In the Middle East, it seems, the philosopher Santayana may have got it wrong. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” he warned. But in the Mideast, it’s those who remember the past, their past, who seem doomed to repeat it.
History reaches back a long way in the Holy Land. The problem is: there’s no one history. Palestinians cite their ancient ties to the land, which are vehemently disputed by Israeli scholars of religious history. After the Six Day War when Israel occupied the West Bank of the Jordan, it changed all the maps and road signs to include the ancient biblical names, Judea and Samaria.
The persistence of history. Why it’s so hard to talk about now without talking about then.
Guests:
Mike Shuster, NPR diplomatic correspondent
Suzanne Goldenberg, reporter, The Guardian
James Rodgers, BBC correspondent in Gaza