The people asking “Does Israel have a right to exist?” are usually asking, “Does Israel have the right to prioritize maintaining a Jewish voting majority above enfranchising every person living in the territory they are governing?” And I wish they would be honest enough to ask that question.
I will just add that this is is no way a unique or novel problem, it was one of the central political questions of the 20th century, and it's weird that we treat it as completely incomprehensible when it comes to Israel and Israel alone.
Dear Heba, We want to begin by sincerely thanking the ASA membership for the thoughtful, engaged conversations that have occurred over the last three weeks. The care and energy so many members have brought to these discussions reflects how much this association matters to sociologists and how invested we are as a community in its future. We received a wide range of feedback regarding the March 12 email with members expressing support, concern, and questions about the member petition process. We also understand that there is some frustration about the limits of what our association can do to influence global challenges. This email is narrowly focused on clarifying our bylaws. However, there is an intentional, ongoing discussion among Council about key issues, including how we might broadly support Palestinian and other scholars under attack. That discussion reflects understanding on the part of ASA leadership that improved communication to minimize confusion and frustration about policy and process is paramount for the health of our association. In 2023, the membership voted to amend Article 2, Section 9 of our bylaws to clarify that members can petition the association regarding public policy positions only. The amendment was intended to preserve members’ ability to influence ASA’s positions on public policy, while also reaffirming that operational decisions remain under the purview of the elected members of Council. This distinction ensures that governance and operational decisions remain the responsibility of organizational fiduciaries who are legally obligated to the organization, which is standard and best practice for nonprofit associations.
As conveyed by the word ‘public’, public policy positions focus externally, are focused on an issue of public concern to the association, and are intended to influence government actions, policies and practices in higher education, and public opinion. Examples of public policy positions include ASA’s 2004 statement affirming same-sex marriage, 2023 comment to the Florida Board of Governors opposing the removal of sociology, and the 2024 member resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Proposed actions that concern the association’s business practices, finances, contracts, day-to-day operations, and internal policies including access to ASA listservs and journals, and eligibility to advertise or receive membership and travel support are considered operational, and they fall outside of the scope of what is petitionable under our bylaws. We acknowledge that reasonable people could disagree about how to interpret the language of bylaws, and it is understandable that members have questions about what is permitted. ASA leadership consulted with legal counsel to ensure that the stated interpretation of the proposed petition is in accordance with Association bylaws. There is no realistic way for our bylaws to outline every potential action that would not be permitted. Instead, they are intended to identify actions that are permissible. The definitions outlined above are consistent with the distinction between public policy positions and operational decisions that motivated the 2023 amendment. The bylaws were considered, voted on, and adopted by the membership and we have an obligation to follow them. Over the last few weeks, we have had the privilege of engaging in conversation with members whose views reflect the diversity of our community. What we’ve heard in these conversations makes it clear that we are and we aspire to remain a big tent organization. Diversity of perspectives is a hallmark characteristic of the ASA that makes our community strong. As we look toward…
Though 500+ members committed to boycott he annual meeting, the American Sociological Association just reiterated their refusal to allow a vote on BDS, complete with a throwaway line about how they "might broadly support Palestinian and other scholars under attack".
There’s an …. interesting tension between the binary of (allowed) “policy statements” / (disallowed) impact on operational issues, and the common dismissive critique that political resolutions are (merely) symbolic. And that the concern for “divisiveness” doesn’t map neatly onto this binary.
Would also be very interested in hearing about this (how the American Anthropological Association boycott has developed since the resolution passed) - has this been written up anywhere ?
Text describing the implementation. Key part with what the boycott does *not* prevent: "The AAA academic institutional boycott does not prevent: individuals affiliated with Israeli academic institutions from registering for and attending AAA conferences, even if their institutions have paid for their expenses articles published in AAA journals from being reprinted or republished in journals not owned by Israeli institutions that are edited by individuals affiliated with Israeli academic institutions individuals affiliated with Israeli academic institutions from serving as journal editors or Section / AAA elected officials, even if their institutions have paid for related expenses (their institution would be identified as being subject to an institutional boycott) individuals affiliated with Israeli academic institutions from publishing in AAA journals, even if their institutions have paid for their expenses, and Israeli university libraries from subscribing to AAA journals, including AnthroSource."
In particular, I think the AAA's explicit discussion of how their resolution was implemented in ways that targeted Israeli institutions without preventing the participation of individual Israeli scholars is very useful given how similar S4P's proposals are to what AAA enacted:
In 2023, the American Anthropological Association debated, passed, and implemented a resolution for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions. Many of the conversations and materials produced in that debate are useful for thinking about the current debate in @asanews.bsky.social.
