Anne Rethmann
@arethmann.bsky.social
Postdoc at the Martin Buber Society of Fellows in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem | Theory and History of Human Rights, Political and Legal Theory
Pinned
Anne Rethmann
@arethmann.bsky.social
· Jun 10
The "Statement Against the #Boycott of Israeli Academics" now has a dedicated website. It includes relevant media related to the Statement and the problem of boycotting Israeli academics. Feel free to share it.
bit.ly/AgainstAcade...
bit.ly/AgainstAcade...
The nuclear program is secondary.
“‘We are already in a war with our own government—there has been so much death,’ he said. ‘These people will take the hand of anyone offering to pull them from drowning. Literally anyone.’”
“‘We are already in a war with our own government—there has been so much death,’ he said. ‘These people will take the hand of anyone offering to pull them from drowning. Literally anyone.’”
The Iranian regime has targeted wounded protesters seeking help. In response, medical workers throughout the country have forged secret units to treat those injured in the uprising. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
Even the Hospitals Aren’t Safe in Iran
As the regime imposes a forced forgetting of the massacres in January, it has begun targeting not only wounded protesters but medical workers, who have borne witness to some of the worst atrocities.
www.newyorker.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:52 PM
The nuclear program is secondary.
“‘We are already in a war with our own government—there has been so much death,’ he said. ‘These people will take the hand of anyone offering to pull them from drowning. Literally anyone.’”
“‘We are already in a war with our own government—there has been so much death,’ he said. ‘These people will take the hand of anyone offering to pull them from drowning. Literally anyone.’”
I've never thought about it this way, but even the cultural boycott seems to have had an unintended positive effect: as a recent Haaretz article noted, it pushed the Israel Museum to open up its storerooms. The result looks pretty amazing.
www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitio...
www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitio...
February 10, 2026 at 7:19 AM
I've never thought about it this way, but even the cultural boycott seems to have had an unintended positive effect: as a recent Haaretz article noted, it pushed the Israel Museum to open up its storerooms. The result looks pretty amazing.
www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitio...
www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitio...
A highly readable portrait of Yair Golan, one of the leading voices in Israel’s opposition to the current government.
To many Israelis, he's a war hero. To others, he's a traitor guilty of “blood libel.” Can Yair Golan change politics in Israel? nyti.ms/4kifywU
February 9, 2026 at 10:10 AM
A highly readable portrait of Yair Golan, one of the leading voices in Israel’s opposition to the current government.
“Whatever the final number proves to be, it may have carried out one of the worst state-sanctioned massacres of unarmed civilians anywhere in nearly a half century in order to survive.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...
Opinion | In Counting the Dead in Iran, a Picture of Ferocity
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:41 AM
“Whatever the final number proves to be, it may have carried out one of the worst state-sanctioned massacres of unarmed civilians anywhere in nearly a half century in order to survive.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...
What kind of deal can follow after a regime has killed up to 30,000 of its own civilians within just two days and continues to hold more than 40,000 people in prison, many of them facing execution? 😔
#Iran
#Iran
February 2, 2026 at 9:54 AM
What kind of deal can follow after a regime has killed up to 30,000 of its own civilians within just two days and continues to hold more than 40,000 people in prison, many of them facing execution? 😔
#Iran
#Iran
An Arte report traces Iran’s renewed uprising since late 2025. Protesters speak of fear, repression of unprecedented brutality, and the hope that drove them into the streets. It ends with their gaze toward the sky—waiting for international support.
www.arte.tv/de/videos/12...
www.arte.tv/de/videos/12...
January 31, 2026 at 9:33 AM
An Arte report traces Iran’s renewed uprising since late 2025. Protesters speak of fear, repression of unprecedented brutality, and the hope that drove them into the streets. It ends with their gaze toward the sky—waiting for international support.
www.arte.tv/de/videos/12...
www.arte.tv/de/videos/12...
I'm grateful to be included in this German-language edited volume, "Contested History: Interventions against the Reinterpretation of October 7," edited by Klaus Bittermann and Christoph Hesse, published by Edition Tiamat. My contribution is titled "In the Name of Morality. Academic Boycott Calls."
