In this episode, Dr. Julie Norman speaks about her recent co-authored book (with Maia Carter Hallward), Gaza: The Dream and the Nightmare, where they explore the Gaza Strip's history, current situation, and future, through local Gazans’ voices, experiences, and hopes. Dr. Julie Norman is an Associate Professor of Politics & International Relations at University College London, and a Senior Associate Fellow on the Middle East at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Â
In the interview, Dr. Norman addresses the modern history of the Gaza Strip, the story of its population, the Strip’s vibrant life even during times of crises, which include entrepreneurship, solidarity, and militancy. Dr. Norman talks about the Hamas-Fatah rivalry and the 2006 elections – the first and last democratic elections to take place in the Gaza Strip – the role Hamas plays in the Gazans’ daily life, and how local Gazans view life under Hamas. And, of course, she discusses the October 7, 2023 attack and the Israel-Hamas war that has followed.
Dr. Ofer Idels discusses the role history has played throughout the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the dangers and opportunities in molding narratives, and his new book, Zionism: Emotions, Language, and Experience.
Ofer Idels is a Minerva Postdoctoral Fellow in the History Department at Munich University. His book, Zionism: Emotions, Language, and Experience, was recently published by Cambridge University Press (free download here: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009442947)Â
