Coleman Hughes vs. Peter Beinart Debate: Should Israel Be a Jewish State?

Coleman Hughes vs. Peter Beinart Debate: Should Israel Be a Jewish State?

From Conversations with Coleman by The Free Press

June 15, 2026 · 1h 45m

About this episode

Coleman Hughes and Peter Beinart debate the complexities surrounding Israel as a Jewish state and the implications of various solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Peter Beinart is a writer and author who has contributed to The New Republic, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. He grew up a committed Zionist and has spent the last decade publicly refuting that position, arriving at the view that Israel cannot be reconciled with the principle of equality under the law. His most recent book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, caused shock waves in the Jewish world. In this conversation, Coleman and Peter debate the Palestinian right of return and whether it’s comparable to Israel’s Law of Return for diaspora Jews. They argue over whether a one-state solution would produce equality or civil war, and whether the idea of comparing Israel to South Africa holds up under scrutiny. They get into the role of jihadist ideology in the conflict, whether Iran constitutes an existential threat to Israel, and what it would actually mean for Israel to be a democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Coleman Hughes

Guest: Peter Beinart

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The New Republic, The Atlantic, The New York Times

Books & works: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza

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