Academic freedom and the pro-Israel lobby: Palestine solidarity in the face of apartheid

Book talk
Date
Monday 30 Oct 2023, 16:00 - 17:30
Type
General
Spoken Language
English
Room
Atrium
Location
International Institute of Social Studies
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Friends of Israel book cover

Palestine solidarity activism, especially the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, is facing a major pro-Israel backlash around the world.

Dr Hil Aked's new book Friends of Israel: The Backlash Against Palestine Solidarity tells the story of this repression against free speech and academic freedom in Britain, explaining the roles of the Zionist movement, the Israeli government and the British government at a time when the latter has expressed its intention to make BDS illegal.

The book draws parallels with the repression of the movement to boycott apartheid in South Africa and holds relevance for the current situation in the Netherlands, Europe and beyond.

On 30 October, Dr Dina Zbeidy will engage in conversation with Hil Aked about the book. They will discuss the book’s focus on the pro-Israel lobby and suppression of the BDS movement in the UK as well as the role of the British government in this.

They will also position the book in a broader context, especially in light of recent developments in the region, and draw comparisons with the pro-Israel lobby in Europe generally and the Netherlands in particular. 

Hil Aked will read a few excerpts from their book. After the discussion, there will be time for questions & answers.

Speakers

  • Hil Aked is a writer, investigative researcher and activist
  • Dr Dina Zbeidy is an anthropologist and lecturer at the Leiden University of Applied Sciences

Book signing

The event will be followed by a small book sale and book signing session. The event will close with a reception.

More information

Dutch Scholars for Palestine

This talk is co-organized by the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam, SCHOLAS (Student Association of the ISS) and Dutch Scholars for Palestine.

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