A Hundred Years of Holy War

Following the Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel and the pogrom carried out by terrorists from Hamas and affiliated Islamist organizations, and some Gazan civilians as well, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opined that the attack “did not happen in a vacuum.” Well, he’s correct just not in the way he intended. Hebron is an ancient city 20 miles south of Jerusalem in Judea, now more usually referred to as the West Bank.  Hebron is the burial place of Abraham, and Jews and Muslims lived there mostly peacefully for centuries until the morning of Aug. 24, 1929 when 67 Jewish men, women, and children were slaughtered by their Arab neighbors.  It was one of the worst pogroms ever perpetrated outside of Europe, where many pogroms were perpetrated over many years. “Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict” is a meticulously researched and beautifully written account of this pivotal event by the eminent journalist Yardena Schwartz, combining historical analysis with contemporary insights. She joins host Cliff May to discuss the Hebron massacre and the long history of Arab-Israeli conflict.