Category: News

The LA situation continues to dominate, as California Gov. Newsom takes to the airwaves to say that fascism has arrived in America and he's just the guy to stop it. Meanwhile, Los Angeles was put under a curfew because the lawlessness in the streets has overwhelmed the cops there. And the left is gathering force for an anti-Trump demonstration this weekend as Trump prepares to oversee a military parade. Who's going to look better after Sunday? Give a listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is impossible to overstate how hellish life in Gaza has been for the past 20 months.

The death count is above 50,000 people — more than 15,000 of whom are children — and at least 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.1 million people have been displaced over and over again. Starvation is rampant. Hospitals are either damaged or closed; there are only 2,000 remaining hospital beds.

Nearly two years after the atrocities of Oct. 7, Israel still has no plan for the day after the conflict ends. Instead, it is escalating its assault on what remains of Hamas and seizing territory to expand its security buffer zone. There are reports that the government is considering a plan that would herd the Gaza Strip’s Palestinians into just a small fraction of the territory. In the West Bank, meanwhile, settler violence has increased sharply, and new settlements are moving forward at a record pace.

Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, recently published a searing opinion essay in Haaretz, one of Israel’s most influential newspapers: “Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes.” He joins me to discuss why he believes Israel’s war in Gaza can no longer be justified, what he finds missing in Israel’s current political leadership and why he has not yet given up hope for a two-state solution.

Book Recommendations:

The Gates of Gaza by Amir Tibon

Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham

All or Nothing by Michael Wolff

Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.

You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html

This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick and Elias Isquith. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair. Mixing by Isaac Jones and Aman Sahota. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Marina King, Jan Kobal and Kristin Lin. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Frankie Martin of the Wilson Center and to Orca Studios.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Noah Rothman joins the podcast as we examine the ongoing street violence and theater in Los Angeles and the fact that the Democratic Party has now committed itself, it seems, to a posture in which they are supporting lawlessness and handing Donald Trump everything he would want in terms of the arguments he is making about their irresponsibility and lack of patriotism. Give a listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices