
The Pete Quiñones Show Against Our Better Judgment : The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel - Complete
Feb 15, 2026
A long-form reading unpacks claims about how U.S. officials, private networks, and political pressures shaped support for a Jewish homeland. It traces alleged secret societies, lobbying tactics, wartime bargaining, and media influence. The show recounts contested actions around partition, mass displacement, and campaigns to control historical narratives.
04:40:02
Parashim: A Secret Zionist Cadre
- Pete reads Sarah Schmidt and Peter Gross describing the Parashim as an elitist secret society linked to Brandeis.
- Initiates pledged lifelong duty to Zionism above family, school, and nation according to initiation texts.
WWI Entry Tied To Balfour Negotiations
- Weir documents Zionist efforts to push the U.S. into WWI as part of securing British support for a Jewish homeland.
- The Balfour Declaration emerged amid wartime bargaining linking Zionist backing and Allied interests.
King-Crane Report Buried, Zionists Prevail
- The 1919 Paris peace process saw U.S. diplomats and Christian leaders support Arab self-determination but Zionists outgunned them.
- The King-Crane Commission opposed a Jewish state, yet its report was suppressed as Zionist influence prevailed.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Why Pete Read Against Our Better Judgment
01:54 • 59sec
Book overview and Dean Acheson blurb
02:53 • 2min
Chapter 1: U.S. experts vs. the Israel lobby
04:32 • 1min
Defining the Israel lobby and its reach
05:41 • 2min
Chapter 2: Zionism's beginnings
07:48 • 2min
Zionists' choice of Palestine
09:43 • 3min
American Zionist organizing and growth
12:34 • 2min
State Department resistance to Zionism
14:32 • 3min
Ad break
17:15 • 1min
Chapter 3: Brandeis, Frankfurter and Zionism
18:33 • 2min
Brandeis' controversial appointment
20:23 • 10min
The Brandeis–Frankfurter network
30:32 • 5min
Ad break
35:29 • 1min
Brandeis' hidden Zionist leadership
36:49 • 7min
The Parashim secret society
43:33 • 11min
Parashim tactics: education and influence
54:54 • 5min
Chapter 4: World War I and Balfour
01:00:04 • 6min
Zionist leverage on Britain and the U.S.
01:05:54 • 4min
The Balfour Declaration's purpose
01:09:54 • 8min
Claims of a secret wartime agreement
01:18:03 • 14min
Consequences of Balfour on regional politics
01:32:11 • 14min
Chapter 6: Ingathering of Jews
01:46:09 • 5min
Exploiting anti-Semitism narratives
01:50:42 • 13min
Chapter 7: The modern Israel lobby
02:03:30 • 17min
AZAC's national organizing power
02:20:15 • 12min
Ad break
02:32:02 • 2min
Christian support and front groups
02:34:04 • 12min
Chapter 8: Zionist colonization tactics
02:46:07 • 3min
U.S. officials warn against partition
02:49:33 • 14min
Chapter 9: Truman and pro-Israel pressure
03:03:18 • 10min
Personal channels shaping Truman policy
03:13:48 • 12min
Chapter 10: Influencing UN votes
03:25:18 • 14min
Partition, war, and mass displacement
03:39:43 • 11min
Chapter 11: Massacres and conquest
03:51:03 • 1min
Ad break
03:52:07 • 3min
Irgun, Begin, and Jewish militias' tactics
03:55:11 • 13min
Front groups, plots, and PR machines
04:07:43 • 14min
Chapter 13: Displaced persons and Exodus
04:21:58 • 12min
Patria, forced conscription, and orphan transfers
04:33:30 • 8min
Chapter 14: Palestinian refugee catastrophe
04:41:43 • 6min
Chapter 15: Zionist influence in media
04:47:26 • 14min
Final chapters and historical erasure
05:01:02 • 8min
Outro
05:08:50 • 58sec
#
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Russell Warren Howe
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Ropes of Sand, America's Failure in the Middle East

Wilbur Crane Eveland
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Ethic Cleansing of the Palestinian People


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Great Britain, the Jews and Palestine

Samuel Landman
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Perceptions of Palestine, Their Influence on U.S. Middle Eastern Policy

Kathleen Christison

#
The Seventh Million
The Israelis and the Holocaust

Tom Segev

Haim Watzman
Tom Segev's 'The Seventh Million' explores the profound and lasting impact of the Holocaust on Israeli identity and culture.
Segev examines how the memory of the Holocaust has been internalized and transformed within Israeli society, influencing everything from political discourse to educational practices.
The book delves into the ways in which the Holocaust has been used to justify political decisions, shape national narratives, and foster a sense of collective victimhood.
Segev also explores the controversies and debates surrounding the Holocaust in Israel, including the tensions between remembrance and the need to move forward.
His work offers a critical perspective on the complex and often contradictory ways in which the Holocaust has shaped Israeli society.

