149: Patriotism is too important to leave to extremists, with Prof. Alex Yakobson

September 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a 1947 debate at the United Nations, the Arab Higher Committee rejected not just the majority partition plan for two states, but also a minority proposal for a federated Arab-Jewish state with no Jewish immigration—effectively a permanent Arab-majority state. The Palestinian leadership, led by Haj Amin al-Husseini, insisted on nothing less than a unitary Arab state in all of Palestine. Professor Alex Yakobson of Hebrew University argues that this was a missed opportunity, but not in the sense that the Arabs could have chosen differently given their assumptions. Rather, it was a missed opportunity to avoid war and secure a far larger Palestinian state than any proposed today. The episode explores how national identity can be reclaimed without falling into extremism, drawing lessons from German history, Swiss referendums, and Israeli constitutional debates.

The 1947 Rejection: Inevitable but Costly

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What you'll learn

1 (00:05) **Introduction and Sponsorship** - Haviv introduces Professor Alex Yakobson and sets up the subscriber-question format.
2 (02:30) **Arab Rejection of the 1947 Partition: Was It Inevitable?** - Yakobson addresses a subscriber's question about whether the Arab rejection of the UN Partition Plan was a political impossibility at the time.
3 (13:10) **The Counter-Example of National Compromise** - Yakobson argues that a "missed opportunity" means choosing war over a settlement, even when victory seems likely.
4 (20:17) **The Only Palestinian Arabs Who Accepted Partition** - Yakobson identifies a tiny minority that supported compromise.
5 (22:01) **Germany's Fear of National Identity** - A 30-year-old German subscriber asks how to reclaim national identity without falling into the traps of the past.
6 (29:34) **The Iron Law: Democrats Must Be Patriotic** - Yakobson explains the core dynamic that prevents extremism.
7 (36:01) **The German National Anthem: A Case Study** - Yakobson illustrates how to preserve a national tradition despite its checkered history.

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Show Notes

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Hebrew University historian Prof. Alexander Yakobson returns for a subscriber Q&A: Did the Arabs really “miss an opportunity” in 1947? Can Europe reclaim its national identities without falling into old, dangerous chauvinisms? What happens if Israel’s “modern” class walks away after years of war and a rightward political shift? Do liberal democracies fuel extremism when they abandon patriotism?

From Germany’s struggle with its past to a pointed debate over Israelis leaving their country, we ask what holds a nation together and what happens when those bonds are tested.

This episode is sponsored by David Allouch and dedicated in honor of his dear friends Ezra and Michele Chammah for their enduring friendship and unconditional support throughout the years, and to the memory of his late father Abraham Ben Haim who passed away on 25 Elul, 2023, and his mother Sarah Simcha who passed away on 6 Adar, 2025.

Thank you, David, for that dedication.

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Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.