Jewish Currents

Jewish Currents “Nothing Is Immutable” - Literary scholar Saree Makdisi discusses Zionism’s structures of denial, imperial racial logics, and the horizon of coexistence. 12 Apr

Literary scholar Saree Makdisi delves into Zionism's denial tactics, imperial racial logics, and the potential for coexistence. He criticizes the suppression...

12 Apr

Jewish Currents Weaponization and Denial - Since October 7th, Israel’s use of evidentiary claims as justification for its devastation of Gaza has fed a countervailing strain of untruth. 10 Apr

In the aftermath of the October 7th attacks in Gaza, Israeli documentaries like #NOVA and Bearing Witness aim to provide evidence and counter denial of the v...

10 Apr

Jewish Currents Chuck Schumer and Democrats’ New Line on “Netanyahu’s War” - The majority leader’s recent speech exemplifies his party’s effort to isolate Netanyahu and pacify voters without changing policy. 26 Mar

Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader, recently criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the conflict in Gaza, call...

26 Mar

Jewish Currents Facing Amalek - Reading the biblical injunction to genocide amid a genocide 22 Mar

This article explores the complex and contentious topic of the biblical mandate to destroy Amalek while examining its modern-day implications in light of Isr...

22 Mar

Jewish Currents Between Exclusion and Exploitation - Israel’s far right wants to permanently replace Palestinian workers, but employing them has become key to maintaining the occupation. 20 Mar

The article discusses the ongoing debate in Israel regarding the employment of Palestinian workers, with far-right leaders calling for their permanent remova...

20 Mar

Jewish Currents The Suppressed Lineage of American Jewish Dissent on Zionism - In his recent book <em>Our Palestine Question</em>, historian Geoffrey Levin uncovers the long history of American Jewish concern for Palestinian rights. 13 Mar

Geoffrey Levin's book "Our Palestine Question" sheds light on the suppressed American Jewish dissent on Zionism and concern for Palestinian rights dating bac...

13 Mar

Jewish Currents Israeli Aid Policies Drive Starvation - US initiatives to airdrop and ship aid to Gaza are logistical workarounds to a political problem. 12 Mar

President Biden announced the establishment of a temporary sea pier to deliver humanitarian aid to starving Palestinians in Gaza, with the US military alread...

12 Mar

Jewish Currents “A Counterrevolution Always Comes” - Vincent Bevins on the lessons that the global mass protests of the 2010s hold for our moment. 6 Mar

Vincent Bevins discusses the global mass protests of the 2010s and their lessons for current movements, like the recent pro-Palestine protests. He highlights...

6 Mar

Jewish Currents Understanding Biden’s Settler Sanctions Strategy - The administration’s sanctions on Israeli settlers are an attempt to mollify its disillusioned base without confronting the Israeli government. 5 Mar

President Joe Biden's recent sanctions targeting Israeli settlers involved in violence in the West Bank are seen as an attempt to address domestic discontent...

5 Mar

Jewish Currents Maqam for a Green Silence - "Al-Khidr’s only condition for the prophet to join him on his journey was Moses’ unconditional silence. Moses said he was up for it, and the saint said, 'You won’t be able to bear it.'" 1 Mar

In "Maqam for a Green Silence," the text explores the concept of silence as seen in the Quranic story of Moses meeting the Servant of God. Moses is asked to ...

1 Mar

Jewish Currents Pro-Palestine Politics Hit a Wall in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party - The leadership of the UK’s main opposition party has managed to contain internal dissent over Israel’s war on Gaza. 27 Feb

The Labour Party in the UK, under Keir Starmer's leadership, has faced internal challenges regarding its stance on Israel's actions in Gaza. Starmer has mana...

27 Feb

Jewish Currents Put Up, Take Down - A hostage poster diary comic 26 Feb

Yoram Hazony, the founder of the National Conservative movement, views Israel as a model for international nationalist movements despite its illiberal tenden...

26 Feb

Jewish Currents “The Scenes in Rafah Are Straight From a Nightmare” - Three displaced Palestinians describe unlivable conditions in a city bracing for imminent Israeli invasion. 20 Feb

Three displaced Palestinians from Rafah in Gaza describe the dire and unlivable conditions in the city as they brace for an imminent Israeli invasion. One re...

20 Feb

Jewish Currents Israel's Crackdown on Hebron - Intensified restrictions on Palestinian life in the West Bank city, introduced after October 7th, could become permanent and even spread elsewhere. 13 Feb

Israel has intensified its crackdown on Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron since October 7th, with increased violence and repression. Israeli settl...

13 Feb

Jewish Currents The Campaign to Abolish UNRWA - The recent defunding of the aid agency is part of a longstanding effort to extinguish Palestinian refugees’ dreams of return. 13 Feb

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has been providing essential services to Palestinian refugees since 1949, is facing a campaign to a...

13 Feb

Jewish Currents J Street’s Pro-War Stance Prompts Staff Departures - The liberal Zionist lobbying group’s support for Israel’s assault on Gaza has sparked staff dissent and alienated onetime allies. 9 Feb

Staff departures at J Street, a liberal Zionist lobbying group, have been prompted by the organization's support for Israel's assault on Gaza. Several employ...

