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PROFILE

Peter Beinart Guest

Peter Beinart

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City University of New York / Atlantic

Peter Beinart is a contributing editor at The Atlantic and associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York. He is the author of The Good Fight: Why Liberals -- and Only Liberals -- Can Win the War on Terror and Make America Great Again, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris and The Crisis of Zionism .

Beinart is a former editor-at-large at the New Republic and author of its weekly TRB column, former senior fellow at the New America Foundation, former contributing editor to the National Journal, senior political writer for the Daily Beast and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

FROM Peter Beinart

North Korea: Are US provocations making things better or worse?

North Korea: Are US provocations making things better or worse? As North Korea continues its nuclear program, the Trump Administration says it's lost its "strategic patience." What does that mean? A US carrier and a nuclear submarine are conducting drills in the Western Pacific, and China is urging President Trump to exercise "restraint." The entire US Senate was bussed from Capitol Hill to the White House. Was it political theater or did they learn anything new? We hear about possible options from diplomacy to economic sanctions to preventative war.

40 MIN, 15 SEC Apr 27, 2017

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Do Republicans see Russia as friend or foe? Donald Trump’s seemingly cozy relationship with Russia represents a split within his party. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said, “The Russians are not our friends.” But during the campaign, Trump praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin. This split is related to the party’s view on Islam.

7 MIN, 59 SEC Dec 12, 2016

Sugar Daddies, Super PAC's and Winning the White House

Sugar Daddies, Super PAC's and Winning the White House The US Supreme Court has taken the lid off political spending, so presidential candidates are lining up billionaires to finance next year's campaigns. It's not just the South Carolina and New Hampshire primaries any more. There's the "Adelson primary" and the "Koch primary" facetiously named for Republican mega-donors. Hillary Clinton is cozying up to super-rich Democrats. That's giving enormous power to a tiny group of billionaires – a Florida car dealer , a New York hedge fund operator and others . What do they want — what will they get -- for their money?

31 MIN, 57 SEC May 13, 2015

Is Vladimir Putin Changing the Game in Ukraine?

Is Vladimir Putin Changing the Game in Ukraine? Yesterday, as bloody violence continued to increase in Ukrainian cities, Germany's foreign minister warned that the country was on the "threshold of war." Britain's foreign secretary said Russia was creating a pretext for military intervention. Today, Vladimir Putin stunned diplomats by announcing a troop pull-back from the Ukrainian border and voicing support for upcoming elections. The Pentagon sees no evidence of troop movements yet, but Russia's President may have undercut Western accusations that he's trying to scuttle Ukraine's democracy. We hear from Moscow and Ukraine. Will European observers assist a transition from confrontation to dialogue? Has Putin's announcement demonstrated how completely he's in control? What's the lesson for the Obama Administration and superpower politics?

36 MIN, 34 SEC May 07, 2014

Is a Boycott against Israel Reaching a 'Tipping Point?'

Is a Boycott against Israel Reaching a 'Tipping Point?' As Israel expands illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank – a violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace with the Palestinians, some European companies are refusing to do business there. The Palestinians' call for "boycott, divestment and sanctions" may succeed where Intifadas and rocket fire have not. Prime Minister Netanyahu calls it "immoral and unjust," but Secretary of State Kerry warns it could damage Israel's "relative calm and prosperity." We hear how the boycott has divided Israelis and American Jews. What will it mean for the peace process and the "two-state solution?"

35 MIN, 12 SEC Feb 05, 2014

American Jews and Faith in Israel

Which Way, L.A.?

American Jews and Faith in Israel Palestinian statehood is in diplomatic mothballs, while the world focuses on crises in other parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Israel denied entry and deported pro-Palestinian activists who flew into Tel Aviv's airport. Police and security personnel were deployed, although the protesters said their goal was to plant trees in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. While Israel claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East, it continues to occupy the Palestinian West Bank and subsidize the expansion of illegal settlements. Is that a contradiction of Israel's founding values? We talk with Peter Beinart and others about his controversial new book, Crisis of Zionism .

25 MIN, 27 SEC Apr 17, 2012

American Jews and Faith in Israel

American Jews and Faith in Israel Palestinian statehood is in diplomatic mothballs, while the world focuses on crises in Syria, Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Israel denied entry and deported several dozen pro-Palestinian activists who flew into Tel Aviv's airport. Hundreds of police and security personnel were deployed, although the protesters said their goal was to plant trees in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, an observant Jew and well-known journalist, Peter Beinhart, has created a firestorm with a book called The Crisis of Zionism . He argues that Israel's expanding settlements violate the Jewish commitment to equality and democracy. He concludes that a new generation of liberal American Jews is faced with a contradiction that the Jewish establishment fails to recognize. Will they support a state that's not living up to its founding ideals, or adhere to liberal Zionism while their support for Israel withers away?

35 MIN, 35 SEC Apr 17, 2012

Al Qaeda and the Challenge of People Power

Which Way, L.A.?

