Episode 2196: Michael Scott-Baumann on the unfolding catastrophe in Israel and Palestine
Last year, Michael Scott-Baumann, author of The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine and a peace activist at the Balfour Project, came on the show to talk about the problem to end all problems - the Israel-Palestine question. Today, Scott-Baumann explains, this problem has, if anything, metastasized into something even more shameful and insoluble. Gaza has been transformed from what he calls “the world’s largest outdoor prison” into a war zone and the two sides are no nearer what the Balfour Project calls “peace with justice, security and equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis.” Given this deeply depressing situation, it’s essential that analysts like Scott-Baumann keep giving us the bad news. There is nothing to be cheerful about here. The situation, Scott-Baumann reminds us, is unrelentingly bad. And it is likely to get considerably worse.
Michael Scott-Baumann is a graduate of Cambridge University and has an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He has 35 years’ experience as a history teacher and lecturer. He has traveled widely in the Middle East and worked as a volunteer under the auspices of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, with whom he conducted field work on the West Bank. He lives in Cheltenham, England.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
The China Paradox: Chris Schroeder on what America is Missing
That Was The Year in Tech: When Nothing Happened (except Everything, Everywhere, All at Once)
Morbid Symptoms Abundant: The Demolition of Pax Americana
From Munich to Mar-a-Lago: Is Trump Appeasing Putin in Ukraine?
Americans Actually Dislike Each Other: The Unsavory Truth Behind the Data
Cracked, Jagged and Leaderless: The World is No Longer Flat
2025: The AI Year Scripted by Gary Marcus in 2024
Justice is Round: Mussolini Couldn't Woo the World Cup, Neither Will Trump
Capitalism with a Nationalist Face: What Comes after Neoliberalism
Trump 0.2: The Failing Revolution
The Arrival of the American Future: Stephen Marche on the Crisis in 2025 United States
Bethanne's Best Books of 2025: Where Fact & Fiction Blur
2025 as the New 1925: Will Crypto be Trump's Teapot Dome Scandal?