Talking about Israel & Palestine: Cultural Perspectives
Lecture series in the winter semester 2024/25
Mediterranean Platform in cooperation with Anna Lindh Foundation, Colloquium Modern History and VW-Project "Violence in East and West"
Since 7 October 2023, it is more difficult to talk about Palestine in Germany. After solidarity with Israel has been declared a raison d’état, it has become difficult to articulate expressions of solidarity with Palestine, which are often labelled as anti-Semitic. The reasons for this are historical: the Holocaust stands at the centre of German memory culture. From it, German society derives a sense of responsibility, not only towards Jews, but also towards the state of Israel. By contrast, the effects of the foundation of the state of Israel on the Palestinian population, summarised in the term Nakba, appear to be of marginal importance, as do the measures taken by individual Israeli governments, including settlement construction, which stand in the way of a peaceful solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict. Not only Arab and Muslim voices, but also Israeli and Jewish voices that harshly criticise the actions of the current Israeli government are underrepresented in German politics, media, and academia, and are sometimes branded as a threat to German memory culture or even as anti-Semitic.
Against this backdrop, the lecture series sheds light on the genealogy and current state of the Arab–Israeli conflict and to explain how it interacts with phenomena in Germany, Europe, and other parts of the world from the perspective of cultural studies. The series focuses on clarifying key terms, the use of which is controversial, making it difficult to discuss and reflect on the conflict. Instead of pitting perspectives against each other and questioning the right to exist of different opinions and perceptions, the series aims at opening up different perspectives to facilitate dialogue and a better understanding of the different sides of the conflict.
Tue, 29 October 2024, online + room F 420, 17:00-18:30
Was ist Antisemitismus? (Lecture in German)
Peter Ullrich (Berlin) & Moshe Zuckermann (Tel Aviv)
Chair: Aleida Assmann (Konstanz)
Tue, 12 November 2024, online + room F 420, 17:00-18:30,
What is Zionism?
Derek J. Penslar (Harvard)
Chair: Manuel Borutta (Konstanz)
Wed, 27 November 2024, online + room Y 311, 15:15-16:45
What is Settler Colonialism?
Amahl Bishara (Tufts)
Chair: Lena Rose (Konstanz)
Wed, 4 December 2024, online + room Y 311, 15:15-16.45
What is Mass Violence in the Middle East?
Dirk Moses (CUNY) & Laura Robson (Yale)
Chair: Pavel Kolář (Konstanz)
Tue, 10 December 2024, online + room F 420, 17.00-18.30
Qui sont les Palestiniens?
Maher Charif (Paris)
Chair: Daniel G. König (Konstanz)
Wed, 18 December 2024, online + room Y 311, 15:15-16:45
Where is the Holy Land?
Hillary Kaell (Montreal)
Chair: Lena Rose (Konstanz)
Wed, 22 January 2025, online + room Y 311, 15:15-16:45
What is the German-Israeli-Palestinian “Moral Triange”?
Sa'ed Atshan (Swarthmore) & Katharina Galor (Brown):
Chair: Sandra Rudman (Konstanz)
Wed, 5 February 2025, online + room Y 311, 15:15-16:45
How to Rethink Israel/Palestine?
Bashir Bashir (Ra’anana/Berlin):
Chair: Wolfgang Seibel (Konstanz)