Reform has already told us how they want to accomplish this deportation of 400k: with a surveillance tool that will use vast quantities of government held personal data. Labour basically legalised it.
It can still be stopped.
My recent reporting @thenerve.news 👇
www.thenerve.news/p/reform-dep...
Even during the "ceasefire", the Israelis are still demolishing entire villages in southern Lebanon with armored bulldozers. In fact, civilian contractors hired by the army receive pay which is based on the number of buildings destroyed.
Schumer voted against blocking the sale of these bulldozers.
It’s amazing they have money to throw at such petty endeavours, but no money to retain precarious academics or fund research. For this to happen against a backdrop of mass layoffs, forced retirement and hiring freezes is insane
IDF commanders told Haaretz that southern Lebanon is being demolished “like Gaza.” The declared goal is to prevent civilians from being able to return.
Both are war crimes punishable under international law.
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Unfortunately, the Labour government does not only empower authoritarian and populist narratives in the area of immigration. With a new system to guarantee "free speech" at universities, they legitimize a favorite talking point and gateway drug of the far right.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Meanwhile universities construct students and guest speakers as threats and pay intelligence firms to spy on them www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/...
The Orwellian “Freedom
Of Speech” act, ladies and gentlemen
The JC has published an op ed by Nigel Farage rallying against Jew-hatred.
This is a man who sang antisemitic songs, and supposedly said “Hitler was right”, “Gas them” during school days
news.sky.com/story/nigel-...
theguardian.com/politics/202...
thejc.com/opinion/jews...
A large white waterfowl with orange feet stands in front of a door. On the door is a cardboard sign secured with tape that reads, "DO NOT LET THE DUCK IN." Adding insult to injury, I think the duck might be a goose.
Whatever you do,
Reposting this as I cannot believe it is still not clear, now fascism is at the door, that debating reactionaries is NEVER a good idea
You may win the debate but they are getting exactly what they want
aurelmondon.com/2021/09/24/w...
I am forever saying that if refusal isn't a live option in any decision making process about "AI", then no ethical practice is possible. You've got to be able to stop if the thing is unacceptable.
lmao
on the left, they have scholarship. and theories.
on the right, they have illegal and authoritarian censorship.
so both sides are bad, really
2) Are there groups of students other than “conservatives” who also don’t feel “welcomed or respected” in some campus communities? Why are conservative students perspectives singled out, but not other students from whom this issue may feel equally or more significant?
![But [conservative students] also said there were classes and communities at Yale where they felt their perspectives were not welcomed and respected.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:h6xbkw7bucg6ws3vqwnxqewp/bafkreifhyvftvha4bu7yeui2whxw6kp7umxgpb4vjln4eb7jngofoxt56m)
But [conservative students] also said there were classes and communities at Yale where they felt their perspectives were not welcomed and respected.
Getting back to this passage I cited above, I’m wondering two things: 1) what does it mean for conservative student “perspectives” to be “welcomed and respected“ in class? Doesn’t it depend on the nature of the “perspective,” which in many cases is likely irrelevant to the nature of the course?
Also, there literally already is a "Palestinian Mandela", and Western liberals aren't pining for him.
ANOTHER death in ICE detention.
People on here don't realize that reading Israeli media on its own terms can radicalize you just as much as anything else against Zionism. The vast majority of quotes I see coming out of Channels 12 and 13 are from security officials whining that Lebanese villagers are allowed to go home.
"That creepy guy is here again," my boss hissed.
I looked to the pinball machine in corner. A lanky man in overalls and a soft hat was playing.
"You're making a fortune from the old coins he's using. But I'll have a word."
Later, I told my boss the guy worked as a ferryman. Why'd he get so pale?
I can assure you that even in the social sciences you cannot map the major debates and controversies onto “conservative” or ”liberal” traditions
Keir Starmer shocked and appalled to find he is actually prime minister, we can reveal, after aides went to great lengths to keep true reason for July 2024 house move from him.
This was seventeen years ago today. Can’t help wondering how different things would be now if rhe architects of the torture program had been held accountable in some way rather than honored and appointed to more presigious posts. www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/u...
Once you notice that fascism only has prominence in our society because of lavish subsidies, not any sort of organic or natural demand for the ideology, it’s hard to unsee it… and you’ll be angry about it, a lot.