Best Xava De Cordova Podcasts (2024)

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226. The Secret Jewish History of the Etrog 26:47

2d ago26:47

26:47

In today's episode, Xava brings some sugyes and history about the etrog (aka the citron aka the Persian apple aka the thing that Rabbis look at with intense love and delight), and how it made its way into our sukkot ritual! Check out Shel Maala's East Coast Tour here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalaeastcoastTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicema…

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225. Brand Loyalty 28:00

16d ago28:00

28:00

This time Michael is bringing us a weird, challenging little sugye about business ethics, land deals gone wrong, breakfast food preferences and going above the letter of the law. Sign up to learn with Shel Maala in Western Mass here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalamassTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619…

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Undoing Indoctrination: A Conversation About "Israelism" with Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen 55:43

1M ago55:43

55:43

Erin Axelman is a queer Jewish filmmaker, based out of Somerville, MA. Israelism is their directorial debut. Erin and Sam Eilertsen founded Tikkun Olam Productions, a nonprofit filmmaking collective that focuses on documenting and supporting movements for justice. Erin has produced videos for Senator Ed Markey, as well as Congressman Jamaal Bowman.…

1
224. Get Off My Lawn 27:38

1M ago27:38

27:38

Xava's got a sugye about keeping your side of the street clean, zoning ordinance, Rabbinic humility and home improvement. Sign up for Shel Maala in Western Mass at https://bit.ly/shelmaalamass !To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at pat…

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223. Secret Stones and Magic Dirt 25:56

2M ago25:56

25:56

Michael brings us a few sugyes about special stones, both paving and corner, in the Talmud. This leads to magic dirt and Nazis getting their faces melted off, naturally.To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Mu…

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222. Protesting Exactly the Right Amount 35:26

3M ago35:26

35:26

Xava brings a series of property law sugyes that tell us about how, why, and how much we should protest, halakhically speaking. Sign up for Shel Maala's Alef Bet class here: https://bit.ly/decodingalefbet, Sign up for Sand into Pearls here: https://bit.ly/sandintopearlsTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-…

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221. Mommy Issues 27:47

3M ago27:47

27:47

Michael brings us all a text about ascending and descending holiness rules, relocation, divorce, parental abandonment and taking other people's opinions too seriously. Sign up for Decoding the Alef Bet here: bit.ly/decodingalefbetTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gma…

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Decolonizing Spirituality: Jewish & Muslim Alliance with Ala' Khan 1:26:14

4M ago1:26:14

1:26:14

Ala’ Khan is a storyteller and filmmaker focused on community based storytelling - uplifting the authentic and diverse stories of BIPOC communities. Faith and spirituality are what ground Ala’ and motivate her work and engagement with the world as a community activist in pursuit of justice and racial equity. IG @amkjourneys Hadar Cohen is an Arab J…

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220. Tales of the Unbound 49:07

4M ago49:07

49:07

Rabbi Miriam Terlinchamp of Judaism Unbound joins us to talk about incarcerated Jews, the problems with the way we handle conversion, what's next for Judaism and how the Rabbi's themselves responded to potential converts. Check out Tales of the Unbound here: http://www.judaismunbound.com/tales, sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh here: bit.ly/shelmaala…

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219. Everything was Beautiful 29:37

4M ago29:37

29:37

Xava brings some kabbalah and xasidut about the transcendent nature of beauty, plus some Talmud and Torah that seems to contradict it by saying that beauty is basically worthless. Sign up for Trancestors and Chalices here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xa…

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218. Weirdos No One Has Heard Of 26:17

4M ago26:17

26:17

Michael brings a delightful obscure little Rabbi to the pod: Elijah Benamozegh! We'll learn about his universalist vision for Judaism and the strange and beautiful connections it has to other Jewish thinkers throughout the ages. Sign up for Trancestors and Chalices here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the…

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217. To Work, or not to Work? 25:37

5M ago25:37

25:37

We've got grain on the brain! In honor of counting the omer, Xava brought a text about grain, strain, pain and...Torah. Let's see if the sages can find a healthy work/life balance. Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email u…

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216. Mourning and Ritual 21:57

