Current Events Discussion Topics

An on-line "Zoom" discussion is conducted every Monday morning at 9:30am Chicago time through the North Shore Senior Center hosted by Ron Mantegna. You can enroll in this discussion session at   https://www.nssc.org/

Ron conducts a Northbrook Library zoom discussion every 1st and 3rd and 5th Thursday, 10-11:30am. Open free to all who enroll.  Contact the Northbrook Library to connect with Ron Mantegna.                                                       

Did America change political direction, or just reject the current direction? How much was this Election a “extinction event” for Trump’s MAGA Party? Or does it just underscore that no one Party or Ideology has a strangle-hold on most voters—with Independents holding more decisive cards?

 

Veto everything? Or Deal-Maker? What might President Trump do next in his remaining two years? Trump revels in combat, not governance. Is that what we’re in for? Or can mutual deals be swung?

 

How will Democrats see their victory? Anti-Trump angst doesn’t mean “Democrat Love”. Will a Democrat-led Congress move toward debating ideas more than 100% combat against each other? What kind of big change did voters indicate they wanted? Legislation or Oversight?

 

How significant will “Socialism” resonate as part of the new Congress?

 

What happens now to the Republican Party? Can they move toward a discussion of ideas more than “warfare” against folks who differ with Trump?

 

What kind of Nominee will Republicans seek? MAGA lane? Or more Traditional Lane? Vance? Rubio? DeSantis? Haley? Cruz?  Who else comes to mind?

 

What kind of Nominee will Democrats seek? Progressive/“Socialist” Lane? Moderate Lane? Newsom? Ossoff? AOC? Shapiro? Buttigieg? Who else comes to mind?

 

Cash did not buy access to Democracy. Did we prove that Democracy belongs to the People?

 

Big Picture: What does America truly want from its President? Does America really want a President who treats political opponents as enemies, or one who recognizes that governing requires compromise, respect for institutions, and an ability to bring people together? What would it take for us to become a country that is governed more than campaigned to… ...where COMPETENCE is respected more than "performance"? Did Tuesday's election demonstrate that our democracy is working as the Founding Fathers intended—or remind us how much work remains to make it work?

 

What might happen now with the Supreme Court? What now, given Supreme Court Justices Alito and Thomas are thinking of retirement?

 

Impeach Hegseth? How much does any Secretary speak for anyone else but Trump?

 

Newsom commutes the sentences of all 548 death row inmates. Does it help his future?

 

Trump cancels $2B in aid to Israel. Why did he do this the day before the Election?

 

Will Arabs decide the future of Israeli Leadership? A senior Arab lawmaker from the Joint List says his party is willing to support an opposition government to remove Netanyahu, even without joining the government itself. Eisenkot's dilemma: he has an opportunity now to form a government with Arab support, but some of his potential partners hate that idea. Lieberman also publicly opposed including Arab parties in the government. And Netanyahu's political strategy has long emphasized keeping Arab parties outside the governing process. Are we looking at another election?

Israeli History/Israeli Current Events

Upcoming Discussion

Mark Gelfeld leads a Zoom discussion at the Northbrook Library 10am to 11:30am every 2nd and 4th Thursday. Signup is free at this link. A library card is not needed. 
https://visit.northbrook.info/event/4628524

Israeli Current Events will be discussed for the first portion of our session.
Then...we'll continue reviewing events related to the First Lebanon War

Links below allow you to review slides we show and discuss at each session.

Zionism/Israeli History through 1967  

https://www.northbrook.info/sites/default/files/Zionism-Israeli%20History%20thru%201967-1.pdf

Israeli History: Post 1967 

https://www.northbrook.info/sites/default/files/Israeli%20History%20Post%201967-2_0.pdf

Israeli History: Post 1973

https://www.northbrook.info/sites/default/files/Israeli%20History%20Post%201973.pdf 

Below is a list of books mentioned during our sessions:

· "The Arab-Israeli Wars" by Chaim Herzog

· "Kissinger and the Yom Kippur War" by David Morse

· "The Making of Modern Israel 1948-1967" by Leslie Stein

· "Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict" by Charles D. Smith

· “The Iron Wall: Israel & The Arab World” by Avi Shlaim

· “Transformative Justice: Israeli Identity on Trial” by Leora Bilsky

· "Six Days of War : June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" by Michael Oren

