Over the past few days, Israel has stepped up its bombing of Gaza, killing thirty-four Palestinians and leaving another eighty-plus wounded. A ceasefire temporarily ended the assault last Thursday, but violence escalated again after Israeli forces killed several Palestinian civilians in a “surgical strike.” The disproportionate force comes at a tumultuous time for Israel, with Benjamin Netanyahu facing corruption charges and the prospect that his long tenure as Israeli prime minister could be coming to an end.

To sort it all out, Jacobin contributor Daniel Falcone spoke with Richard Falk, professor emeritus at Princeton University and former United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories. Falk argues that the mainstream media has systematically misrepresented the terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the recent spark in violence. Israel, Falk says, will have to finally decide to accept Palestinians as equals for there to be any chance of peace. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.