January 30, 2026 at 12:14 PM
I'm grateful to be included in this German-language edited volume, "Contested History: Interventions against the Reinterpretation of October 7," edited by Klaus Bittermann and Christoph Hesse, published by Edition Tiamat. My contribution is titled "In the Name of Morality. Academic Boycott Calls."
Grateful to contribute a short guest piece to the Wiener Library for the Study of the Nazi Era and the Holocaust (TAU) on Franz R. Bienenfeld's "The Religion of the Non-Religious Jews": from humanistic conviction to law, institutions, and Zionism after the Shoah.
en-cenlib.tau.ac.il/wiener/archi...
en-cenlib.tau.ac.il/wiener/archi...
January 29, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Grateful to contribute a short guest piece to the Wiener Library for the Study of the Nazi Era and the Holocaust (TAU) on Franz R. Bienenfeld's "The Religion of the Non-Religious Jews": from humanistic conviction to law, institutions, and Zionism after the Shoah.
en-cenlib.tau.ac.il/wiener/archi...
en-cenlib.tau.ac.il/wiener/archi...
At the Hebrew U, as elsewhere across the country, banners calling to bring the hostages home were taken down after the remains of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, were brought back to Israel. More than two years had passed. The cats are still there, walking through the hallways alongside the students.
January 28, 2026 at 8:06 PM
At the Hebrew U, as elsewhere across the country, banners calling to bring the hostages home were taken down after the remains of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, were brought back to Israel. More than two years had passed. The cats are still there, walking through the hallways alongside the students.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, haGalil has published a slightly expanded version of my recent talk at the Wannsee Conference Memorial @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social, in both German and English.
www.hagalil.com/2026/01/erin...
www.hagalil.com/2026/01/erin...
Erinnern als Staatsräson? - haGalil
Der Text geht auf eine Veranstaltung zum Jahrestag der Wannsee-Konferenz zurück, die unter dem Titel Erinnern als Staatsräson? Deutsche Erinnerungskultur und israelische Perspektiven auf das Gedenken ...
www.hagalil.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:57 AM
On the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, haGalil has published a slightly expanded version of my recent talk at the Wannsee Conference Memorial @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social, in both German and English.
www.hagalil.com/2026/01/erin...
www.hagalil.com/2026/01/erin...
Ulrich Gutmair berichtet in der heutigen taz über die Veranstaltung "Erinnern als Staatsräson?" am 20. Januar an der Gedenkstätte @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social, bei der neben Jacob Eder, Ronen Steinke, Mascha Wilke und Christian Heldt auch ich gesprochen habe.
taz.de/Achtung-Staa...
taz.de/Achtung-Staa...
January 24, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Ulrich Gutmair berichtet in der heutigen taz über die Veranstaltung "Erinnern als Staatsräson?" am 20. Januar an der Gedenkstätte @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social, bei der neben Jacob Eder, Ronen Steinke, Mascha Wilke und Christian Heldt auch ich gesprochen habe.
taz.de/Achtung-Staa...
taz.de/Achtung-Staa...
This coming Tuesday, an event marking the 84th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference will take place at the @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social. Simultaneous German–English translation will be provided.
It would be lovely to see some of you there.
#HausderWannseeKonferenz #Erinnerungskultur #Staatsräson
It would be lovely to see some of you there.
#HausderWannseeKonferenz #Erinnerungskultur #Staatsräson
January 16, 2026 at 1:24 PM
This coming Tuesday, an event marking the 84th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference will take place at the @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social. Simultaneous German–English translation will be provided.
It would be lovely to see some of you there.
#HausderWannseeKonferenz #Erinnerungskultur #Staatsräson
It would be lovely to see some of you there.
#HausderWannseeKonferenz #Erinnerungskultur #Staatsräson
Seeing the shocking death toll in Iran, I understand why people in the diaspora call on Trump to intervene—despite the fears this entails. It echoes recent months in Israel: calling on a president who undermines democracy in his own country for help. The world is what it is.