5M ago21:57

21:57

A listener wrote in asking how we can mourn the lives lost in Gaza, if kaddish can be said for them, and how to grapple with the enormity of sadness in times like this. We do our very best to give at least a little bit of an answer. Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicem…

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215. Noahide and Seek 27:07

6M ago27:07

27:07

A listener has a question about Noahidism and we've got answers! Also, the Chabad factor, alternate universes and the REAL messianic Jews. Sign up for Xava's class here: https://bit.ly/thornsinthevineyard Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at…

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214. Wake Me Up Before You Gecko 23:31

6M ago23:31

23:31

We're talking about rashes, scorpions, the Leviathan, ancient Messianic political ambitions, campus protests and the power of the small. Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support…

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213. The Rabbi and the Helpful Demon 23:30

6M ago23:30

23:30

Xava brings a story of politically useful sinning, the Rashbi, a suspiciously convenient demon friend and a truly bizarre system of law abolishment. Sign up for her next class here: https://bit.ly/thornsinthevineyardTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Suppor…

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Dancing Between the Polarities with Nadia Irshaid Gilbert 43:04

6M ago43:04

43:04

Nadia Irshaid Gilbert is a Palestinian-American artist working at the intersection of spirit, culinary production, experience design and filmmaking. Her multidisciplinary work invites us to dive deep, transform our relationships, and engage with the vision of interconnected, collective liberation. https://www.instagram.com/nadiadiaspora/ Hadar Cohe…

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212. Smells Like Holy Spirit 25:30

6M ago25:30

25:30

Michael returns us to the topic of charisma with a fascinating exploration of the holy spirit in Torah, how it appears linguistically, what kind of powers and effects it gives, and its potential pitfalls. Become a Shel Maala Member here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalajoin, Sign up for Heeling Our Soles here: https://bit.ly/heelingoursoles, Sign up for Th…

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211. Shammai Circumcision Blues 25:53

7M ago25:53

25:53

We're finally answering a listener question! In this case, what's the deal with hatafam dam brit for NB and trans folks and why does it seem like we're following Shammai when the halakaha is like Hillel?! Sign up for Heeling Our Soles here: https://bit.ly/heelingoursolesTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401…

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210. Rizz 16:40

7M ago16:40

16:40

Oops! Both of us forgot who was actually supposed to prepare this episode, so enjoy this minisode about charisma, our personal issues and hints at what our next actual episode will be about. To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at patreo…

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Shel Maala: An Anti-Zionist Queer Yeshiva with Binya Kóatz & Rabbi Xava De Cordova 1:00:12

7M ago1:00:12

1:00:12

Binya Kóatz is a talmud teacher and standup comedian, trying to be radical and funny wherever she goes. She helped start Shel Maala, an online Queer anti-zionist Yeshiva, and has performed and taught in cities across North America. Rabbi Xava De Cordova is a disabled, Sefradi, Mizraxi trans woman and co-host of the world's first Queer Talmud podcas…

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209. When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven 59:16

7M ago59:16

59:16

Author and scholar Rafael Neis joins us to talk about their book, "When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven: Rabbis and the Reproduction of Species", featuring a riveting discussion of furries, gender, what happens if your brother is a bird, gay demon divorce and much more! Keep up with them on insta @postrafelite and on their website at https://rachelr…

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208. Anger Management 27:41

7M ago27:41

27:41

Michael brings a bounty of sources from Talmud to Kabbalah to Xasidut on anger and what the Rabbis say we should do about it (but often don't do themselves).To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on t…

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Two Mystic Sisters Discuss the Spiritual Path with Maria Amiouni 1:03:10

7M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

Maria Amiouni is a spiritual coach, human design reader & published poet. She’s been devoted to the spiritual path for the past 10 years as it’s led her to remember who she is & why she is here. Her purpose is to help people break free from their conditioning & come out the other side more empowered & connected to the Divine. @maria.amiouni (ig), m…

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207. Foxy Loxy 21:16

7M ago21:16

21:16

Part 2 of Xava's spontaneous series on foxes! Featured are Babylonian pedagogy, greedy wolves, overzealous interpretation and selfishness in the Rabbinate. Sign up for Sacred Wiggles here: https://bit.ly/sacredwigglesTo ask us questions, text or leave us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Suppor…

