GAZA STRIP — Brown University professor Omer Bartov has published a new book, "Israel: What Went Wrong?," in which he argues that Zionism developed into what he describes as an extremist ideology that he says led to genocide in Gaza following the Hamas attacks of October 7th. Bartov, a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies, calls in the book for limits on American support for Israeli policies.

Bartov grew up in a Zionist home and served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces. He has for a long time expressed concern about Israel's use of military power. The book situates its argument in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks carried out by Hamas. Bartov contends that the question of how far Israeli power can extend is ultimately one that will be decided outside Israel itself.

He pointed to shifting political attitudes in the United States as part of the backdrop for his argument. "There is growing criticism of American support for these kinds of Israeli policies, both on the American left and on the American right," Bartov said.

Bartov argued that a reduction in American backing would have divergent consequences for Israel and for American Jewish communities. "For Israel, that would be good, because I think Israel needs to be liberated from that kind of dependence on American power," he said. "I think, for American society and for American Jewry, that's a very bad thing because there is a rise of . . . antisemitism from the Tucker Carlsons of the world, who are a rising force right now."