Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn Profile picture
Historian of Israel & Jews; Visiting Prof @UofHaifa; Fellow @JewishPolicy; @SamiRohrPrize Author, City on a Hilltop (Harvard U. Press); Writing Book #2; Pundit.
Mar 23 23 tweets 4 min read
So @Ibishblog (who I have come to know as a real dialogue partner, which is a so rare these days!) has laid down the gauntlet on the @TheEconomist "Israel is Alone" supposition and I guess I felt it merited a thread to explain myself 🧵: 1.Where to start? With the pecularities of the Jewish people, a "people apart," a "chosen people," a people of God over idolatry? The theological roots of this are deep (and isn't even my area of expertise!) - there are many commandments of how Jews are distinct and alone...
Jan 12, 2021 16 tweets 3 min read
THREAD: I've said it before & I'll say it again:
We do a massive disservice to the unique historical experiences of both black South Africans & Palestinians to make this solipsistic comparison and use "apartheid" as a blanket term -
Words matter. (1)

theguardian.com/world/2021/jan… I've spent some time in South Africa - the origins of the colony are different, the rule of only 10% of population (white) over the rest totalitarian, the terrible history of black South Africans in the 20th century well-known. But...(2)
Jan 28, 2020 11 tweets 2 min read
#1: This isn't an #Israeli-#Palestinian #peace plan, it's a U.S.-Israel conflict management/unilateral annexation plan. At moment, there is ZERO buy-in from Palestinians (who are unifying around the anti-plan pole) or regional partners (apart from an Egyptian "read carefully") #2:Settlements - Actually this is Oslo+++. 97% of settlers in 4 blocs absorbed with some ambiguous by-pass road. 3% of settlers (including some of most radical 15 settlements) surrounded by Palestinian enclaves. Settler movement won't allow. How much Area C leftover, no idea.
Nov 18, 2019 11 tweets 4 min read
Just tuned into the latest news: As an expert on #Israeli #settlements I have so much to say about this right now🤯 - here's a thread - but in brief - surreal and @SecPompeo may have the blood of a 3rd intifada on his hands (#1) @SecPompeo Important to note that Benny Gantz immediately endorsed -- if anyone was still harboring any illusions that he was the "great white hope" of the peace process, I suggest you abandon them now (#2)