Not exactly looking forward to the long flight… but I am really looking forward to seeing some of you again soon in DC/Arlington. And I'm truly grateful to the Jacob Robinson Institute, Hebrew University for making my participation possible. #thegsa2025

Merz weint, Schwerdtner lacht, Netanyahu befindet sich in Sparta, der Krieg geht weiter und der Alltag sowieso. Aber Mini-Bourekas sind mir heute in einer Bäckerei, eröffnet 1922, auf dem Heimweg aufgefallen – und in meinen Besitz übergegangen.

The Musée de l'Art et de l'Histoire du Judaisme and the @labnf.bsky.social are planning a joint Colloquium “Jewish histories of Paris”. Now, five French scholars decided to #boycott it due to the participation of an Israeli PhD student. I drafted a #statement (1/5) www.lemonde.fr/culture/arti...

"Thought-terminating clichés"—language that is "repetitiously centered on all-encompassing jargon, prematurely abstract, highly categorical, relentlessly judging, and to anyone but its most devoted advocate, deadly dull: in Lionel Trilling's phrase, 'the language of nonthought.'" –Lifton t.ly/0KjjN

29.08.01: Habil Kılıç, Inhaber eines Obst- & Gemüsehandels, wird in München durch den NSU ermordet: sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/mor... #KeinVergessen

This is not too bad. It reminds me of Arendt quoting Kafka: "It is difficult to speak the truth, for though there is only one, it is alive and therefore has a living, ever-changing face."

My heartfelt thanks go to the @robinsoninst.bsky.social team for their incredible support over the past nearly three years.

According to reports, around one million people took to the streets across Israel yesterday – about 10% of the population. Translated to Germany’s population, that would mean more than 8 million people on the streets – a number unimaginable in German history. www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-...

„Wirklich, sie scheren sich um niemanden.“ www.zeit.de/2025/33/ehem...

José Brunner: „Die Hamas könnte die Geiseln freilassen,(…).“

Ein nuancenreiches Interview mit José Brunner über das Leid in Gaza, die Eule der Minerva und das Problem voreiliger Urteile, über Omer Bartov, Amos Goldberg, und die menschenfeindlichen Tendenzen jüngster Boykottaufrufe gegen israelische Wissenschaftler:innen. www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/jose-...

Not sure it's wise for @taz.de to platform a Hamas member—especially as images of hostage Rom Braslavski surface and Palestinian civil society suffers under this brutal war. And since I don't want my feed filled with Hamas faces—here's the last song from the bar I was at. t.ly/odcV5 t.ly/eZ-P4

A couple of weeks ago, a group of scholars—mainly from the USA—published a statement in taz backing Die Linke's endorsement of the Jerusalem Declaration. I wonder whether they are aware of voices like that of Thuringian Left Party politician @katharinakoenig.bsky.social.

Fueled by fake news and fantasy narratives: the CDU's voting behavior in the recent Federal Constitutional Court selection reveals striking parallels—not so much to Trumpism, but to the earlier Tea Party movement. Indeed: the hour of the hysterics.

We are pleased to announce that our Deputy Director Dr. Iris Nachum, has been appointed to the Academic Advisory Board of the Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture - Simon Dubnow. Best of luck in this important role Dr. Nachum! @dubnow.bsky.social @alfredlandecker.bsky.social

I am looking forward to participating in this workshop, where I will be giving a talk on academic boycott campaigns in the aftermath of #October7.

In 1975, the photographer Tod Papageorge slowly made his way across the country, from New York City to Los Angeles, where he’d shoot throngs of sun-dazed, sweat-glazed beachgoers. See his photos.

And that's exactly what the BDS movement does: it strengthens Netanyahu, empowers the extreme right, endangers left wing, critical researchers and activists, and throws fuel on an already blazing fire in the region.

It's troubling that Israeli colleagues are constantly pressured to make declarations of belief, as if they were representatives of the Government – with acceptance of the genocide charge often serving as a litmus test for inclusion in the international scholarly community.

An insightful and nuanced interview with exiled Iranian writer Amir Gudarzi. Among other things, he reflects on how the Iranian regime has effectively entrenched the narrative of "after us, chaos," while offering a counter-perspective that challenges this framing. www.welt.de/kultur/artic...

Just writing on a paper about boycott calls after Oct7 – with every passing note like this, it feels increasingly in vain to me. Meanwhile, parts of Western academia believe they are being canceled. It's ridiculous. The decision of @isa-sociology.org is a disgrace. t.ly/r3VVE

This was last night at the Jaffa Port. The Star of David with the hostages symbol seems to be new - I hadn‘t seen it before. The muezzin‘s call in the background added the soundtrack to this unique corner of the city.

After two days of ceasefire, around 2,000 protesters gathered at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, calling for the release of the hostages, an end to the war in Gaza and the dissolution of Netanyahu's government. A song by Ehud Banai – a renowned Israeli singer-songwriter from a Persian-Jewish family (1/2)

A powerful piece by @schumatsky.bsky.social that came out on April 5 in the FAZ (Zischen gegen Israel) – it is now finally available in English on K. Les Juifs, l'Europe, le XXIe siècle. k-larevue.com/en/hissing-a...

Yes, the rockets were heavy this morning in Tel Aviv, but hopefully this war will come to an end very soon now. There is this option, and I will stick to it for now. Not only Tel Aviv – the whole region could be so beautiful. Some have strong nerves: stop and go – buses are already back in service.

