Author Archives: Marc H. Ellis

About Marc H. Ellis

Marc H. Ellis is an author, liberation theologian, and Distinguished Visiting Professor, University for Peace, Costa Rica.

Exile and the Prophetic: Notes from a ‘marginal Jew’

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

My reflections on being a marginal Jew come from my pre-emptive victory shout-out for the Church of Scotland who kept the main thrust of “The Inheritance of Abraham” and then, lo and behold, yesterday it passed the General Assembly. A pre-emptive declaration of victory and a real one, too!

Posted in American Jewish Community, Israel/Palestine | 6 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Does John Kerry have the keys to Kafka’s (middle east) castle?

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Israel is making Kafka’s castle seem easy to access and navigate. But, then, Palestinians already live in a Kafkaesque world where their appeals to democracies and dictatorships end up in the same garbage can. Since we know that democracies can be imperial and colonial powers, democracies can likewise be regressive and enablers of regressive politics on distant shores. Israel may be a democracy for Jews but it increasingly acts like the only regressive democracy in the Middle East.

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Israeli Government, Occupation, US Policy in the Middle East, US Politics | 8 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: My name is the Church of Scotland and I am a recovering…..

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

“The Inheritance of Abraham” seeks high theological ground but perhaps it would have been better to simply start out: “My name is the Church of Scotland. I have been drunk on Israel for my own selfish reasons. I would like to share my story. I know it’s a day by day thing. I get sober, then I’m not….”

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 7 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: My Father’s death

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

My father, Herbert Moore Ellis, died yesterday. There is darkness in my mind. There is also light. My father’s memory lives on.

Posted in American Jewish Community, Israel/Palestine | 17 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Disappearing Massad, disappearing Palestine

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis
ajmassad

Al Jazeera pulled Joseph Massad’s article – “The Last of the Anti-Semites” – from their website yesterday. Massad’s article is disappearing. Like disappearing Palestine, it will reappear. Neither are going away.

Posted in American Jewish Community, Israel Lobby, Israel/Palestine, Media, US Politics | 12 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: The Jewish Identity Network

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Is there any other identity analyzed from inside and out as much as Jewish identity? The Jewish Identity Network (JIN) is like 24/7 cable news. It never shuts down. Marc Ellis, at Mondo

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 11 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: No dissenter is an island

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

When an individual can’t locate her resistance somewhere beyond her individuality, she needs to broaden her search. Without a rooted identity, there is no resistance. So sayeth Marc Ellis. At Mondoweiss.net

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 13 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Joseph Massad strikes again

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Joseph Massad’s contribution to the 65th anniversary of the Nakba, published on Al Jazeera’s website, is called “The Last of the Semites.” The subtitle is telling: “It is Israel’s claims that it represents and speaks for all Jews that are the most anti-Semitic claims of all.”

Posted in Israel Lobby, Israel/Palestine, Nakba, US Politics | 15 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: While the Church of Scotland dallies, the United Church of Canada forges ahead

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

While the Church of Scotland dallies, the United Church of Canada forges ahead. Even with the pressures, setbacks, go-aheads, one step forward, two steps back, the proverbial handwriting is on the Interfaith (In)Justice Wall(s). Stick a fork in it. The interfaith ecumenical deal which demands Christian silence on Israel because of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism is dead.

Posted in Activism, BDS, Israel/Palestine | 27 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: The Nakba marches on

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Have you noticed that over the years, the celebration of Israel by Jews around the world which uses its own narrative of suffering, struggle and independence has diminished precipitously? Like it fell off a cliff.

