Liberal Zionism Archives

The Unlocked Turnstile of Palestine Solidarity

At what point can Palestinians trust former Zionists?

Around a year-and-a-half ago, I received an email from Mira Sucharov, a professor at Carleton University, inviting me to join a conference roundtable, “Israel-Palestine Scholarship, Activism, and the Threat to Academic Freedom.” The request was polite and professional and the topic seemed fine (though the term “Israel-Palestine” always give me pause). A day later, I declined the invitation.

Hamza Yusuf and the Religion of Palestine

Bad things happen when Palestine is treated as a symbolic geography rather than a site of material struggle.

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf was recently in the news again. Yusuf, born Mark Hanson in 1958, is probably the best-known Muslim leader in the USA. (I know the word “leader” is loaded, so substitute “cleric” or “theologian” or “scholar” or “imam” or “hype man” if you wish.) Controversy is an inevitable feature of that position, so a journey through the social media cycle isn’t unusual, but Yusuf exhibits a talent for empty provocation. A good controversy pushes people to rethink common assumptions; those provoked by Yusuf impose orthodoxy on audiences who crave daring and meaningful ideas.