American Jewry, World Politics

Why Does the Left Embrace Islamist Leftists Embrace Islamist Positions?

Richard Landes with documentary film Pallywood

Richard Landes, chair of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) has just written a book, Can the “Whole World” Be Wrong? Lethal Journalism, Antisemitism, and Global Jihad. As per the title and premise of the book, it’s a good question. Why is it part of the left’s zeitgeist to throw in their lot with Islamists, who after all, consider them to be Infidels it’s a mitzvah (l’havdil), to kill?

With a new book on Islamist thought, Landes the medievalist and historian is in demand for interviews and podcasts. And he’s always interesting. Here’s his latest with Dexter Van Zile, editor of the Middle East Forum’s Focus on Western Islamism (FWI):