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Israel's Black Panthers: The Radicals Who Punctured a Nation's Founding Myth with Asaf Elia-Shalev 1:38:06

7M ago1:38:06

1:38:06

Asaf Elia-Shalev is an Israeli-American journalist with Mizrahi roots. Based in Los-Angeles, he works as an investigative reporter for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He was the historian behind the 2022 re-release of the Israeli Black Panthers Haggadah. He recently published a narrative nonfiction book titled, “Israel's Black Panthers: The Radicals…

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206. Our Purims, Our Selves 23:19

8M ago23:19

23:19

Michael has brought us some luscious Xasidic and Kabbalaistic wisdom on the soul, two major Jewish holidays and the extremes of human experience. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas here: bit.ly/3IsrEBjVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on p…

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Ancestral Healing & Spiritual Leadership in A Time of Genocide with Daniel Foor 59:40

8M ago59:40

59:40

Daniel Foor is a doctor of psychology, experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. He's an initiate in the Òrìṣà tradition of Yoruba-speaking West Africa and practicing Muslim who has also learned from the older ways of his English and German ancestors. Daniel is passionate about work at the…

1
205. Fox News 24:02

8M ago24:02

24:02

Something's fishy as frenemy of the pod Rabbi Akiva returns with a parable about a fox...maybe the start of a fox series? We'll see! Also featuring: love of Torah and struggling with loving Judaism. Sign up for Sacred Wiggles at https://bit.ly/3IsrEBjVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 40…

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"I Am What Was Taken From Me": Unlearning Colonization and Embodying Resistance with Ariella Aïsha Azoulay 1:15:37

8M ago1:15:37

1:15:37

This episode was recorded on March 23, 2023 and is in collaboration with Jewish Ancestral Healing and the Sarah & Hajar Series. Ariella Aïsha Azoulay is an author, curator of anti-colonial archives, film essayist, and theorist of photography. She is a professor of Modern Culture and Media and Comparative Literature at Brown University. She is of Al…

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204. A Tomb with a View 29:23

8M ago29:23

29:23

Michael continues his archaeology rampage with some tales and tidbits about burial practices in the first century, which sheds some light on social structures, Jewish denominations in the time and collaborative funeral cookouts. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas here: bit.ly/buildingbrakhasVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com an…

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Mapping the Moment: Getting Unstuck on Jewishness, Zionism, and Trauma with Daniel Maté 1:24:12

9M ago1:24:12

1:24:12

Daniel Maté is an award-winning composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theatre with an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from McGill. He co-authored the New York Times bestselling book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture, with his fat…

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203. Body Horror 26:52

9M ago26:52

26:52

Xava brings a source sheet from friend of the pod Olivia Devorah Tucker about bodies, fluids, clay and the strange ways they mix. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas here: https://bit.ly/buildingbrakhasVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on p…

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202. Shared Sherds: a Story of Pots and Pans 31:49

9M ago31:49

31:49

Michael has brought our very first archaeology episode, in which we learn about the cultural significance of frittatas in the first century CE, ceramic studio pop ups and pre-revolt material culture. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas Here: https://bit.ly/3wgc215Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hot…

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201. Blood Stains 23:30

9M ago23:30

23:30

Xava brings us a (maybe) allegorical story about conquest, revenge, bloodshed and breaking cycles of violence. Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_figured…

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200. Average Joe 26:12

9M ago26:12

26:12

Michael brings us a sugye exploring the restrictions and stigma surrounding an "am ha'aretz", plus some historical speculation and context about how that role has shifted over time. Listen to Sam's 2023 Year in Review episode here: https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/2023-in-historical-context-dividing-the-harvest. Sign up for The Priests Eat…

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199. Temple OS 2: Modernity and Inspiration 1:05:11

10M ago1:05:11

1:05:11

Finally, part 2 of the TOS series is here! We're discussing the trends in computing that inspired Terry, the meaning of mysticism and the modern in spiritual thought along with friend of the pod, Sam! Sign up for The Priests Eat at Midnight here: https://bit.ly/TPEAMTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484…

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198. Actually, Don't Rashbi 34:01

