Deborah Lipstadt | Full Episode 1.26.24 | Firing Line with Margaret Hoover | PBS

Amb. Deborah Lipstadt-Biden’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism-discusses the spike in hatred toward Jews since Oct. 7 and the silence from many over Hamas’ atrocities. She explains why it is a threat to democracy and how to fight it.
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FIRING LINE WITH MARGARET HOOVER airs on PBS. Launched in June 2018, Firing Line maintains the character of the original series by William F. Buckley Jr., providing a platform that is diligent in its commitment to a balanced exchange of opinion. In weekly 30-minute episodes, host Margaret Hoover engages in a rigorous exchange of ideas with political leaders, cultural luminaries, thought leaders and activists who represent a wide range of ideas and perspectives. New episodes are available Fridays here on KZbin at 8:30 pm ET.

[@cliffordnewell2445]

Great program Super informative. Lipstadt is a great guest.

[@petros7225]

An accurate and simple 5:05 5:05 description of what Anti-Semitism is. ✅

[@arthurelola4998]

I learn, think, and feel a better understanding of humans and the world with everyone of your shows. Thank you! The picture quality seems improved or are you getting prettier ❤😂

[@lisalivingston6473]

I admire Amb. Deborah Lipstadt's passion for educating people, particularly young college students, and providing food for thought. I think her approach in trying to reach moderates with her message instead of trying to reason with extremists may result in better understanding and peaceful relations between people who are currently conflicted by the attacks of Oct. 7 and the resulting aftermath of destruction in Gaza. I have always believed that extremist views do nothing but hinder diplomacy in the world, and I think this is especially true of the decades long unrest in the Middle East.

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

Define "extremists." Would you consider the Likud Party extremists?

[@lisalivingston6473]

​@@Silence_Duder_GooderI define extremists as a person or group that holds views or beliefs to the far right or far left of moderates and who often use violence to intimidate or achieve their objectives. I understand that PM Netanyahu aligns himself with the Lukid Party, and I think he and his administration are extremists. The majority of Israelis disapprove of his leadership, and I hope they will elect a more moderate leader to guide the nation to peace and stability.

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

@@lisalivingston6473, okay, so define for me what you believe "far right," "far left," and "moderates" are. You wrote how those people you call "extremists" will "often use violence to intimidate or achieve their objectives." But that's a pretty vague and broad definition. That's because the so-called "founders" of the United States became "violent" because they were tired of an occupying force telling them what to do on "their" land. And I don't know if you're American, but here in the United States, we celebrate that fact every July 4th. I also want to say that many right-wing Israelis today, and quite a bit of left-wing Israelis, plus their supporters, also claim that the patch of land called "Israel" today is theirs because _their_ ancestors resided on it in the past. However, that argument could also be made by the indigenous peoples of North America. That's why I put quotation marks around the word _their_ in my first paragraph, because that excuse seems convenient to whomever uses it, and it's only allowed for certain parties to utilize it in their political dialogue about similar circumstances. Because I'm pretty sure those indigenous peoples of North America were saying the same things Jews are saying today about Israel, only their claim to their land was just decades prior to what supporters of Israel claim, which is a couple thousand years ago. At least we agree about Netanyahu and the Likud Party. Because without that guy and political party, there is no Hamas, as they have financially supported Hamas's existence since 2006. So Bibi and his Likud Party are pretty much responsible for October 7th. Not to mention the warnings they received beforehand, plus the warning's others were privy to by IDF soldiers who were stationed near that breach, as they kept warning their superiors of strange training-type behaviors coming from that area before the attacks; those IDF soldiers were told to dummy up about it or face a court martial. Why do you suppose that is? 🤔 Hopefully you're right, and we can soon see a change in leadership in Israel so that both sides can come to a common understanding about their existence on that land. But any time that gets close to happening, people get assassinated, like what happened to Yitzhak Rabin. And I don't believe it was the Palestinians who murdered him; I believe it was the guy in charge right now who had that done to him. There is a lot of bad blood where this subject is concerned. People have been forced out of their homes and properties and have been murdered and imprisoned for merely fighting back. And to do so is legal under international law, as the occupier has to make certain concessions to those they occupy; otherwise, they're violating international law, and those they are oppressing have every right to fight back as they see fit. Colonialism and attempting to install an ethnostate should have died a horrible and very public death in the 1800s. Yet, here we are today, still hashing out the same tired garbage. Regardless, have a wonderful day, be safe, and don't get any on ya, unless that's what you want. 😜

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

@@lisalivingston6473, KZbin axed my response to you? Wow. And nothing that I wrote was inflammatory or derogative; there were no pejoratives flung your way either. So I'll try again. So please define for me "far right" and "far left," because the people who control the narrative, our corporate "news" media, always seem to ignore certain aspects of what that includes. Sure, there are the obvious odious miscreants, like the infamous American triple K organization, or like other right-wing fascist organizations with roots to 1933-1945 Germany, or like Antifa, or like Black Bloc (

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

So I posted two responses to yours, and I'm only allowed to read the original two? KZbin blocked my responses to you? Wow. And nothing that I wrote was inflammatory or derogative; there were no pejoratives flung your way either. So I'll try again. So please define for me "far right" and "far left," because the people who control the narrative, our corporate "news" media, always seem to ignore certain aspects of what that includes. Sure, there are the obvious odious miscreants, like the infamous American triple K organization, or like other right-wing fascist organizations with roots to 1933-1945 Germany, or like Antifa, or like Black Bloc (

[@taritaserramo7797]

The criticism of Isreal is not anti Semitic, neither are the college students protesting for Palestinian rights. Apartied is not just Africans. We all know Israel has different ethnic Jews. But it is indeed Apartied for the Palestinian people ! Wow what a self centered woman

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

She came of extremely pretentious and woefully ill-informed.