#
The Seventh Million
The Israelis and the Holocaust

Tom Segev

Haim Watzman
Tom Segev's 'The Seventh Million' explores the profound and lasting impact of the Holocaust on Israeli identity and culture.
Segev examines how the memory of the Holocaust has been internalized and transformed within Israeli society, influencing everything from political discourse to educational practices.
The book delves into the ways in which the Holocaust has been used to justify political decisions, shape national narratives, and foster a sense of collective victimhood.
Segev also explores the controversies and debates surrounding the Holocaust in Israel, including the tensions between remembrance and the need to move forward.
His work offers a critical perspective on the complex and often contradictory ways in which the Holocaust has shaped Israeli society.

#4468
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McCarthy, Justin
#77414
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#
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The Brandeis/Frankfurter connection

Bruce Allen Murphy
#
American Zionism and U.S. Foreign Policy, 1942-1947
U.S. Foreign Policy, 1942-1947

Richard P. Stevens
Richard P. Stevens' 'American Zionism and U.S.
Foreign Policy, 1942-1947' delves into the intricate relationship between American Zionist organizations and the formulation of United States foreign policy during a critical period.
Stevens examines how Zionist groups in America influenced political decision-making in Washington, particularly concerning the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
The book analyzes the strategies employed by Zionist lobbyists, their connections to key figures in the government, and the ways in which they shaped public opinion.
It sheds light on the interplay of domestic and international factors that ultimately led to the U.S.
endorsement of the United Nations partition plan for Palestine in 1947.
Stevens' work offers valuable insights into the dynamics of interest group politics and the making of American foreign policy in the Middle East.
#
Terror Out of Zion
Irgun Zvai Leumi, LEHI and the Palestine Underground, 1929-1949

J. Bower Bell
J.
Bowyer Bell's 'Terror Out of Zion' provides a comprehensive account of the Jewish paramilitary groups that operated in Palestine during the British Mandate era.
Bell examines the history, ideology, and activities of organizations such as the Irgun Zvai Leumi and LEHI (Stern Gang), which employed tactics of violence and terrorism to advance their goals.
The book explores the motivations and strategies of these groups, as well as the impact of their actions on the broader political landscape.
It sheds light on the complex dynamics of the conflict between Jews, Arabs, and the British authorities in Palestine, offering a nuanced perspective on the use of violence as a tool for political change.
Bell's work is considered a seminal study of Jewish underground movements and their role in the creation of the State of Israel.
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#92538
Against Our Better Judgment
The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel

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#
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#2031
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The Jewish State


Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl's "The Jewish State" is a seminal political text outlining the concept of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine.
Published in 1896, it served as a foundational document for the Zionist movement, advocating for a Jewish homeland to address antisemitism and provide a safe haven for the Jewish people.
The book's proposals sparked intense debate and laid the groundwork for the complex political realities that would unfold in the 20th century.
Herzl's vision, while influential, also faced criticism for its potential impact on the existing Palestinian population.
The book's enduring legacy lies in its role as a catalyst for the creation of the State of Israel.

#
What price Israel?

Alfred M. Lilienthal
Alfred Lilienthal's 'What Price Israel?
' offers a critical assessment of the costs and consequences of the United States' unwavering support for Israel.
Lilienthal challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding the U.S.
-Israeli relationship, arguing that it has come at a significant price for both countries.
He examines the political, economic, and strategic implications of American aid to Israel, contending that it has fueled regional instability and alienated the United States from other key allies in the Middle East.
The book questions the long-term sustainability of the relationship and raises concerns about the impact of Israeli policies on Palestinian rights and the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Lilienthal's work is a provocative critique of U.S.
foreign policy and its entanglement in the complexities of the Middle East.
4 Hours and 40 minutes
PG-13
This is a series Pete did for doing for his supporters. He read and commented on Alison Weir's revealing 'Against Our Better Judgment' - The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.
Against Our Better Judgment
Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'
Support Pete on His Website
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Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.
PG-13
This is a series Pete did for doing for his supporters. He read and commented on Alison Weir's revealing 'Against Our Better Judgment' - The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.
Against Our Better Judgment
Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'
Support Pete on His Website
Pete's Patreon
Pete's Substack
Pete's Subscribestar
Pete's GUMROAD
Pete's Venmo
Pete's Buy Me a Coffee
Pete on Facebook
Pete on Twitter
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.
