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The Israel-Hamas drama and the dilemmas of scholarly response
The current Israel-Hamas war is an abject tragedy because of the suffering of innocents on both sides. Although a direct link of this Middle East conflict with Africa and African Studies is not very clear, people feel inclined to protest and call for a ‘ceasefire’ and more. Understandable: the suffering has to stop, and - next to elementary civic concern - scholars with the appropriate research experience and knowledge should contribute to comment. How can scholars of African Studies respond to this terrible crisis?
This commentary was written for Research Africa Reviews, Vol. 7 No. 3, December 2023.
You may also want to read Jon Abbink's commentary #3 (pdf), 'Suffering and scholarly response to Amidu Sanni – how to discuss the Israel-Hamas violence'.
About the author(s) / editor(s)
Jon Abbink is an anthropologist-historian and carries out research on the history and cultures of the Horn of Africa (Northeast Africa), particularly Ethiopia. He is Professor Emeritus of Politics and Governance in Africa at Leiden University.
Posted on 19 January 2024, last modified on 19 January 2024