· “The Secret War Against The Jews: How Western Espionage Betrayed the Jewish People” by John Loftus and Mark Aarons

· “A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel” by Allis Radosh and Ronald Rados

· "Truman" by David McCullough

· “Louis D. Brandeis: A Life” by Melvin Urofsky

· “The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership” by Yehuda Avner

· “George C. Marshall” by Forest Pogue (a 4 volume work- the most definitive biography)

· “1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War” by Benny Morris

· “Woodrow Wilson: A Biography” by John Milton Cooper, Jr

· “A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East” by David Fromkin

· "Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews": A History by James Carroll

· “In the Garden of the Beasts” by Erik Larson

· “My Promised Land - The Triumph & Tragedy of Israel” by Ari Shavit

· "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power

· "The Physician" by Noah Gordon

· "Start-up Nation: the Story of Israel's Economic Miracle" by Dan Senor and Saul Singer

· "Eichmann in Jerusalem: a Report on the Banality of Evil" by Hannah Arendt

· "The Eichmann Trial" by Deborah Lipstadt

· "The House on Garibaldi Street" by Isser Harrel

· "Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices" by Mosab Hassan Yousef

· “Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of A Mass Murder” by Bettina Stangneth

· "Jaffa Beach" by Fedora Horowitz

· "Operation Thunderbolt:  Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport, the most Audacious Hostage Rescue in History", by Saul David

· "Abba Eban", A Biography by Asaf Siniver

· "Jerusalem: The Biography" by Simon Sebag Montefiore

· "The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine" by Ben Ehrenreich

· "Jabotinsky" by Hillel Halkin

· "Doomed to Succeed: The U.S. Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama" by Dennis Ross 

· "The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel" by Uri-Bar Joseph
· "FDR and the Jews" by Richard Breitman
· "No Ordinary Time" by Doris Kearns Goodwin
· "Remember the Liberty!:Almost Sunk by Treason on the High Seas" by Phillip F Nelson, Ronald G. Kukal, Ernest A. Gallo 
· "Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn" by Daniel Gordis
· "Every Spy a Prince" The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community by Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman
· "FDR and the Holocaust: A Breach of Faith" by Rafael Medoff
· "Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations" by Ronen Bergman

· "Then They Came for Me - Martin Niemoller, the Pastor Who Defied the Nazis" - Matthew Hockenos

· "We Stand Divided - The Rift Between American Jews and Israel" - Daniel Gordis
· "BiBi" - Anshel Pfeffer
· "Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the 40-year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East" - Kim Ghattas

WELCOME TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION

“Current Events” Code of Conduct

We respect each other and conduct our discussions with civility.

This includes:

•      Never using loud, abusive, threatening or insulting language.

•      Never offending, threatening, or insulting groups or individuals based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or any disability.

•      Never being under the influence of anything but our best behavior.

•      Never harming anyone, including fighting or challenging anyone to fight.

•      Understanding every aspect of Sexual Harassment - This includes: • making inappropriate personal comments or sexual advances • using obscene or lewd language or gestures • staring at, or following anyone in a manner that reasonably can be expected to disturb him or her • exposing others to sexual Internet content.

Ron's Rules:

1. Civility means treating each other with respect. Hate the comment. Love the commenter. When you make it personal, I will stop you. Talk to the issue. Respond like this: “I disagree. Strawberry is not better than butter pecan. Here’s why. ….”  Responses like this are out of line: “You’re an F-ing idiot if you think strawberry is better than butter pecan!”   Our goal is to shed light more than heat.

2. If someone else makes your point, you don’t need to make it again.

3. I try to seek different views. In doing so, I will call on some folks more than others so there’s a chance to hear different sides. But I may not get to everyone for some topics.

4. If you’re seeking a “support group” to vent heart-felt rants, go elsewhere. Attend with an open mind. You don’t need to agree with what you hear—just do try to understand the other side. I’m preaching to myself here as well.

5. Finally, It’s perfectly OK to push back against my questions you feel are too slanted or flat out incorrect. That’s going to happen.  Just don’t be picky in the interest of time.