/).
Another name, not listed above because RFK never interviewed him on his podcast, is Norm Finkelstein. His 2018 book, "Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom" is well-researched and backed up with plenty of footnotes if you want to get into the weeds.
Last week, after your previous suggestion, I listened to RFK's podcast. I wasn't impressed. But, I will take a look at your video link. Thanks for providing it.
Something being factually footnoted does not preclude it from being used in a distorted fashion - which both Finklestein and Blumenthal do. They sprinkle a little "truth dust" on top while lying about the main ingredients. I don't eat at that table...
37,000+++ DEAD Palestinians since Oct 7th. Gaza was under siege for 10 years, the Israelis turned off the water into Gaza before Oct 7th. What are the imprisoned Palestinians to do? 70% of Gaza is destroyed - and now the Israelis are starving the remaining 2.3 million people. How can you defend this? You aren't helping RFK Jr.'s quest for the presidency.
Every death in Gaza is a tragedy, but lying does not a good argument make: The UN estimated approx 27k deaths - 13k of those were Hamas and PIJ fighters. 2-3k were from non-battle causes like old age or disease (in a population of 2 million that would be expected). The civilian to combatant death ration is approx. 1: 1.2 - THE LOWEST OF ANY WAR IN MODERN HISTORY (in Iraq it was 1:7 and in Afghanistan 1:10. Israel did NOT turn off the water - the majority of water in Gaza is produced by de-salination plants. Hamas decided to divert the fuel used to power them to rocket fuel so they can continue to fire at Israeli cities and towns. Hamas is preventing the food from being distributed to the people - they steal it and sell it at high prices - there are plenty of videos that have documented this. Hamas could end the war in 5 minutes by releasing ALL the hostages. Their leaders have billions of dollars waiting for them in Swiss bank accounts so they can leave the country and go live like the mafia bosses and kingpins they emulate. Israelis and Palestinians can build a real peace - ending the war is entirely up to Hamas.
Do you really think Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject? This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should I believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
Of course - is there something wrong with being a Zionist? Wilf is BRILLIANT and she offers real solutions to the core problem. I suggest you check out her many recent talks online.
You are wrong on Israel Glenn. I've been to the refuge camps from 1948 in Lebanon, a shanty town for 75 years. The illegal settlements all over the west bank, settlements being expanded with people from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, who have never been to Israel before, who don't speak Arabic or Hebrew - this is a ticking time bomb. Kennedy has friends that support the Zionist expansion - we will never have peace if one side takes everything, and now they have the intention of killing everything.
Ilan Pappe, an Israeli expat historian and director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, argues that the occupied territories are the world’s “largest ever mega-prison”12. Pappe describes the legal and bureaucratic infrastructures that were put in place to control the population of over one million Palestinians, and the security mechanisms that vigorously enforced that control, painting a picture of what is to all intents and purposes the world’s largest ‘open prison’2. "The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories" - this Israeli has written 26 books on the subject.
Here's an excellent movie/documentary, voted Best Documentary, created by Israeli director Shimon Dotan, about the Israeli Settlers, their ambitions, from their own mouths. The Settlers (inside the Jewish settlements) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prqtXMSdeUw. Again, I think you should shut up about Israel, you can't justify mass slaughter of innocent people.
Anyone who knows the history of the conflict knows that the ONLY reason the Israeli settlement policies moved forward were due to the Intifada's and Wars which have interrupted the Oslo Accords and subsequent offers by Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert. ALL were met with violence and terror. I am not excusing the settlement policies - they have made the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians living in the territories difficult, but so too have the numerous terror attacks. When the Palestinians are ready to make peace, they will find the vast majority of Israelis willing to listen and negotiate. Since the Hamas Charter excludes the possibility to honestly negotiate with Jews, perhaps you might suggest a suitable path forward????
I agree with you that Biden and his inept foreign policy team helped to enable Hamas, but so did Netanyahu. When Robert F Kennedy becomes president next year, we can hopefully begin to right the sinking ship.
I listened to this entire podcast and Kennedy was NOT an Honest Broker. He was a spokesman/advocate for the Zionists. He does not have the Courage to call Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of tens of thousands of defenseless women Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing! Kennedy is a Coward and a paid prostitute and likely Epstein/Mossad Blackmailed Zionist Stooge.
Further he does not state the True Crux of the situation that birthed all the horrors on both sides: The Zionists are Illegal Occupiers and the Palestinians are the Occupied and have a Right and a Duty to Fight the Occupiers. Just like Occupied France, Poland etc in WWII. Did the Warsaw Uprising people, mostly Jews, have the right to fight their Nazi Occupiers? Darn right they did!
The Zionists have terrorized and murdered the Palestinians for 100 years on a ratio of hundreds of Palestinians dead, wounded or held hostage to every Jewish Israeli.
You need to read a few books and educate yourself. If anything it's the opposite, the Arabs want all the Jews gone not the other away around. Israel's population is almost 20% Arabs Muslim. How many Jews live peacefully in any Arab country? And the Israeli Arabs are fully behind Israel and happy to be citizens.
"You need to read a few books and educate yourself"
I would suggest reading a couple of historians that Jeremy Sachs recommended in his Common Dreams article “Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace”:
“I refer readers interested in the detailed history of this long saga to the wise and scholarly study by my esteemed colleague Professor Rashid Khalid, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
Historian Ian Black, in his book Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel 1917-2017 ...”[from Amazon book blurbs: “A remarkable book that combines sharp insight with absolute impartiality … evenhanded study … in a field where one has gotten used to one-sided ‘narratives,’ it is refreshing to come across a historical account that simply lays down the facts … detailed and objective account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”]
The state of Israel currently has explicit laws that grants Jews rights that non Jews do not have. The fact that Arabs live in Israel is as relevant as the fact that black people lived in the US in 1890 or that South Africa was a majority African during apartheid.
To even suggest that “the Arabs” want “all the Jews gone” is grossly ignorant. And contradictory to your own statement. If the Arabs in Israel are “fully behind Israel and happy to be citizens” (which is horse shit simplification) how do “the Arabs” want “all the Jews gone”.? To make your statement not irrational nonsense, Israeli Arabs would want “the Jews gone.”
and the reason lots of arabs, not “the Arabs”, want Jews out of Palestine is because Zionist Jews colonized and then ethnically cleansed the land that is now the state of Israel of the majority of Arabs that were living there so that they could setup an ethno theocratic Jewish state that gives special rights to Jews. The land that Israel conquered had a vast majority of arabs before Zionist Jews violently forced most of them out of it.
I doubt that Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should anyone believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
What did she say that was wrong? Being a Zionist? Should I say that Saudi Arabia shouldn’t be a Muslim State? Or any of the other 45 Islamic nations? Wilf was a self-described Leftist when she worked on the Oslo Accords. Maybe your Pal’s shouldn’t have murdered thousands of innocent civilians in busses and at cafes during two Intefadas?
I've got one of her books on order from the library.
"My pal's"? I'm on Team Humanity. Both Hamas & Israeli leadership suck. But, the Israeli's are the ones doing the genociding. If they want to do that, they can do it without my countrie's arms and money.
