19 July 2025
Against Authoritarian Determinism
A tempting but corrosive thought about Israeli politics – and about many other places – is that we have already embarked on a one-way road to authoritarianism. This “authoritarian determinism”, sometimes presented as a kind of seasoned realism, assumes that political trajectories continue unidirectionally. There is a world of difference between the many political contexts in which authoritarianism seems to be on the rise. And yet, a common question seems to be asked: in the face of authoritarian determinism, what can be saved of the democratic process? Until when does it make sense to hold on? Continue reading >>
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15 June 2025
“Almost Genocide”
Genocidal intent does not necessarily pop, prefabricated, out of the perpetrator’s state’s head. It emerges – gradually, often unevenly – as a product of action, omission, emotion, and political opportunity. A war that once had legal justification as defence can thus harden into something else: the destruction of a group as such. This is as true in the specific conditions of Gaza, as it is as a matter of principle. Continue reading >>
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16 May 2025
Auf dem Friedhof des Völkerrechts
Von Straußen, Eulen und Oktopussen Continue reading >>16 May 2025
In the Graveyard of International Law
Ostriches, Owls, and Octopuses Continue reading >>
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21 February 2025
Criminalizing Knowledge
When does sharing information become an act of disloyalty to the state? Three bills advancing through Israel’s Knesset aim to answer this question decisively: any cooperation with international justice mechanisms, particularly the International Criminal Court (ICC), would constitute a betrayal of the state punishable by up to life imprisonment. This legislative package marks a dramatic shift from merely opposing international criminal jurisdiction to criminalizing the very act of documentation and information-sharing about potential human rights violations. For Israeli scholars researching international humanitarian law, the message is clear: our academic work could become a criminal offense if it finds its way to international courts. Continue reading >>
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08 November 2024
Farewell to the Rules-Based Order
As political analysts debate the reasons for Trump’s victory, one contributing factor is surely the utter failure of Biden’s Gaza policies. As the US has continued to fund an Israeli war of annihilation against Gaza, the democratic ticket became a hard sell for many who care about Palestinians. Yet, Gaza has also triggered a veritable renaissance of international litigation. With Gaza destroyed and Trump in the White House, this tension may have reached a terminal point. And yet, I argue, the ghost of a rule-based order lingers in our political imagination despite its inability to shape outcomes. Continue reading >>
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07 November 2024
Wer darf jüdische Identität in Deutschland definieren?
Der Deutsche Bundestag hat heute eine Resolution verabschiedet, die öffentliche Gelder für Kultur und Wissenschaft an die Antisemitismusdefinition der International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) knüpft. Weithin erforscht wurde das Potenzial der IHRA-Definition, die Meinungsfreiheit der Palästinenser:innen zu beschränken. Doch daneben verdienen auch andere Probleme Aufmerksamkeit: vor allem das Potenzial der Definition, jüdische politische Identität auf eine einzige Version zu reduzieren, die mit dem Staat Israel übereinstimmt. So ermächtigt die Resolution den Staat Israel, über eine Frage zu entscheiden, die in jüdischen Kreisen tatsächlich heiß diskutiert wird. Continue reading >>01 November 2024
Who Gets to Define Jewish Identity in Germany?
The German Bundestag is soon expected to vote on a resolution on “protecting Jewish life in Germany” that would tie public funding for culture and science to compliance with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. While IHRA’s potential in curbing Palestinians’ political speech has been largely studied, another set of problems should warrant additional attention: the definition’s potential to regulate Jewish political identity into a singular version: one that coincides with the state of Israel. In doing so, it gives the state regulatory power to decide on what is, in fact, a burning question within Jewish circles. Continue reading >>
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19 September 2024
A War for the Tech Economy
Today, various commentators are asking about the purpose behind the pager attack and the subsequent communication device attack yesterday. The New York Times’s detailed report of the incidents announces in its title that Israel has built a “Modern-Day Trojan Horse”. The idea comes from Greek history, but perhaps a better comparison might be found in Greek myth. Prometheus stole fire from the gods. Today, Israel is attempting to develop secularized but God-like technological capabilities, at least in terms of their ability to generate surprise and change reality overnight. Yet, by discarding moral or political considerations in favor of pyrotechnics, Israel risks Prometheus’s ultimate fate: punishment. Continue reading >>
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27 March 2024
Beyond the Blocs
On Monday, 25 March, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of hostages, as well as emphasizing the need to increase the provision and distribution of humanitarian aid. The Resolution was adopted 14-0, with the United States the only member to abstain. As the Security Council website announces, this Resolution ended a “months-long deadlock”. The recent Resolution is not perceived by Israeli actors as binding. And yet, I argue that the fact that the US and Russia are now essentially voting together on the need to end this war could lead to significant further ramifications that may shape the region and beyond. Continue reading >>
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