ForCriticalThinkers on YouTube
With over 15,000 views in 3 days, the IsraelPalestine For Critical Thinkers YouTube Channel is an educational series devoted to an open-ended discussion and analyses of the context and history of the modern-day issues facing the region. Its intent is to inform audiences and create a space for critical thinkers to engage in enlightened discussions. Your host, Richard Bass takes you through the story of this land and its peoples—a story now 4,000 years old.
Episode #1 Ancient Roots
In this first episode of IsraelPalestine for Critical Thinkers, Richard Bass takes us back thousands of years to when the region was called Canaan, and explains why it's important to go back in time to understand the issues taking place there today. We also discuss how archaeologists and historians have used the Bible as a guide for their discoveries in the region, while working to distinguish facts from legends.
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Episode #2 The Biblical Era and The Rise of Judaism
In episode two, Richard Bass examines Israel-Palestine from the biblical era through the early years of Judaism, until the reign of the ancient Israelites ended with the destruction of their Temple at the hands of the Romans. He explains how the region became known as Judea, and how the Israelites battled against the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece and Rome and the challenges of imperialism, slaughter and dispersion that they presented.
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Episode #3 The Rise of Christianity in Israel-Palestine
In this episode, Richard Bass take us back to the tumultuous time of first century CE in Israel-Palestine, when the events of Jesus’ life took place and the Roman’s destroyed the Second Temple. We also discuss how Christianity grew to become the religion of the Roman Empire, transforming Israel-Palestine into a Christian holy land, and dominating there until the 7th century.
Episode 5 - Arab and Jewish Nationalism - In this episode, Richard Bass explains how the 19th century saw the rise of both Jewish and Arab nationalist movements. We describe the inception of Zionism and how it grew out of a need to address growing anti-semitism. We’ll also explain how Arab intellectuals were imagining a powerful political union between all Arab states, and how these two political movements would eventually meet in Israel-Palestine.
Episode 7 - Paris Peace Conference - In this episode, Richard Bass gives us an insight into the Paris Peace Conference, a gathering that had profound effects on borders, and sovereignty throughout Europe and the Middle East. Representatives of the Zionist movement and the Arab delegation were present and made the case for Nationhood. But, despite their accord at the Conference, many significant questions were left unanswered.
Episode #4 Islam and Israel-Palestine
In this episode of IsraelPalestine for Critical Thinkers, Richard Bass explores the origins of Islam and how Israel-Palestine became a holy place for Muslims. We discuss the significance of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to understanding replacement theology and it's role in the tensions in the region. And we'll explain how the events surrounding World War I led to the contemporary issues facing Israel-Palestine and the Middle East.
Episode 6 - WW1 and Israel Palestine - Following the last episode of IsraelPalestine For Critical Thinkers, Richard Bass explains how Arab and Jewish Nationalism were shaped by World War I. In order to achieve their goals of statehood, both Arab and Jewish people looked to the British for support. However, controversy was not far away, as these alliances would come to overlap when the British pledged land to both groups, creating a conflict for years to come.
Episode 8 - The British Mandate - In this last episode of Season 1 of IsraelPalestine For Critical Thinkers, Richard Bass discusses the ways in which the Allied Powers remapped the Middle East and designated Palestine as the Jewish national home. We explain the revolt that ensued, and the British government’s proposed resolution. But with growing Nazi power, and the war afoot, circumstances only intensified in the region.