Here is an excellent suggestion that I think you will appreciate: Einat Wilf - Unraveling The Israeli - Palestinian Conflict: An Insightful Exploration of History and Delusions - https://youtu.be/o1ku4cE_e4U?si=NzkhMl5n31QUPkDe
Do you really think Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject? This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should I believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
You're actually comparing the Jews who were herded into the Warsaw Ghetto to dies or be carted off to extermination camps with the situation of the Palestinians? How many Germans did the 3 million Polish Jews kill in terror attacks leading to this behavior? Please get an education and learn history before you say anything further on this subject.
You are a Racist Glenn and I or none else need your Racist BS. I guess you have no empathy for anyone who is not of your religion or nationality? How come the continued Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of about 50,000 or more Defenseless mostly Women and Children plus likely double that number wounded and maimed, many with limbs blasted off and operated on with little or no equipment, plus an entire population with little or no water, electricity or fuel "WE WILL STARVE THEM, NO WATER, NO FUEL AND NO ELECTRICITY" BY THE NAZI-LIKE ZIONISTS IN THE SUMMER, AND YES LET'S SELL THEIR BEACHFRONT PROPERTY IN OUR SYNAGOGUES ONLY TO JEWS WHILE THIS HOLOCAUST CONTINUES, mean nothing to you? That is your Zionist Talking point because it is not on the scale of the Nazi Holocaust. The real reason is you are a Zionist Jewish Supremacist Racist and a Goy/Gentile's life means nothing to you. Read your Talmud and Torah and the Old Testament, I have, that's what you are taught.
Here are some things from another brave Palestinian Warrior For Peace. I suggest you take a good long listen and absorb the wisdom. Palestinians: We Need Peace and Enlightenment, Not Terrorism - John Aziz: https://youtu.be/4H3BsBT6EpQ?si=RrkIPvd69xDLaHr-
"All My Life, I’ve Watched Violence Fail the Palestinian Cause" The Gazan people tried the Gandhian non-violent approach during the mostly peaceful 2018 Great March of Return. "214 Palestinians, including 46 children, were killed, and over 36,100, including nearly 8,800 children have been injured. One in five of those injured (over 8,000) were hit by live ammunition."
So you support Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of Defenseless tens of thousands of women and children? It appears you do so why is that? Because they are not the right Supremacist religion?
So do you support the Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of tens of thousands of Defenseless women and children by awesome US provided firepower?
Should the occupied not fight back against the Psychotic Occupied whose leaders spout Insane Torah Quotes to murder every man, women, child and beast?
This started 100 years before October 7th and the Palestinians have suffered horribly and hundreds of times more than the Israeli's. Palestinians have the Right to Resist the Occupation like the Jews of Warsaw or French Resistance did during the Nazi Occupation did. How hard is that to understand?
Supporting the Genocide and Ethnic Cleaning of a people is a supporter of Terror on humanity. They may be ignorant or brain-washed but they should not be.
I strongly suggest that you listen to people who actually understand the history that you are referring to. It will help to temper your unfortunate and misguided anger and hatred: https://youtu.be/YVc7PsRr6dY?si=Iy5D-MKQTciMZDz8
My hat is off to Bobby for getting human relations formal dialogue PROCESS, partially right. Bobby's willingness to engage in dialogue & 'debate' (French 'de' = 'undo' + 'bate' = 'the-fight'), with all people even one of his father's assassins is remarkable across many domains. If Bobby helps to reinstitute (in Multihomes, Schools, Workplaces, Institutions & Commerce) this private & public process to continue among all world citizens, Palestinians, Israelis & all Americans in all our relations, then humanity will have peace.
HISTORY: All humanity's worldwide 'indigenous' (Latin 'self-generating') ancestors in every nation on every continent & island, cultivated COUNCIL PROCESS between all people as a 'Dialectic' ('both-sided') right & an obligatory duty. Council Process is part of the worldwide indigenous 'Great-Good-Way-of-Kindness' aka 'Great-Law-of-Peace' aka 'Constitution' outlined in the interdisciplinary Indigenous CIRCLE-of-LIFE. interdisciplinary system worldwide. Key 'indigenous' proactive positive Laws are 1) the ~100 (50-150) person Multihome-Dwelling-Complex (eg. Apartment, Townhouse & Village) where 70% of people live today, 2) Time-based equivalency Accounting & 3 Council Process. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/a-home/3-indigenous-circle-of-life
In all indigenous society, any person could raise an issue, both positive for understanding, collaborative relations, working contracts as well as in exploring Conflict Resolution. Individuals & organizations engaged in indigenous Council Process, Both-sides-Now, Equal-time, Recorded & Published Dialogues or what is called TRUTH & RECONCILIATION.
Depending on circumstances, private for families & extended families or public for whole communities, nations & continentally, an appropriate circle of people is chosen to witness the dialogue. Today, we can employ an Audio-Video recording devices such as Cell-Phones, mounted on a solid vantage.
The two individuals or spokespersons use the stop-watch function on their watches to record speaking time. Typically 90 minutes with 45 minutes accorded to each speaker enables most issues to be covered to some degree. Before hand participants agree to a Date, Time & Duration (eg. 60 to 240 minutes) or a sequence of dialogues over time at chosen dates. In situations where a public office holder is being asked to dialogue, then, the Office holder can require the requester to 1st dialogue among their Stakeholder group in order to choose a Spokesperson as well as among other Stakeholder groups.
When one person is speaking with one's stop-watch running, the other must remain silent except for rare hand signals, if a rare point of clarification might be helpful. Participants are given notepads to write down their thoughts & feelings. Participants speak, preferably in short such as ~5 minute segments so the other person can respond point-by-point or speak their own perspective. A signed agreement relates to Publishing or not. If the issue is public in such as Palestine-Israel then the discussion process afterwards among witnesses or audience plays a key role in reviewing & offering collective wisdom & more importantly support to the individuals. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/d-participatory-structure/1-both-sides-now-equal-time-recorded-dialogues
GEOGRAPHY LESSON: Bobby still has huge Zionist supposed exclusive-right to the Eurasia-African Mega-continent Land-bridge CONTENT issues.
We can empathize with Bobby, as most of us colonial people on Turtle-island / N. America & Europe can understand the Torah, Talmud, Old & New Testaments as well as the Koran all to be Propaganda indoctrination literature to indoctrinate subject peoples into Book justified, glorified compliance with Oligarch genocidal, colonial invasion, conquest agendas. if not by intention then at least by effect.
According to UN extensive 'Out-of-Africa' genetic-studies, most inhabitants of these Mega-continents have ancestors who have lived in or passed through the Palestine-Israel LAND_BRIDGE, 200 km between Gaza & Aqaba. Historically the Torah-Old-Testament refers to Noah's eldest son in Eurasia as Japheth, middle son 'Shem' (origin of the word 'Semite') in Levant-Arabia & youngest son Ham in Africa. This story related from Shem's perspective acknowledges the privileged role of people living on the Palestine-Israel land-bridge, in convening or controlling trade, people, goods & resources. The only holiness of this Land-bridge is the loving obligation of its inhabitants to welcome & include strangers, travelers & refugees.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: When European Ashkenazi (Some of my family in 3 branches) arrived in Palestine 120 years ago, they were welcomed, nourished, housed & protected by Palestinian (Muslim, Christian & Jew). At this point & following, Ashkenazi could have & can still sat down with their Palestinian hosts &
GENOCIDE (UN Definition = 'Removing people from or destroying their means of livelihood plus Settler & State murder) Instead most Ashkenazi being submissive to their foreign Oligarch sponsors, chose the path of violence, war, killing & aggression. Irgun-Lehi, Stern-gang, Hagenah, Mossad violent armed militia have driven millions of Palestinians from their homes, stolen the houses & bulldozed the incredible Palestinian Polyculture Orchards & poisoned Palestinian wells. Understanding this Ashkenazi land-theft & genocidal agenda (Much less prevalent in Arab & Sephardic Jews), Palestinians turned to self-family-&-community protection.
CONVERTING SOCIAL 'MEDIA' (L. 'medium' = 'middle' implying both-sided inputs to articles or balanced reporting) FROM MONO TO DIALOGUE During the Oligarch rollout of Social-Media, we missed the opportunity to implement 'Debate' buttons to online articles & Comment Sections, enabling an individual & collective process for challenging statements made, for convening debate among diverse stakeholder groups, choosing Spokespersons, Engaging with Authors, Commenters & publishing together. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/d-participatory-structure/1communication-converting-social-media-from-mono-to-dialogue-libya
I intend to listen to this podcast because, if what you say about it is true, this would be the first public instance that I am aware of in which RFK demonstrates some courage on these issues. Everything else I have heard him say has been mired in the idealized vision of Israel that many boomers, myself included, were taught about Israel in the 1960s and 1970s. Talking trash about Trump, is not, IMHO, a good strategy, unless RFK is actually going to step up and acknowledge reality, including how Palestinians have been treated for decades.
Excellent review!!! Three incredible warriors for peace in an open and honest conversation. This is what a leader does! #Kennedy24 Please share this article and spread the word about Robert F Kennedy Jr.!
This is a substantive and needed conversation that Mr. Kennedy had on his podcast. There is, understandably, much consternation about the conflict between Israel and Hamas which is falling on the heads of residents of Gaza. There are a lot of people who enthusiastically supported RFK Jr., but who are now hesitant because he has not come out forcefully against Israel's tactics in Gaza. I've seen some former Kennedy supporters on social media claiming he "supports" genocide of Palestinians. This kind of rhetoric is over-the-top, but it illustrates the depth of legitimate emotion and anguish caused by the conflict in Gaza.
What I've told people is that rather than fall into a traditional "us-vs-them," "good-guys vs. bad-guys" kind of polarization over issues of war and regional conflicts, it's important to look at what principles RFK Jr would bring to the Presidency in response to international conflicts, and to position the US as a mediator in conflicts and an agent of peace. One of the resources to get this perspective is the speech Kennedy gave in New Hampshire last June on war, peace and diplomacy (https://www.youtube.com/live/iZUZZTtZw_s?si=Uyz-r4H9JRY8EWZ9). Another is this podcast. It's my strong hope that when RFK Jr becomes President, he will initiate his own form of the "Fireside Chat" by bringing in two thinkers like these who have a conversation with RFK Jr on these incredibly and seemingly intractable issues in front of the entire nation and the world.
I happened to be reading in my passport fine print about how you can lose your US citizenship by serving in the armed forces of a foreign state, and it made me wonder about Bobby's son fighting in Ukraine.
Well, since Ukraine has been a vassal or puppet of the US since the Maidan coup in 2014, maybe it's not actually a "foreign state"? Bobby's son's fighting in a US proxy war = fighting on the US side
The most important qualification for my vote for President of the United States is someone who will do the right thing. We live in a fascist country ruled by oligarchs who use the power of our government for their personal enrichment, not the public good. The organizing force for these fascist oligarchs is the Zionist AIPAC who just announced they are pumping 100 million dollars into our primary elections so they can continue to own both houses of our congress. While these Zionists have killed, as of today, (day 160) 31,341 mostly women and children with 73,134 injured, RFK Jr will not even recognize this as a genocide against the Palestinian captive people.
RFK Jr with his misunderstanding of this world shaping event will only make things worse if he gets his hands on power by becoming President. He will not do the right thing. He does not qualify for my vote for President of the United States.
You do not know Robert F Kennedy, Jr. and you are wrong about his position on Israel & Palestine. Kennedy is an Independent who is not influenced one bit by AIPAC or any other lobby - full stop. I think if you listened to this conversation on this podcast - especially the views of the Palestinian Professor Dajani, you would understand the truth - not the slogans like "genocide" which do not apply here at all.
"...not influenced one bit by AIPAC". Really? Last August, on his Twitter account, Schumly Boteach posted a picture of RFK at the Kennedy Compound hanging out with AIPAC board members. Unfortunately, Boteach seems to have untoward influence on RFK. He even gave the invocation at RFK's announcement in Philly last October (hard to find since it was cut from most of the videos on the internet).
How? Well, since June '23 when he flip-flopped on his tweeted support for Roger Waters, RFK has parroted AIPAC and Boteach hasbara talking points supporting the Israel party line and the Gaza Genocide.
Personally, I think that RFK actually believes that BS and believes he is taking a courageous, principled stand against the "Pro-Hamas" crowd despite losing support over that stand with the anti-war & anti-genocide folks (based on comments by Kucinich, Eisenstein, and Setty, etc).
Unfortunately, many believe RFK has taken his position out of fear of AIPAC, for campaign donations, or blackmail. I think they are wrong. But, "perception is reality."
It's tragic. I think if RFK had taken a more reasoned stand, had listened to those who tried to "show me where I'm wrong," RFK would be much higher in the polls and not scrambling to even reach 15%.
It is instructional that we see the other Presidential candidates making useless or incendiary statements and RFK, ignored by “legacy” media, actively brings together two voices for peace.
Good for RFK Jr. to finally take concrete steps to start to promote a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Increasingly, we are seeing that Trump has nothing to offer here. Biden is a lost cause.
https://www.vtforeignpolicy.com/2024/03/election-2024-rearranging-the-deck-chairs-on-the-titanic/
Really? Yahoo says so
What exactly are those concrete steps?
Equating DJT and Biden is the error of equivalency. Where is the Sage part?
Kennedy is hands down our best shot at a Healing Unifying Global leader... he truly deserves our support..
hands down, except the part about getting on the ballot and the fact that DJT has over 100 million Americans that love him
Around 80 million voted for Trump in 2020. Trump got rolled by the establishment that he tried to manage, but his ego and mouth got in the way. He lost the election - Biden didn't "win" it. Remember what Trump said about McCain for being a loser??? At least 30% of them do NOT want to vote for him now and will vote for Kennedy, whose policies are very similar and in many cases superior - especially because he's an independent who can unite the moderate Dem's and Rep's and create a thoughtful majority in Congress. Getting on the ballot is not an issue and will be completed in nearly every state within 4-6 weeks. You should get on board and help make it happen. www.kennedy24.com
and you believe that? Howz about the irrefutable evidence of ballot harvesting,
etc etc etc not just in this selection but in many many others?
Meanwhile the basement campaign resulted in victory yeah?
