Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
Jun 12, 2026 · 31 min · 12 segments
International lawyer and judge Theodor Meron on issuing Netanyahu’s arrest warrant, and how daydreaming helped him to survive the Holocaust.
Theodor MeronGuest
Nick RobinsonHost
You're in an almost unique position to judge whether there are any similarities with what you grew up with back in the 1930s and the growth of antisemitism that it's argued we're seeing now.
I remember constant playing of Chopin's march in Polonaise Militaire and so on.
I remember all the holidays, celebrations of the great victories of Poland over the Soviet Army in the '20s, but I did not suffer or was even aware of antisemitism.
In many ways, the story of your life is the story of someone who escaped the Holocaust and went on to develop that international human rights law, which I, I want to discuss.
But before we do, what do you say to people who say, "Look, we're seeing some of what we saw in the 1930s here in Britain"?
The difference lies in the fact that it seems to me that the British government, the Prime Minister quite frequently speak very loudly in a very articulate way, in a very persuasive way against the growth and existence and manifestations of antisemitism.
In Poland, to the extent that there were pogroms, there were anti-Jewish acts, there were hooligans in the streets who'd love to beat up Jewish boys or Jewish children.
The mayor of a city or of a village, certainly not cabinet ministers, would not speak about it.
So I appreciate the fact that the government of the United Kingdom speaks loudly and clearly about the phenomenon of antisemitism, which is frightening, and it's good that the police is doing something about it, that people are trying to see whether, in terms of the existing law, it might be strengthened or be, might be more effective.
As we'll go on to discuss, you think that the Netanyahu government may well be guilty of war crimes.
You've been highly critical of the policies of Israeli governments in the past as well.
But do you think there's a danger that demonization of Israel has contributed to an atmosphere of hatred here? Did you ever worry yourself, given that you were part of that proposed arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, that in a way you've contributed to that climate of opinion?
The demonization of Israel did contribute, I think, to manifestations of antisemitism all over the lo- world, including in the United Kingdom.
You're in an almost unique position to judge whether there are any similarities with what you grew up with back in the 1930s and the growth of antisemitism that it's argued we're seeing now.
I remember constant playing of Chopin's march in Polonaise Militaire and so on.
I remember all the holidays, celebrations of the great victories of Poland over the Soviet Army in the '20s, but I did not suffer or was even aware of antisemitism.
In many ways, the story of your life is the story of someone who escaped the Holocaust and went on to develop that international human rights law, which I, I want to discuss.
But before we do, what do you say to people who say, "Look, we're seeing some of what we saw in the 1930s here in Britain"?
The difference lies in the fact that it seems to me that the British government, the Prime Minister quite frequently speak very loudly in a very articulate way, in a very persuasive way against the growth and existence and manifestations of antisemitism.
In Poland, to the extent that there were pogroms, there were anti-Jewish acts, there were hooligans in the streets who'd love to beat up Jewish boys or Jewish children.
The mayor of a city or of a village, certainly not cabinet ministers, would not speak about it.
So I appreciate the fact that the government of the United Kingdom speaks loudly and clearly about the phenomenon of antisemitism, which is frightening, and it's good that the police is doing something about it, that people are trying to see whether, in terms of the existing law, it might be strengthened or be, might be more effective.
As we'll go on to discuss, you think that the Netanyahu government may well be guilty of war crimes.
You've been highly critical of the policies of Israeli governments in the past as well.
But do you think there's a danger that demonization of Israel has contributed to an atmosphere of hatred here? Did you ever worry yourself, given that you were part of that proposed arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, that in a way you've contributed to that climate of opinion?
The demonization of Israel did contribute, I think, to manifestations of antisemitism all over the lo- world, including in the United Kingdom.
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