Complex thinking in conflictual times

Rather than subscribing to one of the two prevailing ‘meta-narratives’ in the Middle East conflict, Eva Illouz and Michael Brenner emphasize the need for complex thinking that acknowledges contradictions. 

In this discussion, they examine the distinction between the early Zionist movement and colonialism, the knowledge required to understand the political, social, and cultural tensions within Israeli society, and reflect on how the international reactions to the Hamas attack on October 7 and the Israeli war on Gaza have shaped their personal perspectives.

Speakers:

• Eva Illouz, French-Israeli sociologist, Professor of Sociology at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris and Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen.
• Michael Brenner, Professor of Jewish History and Culture at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Director of the Center for Israel Studies at the American University in Washington, D.C.

Moderator: Amira El Ahl, journalist

The discussion took place as part of the ifa event series Totally Glocally.