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Alex Joffe

Alex Joffe

Editor SPME / BDS Monitor

Alexander H. Joffe is an archaeologist and historian specializing in the Middle East and contemporary international affairs. He received a B.A. in History from Cornell University in 1981 and Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona in 1991. From 1980 to 2003 he participated in and directed archaeological research in Israel, Jordan, Greece and the United States. Joffe taught at the Pennsylvania State University and Purchase College, and has been Director of Research for Global Policy Exchange, Ltd., and The David Project, Center for Jewish Leadership.

Joffe's work is uniquely broad. Since 1991 he has published dozens of studies on the archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean and is a leading figure in contentious debates over the relationship between archaeology and politics in the Middle East. He has also authored numerous works on contemporary issues, including Middle Eastern environmental security threats from pollution and weapons of mass destruction. His work on the problem of dismantling intelligence agencies is widely cited by experts and democratic reformers alike.

In the past decade Joffe has written and spoken on topics as varied as the future of American Jews, the Palestinian refugee problem, and nationalism. During that time as well he has been deeply involved with combating the problems of campus antisemitism, the ‘boycott, divestment and sanctions' movement against Israel, and in educating Jews and others about threats to Israel and the West. His current projects include a biography of a British World War II general and several novels. He and his family reside near New York City.

All stories by: Alex Joffe

The Social Geography of the BDS Movement and Antisemitism

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: An original analysis of the global distribution of BDS Internet searches revealed disproportionate interest in countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, and Sweden, as well as in coastal US states with large academic institutions. In the former regions there…

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BDS spreads through community organizations and K-12

Mainstreaming antisemitism through BDS and antizionism progressed in June as academics defended attacking Israel. Pushing back against anti-Israel bias has serious costs but the impunity of higher education has been breached by legal counteractions. The defenses of BDS and racialized…

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Academic year ends with students and faculty policing Israel-related events. Antisemitism is normalized as BDS-connected academics and politicians make absurd claims regarding Jews and Israel.

The academic year ended with BDS-led policing of student and faculty connections to Israel, including overseas study, events, and clubs. At the same time the normalization of antisemitism by BDS connected politicians and academics expanded. Ludicrous claims regarding Jews, Israel…

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BDS on campus scores victories but university presidents refuse to boycott Israel. BDS-linked antisemitism crisis fractures Congress and Democratic Party as AIPAC becomes focal point.

As the spring semester progresses BDS campus BDS activities have ramped up sharply, albeit with mixed results, with faculty now taking leading roles against university administrations. The continuing antisemitism crisis in Congress, however, shows how the BDS movement has contributed…

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Israeli report shows BDS-terror connections as progressive Democratic support for BDS expands. Campus BDS results mixed as Amnesty International takes leading role against Israel.

In February an Israeli government report demonstrated that current and former members of terrorist groups including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine direct several Palestinian BDS organizations. The muted reception of the report suggests the BDS movement is…

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Faculty-administration splits over BDS and ‘free speech’ intensify as campuses are split over BDS resolution. Legal challenges to state anti-BDS laws increase as more US police forces drop Israeli training.

The calendar year closed with the BDS movement intensifying splits on campus, between faculty and administration and within student bodies. With support for BDS becoming equated with ‘free speech’ the contradictions within higher education have become apparent. In 2018 these…

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