The extra votes you are referring to would not have been enough had Trump not done such a horrible job campaigning. He lost an election that an intelligent man should have won. He's a loser. We need winners, not losers.
here is what campaigning looks like, a perfect opportunity
this is what a winner does to combat the fake news
here is the intelligence Glenn says does not exist
here is someone serving Glenn his lunch
Got a comeback Glenn?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/03/watch-president-trump-drops-funny-video-truth-social/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watch-president-trump-drops-funny-video-truth-social
I'm a serious person dealing with serious issues. Have a nice day.
didn't think so
lawfare reduced to rubble
Why is not RFK speaking more about the obvious lawfare?
Why are not the editore of the Beacon doing so?
Why are so many "supporters" only capable of sounding like echo chambers?
I am one who didn’t like him and voted for him in last election. In this? Still don’t like DJT, maybe vote for RFK to send a message,
i. e. “ a curse on both your houses”
About time that someone is proposing working toward a REAL solution!
Well-said Kevin. A President Kennedy would not be letting his CIA Chief run the negotiations. President Kennedy would have relationships with Putin, Xi, Erdogan, Sisi, Saudis, and THEY would have the ability to implement a solution. In the meantime, Candidate Kennedy is continuing his deep engagement with Israelis and Palestinians who have the most at stake for a peaceful future for their people. AND, President Kennedy will be able to articulate and explain this to the American People - unlike both Trump and especially Biden. It's how real leaders operate and unify their people...
really Kevin now about that Real solution? What exactly is it???
A great beginning. Thanks Bobby, we all can learn from this. Push past the tribalism and seek a way forward to heal the divide. Focus on the goal of peace....not victory at any cost.
Well at least you realize its a humble beginning. Other Beaconites see a solution.
Hmmm interesting observations
In 2003, my father, Lewis Jaffe, ever a futurist, had the idea to bring together a Muslim and a Jew to hold a dialogue, not as men of different religions, but as two “grandfathers” having a conversation.
He contact Akbar Amed and Judea Perlman and convinced them to do this. The first conversation was held at U of PA and was so successful that it was covered by news orgs worldwide.
Since then, the on-stage “Daniel Pearl Dialogues for Muslim-Jewish Understanding featuring Akbar Ahmed and Judea Pearl ” have attracted large audiences at universities where Muslim-Jewish relations have been tense such as Duke University, UC Irvine, and in cities such as Toronto and Chicago. ( Including to House of Commons in England.)About one-third of the audiences have been Muslim, about one-half Jewish.
https://cogenerate.org/purpose-prize/judea-pearl-and-akbar-ahmed/
Very interesting Lynn. It is happening today, just not in high-profile ways. The next "Path To Peace" episode will be very interesting - hopefully to be released in a week or two. Thanks for listening!
Great idea 20 years ago, not really any different from the idea posed here as a solution.
It never ever would have happened with DJT at the helm, and he will stop it in one day...
I was simply making the point that this was happening 20 years ago.
Acutally long before that, though your Father was far ahead in this .
We desperately need visionairies.
"what if there was a war and nobody came" is anything but new
Judging from the conflicting opinions expressed in the comments (e.g., RFK is a brave peacemaker vs. he's a Zionist shill), I was curious to see what RFK actually said on the podcast, so I just spent 1.5 hours listening to it. The first thing I noticed was that RFK took the "neutral" mediator's approach of respectfully listening to both sides and drawing them out. The second thing I noticed was that RFK was not really neutral, for example, he characterized his own views as deriving from extensive reading and critical analysis while "acknowledging" that the Palestinians have a counter"narrative." I definitely think the podcast demonstrated how smart people of goodwill can communicate and disagree respectfully, but to me it felt staged for political purposes, at least to some extent, RFK's Israeli and Arab conversation partners were obviously intelligent, reasonable people who have been in dialogue with each other for quite a while and already share the values and peaceful goals they discussed. I would like to see RFK tackle topics other than intellectuals' shared values and the vices of Hamas ideology and indoctrination, and instead explore the realities of everyday life for Palestinians under Israeli occupation and how those might be addressed.
Always interesting to note a point from which to begin. I choose the CSPAN bit when RFK said "we are there for all the right reasons" regarding Ukraine. They are different wars although the philosophy is more similar than different.
Now that Ukraine has been back burnered, we can still learn from positions taken...
Question: is it ok (like many Beaconites assert) to flip flop on issues like genocidal war?
Oddly many commentators think so, their side biz is printing get out of jail free passes.
Would assert that it is not ok, and certainly not Presidential.
It does appear that the US is setting up a Netanyahu takedown, after all the posturing.
Some say that Hamas was created by, and is Israel...
Interesting comments. Could you elaborate on what you mean when you say Hamas "is Israel"? I've read that Israel funded and encouraged Hamas at a time when it wanted Hamas to displace the Palestinian Authority as a force representing the interests of the Palestinian people, but it never occurred to me that it might be connected to what looks like a US effort to take down Netanyahu.
I'd forgotten about RFK's early comments that the US was pushing Ukraine to war against Russia "for all the right reasons." I believe he talked with Scott Ritter after that and learned something about the US/NATO actions, starting in at least 2014, that led to the Russian SMO in 2022. I thought it odd that he was so poorly informed previously, but I wanted to believe in him. Then I heard RFK say that he thought people who advocated for protection of the southern US border were bigots and xenophobes before he himself visited the border with his film crew last year, and again, I wondered how he could have been so naive. But I was glad he had taken a look for himself and begun to understand the problem. Since October, I've been mystified by the seeming emotion behind RFK's defense of modern Zionism and how he interrupts interviewers who offer differing viewpoints, and so, when I saw the Beacon article titled "A Path to Peace: Kennedy Facilitates Dialogue between a Palestinian and an Israeli in a Recent Podcast," I was eager to listen to the podcast. Early on in the podcast, there's a big clue that the podcast was largely performance art intended to create the impression that Kennedy was doing some heavy lifting in "facilitating dialogue." Note how in the introduction Kennedy comments that he understands his two guests, one an Arab and one an Israeli, do not know each other. One of them corrects him and says the guests live 10 minutes apart from each other and have known each other and been in dialogue for years. Followed by silence from Kennedy. The podcast was a nice demonstration of respectful dialogue between people with some shared and some differing viewpoints, but IMHO, Kennedy didn't facilitate anything.
Thank you for your thoughtful and articulate reply. It's clear that you were paying attention to everything said. I also agree that there were times where Mr. Kennedy veered from a "neutral" position, towards one of his opinion on the issue, and as you pointed out, "as deriving from extensive reading and critical analysis while "acknowledging" that the Palestinians have a counter "narrative."" Yes - Kennedy has an opinion and he is not afraid to express it. What impresses me most about RFK Jr. is that he does so out of his own conviction, knowledge, and values - not out of "political expediency" which most politicians (certainly we are witnessing this now with Joe Biden) fall into.
