23 Comments
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Meghan Daum

This was a great interview. For a different perspective, perhaps you could reach out to Shadi Hamid? Shadi has also been vocally anti-cancel culture and highly skeptical of “woke” politics. He has forcefully denounced Hamas’ latest atrocities but he would be able to make the responsible case for the Palestinian side. In any case, love your work and I look forward to more of these great interviews.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Meghan Daum

PLEASE Meghan make this interview available to share for free. I have so many “social justice warrior” friends who are struggling with what is happening to Jews and the protests supporting this heinous violence. Eli’s interview will give them the tangible words and facts for what they are feeling. These facts, concretely verbalizing the chaotic swirl of events, is critical to arming this groups awaking with the language to speak out‼️‼️

Consider it a free sample of your incredible work to engage a population that are deer in headlights and don’t know where to turn‼️‼️‼️‼️

Expand full comment
author

It will go out on the main feed on Monday, as always. Paying subscribers here get early access.

Expand full comment

This is a real public service. Thank you for the important work you do.

Expand full comment

I’m glad to hear that about some decent SJWs

Expand full comment

It is an important one!!

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Meghan Daum

Many thanks for bringing Eli Lake to my attention and for asking fundamental questions that need to be asked and answered and revisited when confusion reigns. I felt palpable relief when these questions were posed because I didn't have the answers at the ready until Eli replied.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023·edited Nov 4, 2023Liked by Meghan Daum

Amazing! Eli Lake is the best. Indeed, as he says, it is they, the loony left that so loves to presume to occupy the moral high ground as their native soil who should be ashamed. And nice work as ever, Meghan.

Expand full comment

Excellent discussion. Eli is a semi-regular on the Fifth Column.

I think the complexity of the topic is one reason some people in the US (primarily on the Left) just reduce it to binary racial classifications. It's a lot easier to to toss out college freshman buzzwords like "apartheid" "decolonization" and "oppression" than to grapple with knots that were twisted 2000 years ago.

Thanks to Eli for educating us.

Expand full comment
founding

Excellent. As usual!

Expand full comment

Great BUT I think this is the second episode recently with no bonus content. I know I am being an entitled little bitch, but....

Expand full comment
author

Yes. Eli generously granted a last-minute interview and I was not going to ask him to stay overtime for bonus chitchat. I work hard to give you all as much as I can, but it's simply not always possible to ask a guest to give a second interview for a limited number of listeners. Next week's episode with Andrew Sullivan will not have a bonus portion either. If that doesn't work for you, it might make more sense for you to be a free subscriber.

Expand full comment

Wow, I take that as a “fuck you”. I didn’t say it didn’t “work for me” I pointed out it had happened. Again. I have been a patron since you were on Patreon and even went to your zoom meetings before prior to your new rules. I even softened my complaint, so will assume you are having a bad day.

Expand full comment

Settle down, Francis. I thought Meghan clearly explained her thought process during this episode. The lighthearted bonus stuff is not always appropriate anyway, depending on the topic. Lake and (especially) Sullivan are major "gets" for this podcast. If they are only available for an hour then so be it.

Expand full comment

Who is Francis? Sure. That’s all fine. Maybe not appropriate to have age chat after a podcast about a a crime against humanity. It’s her podcast and she can do what she wants. She didn’t have to even respond to my comment. It’s not like we know each other. And read above again.

Expand full comment
founding

Great conversation. Thank you both.

Expand full comment

Great interview. Two things:

1- I hope that Meghan and Eli continue to support free speech passionately, even if it comes from "clowns and cretins". I don't support Hamas or the Palestinian anti-Zionist cause, but I also don't support the response to silence the useful idiots in the US who do. The solutions to bad free speech is more good free speech.

2-It seems that Antisemitism is prevalent in Arab Muslims-- does this antisemitism extend to non-Muslim Arabs? Do Muslim Arabs also harbor anti-Christian or anti-nonMuslim sentiments?

Expand full comment

Meghan:

I thank you for wading into the crazy waters of the Middle East despite your own admitted limitations on the subject. Eli Lake is informed but not necessarily the most nuanced thinker (I think he would admit to being very much a hawk and right of center). I would suggest other non-crazy voices who I think approach the subject with more complexity. I suspect Friedman and Remnick are difficult to book at the moment. Can I suggest Vox’s Zac Beauchamp. When I read these writers, I really feel like they grapple with the injustices on both sides (I think it would be asking too much to add Palestinian voices). As Remnick so elegantly put it, “but” has become the overused word in this conflict. Writers who use “and” is necessary. Palestinians do some very bad things—and Israelis do some very bad things.

Eli Lake mentioned Baruch Goldstein’s massacre of Palestinians in Hebron in 1994. He uses that as an example to illustrate the difference between Jews and Arabs. I believe he said something about world Jewry condemning him while Arabs would put-up murals if the events were reversed. Sure. What about Ben-Gvir? He is quite radical and Minister of National Security in Netanyahu’s cabinet. He also famously had a portrait of Goldstein in his living room. I am not sure Eli Lake qualifies as an “and” thinker.

I would describe myself as someone well-informed about both the Middle East and inanities of the social justice left. There are a lot of stupid practitioners of campus politics saying gross and illiterate things in support of the Palestinians. And there are a lot of people with considerably more power saying some chilling things in support of Israel. I admit the campus stuff has that charismatic quality of a car crash. At the end of the day, I am not sure how relevant it is to understanding the conflict.

Expand full comment

Excellent. The disgusting antisemitism from some on the left has genuinely been predictable but shocking. Eli lays it down in simple, concrete terms. He reifies the complexity of what’s going on. He’s 100% correct: SJW’s who support Hamas, including some BLM chapters, should absolutely be shamed beyond measure. These people deserve nothing but mockery. Gross.

Michael Mohr

Sincere American Writing

https://michaelmohr.substack.com/

Expand full comment