Critics portray Israel as a political entity that can only survive through state-sanctioned repression and violence.
Israel has been in a state of near-perpetual war for decades, receives billions of dollars a year in aid and weapons, and has consistently broken international law by expanding its occupation and settlements.
Governments and international human rights organizations have called for war crimes investigations into Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
However, for leader Benjamin Netanyahu, it is “the only democracy in the Middle East”, a point of view often repeated by his supporters.
Critics say Israel is a political entity that can only survive through repression, denial of rights and violence.
So is Israel a normal state? Could it be defined as a fragile state? Or does it exhibit the characteristics of a failed state?
Presenter: Cyrille Vanier
Guests:
Ali Abunimah – Co-founder of Electronic Intifada, an independent online news publication focused on Palestine
Paul Turner – President and Executive Director of Fund For Peace, a non-profit research organization that produces the annual Fragile States Index
Ilan Pappe – Israeli historian and author of The Idea of Israel: A History of Power and Knowledge