Stay tuned as this is merely the first in a series of conversations that are all important in tackling those tough topics you mention. Here is one example that I think you will appreciate in the meantime:
Einat Wilf - Unraveling The Israeli - Palestinian Conflict: An Insightful Exploration of History and Delusions - https://youtu.be/o1ku4cE_e4U?si=NzkhMl5n31QUPkDe
Thank you for sharing the link to that video. I only listened to the speech, not the questions that I could not hear. I grew up believing what Dr. Wilf says, namely, that to the extent Palestinians live in unpleasant conditions, that's because their leaders have repeatedly rejected reasonable Israeli peace offers and have chosen instead to keep their people miserable and riled up. It was only after October 7, 2023, that I started reading about the Nakba and learning more about the history of that region and its people, and as a result, have come to believe that the situation may not be as simple as Dr. Wilf would have her audience believe. I don't know if she is more right than wrong about the Palestinians, but I question her grasp of reality if she thinks that the West honestly sought to uproot extremists in Germany and Japan after WWII and succeeded in doing that. Perhaps she should read the early chapters of RFK Jr's book, The Wuhan Coverup, to learn a little bit about just one of multiple ways the West protected nazis and reintegrated them into western society. I realize that my point may actually support Dr. Wilf's argument for the need to uproot hateful ideologies. But i have a hard time understanding how anyone can justify eradicating women and children on a mass scale, on the theory that they believe, or will grow up to believe, bad things.
I doubt that Wilf is able to discuss the history objectively. This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should anyone believe what she says?
Instead, I would suggest reading a couple of historians that Jeremy Sachs recommended in his Common Dreams article “Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace”:
“I refer readers interested in the detailed history of this long saga to the wise and scholarly study by my esteemed colleague Professor Rashid Khalid, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
Historian Ian Black, in his book Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel 1917-2017 ...”[from Amazon book blurbs: “A remarkable book that combines sharp insight with absolute impartiality … evenhanded study … in a field where one has gotten used to one-sided ‘narratives,’ it is refreshing to come across a historical account that simply lays down the facts … detailed and objective account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”]
Do you really think Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject? This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should I believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
“On Friday, March 1, the RFK Jr Podcast released “Path to Peace Episode One” … His podcast has previously included notable guests such as … economists Jeffrey Sachs ... among many others [e.g. Aaron Mate, Scott Ritter, Jeremy Hammond, Aaron Good]. … Kennedy’s podcast revealed the independent presidential candidate’s openness to engaging in dialogue about the conflict. … “be able to listen.”
. . .
“Be able to listen”? Really? RFK has not listened to Jeffery Sachs who suggested a “path to peace months ago! On Nov 3rd, RFK Jr. tweeted thanking Jeffery Sach's for writing, 'By coming out for urgent diplomacy and peace in Israel and Ukraine, RFK, Jr will do the right thing and win the election, hands down.' Thanks Jeff!”
Unfortunately, the previous day, on Nov 2nd, a few hours after Jeremy Sach's thoughtful article, "Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace," was posted onto the “Kennedy Beacon” it was deleted [Sach's article can still be found on the "Common Dreams" website].
Sachs concluded by writing: "If Israel swallows Netanyahu’s poison ... Israel will isolate itself from the rest of the world and pay a devastating price. ... Israel’s friends, starting with the U.S., must help it choose diplomacy over war. Friends do not let friends commit crimes against humanity, much less provide them with the finances and arms to do so."
In addition, RFK has not invited his previous podcast guests (e.g. Aaron Mate, Scott Ritter, Jeffery Sachs, Jeremy Hammond, and Aaron Good) who have criticized RFK's support for the on-going Gaza Genocide, back onto his podcast for “dialogue.”
Finally, last August, RFK promised Jimmy Dore he would debate/talk with Max Blumenthal about Israel/Palestine issues. So far (7 months later), RFK still refuses to meet with Max (just like Dr. Peter Hotez has ducked debating RFK on vaccine safety).
Until RFK meets and talks with with such knowledgeable critics of his Gaza position , I simply don't believe the sincerity of his supposed “openness to engaging in dialogue about the conflict”.
If RFK Jr. was President, then he could do much more, but since he's not, Sash's article, while thoughtful, is useless since the vast majority of Israelis (including Israeli Arabs as well as most other Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, etc...) are behind Israel's destruction of Hamas' military and political infrastructure. Following Sash's advice would be much more devastating for Israel. Bibi will go after the war is concluded.
As for Blumenthal, RFK Jr. does not need to debate with people who lie and distort history and reality to support their agenda. You can throw Finklestein in there as well. Useless "Westsplainers" who only make matters worse and perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As I explained to you before, ad hominem attacks on character are not an argument. Could you please give me just one specific example of how Max Blumenthal and/or Norm Finkelstein "lie and distort hisotry and reality"?
Easy - Both have stated that the Arabs accepted Israel's right to exist in 1967. Anyone who knows history knows about the "three no's of Khartoum." There are numerous other historians and interlocutors of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict to debate and engage with like Dr. Einat Wilf and Haviv Rettig Gur, people who discuss and represent the narrative within the context of an accurate and un-biased historical analysis. Finklestein and Blumenthal are neither.
I support RFK Jr's candidacy, I like him tremendously on most issues. He is completely wrong on Israel - and your " Anyone who knows history" is completely wrong. I've been in Lebanon when the Israelis were bombing, they bomb all the time - using American made weapons, American paid for - the Israelis are stealing land and resources, and are now murdering huge numbers of people. Trump and Biden are just as shitty on Israel - at least RFK Jr. has a brain and will think about the 18,000 dead Palestinian children, or the thousands of Palestinians jailed, raped, murdered by these Israelis. Finklestein has impeccable credentials, Max Blumenthal is a well respected investigative journalist. I think you should shut up about Israel, you can't win on this subject.
we are not making progress in the "dialogue" phase
Israel has already swallowed the poison, and they are projectile vomiting it out
RFK has not moved the ball forward he has lost "supporters" and ground
As mentioned he knows exactly what he is doing and why. Beaconites not so much
The litany of ignorant distortionists you list are not worthy of Robert F Kennedy's valuable time. He would rather work directly with the people who matter, Israelis & Palestinians - who have dedicated and even risked their lives as warriors of peace.
What you are doing is precisely what Dr. Einat Wilf calls "Westsplaining." Rather than describe it, I will let you listen to someone with more wisdom of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab relationship, than all of those falsely referred to "knowledgeable critics" put together!
Einat Wilf - Unraveling The Israeli - Palestinian Conflict: An Insightful Exploration of History and Delusions - https://youtu.be/o1ku4cE_e4U?si=NzkhMl5n31QUPkDe
'Ignorant distortionists"? Exactly how are they ignorant? If you have to resort to ad hominem attacks, that suggests you have a weak argument. For example, Jeremey Hammond has written several books on medical freedom and on Israel/Palestine and several recent articles (e.g. https://www.jeremyrhammond.com/2023/12/07/correcting-rfk-jr-on-israels-policies-toward-gaza/).
Another name, not listed above because RFK never interviewed him on his podcast, is Norm Finkelstein. His 2018 book, "Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom" is well-researched and backed up with plenty of footnotes if you want to get into the weeds.
Last week, after your previous suggestion, I listened to RFK's podcast. I wasn't impressed. But, I will take a look at your video link. Thanks for providing it.
Something being factually footnoted does not preclude it from being used in a distorted fashion - which both Finklestein and Blumenthal do. They sprinkle a little "truth dust" on top while lying about the main ingredients. I don't eat at that table...