Al Qaeda and the Challenge of People Power Pakistan's only Christian cabinet member was under threat of death for opposing laws against "insulting" Islam. He was murdered today in Islamabad. In Yemen a radical cleric, once a mentor of Osama bin Laden, has rallied crowds with calls for establishing Islamic rule. But the actual toppling of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak was accomplished in 18 days by mostly peaceful protesters for whom Islam appeared to be only an afterthought. What does that mean for the power of al Qaeda and other extremists in the Muslim world?

27 MIN, 16 SEC Mar 02, 2011

Al Qaeda and the Challenge of People Power

Al Qaeda and the Challenge of People Power Pakistan's only Christian cabinet member, who was under threat of death for opposing laws against "insulting" Islam, was murdered today in Islamabad. In Yemen, a radical cleric, once a mentor of Osama bin Laden, has rallied crowds with calls for establishing Islamic rule. But the actual toppling of Hosni Mubarak, a goal of al Qaeda for the past 20 years, was accomplished in 18 days by mostly peaceful protesters for whom Islam appeared to be only an afterthought. No violence. No calls for jihad. Surprisingly little anti-Americanism, given US support for Egypt's President over the years. Has America mis-read the Muslim world? The promises of free speech and jobs seem to have more street appeal than radical Islam, and the "War on Terror" looks like a strategic mistake. What does that mean for the power of extremists in the Muslim world? Are they waiting to seize the moment in case promised reforms aren't allowed to happen?

35 MIN, 4 SEC Mar 02, 2011

Do the Middle East Peace Talks Have a Future?

Which Way, L.A.?

Do the Middle East Peace Talks Have a Future? President Obama said renewing direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians might produce peace in a year. But just three months later, they aren't talking at all and it's back to shuttle diplomacy. Last Friday, Hillary Clinton said the US would continue peace efforts, even after Israel turned down a controversial American offer of billions in high-tech fighter planes in exchange for a three-month freeze on settlement-building in the West Bank.

26 MIN, 20 SEC Dec 14, 2010

Do the Middle East Peace Talks Have a Future?

Do the Middle East Peace Talks Have a Future? Just three months after President Obama took credit for renewing direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, they're not talking at all. Palestinians demanded a freeze on Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, but even America's offer of billions in fighter jets could not get Israel to agree. Hillary Clinton says it's time to talk about "core issues," and George Mitchell is back in the region, but US policy is not entirely clear. Was pushing for the settlement freeze a blunder? Has Israeli intransigence further isolated it from the rest of the world?

35 MIN, 31 SEC Dec 14, 2010

A Growing Divide among American Jews about Israel

Which Way, L.A.?

A Growing Divide among American Jews about Israel Even before Israel's bloody effort to enforce the blockade of Gaza, a lengthy article in the New York Review of Books created a firestorm with an attack on mainstream pro-Israel organizations in the United States. It reported a growing division among American Jews with potential consequences for Israel. We speak with the author of the report and others in the US and Israel.

27 MIN, 9 SEC Jun 08, 2010

A Rift Grows in the American Jewish Community

A Rift Grows in the American Jewish Community Israel's bloody enforcement of its Gaza Strip blockade has exposed a growing division among American Jews. AIPAC , the traditional Jewish lobby, played up five Islamic "Radicals" aboard ship. A competing lobby group, J Street , focused on the blockade's impact on Palestinians. Even before Israel's defense of the blockade, a lengthy article in the New York Review of Books created a firestorm with an attack on mainstream Jewish organizations in the US, and a recent survey shows young, liberal American Jews are unwilling to support Israel right or wrong. Is Israel failing to hear an important message? What are the implications for the Obama Administration and US policy?

36 MIN, 31 SEC Jun 08, 2010

In Shocker, Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

In Shocker, Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Committee today awarded the 2009 prize for Peace to US President Barack Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." After only nine months on the job, the President said he was "surprised and humbled," and acknowledged the honor as "an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations." Accepting the prize as "a call to action," Obama spoke of the many "transformative figures who have been honored by this prize, men and women who have inspired [him] and inspired the entire world by their courageous pursuit of peace." We get reaction from Washington and around the world.

23 MIN, 41 SEC Oct 09, 2009

Hollywood, Smart Power and Public Diplomacy

Hollywood, Smart Power and Public Diplomacy Americans are about to celebrate the Fourth of July at a time when America's international reputation has been in decline. A country that sees itself as free, prosperous and generous is identified with the war in Iraq, Abu Ghraib and the defense of torture. Since Americans don't know much about the rest of the world, restoring the country's image will be a two-way street. Can Hollywood be an agent of public diplomacy, explaining the US to other people, at the same time it educates Americans about the rest of the world?

33 MIN, 46 SEC Jul 03, 2009

Patriotism and the Presidential Campaign

Patriotism and the Presidential Campaign There is no better time to talk about patriotism than the Fourth of July in the middle of a presidential campaign. John McCain and Barack Obama represent two different but very important patriotic traditions. That's according to Peter Beinart, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who wrote the cover story on this week's Time magazine.

5 MIN, 55 SEC Jul 04, 2008

Recommended

Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe?

Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?

51 MIN, 22 SEC Jun 13, 2017

Who's to blame for the opioid crisis?

Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.

51 MIN, 17 SEC Jun 09, 2017

What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace?

What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?

51 MIN, 5 SEC May 23, 2017

Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump

Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.

51 MIN, 13 SEC Jun 06, 2017