10M ago34:01

34:01

We all know how the story of Shimon Bar Yoxai ends, right? Right? Wrong, turns out there's agricultural infrastructure projects, moral backsliding, secret sex work detail and edible flowers left to discover. Sign up for The Priests Eat at Midnight here: https://bit.ly/TPEAMTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at …

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197. Listener Question Double Feature 28:09

11M ago28:09

28:09

Michael is bringing two tasty listener queries this week that get us talking about the first cis nonbinary person in history, as well as fairies, tree antics and the mouth in the earth. Sign up for Who Created These here: https://bit.ly/whocreatedtheseTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email …

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196. Demonic Smorgasbord 22:28

11M ago22:28

22:28

Xava's brought a big long daf with 9 headed demons, bad father son relationships, arrogance, punishment, gay content and everything else you could possibly want in a few short paragraphs. Sign up for Who Created These here: https://bit.ly/whocreatedtheseTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or emai…

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195. Kotzker? I hardly know her! 33:43

12M ago33:43

33:43

Continuing our theme of continuing our theme, this week Michael helps us explore the legacy, vibes and snappy one liners of the Kotzker Rebbe, a famed purveyor of misanthropy and shower thoughts. Sign up for Who Created These here: https://bit.ly/whocreatedtheseVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Ho…

1
194. Mythical Thunderdome Buffet 22:10

12M ago22:10

22:10

Michael brings some deep lore on the 4 branched shin, the new Torah, the World to Come and our eventual dinner of mythical creatures. Sign up for Divine Decay here: bit.ly/divinedecayVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreo…

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193. The Ghost of Genders Past 30:33

12M ago30:33

30:33

Time to get down to brass tacks about reincarnation, gender ghosts, punishment for past lives and where it all comes from. Content Warning: This episode contains mention of animal death. Sign up for Divine Decay here: https://bit.ly/divinedecayVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1…

1
192. Intellectual Pegging 30:29

1y ago30:29

30:29

Michael brings us all some theology about halos, gender roles, secret torah and the world to come. Donate to support mutual aid in Gaza here: https://bit.ly/472xmUR. Sign up for Shel Maala's Divine Decay in Portland, OR here: https://bit.ly/divinedecayVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 4…

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191. Text Change 35:24

1y ago35:24

35:24

Xava gives a primer on mitzvot that women (supposedly) aren't obligated in and why, what even is a gender, why we get left out of the fanciest mitzvahs and whether we're okay with that.Donate to support mutual aid efforts in Gaza here: https://secure.everyaction.com/b00t33wD-EOVJ1cNTyHixg2Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com an…

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190. I Think We're Alone Now 33:28

1y ago33:28

33:28

Michael brings us a walk through several pages of Talmud covering gender, sex, risk, isolation and sexy ladder leaping shenanigans. Sign up for The Sheydy Bunch here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sheydy-bunch-halloween-talmud-series-on-amulets-the-demons-next-door-tickets-686988459977Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and …

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189. What's up with essential dignity? 29:36

1y ago29:36

29:36

Xava brings in some texts and talks to explore the concept of basic dignity, honor and human rights. Sign up for CTNTC here: https://svara.org/course/trans-codex/Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. F…

1
188. Kosher-er 24:32

1y ago24:32

24:32

Michael has brought a sexy Mishnah about vegetarian food, kosher restaurants, avodah zara and other hot, hot topics. Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_f…

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187. Temple OS 1: Introduction 36:40

1y ago36:40

36:40

The very first episode of our Temple OS series is finally here! We'll be releasing them slowly as we get them edited over the next few months. This week we're introducing you to what the heck is TOS, who was Terry Davis, and why we decided to create this series.Check out Shel Maala's Fall offerings here: https://www.shelmaala.com/classes/fall-in-lo…

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Three Worlds: The Personal, Political, and Historical Narratives of Arab Jews with Avi Shlaim 1:34:43

1y ago1:34:43

1:34:43

Avi Shlaim is an Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the British Academy. His books include Collusion across the Jordan: King Abdullah, the Zionist Movement, and the Partition of Palestine (1988); War and Peace in the Middle East: A Concise History (1995); The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab Worl…

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