Israel & Palestine - The Politics of War - A Discussion With Victor Davis Hanson and John Anderson

In this 18 October 2023 recorded video, John Anderson is joined by military historian Victor Davis Hanson to discuss the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Hanson argues Israel is in a unique position to retaliate unencumbered by American opposition, due to the bi-partisan support Israel currently has in the United States. However, he contends that conflicts like this, and others such as the war in Ukraine, would probably not have transpired had President Trump still been at the helm.

https://youtu.be/FG0cgViEcc8

Victor Davis Hanson is an American classicist, military historian, columnist, and farmer. He has been a commentator on contemporary politics for the National Review and The Washington Times and is currently the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

In addition to writing hundreds of articles, book reviews and newspaper editorials, Hanson is also the author of twenty-four books and hosts a regular podcast series, ‘The Victor Davis Hanson Show’. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush, and was a presidential appointee in 2007-08 on the American Battle Monuments Commission. His latest book, The Dying Citizen, was published in October 2021.

The podcast features John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, interviewing the world’s foremost thought leaders about today’s pressing social, cultural and political issues.

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00:00 Intro
00:52 Introducing Victor Davis Hanson
01:21 Why did Hamas attack now?
05:00 Will this galvanise the world?
08:29 Does America still have the necessary willpower?
11:45 Israel’s military capacity
16:14 The lack of moral clarity in the West
22:32 Will this unite the US and the rest of the world?
28:38 Is America still the strongest power?
34:00 How pervasive is anti-Semitism in the media?
42:54 The dying citizen
44:35 “The Voice to Parliament”, Israel, and the rise of middle America/Australia
50:16 Who can capture middle America? Can you have Trump without Trump?
59:00 The Hoover Institute united over Israel
1:02:40 The importance of courage
1:04:07 The world would be a more dangerous place without Israel
1:08:04 The problem with universities