[@Seekthetruth3000]

Do you know Arabs living in Israel are successful and happy?

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

@@Seekthetruth3000, did you also know that they're being purged from public office by Netanyahu?

[@eliseoandrade8126]

false, arabs even have a political party in Israel's goverment@@Silence_Duder_Gooder

[@user-cw3bo6vw3n]

If you attack Israel under the prejudice that they are automatically the oppressor because they are white, that is antisemitic. If you attack Israel based on propaganda from Hamas that is antisemtic. This not apartheid. To use this term demeans those who have actually experienced it. Israel does not occupy Palestine. Israel left in 2007, Hamas is the elected governing official. Hamas steals from its owns citizens. They are the reason gazans are starving. In stead of supporting thier local economy they focus on exterminating jews. Those who protest for Palestine are protesting for the extermination of the Jews from Israel. The want the absence of Jews not a two state solution. Gaza was thriving before Hamas took over. Palestinians have only been there since very recently. I wish you were outraged at Hamas for its human right violations of its own people. Hamas is not fighting for freedom from oppression, they are fighting for the total oppression of Palestinians and Israelis. They are blood thirsty and have openly declared that the loss of a Palestinian is meaningless, if they get to kill a jew. Fight for the truth, not the propaganda. Hamas is not the victim, its the victimizer. Hamas is not the oppressed, they are the oppressor. Try to see through the programming and take an in depth look at the history. Use critical thinking as your guide. I am not a Jew, but I studied near Eastern history in college. I have also looked at the current war and its atrocities, to try understand the truth of what's going on from many many sources.

[@DENGODFREY]

Her resistance in acknowledging the suffering of the Palestinian people both now and over the last 75 years was pretty breathtaking pathetic. Instead, it was an endless diatribe of the victimhood of Jews. You can tell she thoroughly enjoys wallowing in it. Of course, she would undoubtedly tell me her opinion by saying that I'm being antisemitic.

[@evarlast]

This is absolutely right. She is dangerous and evil. She is saying when you do it to us, it is terrible, when we do it to you, it is fine. She should NOT have been given this voice. Firing Line seems to be anti-freedom and anti-equality lately.

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

Facts.

[@Seekthetruth3000]

Palestinians are the greatest victims of their own propaganda.

[@PeasGraveny]

Truths!

[@jasoncostelle5835]

awful narrow minded interview...I'm a big supporter of Firing line but they totally gloss over the major issue of Israel's response to the Hamas attack. THAT is what drives the vast majority of negative blowback towards Isreal, it isn't because of antisemitism. Yes, antisemitism exists and needs to be addressed and condemned. But this interview misses the trees foe the Forrest. if you want to discuss antisemitism growth amd hate for Arabs you have to discuss amd equally condemn the killing if the innocent. When the question of "what is going on in Gaza" the guest uses the fact she "isn't a military expert" as a catch all to not even discuss the Israel response that has killed over 25,000 civilians. Mostly women and children. A response that has clearly broken international law. Hamas has forfeited their right to exist on this earth, but Israel jas completely lost the moral high ground with its response and is completely near sited.

[@rufusfirefly8563]

yes. this interview was a pathetic abomination

[@Silence_Duder_Gooder]

Beautifully put. And her "I'm not a military expert" dodge was just that: a dodge. People like her exist in a tight-sealed bubble and reside behind gilded gated communities. They never go to the grocery store to buy their food; they have someone cook it for them as well. They have maids and butlers. *_"Hamas has forfeited their right to exist on this earth"_* Did you know, though, that Netanyahu has financially supported Hamas since 2006? He even called them "strategically necessary." So consider that when you factor that thought into words. Also, if not Hamas, it will just be some other organization that takes over. So merely removing Hamas won't change any outcomes when Israel keeps doing what it's doing to Palestinians while gobbling up even more of their land. Merely addressing the symptoms without attempting to destroy the virus will just allow that virus to spread further.

[@user-cw3bo6vw3n]

Those numbers are from Hamas. They are part of a social media campaign. Those numbers have gone up evenly since Oct 7 even though the Israeli operations don't track with the increase Hamas is reporting. The number of men being killed has gone down, even though the Hamas fighters are the ones primarily targeted. In war, there would be great variation in these demographics. I think its best to forget about what we want to be true and look at what is actually true. We ignore truth at our peril.