January 13, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Seeing the shocking death toll in Iran, I understand why people in the diaspora call on Trump to intervene—despite the fears this entails. It echoes recent months in Israel: calling on a president who undermines democracy in his own country for help. The world is what it is.
Hillel Cohen's Army of Shadows will appear in German translation in spring 2026. It is a thought-provoking book. For readers seeking a concise entry into Cohen's argument, an interview with him from November 2024 is particularly illuminating and timely:
blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-fantasy-...
blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-fantasy-...
December 29, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Hillel Cohen's Army of Shadows will appear in German translation in spring 2026. It is a thought-provoking book. For readers seeking a concise entry into Cohen's argument, an interview with him from November 2024 is particularly illuminating and timely:
blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-fantasy-...
blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-fantasy-...
Vielen Dank an @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social für die Einladung zur Teilnahme an der Veranstaltung zum Jahrestag der Wannsee-Konferenz. Ich freue mich auf das Gespräch mit den anderen Teilnehmenden und dem Publikum unter anderem über Staatsräson – einen der derzeit wohl umstrittensten Begriffe.
Jerusalem, 2008: Angela Merkel tritt als erste deutsche Regierungschefin ans Redepult der Knesset – und spricht auf Deutsch. Ein Satz wird besonders nachhallen, und das bis heute: “Diese historische Verantwortung Deutschlands ist Teil der Staatsräson meines Landes.”
Seitdem ist der Begriff der
1/8
Seitdem ist der Begriff der
1/8
December 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Vielen Dank an @wannseekonferenz.bsky.social für die Einladung zur Teilnahme an der Veranstaltung zum Jahrestag der Wannsee-Konferenz. Ich freue mich auf das Gespräch mit den anderen Teilnehmenden und dem Publikum unter anderem über Staatsräson – einen der derzeit wohl umstrittensten Begriffe.
Reposted by Anne Rethmann
Theater als Recherchekunst, Therapie, Mittel zum Comic Relief – es gehört in Israel (wieder) zum Alltag und sucht den internationalen Austausch, den Europa leider gerade meidet. Am härtesten treffen die Boykotte regierungskritische Künstler*innen.
Theaterbrief aus Israel – Über das Isradrama-Festival und die Situation der israelischen Theaterszene
15. Dezember 2025. Bereits im vergangenen Jahr, beginnend wenige Monate nach dem 7. Oktober 2023, sind erste Theaterarbeiten in Israel entstanden, die sich mit
www.nachtkritik.de
December 15, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Theater als Recherchekunst, Therapie, Mittel zum Comic Relief – es gehört in Israel (wieder) zum Alltag und sucht den internationalen Austausch, den Europa leider gerade meidet. Am härtesten treffen die Boykotte regierungskritische Künstler*innen.
A small and quiet Chag Sameach while waiting for the rain to stop.
December 15, 2025 at 12:45 PM
A small and quiet Chag Sameach while waiting for the rain to stop.
I read a nice interview with Volker Weidermann about his new book on Mascha Kaléko's difficult return to Germany in the 1950s. It led me back to her poems, and it brought to mind this one, which feels perfectly attuned to this moment in my day.
www.juedische-allgemeine.de/kultur/masch...
www.juedische-allgemeine.de/kultur/masch...
December 10, 2025 at 5:55 AM
I read a nice interview with Volker Weidermann about his new book on Mascha Kaléko's difficult return to Germany in the 1950s. It led me back to her poems, and it brought to mind this one, which feels perfectly attuned to this moment in my day.
www.juedische-allgemeine.de/kultur/masch...
www.juedische-allgemeine.de/kultur/masch...
Yesterday, Michael Walzer spoke at the Van Leer Institute for his 90th birthday. Among the well-wishers was @faniaoz-salzberger.bsky.social. He remains an important American voice—and someone who will not apologize for speaking in Jerusalem. I wrote a note about it.
www.hagalil.com/2025/12/mich...
www.hagalil.com/2025/12/mich...