37,000+++ DEAD Palestinians since Oct 7th. Gaza was under siege for 10 years, the Israelis turned off the water into Gaza before Oct 7th. What are the imprisoned Palestinians to do? 70% of Gaza is destroyed - and now the Israelis are starving the remaining 2.3 million people. How can you defend this? You aren't helping RFK Jr.'s quest for the presidency.
Every death in Gaza is a tragedy, but lying does not a good argument make: The UN estimated approx 27k deaths - 13k of those were Hamas and PIJ fighters. 2-3k were from non-battle causes like old age or disease (in a population of 2 million that would be expected). The civilian to combatant death ration is approx. 1: 1.2 - THE LOWEST OF ANY WAR IN MODERN HISTORY (in Iraq it was 1:7 and in Afghanistan 1:10. Israel did NOT turn off the water - the majority of water in Gaza is produced by de-salination plants. Hamas decided to divert the fuel used to power them to rocket fuel so they can continue to fire at Israeli cities and towns. Hamas is preventing the food from being distributed to the people - they steal it and sell it at high prices - there are plenty of videos that have documented this. Hamas could end the war in 5 minutes by releasing ALL the hostages. Their leaders have billions of dollars waiting for them in Swiss bank accounts so they can leave the country and go live like the mafia bosses and kingpins they emulate. Israelis and Palestinians can build a real peace - ending the war is entirely up to Hamas.
Do you really think Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject? This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should I believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
Of course - is there something wrong with being a Zionist? Wilf is BRILLIANT and she offers real solutions to the core problem. I suggest you check out her many recent talks online.
You are wrong on Israel Glenn. I've been to the refuge camps from 1948 in Lebanon, a shanty town for 75 years. The illegal settlements all over the west bank, settlements being expanded with people from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, who have never been to Israel before, who don't speak Arabic or Hebrew - this is a ticking time bomb. Kennedy has friends that support the Zionist expansion - we will never have peace if one side takes everything, and now they have the intention of killing everything.
Ilan Pappe, an Israeli expat historian and director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, argues that the occupied territories are the world’s “largest ever mega-prison”12. Pappe describes the legal and bureaucratic infrastructures that were put in place to control the population of over one million Palestinians, and the security mechanisms that vigorously enforced that control, painting a picture of what is to all intents and purposes the world’s largest ‘open prison’2. "The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories" - this Israeli has written 26 books on the subject.
Here's an excellent movie/documentary, voted Best Documentary, created by Israeli director Shimon Dotan, about the Israeli Settlers, their ambitions, from their own mouths. The Settlers (inside the Jewish settlements) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prqtXMSdeUw. Again, I think you should shut up about Israel, you can't justify mass slaughter of innocent people.
Why are you keeping them in refugee camps for 75 years? Give the citizenship and freedom like the 8 million Muslims received in Pakistan.
Anyone who knows the history of the conflict knows that the ONLY reason the Israeli settlement policies moved forward were due to the Intifada's and Wars which have interrupted the Oslo Accords and subsequent offers by Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert. ALL were met with violence and terror. I am not excusing the settlement policies - they have made the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians living in the territories difficult, but so too have the numerous terror attacks. When the Palestinians are ready to make peace, they will find the vast majority of Israelis willing to listen and negotiate. Since the Hamas Charter excludes the possibility to honestly negotiate with Jews, perhaps you might suggest a suitable path forward????
really Glenn, ignorant distortionists
and you know who really matters??
There never would have been an escalation to war with the orange haired guy,
the one they stole the Presidentcy from, and installed the old dotard
I agree with you that Biden and his inept foreign policy team helped to enable Hamas, but so did Netanyahu. When Robert F Kennedy becomes president next year, we can hopefully begin to right the sinking ship.
I listened to this entire podcast and Kennedy was NOT an Honest Broker. He was a spokesman/advocate for the Zionists. He does not have the Courage to call Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of tens of thousands of defenseless women Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing! Kennedy is a Coward and a paid prostitute and likely Epstein/Mossad Blackmailed Zionist Stooge.
Further he does not state the True Crux of the situation that birthed all the horrors on both sides: The Zionists are Illegal Occupiers and the Palestinians are the Occupied and have a Right and a Duty to Fight the Occupiers. Just like Occupied France, Poland etc in WWII. Did the Warsaw Uprising people, mostly Jews, have the right to fight their Nazi Occupiers? Darn right they did!
The Zionists have terrorized and murdered the Palestinians for 100 years on a ratio of hundreds of Palestinians dead, wounded or held hostage to every Jewish Israeli.
You need to read a few books and educate yourself. If anything it's the opposite, the Arabs want all the Jews gone not the other away around. Israel's population is almost 20% Arabs Muslim. How many Jews live peacefully in any Arab country? And the Israeli Arabs are fully behind Israel and happy to be citizens.
So take your ba lies elsewhere.
Hell-Bounders Abound. Satan has them by the Balls, and Thet haven't a clue.
"You need to read a few books and educate yourself"
I would suggest reading a couple of historians that Jeremy Sachs recommended in his Common Dreams article “Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace”:
“I refer readers interested in the detailed history of this long saga to the wise and scholarly study by my esteemed colleague Professor Rashid Khalid, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
Historian Ian Black, in his book Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel 1917-2017 ...”[from Amazon book blurbs: “A remarkable book that combines sharp insight with absolute impartiality … evenhanded study … in a field where one has gotten used to one-sided ‘narratives,’ it is refreshing to come across a historical account that simply lays down the facts … detailed and objective account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”]
*You* need to educate yourself.
The state of Israel currently has explicit laws that grants Jews rights that non Jews do not have. The fact that Arabs live in Israel is as relevant as the fact that black people lived in the US in 1890 or that South Africa was a majority African during apartheid.
To even suggest that “the Arabs” want “all the Jews gone” is grossly ignorant. And contradictory to your own statement. If the Arabs in Israel are “fully behind Israel and happy to be citizens” (which is horse shit simplification) how do “the Arabs” want “all the Jews gone”.? To make your statement not irrational nonsense, Israeli Arabs would want “the Jews gone.”
and the reason lots of arabs, not “the Arabs”, want Jews out of Palestine is because Zionist Jews colonized and then ethnically cleansed the land that is now the state of Israel of the majority of Arabs that were living there so that they could setup an ethno theocratic Jewish state that gives special rights to Jews. The land that Israel conquered had a vast majority of arabs before Zionist Jews violently forced most of them out of it.
Take your idiocy elsewhere.
Kennedy facilitated the discussion wherein the Palestinian participate did approach these types of concerns. Step one.
What do you suggest to do now, in order to settle this conflict ?
I doubt that Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should anyone believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
What did she say that was wrong? Being a Zionist? Should I say that Saudi Arabia shouldn’t be a Muslim State? Or any of the other 45 Islamic nations? Wilf was a self-described Leftist when she worked on the Oslo Accords. Maybe your Pal’s shouldn’t have murdered thousands of innocent civilians in busses and at cafes during two Intefadas?
I've got one of her books on order from the library.