"Die Welt nach Gaza ist nicht nur ein gutes und kluges, sondern auch ein schlechtes und gedankenloses Buch. Es ist arglos und zugleich dämonisierend." Natan Sznaider über Pankaj Mishra. Frei lesbar aus dem jetzt erschienenen Juni-Heft: www.merkur-zeitschrift.de/artikel/die-...

"I'll be happy to answer any questions you have." Wednesday, June 18, 2025 1 p.m. ET @ushmm.bsky.social www.ushmm.org/online-calen...

Former Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein warns against losing focus on Gaza hostages, stressing their release is both a moral and constitutional obligation the Israeli government has yet to fulfill. Btw, it was Netanyahu who appointed him Attorney General back in 1997. t.ly/CMpkr

Im Gedenken an İsmail Yaşar, der heute vor 20 Jahren, am 09.06.2005, in seinem Imbissstand in Nürnberg vom #NSU ermordet wurde. Er wurde 50 Jahre alt und hatte eine Tochter und einen Sohn. #keinVergessen #keinSchlussstrich

The conference report on our symposium “Human Rights in Troubled Times” is now published on HSozKult and available on our website. Many thanks to @arethmann.bsky.social for the great organization, and to all speakers and participants for their thoughtful contributions! Read here bit.ly/4dTPVzk

Interessante Details, u.a. auch dass Benjamins Situation im Pariser Exil in der Forschung häufig stereotyp als "einsam" und "isoliert" dargestellt wird. Doch er selbst dürfte aus pragmatischen Gründen an dieser Legende der Isoliertheit mitgeschrieben haben - verständlicherweise.

The IDF has recovered the body of another hostage in Gaza: Thai national Nattapong Pinta. He was abducted during the October 7 attacks and murdered by the Mujahideen Brigades. The recovery of his body now finally allows his wife and young son to grieve and, hopefully, begin the process of mourning.

The MEMO Study 2025 presents a representative survey examining the German population's willingness to engage with the history of #NationalSocialism and evaluates the current state of remembrance culture in #Germany. Two aspects stand out (see graphics): (1/3)

Sadly true: “entirely predictable” #antisemitism www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025...

While scholars are once again preoccupied with the #IHRA and #JDA definitions - and, along with them, with debates about anti-Zionism, anti-Israelism, and/or #antisemitism - it is worthwhile to take a step back in history, namely to the year 1948. (1/5)

A week ago, over a thousand Israeli academics issued an open letter to university leaders about the ongoing war in Gaza. Tania Martini has published an excellent summary in FAZ, which accurately reflects the discussions currently taking place in this section of the Israeli society. t.ly/nhkd_

Yaqeen Hammad war Influencerin und vermittelte Hoffnung im überbordenden Leid von Gaza. Am vergangenen Freitag wurde die 11-Jährige getötet. Ein Porträt für die @taz.de taz.de/11-jaehrige-...

Nuanced thinking has never been humanity's strength, esp. in times of war. One gets so used to the boycott calls—but still, reading them is depressing. The last 20 months have also revealed how poor the state of critical thinking is—it's astonishing how formulaic these calls are. archive.md/lOAQo

After Beitar Jerusalem lost the cup final to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, young fans attacked an Arab bus driver in JLM. Jerusalem Day also exposed the brutalization of parts of Israeli youth. As Hamza Howidy wrote this week: an entire generation in this region needs deradicalization.

600 days: The Israeli academic community calls for an unconditional release of all hostages and an immediate end to the war. #bringthemhomenow

"Ich glaube, mit unseren Kategorien stimmt etwas nicht." (Friedrich Pollock) Aus dem faz Interview mit Dan Diner. www.faz.net/aktuell/feui...

"But I believe in something. If I betray it, then I destroy myself." The American filmmaker Michael Roemer died. There's a beautifully written eulogy. I have seen his films "Nothing But a Man" and "The Plot Against Harry", but I still need to watch his documentaries – especially "Dying". t.ly/pggnC

I wrote about the shooting at the Jewish museum in DC, the stories people tell to justify anti-Semitism, and the choice that America faces in this moment. Gift link:

It's not wrong per se (to use this term) to examine what is and isn't antisemitic. But it's profoundly wrong to ignore how often – especially since October 7 – people not only conflate Jewish and Israeli individuals, but also treat both as targets – leading, in this case, to murder. t.ly/eeYSi

Mazal tov to my lovely colleagues, Asaf Doron and Dor Correct from the Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights, @hebrewuniversity.bsky.social

The families of the German-Israeli hostages still held in Gaza are desperate. Talks with German officials were warm but led nowhere. They asked what to do. Public pressure is the only way left – and I agree. #BringThemAllHomeNow58 @diplo.de

Der grüne Politiker Daniel Eliasson wird aktuell massiv von Rechtsextremen antisemitisch angefeindet. Die üblen Drohungen, bis zu Morddrohungen, stammen aus dem Vorfeld der AfD, dem selbsterklärten „Garant jüdischen Lebens“. Volle Solidarität mit @danieleliasson.bsky.social!

Interesting indeed: while journalists like Daniel Bax, who aggressively campaigned this week in taz against the Israeli singer Yuval Raphael’s participation in #Eurovision2025, the young woman who survived October 7 beneath the bodies of her dead friends won the public vote by a wide margin. (1/2)

#bezalelacademy #TelAviv

It seems like a confusing week for #BDS activists—Trump suddenly positioning himself as anti-Netanyahu, and now this. Neat-box thinking is being challenged, though I am sure they will find an explanation: hidden motives, deeper strategies, and so on. t.ly/_KKTe