“Get it right” - Michael Walzer’s Voice in Jerusalem - haGalil
A Note on the Conference in Honor of His 90th Birthday By Anne Rethmann At the conference in honor of Michael Walzer’s ninetieth birthday at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem on Sunday, November 30,...
www.hagalil.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Yesterday, Michael Walzer spoke at the Van Leer Institute for his 90th birthday. Among the well-wishers was @faniaoz-salzberger.bsky.social. He remains an important American voice—and someone who will not apologize for speaking in Jerusalem. I wrote a note about it.
www.hagalil.com/2025/12/mich...
www.hagalil.com/2025/12/mich...
It is almost painful to read Peter Beinart's public statement on X in which he apologizes for having given a talk at Tel Aviv University. The degree to which one can submit oneself to humiliation—what a friend aptly described as a Stalinist-style exercise in self-criticism (1/3)
BDS activists blast Jewish Israel critic Peter Beinart for speaking at Tel Aviv University https://www.timesofisrael.com/bds-activists-blast-jewish-israel-critic-peter-beinart-for-speaking-at-tel-aviv-university/
BDS activists blast Jewish Israel critic Peter Beinart for speaking at Tel Aviv University
Boycotters claim Beinart, a fellow BDS supporter who opposes Jewish statehood, is 'whitewashing genocide' as right-wing activist calls on TAU to cancel event
www.timesofisrael.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:42 AM
It is almost painful to read Peter Beinart's public statement on X in which he apologizes for having given a talk at Tel Aviv University. The degree to which one can submit oneself to humiliation—what a friend aptly described as a Stalinist-style exercise in self-criticism (1/3)
All the luck to them!
"In Jerusalem, there are people whose pub is their synagogue. They are familiar with it, they have been drinking there for 15 years."
www.haaretz.com/life/2025-10...
"In Jerusalem, there are people whose pub is their synagogue. They are familiar with it, they have been drinking there for 15 years."
www.haaretz.com/life/2025-10...
Saving Jerusalem nightlife: 'For some people, their pub is like their synagogue'
With Three Iconic Bars Set to Close, Jerusalemites Are Launching a Community Campaign to Buy and Run Them as a Shared Enterprise
www.haaretz.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:07 AM
All the luck to them!
"In Jerusalem, there are people whose pub is their synagogue. They are familiar with it, they have been drinking there for 15 years."
www.haaretz.com/life/2025-10...
"In Jerusalem, there are people whose pub is their synagogue. They are familiar with it, they have been drinking there for 15 years."
www.haaretz.com/life/2025-10...
Impressive collection of Israeliana at Harvard. But there is also truth in how the article ends: "'In the present atmosphere, the thought that material like this is also in the hands of a foreign university, which completely controls its exposure and use, is somewhat disturbing.'"
t.ly/HrFnW
t.ly/HrFnW
At a secret Harvard site, a massive archive of Israeliana is kept – in case Israel falls
The Entirety of Israeli Culture Is Stored and Catalogued in Vast Halls at Harvard University
www.haaretz.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Impressive collection of Israeliana at Harvard. But there is also truth in how the article ends: "'In the present atmosphere, the thought that material like this is also in the hands of a foreign university, which completely controls its exposure and use, is somewhat disturbing.'"
t.ly/HrFnW
t.ly/HrFnW
Sometimes all it takes is one person who refuses to join a boycott. Yesterday, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting posted part of a November 14, 1997 interview with Ruby Bridges, in which she recalled how white parents boycotted the school when she became the first Black child (1/2)
November 15, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Sometimes all it takes is one person who refuses to join a boycott. Yesterday, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting posted part of a November 14, 1997 interview with Ruby Bridges, in which she recalled how white parents boycotted the school when she became the first Black child (1/2)
This is good news: The Max Planck Center for Democracy, Security and Human Rights is being established at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem — joining the network of only 19 such Centers worldwide.
@maxplanck.de
@maxplanck.de
November 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This is good news: The Max Planck Center for Democracy, Security and Human Rights is being established at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem — joining the network of only 19 such Centers worldwide.
@maxplanck.de
@maxplanck.de
“Did you stop to ask yourselves what change your decision has truly achieved?”
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
Israeli Academics Find Themselves Isolated Despite Gaza Cease-Fire
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:53 PM
“Did you stop to ask yourselves what change your decision has truly achieved?”
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...