The Electronic Intifada Podcast 10 June 2024
Israel’s own economy is in shambles, as more and more Israelis leave abroad for good and as its high-tech sector collapses.
“I think that what we’re seeing is, first of all, that this Israeli military doctrine has flown out the window,” political economist Shir Hever tells us on The Electronic Intifada Podcast.
“There is no doctrine right now – what we have is a collapse of Israeli society. It is a social collapse. It’s also psychological collapse, [and] it has to do with the fact that Israelis have lost connection with reality,” he adds.
Hever is the military embargo coordinator for the Palestinian Boycott Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) and works on its #ShutDownNation campaign.
Hever, who lives in Germany, is the author of The Privatization of Israeli Security and The Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation.
Along with the societal crisis, Hever says that Israel’s internal infrastructure is in an economic free-fall.
“Israeli economists keep mentioning the fact that Israel became smaller, in the sense that so many people have left their homes, some of the homes were destroyed, some are just not safe, either in the area around the Gaza Strip, or in the north, close to Lebanon,” he says.
“Families are just planning how to leave if they can, if they have an extra passport, or if they can find a job somewhere or studies or whatever. They will just leave.”
Watch the entire episode above, or listen via SoundCloud below.
Video production by Tamara Nassar
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Comments
Thank you EI! Excellent
Permalink laure heinz replied on
Thank you EI! Excellent conversation with Shir Hever exposing the many cracks in Israel's facade...imploding on itself. I hope it gains a wide audience. Always grateful for your incredible work.
A very important topic, well
Permalink Richard Lightbown replied on
A very important topic, well presented.
I do take issue with Ali's statement about the far right pushing us towards nuclear war with Russia. I'm a Corbynisita, and no friend of the right, near or far. But I think our most serious current problems stem from the far centre/extreme centre. Look at them: Starmer who said Israel has the right to starve Gaza. Unelected von der Leyen who exceeds her legitimate authority in order to give unconditional support to Israel, while promoting the continuing disaster in Ukraine. Macron who was only stopped from bombing Niger by Algeria's refusal to allow overflights, who proposed an international coalition against Hamas (!), who wants to send French troops to fight in Ukraine. Shit-in-your-pants Biden, Lord David Cameron; these and so many more of the 'centre' are the people sending military style 'police' to rough up students, are seriously eroding basic rights of all of us, are dismantling all the institutions of international law, and order. These are the evil cranks most likely to start a nuclear war with Russia. Remember it was Nigel Farage, to his credit, who gave a speech in Strasbourg saying that Europe would continue provoking the Russian bear at its peril. Marine LePen who condemned the same parliament who not doing more to stop the conflict in Syria (yes, OK because she was concerned about immigration from that country). Donald Trump for all his very many faults is the only US President since 1945 who did not start a war while in office. It was Trump who wanted to withdraw US troops from both Syria and Afghanistan. Yes I oppose Trump, but I despise Biden far more.
My biggest fears for the future come from the evil fanatics of the centre, far more than those from the right.
Hard to believe
Permalink Isidore DesRochers replied on
Amazing that shipping companies in Europe loose billions in revenue based soley on their support of war crimes and genocide committed by an ultra-right wing out of control Israel government. Are they mad?
A truly great interview!
Permalink Jeffrey Blankfort replied on
This was easily one of the most important interviews that I have seen regarding Israel's genocidal war in Gaza and was pleased to see Shir Hever confirm much of what I suspected concerning the decision by an increasing number of Israelis that Israel has become a failed state with no future and thus have chosen to leave.
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