MF CASR lunch with Torkel Brekke

The Role of the Researcher in a Contested Political Field: Some Reflections on Writing about Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism on the Left

The talk will reflect on reactions and debates in the wake of a book about antisemitism on the left, which was published in spring 2023. The book generated strong reactions, both negative and positive, and the debates that followed foregrounded and accentuated the deep disagreements about concepts like antisemitism and Zionism as well as about Norwegian policies on matters relating to Israel and Palestine. The reactions and debates also foregrounded dilemmas for the author concerning his own positioning in public debate in relation to different stakeholders. These stakeholders include Norwegian Jews, pro-Israeli social movements, Christian groups, labor unions and their representatives, and anti-Israel activists on the radical left. Moreover, the role of the researcher in relation to both informants and critics in this highly controversial field will come into sharp relief as the Norwegian book is currently being rewritten and expanded in English to reach an international audience.

Please join us in person at the MF Library, or watch on Zoom: https://mf-no.zoom.us/j/64105595003?pwd=S0JpdTIyT1dBcjRwTjg2YzVxdmVRQT09

Zoom Meeting ID: 641 0559 5003
Passcode: MFCASR