"My pal's"? I'm on Team Humanity. Both Hamas & Israeli leadership suck. But, the Israeli's are the ones doing the genociding. If they want to do that, they can do it without my countrie's arms and money.
Here is an excellent suggestion that I think you will appreciate: Einat Wilf - Unraveling The Israeli - Palestinian Conflict: An Insightful Exploration of History and Delusions - https://youtu.be/o1ku4cE_e4U?si=NzkhMl5n31QUPkDe
Do you really think Einat Wilf is an honest broker on this subject? This is her Facebook Intro: “Ever since leaving the Knesset, I have been serving as "Roving Ambassador" for Israel and Zionism, telling our story to a wide variety of audiences.” Why should I believe anything she says? Just more hasbara.
Of course. It's ok to advocate for something as long as you understand it and you present evidence to support yourself - as Dr. Wilf clearly does.
You're actually comparing the Jews who were herded into the Warsaw Ghetto to dies or be carted off to extermination camps with the situation of the Palestinians? How many Germans did the 3 million Polish Jews kill in terror attacks leading to this behavior? Please get an education and learn history before you say anything further on this subject.
You are a Racist Glenn and I or none else need your Racist BS. I guess you have no empathy for anyone who is not of your religion or nationality? How come the continued Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of about 50,000 or more Defenseless mostly Women and Children plus likely double that number wounded and maimed, many with limbs blasted off and operated on with little or no equipment, plus an entire population with little or no water, electricity or fuel "WE WILL STARVE THEM, NO WATER, NO FUEL AND NO ELECTRICITY" BY THE NAZI-LIKE ZIONISTS IN THE SUMMER, AND YES LET'S SELL THEIR BEACHFRONT PROPERTY IN OUR SYNAGOGUES ONLY TO JEWS WHILE THIS HOLOCAUST CONTINUES, mean nothing to you? That is your Zionist Talking point because it is not on the scale of the Nazi Holocaust. The real reason is you are a Zionist Jewish Supremacist Racist and a Goy/Gentile's life means nothing to you. Read your Talmud and Torah and the Old Testament, I have, that's what you are taught.
Here are some things from another brave Palestinian Warrior For Peace. I suggest you take a good long listen and absorb the wisdom. Palestinians: We Need Peace and Enlightenment, Not Terrorism - John Aziz: https://youtu.be/4H3BsBT6EpQ?si=RrkIPvd69xDLaHr-
Diaspora Palestinian to Hamas Apologists: Debate Me, Bro (w/ John Aziz): https://uncertain.substack.com/p/diaspora-palestinian-to-hamas-apologists
The Abyss Beckons, A Palestinian’s reflection on escalating suffering, persistent support for Hamas, and aspirations for peace: https://thedispatch.com/article/the-abyss-beckons/
All My Life, I’ve Watched Violence Fail the Palestinian Cause: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/israeli-palestinian-conflict-hope/675917/
"All My Life, I’ve Watched Violence Fail the Palestinian Cause" The Gazan people tried the Gandhian non-violent approach during the mostly peaceful 2018 Great March of Return. "214 Palestinians, including 46 children, were killed, and over 36,100, including nearly 8,800 children have been injured. One in five of those injured (over 8,000) were hit by live ammunition."
What are you referring to???? To compare the Palestinian leadership to Ghandi is an insult to Ghandi
Ignorance from a Hell-Bounder.
So you support Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of Defenseless tens of thousands of women and children? It appears you do so why is that? Because they are not the right Supremacist religion?
You need to go back and listen to Professor Dajani...
Glenn,
So do you support the Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing of tens of thousands of Defenseless women and children by awesome US provided firepower?
Should the occupied not fight back against the Psychotic Occupied whose leaders spout Insane Torah Quotes to murder every man, women, child and beast?
This started 100 years before October 7th and the Palestinians have suffered horribly and hundreds of times more than the Israeli's. Palestinians have the Right to Resist the Occupation like the Jews of Warsaw or French Resistance did during the Nazi Occupation did. How hard is that to understand?
Supporting the Genocide and Ethnic Cleaning of a people is a supporter of Terror on humanity. They may be ignorant or brain-washed but they should not be.
Humanity is in shambles to allow this to go on.
I strongly suggest that you listen to people who actually understand the history that you are referring to. It will help to temper your unfortunate and misguided anger and hatred: https://youtu.be/YVc7PsRr6dY?si=Iy5D-MKQTciMZDz8
My hat is off to Bobby for getting human relations formal dialogue PROCESS, partially right. Bobby's willingness to engage in dialogue & 'debate' (French 'de' = 'undo' + 'bate' = 'the-fight'), with all people even one of his father's assassins is remarkable across many domains. If Bobby helps to reinstitute (in Multihomes, Schools, Workplaces, Institutions & Commerce) this private & public process to continue among all world citizens, Palestinians, Israelis & all Americans in all our relations, then humanity will have peace.
HISTORY: All humanity's worldwide 'indigenous' (Latin 'self-generating') ancestors in every nation on every continent & island, cultivated COUNCIL PROCESS between all people as a 'Dialectic' ('both-sided') right & an obligatory duty. Council Process is part of the worldwide indigenous 'Great-Good-Way-of-Kindness' aka 'Great-Law-of-Peace' aka 'Constitution' outlined in the interdisciplinary Indigenous CIRCLE-of-LIFE. interdisciplinary system worldwide. Key 'indigenous' proactive positive Laws are 1) the ~100 (50-150) person Multihome-Dwelling-Complex (eg. Apartment, Townhouse & Village) where 70% of people live today, 2) Time-based equivalency Accounting & 3 Council Process. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/a-home/3-indigenous-circle-of-life
In all indigenous society, any person could raise an issue, both positive for understanding, collaborative relations, working contracts as well as in exploring Conflict Resolution. Individuals & organizations engaged in indigenous Council Process, Both-sides-Now, Equal-time, Recorded & Published Dialogues or what is called TRUTH & RECONCILIATION.
Depending on circumstances, private for families & extended families or public for whole communities, nations & continentally, an appropriate circle of people is chosen to witness the dialogue. Today, we can employ an Audio-Video recording devices such as Cell-Phones, mounted on a solid vantage.
The two individuals or spokespersons use the stop-watch function on their watches to record speaking time. Typically 90 minutes with 45 minutes accorded to each speaker enables most issues to be covered to some degree. Before hand participants agree to a Date, Time & Duration (eg. 60 to 240 minutes) or a sequence of dialogues over time at chosen dates. In situations where a public office holder is being asked to dialogue, then, the Office holder can require the requester to 1st dialogue among their Stakeholder group in order to choose a Spokesperson as well as among other Stakeholder groups.
When one person is speaking with one's stop-watch running, the other must remain silent except for rare hand signals, if a rare point of clarification might be helpful. Participants are given notepads to write down their thoughts & feelings. Participants speak, preferably in short such as ~5 minute segments so the other person can respond point-by-point or speak their own perspective. A signed agreement relates to Publishing or not. If the issue is public in such as Palestine-Israel then the discussion process afterwards among witnesses or audience plays a key role in reviewing & offering collective wisdom & more importantly support to the individuals. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/d-participatory-structure/1-both-sides-now-equal-time-recorded-dialogues
GEOGRAPHY LESSON: Bobby still has huge Zionist supposed exclusive-right to the Eurasia-African Mega-continent Land-bridge CONTENT issues.
