Palestinians in the diaspora, in Gaza, and in the West Bank are asking all of us around the world-- especially those of us who live in the countries whose governments are actively aiding and abetting the genocide-- to speak up in their own spheres of influence. Academics, lawyers, journalists, doctors, engineers and tech workers, poets, visual artists and museum staff, film makers, auto workers, dock workers, experts in international human rights, community organizers, and people from many other sectors are heeding this call so as to drive home the point that the Palestinian cause connects deeply to all of us, and that we all have a role to play in the liberation of Palestine.
Many tensions have come to the surface in the months following October 7 and that has led to a fair amount of (not necessarily unhealthy, but not always constructive) conflict between faculty, students, and alumni at Haverford. So, I just want to emphasize:
If you are a Haverford student and you would like to talk with me about my views on Israel/Palestine -- even and especially if your own views differ greatly from what you think mine are-- I will welcome conversation with you. You can reach out via email at any time and we can schedule a chat.
The purpose of this chat would not be to try and reach some sort of agreement or to convince one another of any particular thing; rather, it would be to get a clearer picture of how we both think about what's going on, so that we don't have to rely on caricatures or projections of one another in our own minds. While we may disagree, I pledge to treat you with respect and dignity as we engage across differences of opinions, political commitments, and views.
In the meantime, here is a piece I wrote that discusses the ongoing genocide and my thoughts about it.