9 Feb

Jewish Currents What the Israeli Public Doesn’t See - In largely ignoring the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the Israeli media both shapes and reflects public opinion. 7 Feb

The Israeli media has been largely ignoring the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, which is shaping and reflecting public opinion. Israeli news chan...

7 Feb

Jewish Currents An Israeli “Buffer Zone” Could Shape Gaza’s Post-War Reality - By creating a militarized border area inside Gaza, Israel has started shrinking the Palestinian territory while opening the door for future Jewish settlements. 6 Feb

Israel has begun creating a militarized buffer zone along the Gaza Strip border, which could lead to the shrinking of Palestinian territory and the potential...

6 Feb

Jewish Currents What the UAW Ceded in Endorsing Biden - Union leaders have not only betrayed their ceasefire call, but also backtracked on their fight to redefine the labor movement as a truly political force. 2 Feb

The United Auto Workers (UAW) endorsed President Joe Biden for re-election despite previously calling for a permanent ceasefire in Israel/Palestine. This dec...

2 Feb

Jewish Currents “You Cannot Study Israel Without Palestine” - A conversation with the editors of the new academic journal <em>Palestine/Israel Review</em>, which advocates a “relational approach” to studying the region’s intertwined histories. 31 Jan

The article discusses the emergence of a new academic journal called Palestine/Israel Review, which advocates for a relational approach to studying the inter...

31 Jan

Jewish Currents “Even as We Are Trying to Help, We Are Being Attacked” - Three humanitarian workers in Gaza describe the challenges of providing aid while struggling to survive. 23 Jan

This article discusses the challenges faced by humanitarian workers in Gaza as they try to provide aid in the midst of the ongoing conflict. UNRWA, which nor...

23 Jan

Jewish Currents The “Postcolonial” Colonization of Kashmir - In a new book, historian Hafsa Kanjwal charts India’s decades-long consolidation of power in the occupied region. 22 Jan

In her book "Colonizing Kashmir: State-Building Under Indian Occupation," historian Hafsa Kanjwal argues that India has maintained an occupation in Kashmir s...

22 Jan

Jewish Currents Regional War: An Explainer - Answers to common questions about the broadening war in the Middle East. 17 Jan

The article discusses the current state of the broadening war in the Middle East. It mentions that the US and British air forces have bombed areas in Yemen i...

17 Jan

Jewish Currents The Work of the Witness - Three months into a livestreamed genocide, we must ask—what does all this looking do? 12 Jan

The article examines the concept of witnessing in the context of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The author explores the idea of "witness" in both ...

12 Jan

Jewish Currents Israel's Defense - 10 Jan

In this essay, Yoram Hazony argues that Israel serves as a model for nationalist movements around the world, despite its illiberal tendencies. While many ass...

10 Jan

Jewish Currents “Not a Day Goes by Where I Don’t Think About Leaving” - Two Biden administration staffers describe growing internal dissent over the US’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. 9 Jan

There is growing internal dissent within the Biden administration over the US's unconditional support for Israel's assault on Gaza. Thousands of officials ha...

9 Jan

Jewish Currents The Epidemiological War on Gaza - Disease is poised to become an even deadlier second front in Israel’s assault on the besieged Strip. 5 Jan

The ongoing assault on Gaza by Israel not only has devastating effects in terms of physical destruction but also poses a significant threat to public health....

5 Jan

Jewish Currents Top Executive Leaves ADL Over CEO’s Praise of Elon Musk - Yaël Eisenstat’s departure is the most prominent instance of post-October 7th dissent within the organization. 3 Jan

Yal Eisenstat, a top executive at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has left the organization due to disagreements with CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. Eisenstat cr...

3 Jan

Jewish Currents “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama” After October 7th - Nathan Thrall on his new book and the escalating repression of pro-Palestine speech. 19 Dec 2023

Nathan Thrall's new book, "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama," tells the story of a deadly crash in the West Bank that resulted from the architecture of occup...

19 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents Democrats Slam Lack of Congressional Oversight on Israel Arms Sale - Despite its stated concern about the civilian toll in Gaza, the Biden administration is using emergency powers to expedite weapons transfers to Israel. 14 Dec 2023

The Biden administration has invoked emergency powers to expedite the sale of tank shells to Israel, bypassing Congressional review. This decision has drawn ...

14 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents Israel’s “Humanitarian” Expulsion - The Israeli right is capitalizing on the aftermath of October 7th to build support for a permanent transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza. 12 Dec 2023

Israeli lawmakers from the ruling Likud party and the liberal opposition Yesh Atid party have authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal advocating for the...

12 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents The Luminous Dark - How can we understand Hanukkah in a way that rejects colonial conceptions of light and dark? 12 Dec 2023

Hanukkah is typically understood as a holiday about light conquering darkness. However, the binary of light as good and darkness as chaotic and evil is a col...

12 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents Harvard Is Ignoring Its Own Antisemitism Experts - The university’s new advisory group on antisemitism elevates political concerns over academic integrity. 11 Dec 2023

Harvard University has been facing pressure from alumni and donors to address antisemitism on campus. The university's new advisory group on antisemitism, fo...

