Before the war between Israel and Hamas, it sometimes looked as if Israel might be headed toward a civil war. At least that's what New York Times correspondent Isabel Kershner thought. She covers Israeli and Palestinian politics and society and has been covering the current war. A few months before the war, she published a book about divisions within Israel resulting from ideological, religious, ethnic, and generational differences, and how those differences help explain Israel's shift to the right. Her book is called The Land of Hope and Fear: Israel's Battle for Its Inner Soul. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the TeD radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
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This is FRESH AIR.
I'm Terry Gross.
My guest, Isabel Kirchner, covers israeli and palestinian politics and society for the New York Times and has been covering the war between Israel and Hamas.
She previously was a senior editor at the Jerusalem Report.
Her latest book, the Land of Hope and Fear, Israel's battle for its inner soul, is about the generational, ideological, religious and ethnic conflicts within Israel.
Kirschner is british and has lived in Jerusalem since 2000.
She was in Jerusalem when we recorded our interview yesterday.
Isabel Kirchner, welcome to Fresh Air.
Do you have friends, relatives, colleagues who were kidnapped or killed in Israel or friends who have lost loved ones or their homes in Gaza?
Hi, Terry, and thank you for having me.
I personally, directly don't, but my two sons have friends who have been killed, who have been kidnapped to Gaza.
I have relatives whose very close friends have been killed.
I have extended family.
Parts of their families have been killed in the October 7 attacks.