We can empathize with Bobby, as most of us colonial people on Turtle-island / N. America & Europe can understand the Torah, Talmud, Old & New Testaments as well as the Koran all to be Propaganda indoctrination literature to indoctrinate subject peoples into Book justified, glorified compliance with Oligarch genocidal, colonial invasion, conquest agendas. if not by intention then at least by effect.
According to UN extensive 'Out-of-Africa' genetic-studies, most inhabitants of these Mega-continents have ancestors who have lived in or passed through the Palestine-Israel LAND_BRIDGE, 200 km between Gaza & Aqaba. Historically the Torah-Old-Testament refers to Noah's eldest son in Eurasia as Japheth, middle son 'Shem' (origin of the word 'Semite') in Levant-Arabia & youngest son Ham in Africa. This story related from Shem's perspective acknowledges the privileged role of people living on the Palestine-Israel land-bridge, in convening or controlling trade, people, goods & resources. The only holiness of this Land-bridge is the loving obligation of its inhabitants to welcome & include strangers, travelers & refugees.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: When European Ashkenazi (Some of my family in 3 branches) arrived in Palestine 120 years ago, they were welcomed, nourished, housed & protected by Palestinian (Muslim, Christian & Jew). At this point & following, Ashkenazi could have & can still sat down with their Palestinian hosts &
GENOCIDE (UN Definition = 'Removing people from or destroying their means of livelihood plus Settler & State murder) Instead most Ashkenazi being submissive to their foreign Oligarch sponsors, chose the path of violence, war, killing & aggression. Irgun-Lehi, Stern-gang, Hagenah, Mossad violent armed militia have driven millions of Palestinians from their homes, stolen the houses & bulldozed the incredible Palestinian Polyculture Orchards & poisoned Palestinian wells. Understanding this Ashkenazi land-theft & genocidal agenda (Much less prevalent in Arab & Sephardic Jews), Palestinians turned to self-family-&-community protection.
CONVERTING SOCIAL 'MEDIA' (L. 'medium' = 'middle' implying both-sided inputs to articles or balanced reporting) FROM MONO TO DIALOGUE During the Oligarch rollout of Social-Media, we missed the opportunity to implement 'Debate' buttons to online articles & Comment Sections, enabling an individual & collective process for challenging statements made, for convening debate among diverse stakeholder groups, choosing Spokespersons, Engaging with Authors, Commenters & publishing together. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/d-participatory-structure/1communication-converting-social-media-from-mono-to-dialogue-libya
I intend to listen to this podcast because, if what you say about it is true, this would be the first public instance that I am aware of in which RFK demonstrates some courage on these issues. Everything else I have heard him say has been mired in the idealized vision of Israel that many boomers, myself included, were taught about Israel in the 1960s and 1970s. Talking trash about Trump, is not, IMHO, a good strategy, unless RFK is actually going to step up and acknowledge reality, including how Palestinians have been treated for decades.
Excellent review!!! Three incredible warriors for peace in an open and honest conversation. This is what a leader does! #Kennedy24 Please share this article and spread the word about Robert F Kennedy Jr.!
wow Glenn what a brilliant summary
This is a substantive and needed conversation that Mr. Kennedy had on his podcast. There is, understandably, much consternation about the conflict between Israel and Hamas which is falling on the heads of residents of Gaza. There are a lot of people who enthusiastically supported RFK Jr., but who are now hesitant because he has not come out forcefully against Israel's tactics in Gaza. I've seen some former Kennedy supporters on social media claiming he "supports" genocide of Palestinians. This kind of rhetoric is over-the-top, but it illustrates the depth of legitimate emotion and anguish caused by the conflict in Gaza.
What I've told people is that rather than fall into a traditional "us-vs-them," "good-guys vs. bad-guys" kind of polarization over issues of war and regional conflicts, it's important to look at what principles RFK Jr would bring to the Presidency in response to international conflicts, and to position the US as a mediator in conflicts and an agent of peace. One of the resources to get this perspective is the speech Kennedy gave in New Hampshire last June on war, peace and diplomacy (https://www.youtube.com/live/iZUZZTtZw_s?si=Uyz-r4H9JRY8EWZ9). Another is this podcast. It's my strong hope that when RFK Jr becomes President, he will initiate his own form of the "Fireside Chat" by bringing in two thinkers like these who have a conversation with RFK Jr on these incredibly and seemingly intractable issues in front of the entire nation and the world.
I happened to be reading in my passport fine print about how you can lose your US citizenship by serving in the armed forces of a foreign state, and it made me wonder about Bobby's son fighting in Ukraine.
Well, since Ukraine has been a vassal or puppet of the US since the Maidan coup in 2014, maybe it's not actually a "foreign state"? Bobby's son's fighting in a US proxy war = fighting on the US side
The most important qualification for my vote for President of the United States is someone who will do the right thing. We live in a fascist country ruled by oligarchs who use the power of our government for their personal enrichment, not the public good. The organizing force for these fascist oligarchs is the Zionist AIPAC who just announced they are pumping 100 million dollars into our primary elections so they can continue to own both houses of our congress. While these Zionists have killed, as of today, (day 160) 31,341 mostly women and children with 73,134 injured, RFK Jr will not even recognize this as a genocide against the Palestinian captive people.
RFK Jr with his misunderstanding of this world shaping event will only make things worse if he gets his hands on power by becoming President. He will not do the right thing. He does not qualify for my vote for President of the United States.
You do not know Robert F Kennedy, Jr. and you are wrong about his position on Israel & Palestine. Kennedy is an Independent who is not influenced one bit by AIPAC or any other lobby - full stop. I think if you listened to this conversation on this podcast - especially the views of the Palestinian Professor Dajani, you would understand the truth - not the slogans like "genocide" which do not apply here at all.
"...not influenced one bit by AIPAC". Really? Last August, on his Twitter account, Schumly Boteach posted a picture of RFK at the Kennedy Compound hanging out with AIPAC board members. Unfortunately, Boteach seems to have untoward influence on RFK. He even gave the invocation at RFK's announcement in Philly last October (hard to find since it was cut from most of the videos on the internet).
How was Kennedy "influenced?" To do or say what? Everything he says comes from himself. He bends to no special interests.
How? Well, since June '23 when he flip-flopped on his tweeted support for Roger Waters, RFK has parroted AIPAC and Boteach hasbara talking points supporting the Israel party line and the Gaza Genocide.
Personally, I think that RFK actually believes that BS and believes he is taking a courageous, principled stand against the "Pro-Hamas" crowd despite losing support over that stand with the anti-war & anti-genocide folks (based on comments by Kucinich, Eisenstein, and Setty, etc).
Unfortunately, many believe RFK has taken his position out of fear of AIPAC, for campaign donations, or blackmail. I think they are wrong. But, "perception is reality."
It's tragic. I think if RFK had taken a more reasoned stand, had listened to those who tried to "show me where I'm wrong," RFK would be much higher in the polls and not scrambling to even reach 15%.
Genocide is not a slogan.
Then why is it used as such by so many?
Wonderful hope it will happen
great article