Echoes of Violence and their Deployment in Israel and the Diaspora
Israel is headed for its fourth round of elections in two years. An important, worrying factor predates these elections: the descent of political dialogue into binary formulations of force versus victimhood. Looked at historically, politicians across the spectrum have focused attention on real and manufactured existential threats against Israel, diverting the public from serious debates about the Palestinian-Israel conflict and other pressing issues. Roots of this murky reality are deep. This seminar will explore violence in communal memory and its place in modern politics. It doesn’t seek to blame specific individuals or groups. Rather, the seminar suggests what might today be the redemptive power of critical self-assessment. This seminar will be presented by Professor Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the Allen and Joan Bildner Visiting Scholar at the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life at Rutgers University. Dr. Natasha Zaretsky, New York University and the Rutgers Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, will serve as respondent. The seminar will be held virtually from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 am on the Zoom platform.
Please register online. If there are questions, please contact Jenny Gehrmann, Senior Department Administrator, Department of Jewish Studies, Rutgers University, at 848-932-3571 or by email.