11 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents Progressive Zionists Choose a Side - In attending the November 14th March for Israel and refusing to call for a ceasefire, many progressive Jewish groups have cast their lot with the Jewish mainstream. 8 Dec 2023

Progressive Jewish groups, including J Street and Truah, attended a March for Israel on November 14th and refused to call for a ceasefire, aligning themselve...

8 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents Building the Case for US Complicity - Despite stacked odds, Palestine advocates are pursuing legal avenues to charge American officials with aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes. 5 Dec 2023

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has filed a federal lawsuit accusing President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary...

5 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents ADL Heaven - 1 Dec 2023

This article discusses three comics from the underground women's anthology Tits & Clits, specifically focusing on their provocative and empowering nature. Th...

1 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents The Abolitionist Logic of “Everyone for Everyone” - A call from the families of hostages contains the seed of true safety. 1 Dec 2023

This text discusses the recent exchange of hostages between Israel and Hamas, highlighting the calls from families of hostages for a "everyone for everyone" ...

1 Dec 2023

Jewish Currents “Never Again” After October 7th - Scholars of the Holocaust discuss the mobilization of Jewish memory in the wake of Hamas’s attacks and Israel’s war on Gaza. 29 Nov 2023

The recent Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war on Gaza have led to the widespread invocation of Holocaust memory and analogy by politicians, journa...

29 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Amid a Settler Onslaught, Protective Presence Activism Falters - As settlers rampage, Israeli and international activists are struggling to leverage their relative privilege to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. 28 Nov 2023

Protective presence activism, in which Israeli and international activists physically accompany Palestinians to protect them from settler violence in the Wes...

28 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Toward a Sober Assessment of Campus Antisemitism - In a moment when many American Jews are afraid—and their fear is being used to erode civil liberties—we must examine the incidents coming across our screens with calm. 28 Nov 2023

Amidst growing concern about antisemitism on college campuses, it is important to differentiate between clear-cut cases of antisemitism and instances that ar...

28 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents The Problem of the Unionized War Machine - Union workers in the US weapons industry present a paradox for anti-war labor activists, but a history of “conversion” campaigns offers a route through the impasse. 22 Nov 2023

The article explores the paradox faced by union workers in the US weapons industry who are also anti-war activists. It discusses the history of conversion ca...

22 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents The Push to “Deactivate” Students for Justice in Palestine - Civil liberties experts say a law banning “material support for terrorism” is being used to quash pro-Palestine speech. 21 Nov 2023

Florida State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues has ordered the deactivation of all chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), claiming th...

21 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Hostages’ Families Fight to Be Heard - The families of those held in Gaza have faced violence and neglect in their quest to retrieve their loved ones. 16 Nov 2023

The families of hostages held in Gaza have been fighting to be heard, facing violence and neglect in their efforts to retrieve their loved ones. The partisan...

16 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Israel’s War on Journalists - By casting reporters as Hamas accomplices, Israel seeks to discredit critical coverage—and to justify unprecedented violence against Palestinian journalists. 15 Nov 2023

Israel has been engaging in a campaign to discredit and incite violence against Palestinian journalists, particularly in Gaza. Since October 7th, 37 Palestin...

15 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Hayim Katsman’s Vision of Struggle - In a 2019 paper, a scholar and activist killed by Hamas on October 7th imagined a way forward for the Israeli left. 14 Nov 2023

The paper discusses the debate over whether Israel should be seen as an ethnic-democracy or an ethnocracy, but it is agreed upon that it is not a liberal dem...

14 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents […] - "They did not mean to kill the children. / They meant to." 10 Nov 2023

This article discusses Fady Joudah's poem and its exploration of the violence and erasure embedded in language and colonialism. The poem's opening lines, "Th...

10 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Crisis at the 92nd Street Y - A recent controversy suggests the post-October 7th political landscape will pose existential challenges for Jewish institutions trying to maintain pro-Israel politics alongside a broad cultural mission. 8 Nov 2023

The recent controversy at the 92nd Street Y highlights the challenges faced by Jewish institutions in maintaining pro-Israel politics alongside a broad cultu...

8 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents Remembering Khalil Abu Yahia - The Gazan scholar and activist, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month, believed in the radical potential of solidarity. 6 Nov 2023

This article pays tribute to Khalil Abu Yahia, a scholar and activist from Gaza who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Khalil believed in the power of solid...

6 Nov 2023

Jewish Currents “We Have Lost the Ability to Provide True Care” - Three doctors describe coping with fatal shortages and agonizing choices in Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals. 30 Oct 2023

Doctors in Gaza are struggling to provide adequate medical care due to a lack of supplies and equipment caused by the Israeli siege. Replacement parts for es...

30 Oct 2023

Jewish Currents Calls for a Ceasefire Get Little Traction in Congress - Three weeks into Israel’s assault on Gaza, only about 10% of House Democrats have called for an end to the bombing. 27 Oct 2023

Only about 10% of House Democrats have called for a ceasefire in Israel's assault on Gaza, three weeks into the conflict. Democratic Representatives introduc...

27 Oct 2023