Mar 30

Mar 30 REPOST: ISGAP on Judith Butler and the Normalization of Hamas and Hezbollah...

Too many so-called “Free Palestine” advocates engage in cowardice disguised as progressivism. They praise designated terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in one breath—then feign ambiguity in the next, only when called out. They demand “justice” but refuse accountability. They dismiss peace talks as “normalization,” fearing “Jewish manipulation.” It's impossible to have a real debate when one side alone keeps shifting the goalposts and hiding behind moral fog.

We need Palestinian advocates, not Palestine advocates—those who genuinely seek to improve Palestinian lives, not just attack Israel. People should come before states. Real advocates have real solutions: leaders, parties, and plans that center people, not terror. But when the only group they implicitly or explicitly support is a violent, fundamentalist organization, it's clear their vision is not one of dignity or freedom—but of destruction. That’s not resistance; it’s cruelty disguised as care.

Anyone who reads the Hamas charter knows it explicitly calls for the murder of Jews worldwide. Any “Western“ activist who tries to cover that up is not defending the oppressed—they’re enabling the oppressors. Enter rape denier Judith Butler.

Read the full article with video of Butler openly supporting Hamas and Hezbollah here: https://isgap.org/post/2023/10/judith-butler-and-the-normalization-of-hamas-and-hezbollah-within-progressive-social-movements/

The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) conducts rigorous academic research into the roots and manifestations of antisemitism worldwide. Through scholarship and education, ISGAP works to combat hate, promote human rights, and foster civil society across borders.

Judith Butler and the Normalization of Hamas and Hezbollah within Progressive Social Movements

October 18, 2023

“Similarly, I think: Yes, understanding Hamas, Hezbollah as social movements that are progressive, that are on the Left, that are part of a global Left, is extremely important.”

— Judith Butler at UC Berkeley on the war between Israel and Hezbollah, 2006.

In 2006, during a UC Berkeley event, an audience member posed a question to Judith Butler regarding whether Hamas and Hezbollah posed a threat to Israel’s existence. In response, she stated the following:

“Yes, understanding Hamas, Hezbollah as social movements that are progressive, that are on the Left, that are part of a global Left, is extremely important. That does not stop us from being critical of certain dimensions of both movements. It doesn’t stop those of us who are interested in non-violent politics from raising the question of whether there are other options besides violence. So again, a critical, important engagement. I mean, I certainly think it should be entered into the conversation on the Left. I similarly think boycotts and divestment procedures are, again, an essential component of any resistance movement.”

Seventeen years later, the impact of Butler’s words has endured, finding widespread support for Hamas and Hezbollah in academia, becoming a litmus test within the realm of social justice advocacy.

However, when confronted with the face of violence, Butler herself has distanced from the genocidal groups she once saw as integral members of the Left. On October 13th, Butler issued a statement condemning violence:

“I do condemn without qualification the violence committed by Hamas. This was a terrifying and revolting massacre.”

While her denouncement of Hamas marks a notable shift, her broader statements continue to uphold the scholarship that has led these movements to be perceived as necessary and legitimate forms of resistance against the modern State of Israel.

This perspective is rooted in a framework of non-violence, mirroring her 2006 statement. However, it is important to note that both the original 1988 covenant and the revised 2006 charter of Hamas condone violence against civilians.

It has been more than 18 months since October 7, 2023. Judith Butler continues to pretend there was morality behind the violent attacks that sparked the latest war. She continues to deny rape, while calling herself a feminist. She continues to support armed terrorist groups that not only call for the murder of Jews worldwide, but refer to same-sex relations as a “sexual perversion.” The leader of Hezbollah, the group Butler called “part of the global left” has repeatedly referred to the mere existence of LGBT+ people as a “threat to society.”