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PETER BEINART

Peter Beinart writes for The Atlantic, a US-based magazine, and is a senior fellow for the New America Foundation. He also writes for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The Week named Beinart columnist of the year in 2004 and he was the editor of The New Republic magazine from 2007 to 2009. He has authored three books: The Crisis of Zionism; The Icarus Syndrome: A history of American hubris and The Good Fight: Why liberals – and only liberals – can win the War on Terror and make America great again.

You are a Zionist who has been highly critical of Israeli foreign policy. Can you explain where you think Zionism has taken a wrong turn, and what needs to happen for the Zionist movement to get back on the right track?

There have always been different species of Zionism. In Israel, everyone enjoyed citizenship and the right to vote until the 1967 Israeli-Arab War. However, because of Israel’s victory, it suddenly had millions of people living under military rule. This is the core of what is wrong with Israel and Zionism today.

What are your thoughts on the notion of American exceptionalism and its impact on US foreign policy?

The definition of American exceptionalism has changed over time. There was a time when the term represented the idea that an ordinary person could succeed in America despite his or her class. Today, American exceptionalism is the idea that America has a special mission in the world. This isn’t a problem, but the tendency to view America as unequivocally on the side of the angels is dangerous.

Has this view made it hard for the public to understand why many people in the Middle East and Latin America have negative opinions about US foreign policy?

Americans are not well educated about US foreign policy or the history of American foreign policy. The media doesn’t cover America’s more nefarious actions overseas very well.

You have criticized this idea that the Islamic State is at war with America because of our freedoms. While there is no doubt that ISIS hates what most Americans would consider to be freedom, how important is it for Americans to understand this is not the reason they are launching terrorist attacks on our country?

It’s very problematic because this notion that they are attacking us because of our freedoms blinds us to what is really going on. We are trying to maintain influence in the region. It is our military involvement that is leading to these terrorist attacks. They are at war with us, but we are also at war with them.

Did you feel the same way when President George W Bush claimed that al-Qaeda had attacked America on 9/11 because of our freedoms?

People who know more about al-Qaeda never bought that argument. ■