During an episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” Duke Professor and New York Times contributing opinion writer Frank Bruni argued that the criticism of Israel stems from a simplistic paradigm that many people have been taught in schools and universities. According to Bruni, this paradigm suggests that those with more power or affluence are typically in the wrong, while those with less are in the right. Host Bill Maher added that skin tone also plays a factor in this paradigm.
Bruni criticized the application of this paradigm to the Israel-Hamas conflict, arguing that it overlooks the atrocities committed by both sides. He also pointed out that the education system plays a role in shaping students’ views on these issues, particularly in schools attended by Ivy League students and at elite colleges where buzzwords and certain ideologies are taught.
Maher further questioned who is responsible for instilling feelings of oppression in young people, to which Bruni emphasized the role of education in shaping these beliefs. The segment highlighted the influence of curricula in shaping students’ perceptions of complex political issues like the Israel-Hamas conflict.
