Speaking of Gaza

A conversation with Pankaj Mishra about his book “The World After Gaza”

Gaza represents a political and moral rupture from which we will not recover for decades. Despite the many wars, catastrophes, crises, and political upheavals of our times, nothing like this conflict has ever evoked such unbearable dismay and sense of powerlessness.

This is why in his most recent book "The World After Gaza" Indian intellectual and author Pankaj Mishra states that for the generations who have not witnessed the upheavals of the Twentieth century, there will always be a before and after Gaza.

Here’s my conversation with him about the forgotten lessons of Primo Levi, Hannah Arendts, Zygmunt Bauman and why Paul Newman was so important in creating an “Israeli hero” in the collective imagery of Americans…

What do you think should be done with the Gaza situation now. How do your react to US president Trump’s announcement that it should become an American-run Cote d’Azur real estate development?

I say very clearly in my book that Gaza and even the West Bank are likely to be ethnically cleansed by Israel and its supporters and I see Trump’s announcement as the first step in this process. Yes, there is great international opposition to Trump’s idea. But I worry that much of this opposition will prove to be very shallow. Certainly, the project has overwhelming support in Israel today. It is what the country’s far-right