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Nakba | 4 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: Jump-starting the prophetic

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

BDS movement has presented a “radical credentials challenge” to everyone on the left — Marc Ellis

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 2 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: Peter Beinart’s ‘I love Israel’

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

When Peter Beinart says, “I love Israel,” he sets himself up: He’ll either have to go all-in for the Jewish state in the ongoing ideological conflict, or leave the field

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 14 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: Encountering Otto Maduro

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Remembering Otto Maduro, Venezuelan theologian active in liberation theology

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 10 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: The Jewish code of silence

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Jews used to be known for challenging the codes of the powerful. Not in the era of the Jewish establishment

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 13 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Henry Siegman — Elder Jewish (prophetic) statesman

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

At the Middle East Policy Council event, Siegman declared that the Middle East peace process is “probably the greatest scam in modern diplomatic history, and future historians are going to be absolutely in awe in how that was pulled off.” For Siegman, this isn’t a recent development.

Posted in American Jewish Community, Israel Lobby, Israel/Palestine, Occupation, US Policy in the Middle East, US Politics | 6 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Leaving Palestine behind represents the victory of Empire Jewishness

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Leaving Palestine behind is a strategic choice to keep the lid on Israel’s history vis-à-vis Palestinians and the dubious part Middle Eastern states have played in their history as well.

Posted in American Jewish Community, Israel/Palestine | 1 Comment

Exile and the Prophetic: Triaging Palestine

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

I have argued for years that Israel’s only route for integration into the Middle East is through Palestinians. Without a just resolution of the Palestinian issue, Israel will forever be isolated, turning to the West for support and living in its “dangerous neighborhood” as a militarized pariah. Contra my argument, what if Israel’s way into the Middle East is through its military dominance and becoming a significant cooperative player in the “stabilization” of the Middle East – without a real Palestinian state?

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Middle East, syria, Turkey | 3 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Getting Israel ‘right’

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

I love it when American pundits talk about American intervention just shy of American boots on the ground – as if everyone else’s suffering is unimportant in comparison.

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Media, Middle East, syria, US Policy in the Middle East, US Politics | 4 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Vultures over Syria

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

As Israel strikes Syria from the air, Prime Minister Netanyahu is affirming that discussions about the Arab League’s proposal aren’t about so much about land swaps. The recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is more important. Of course, it helps that Israel already has a solid lock on the land it wants. Now it’s time to wrap up the Jewish state idea.

Posted in Israel/Palestine, syria | 9 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: the Church of Scotland weighs in

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

The Church of Scotland declares settlements illegal and calls for int’l pressure to end the occupation

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 21 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: Google Palestine

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Marc Ellis writes: The debris of history keeps piling up – this was Walter Benjamin’s understanding of history. What is our view of the long range.
If we place our faith in Google Universe, we’re in for a big surprise.

Posted in Israel/Palestine | Comments Off

Exile and the prophetic: State swap

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

John Kerry says the US is taking “more steps” for peace in the Mid East. But decades of “more steps” have only led us backwards. Israel continues to expand. Palestine continues to shrink.

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 10 Comments

Land swaps in Israel/Palestine (and a bridge for sale in Brooklyn)

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Doesn’t the land-swap business in the Middle East strike you as political corruption in the international market place? The Arab League presented its amended “Land Swaps for Israeli-Palestinian Peace” plan yesterday and presented it to the US administration in Washington D.C. Secretary of State John Kerry heralded their plan as a “big step” toward peace in the Middle East. Swapping land in Israel/Palestine, where Israeli settlements stay in place and Palestinians receive land Israel doesn’t want, is a scam.

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Occupation, US Policy in the Middle East, US Politics | 229 Comments

Exile and the Prophetic: Introduction to Jews and Empire 101

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

To be a Jew without borders – the poet, Adrienne Rich’s desire – and without state violence – the philosopher, Judith Butler’s desire – is the ideal. But since we have borders and state violence; since we benefit from both; since we can’t build a future worth bequeathing to our children unless we dismantle both; since we won’t be able to dismantle either in our lifetime or beyond, we are left with our haunting present. What is to be done?

Posted in American Jewish Community, Israel/Palestine | 3 Comments

Exile and the prophetic: Hiding in plain sight

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Marc H. Ellis

Psychologist/novelist Noam Shpancer seems to be hiding the Israeli origins of his material in his acclaimed debut novel, The Good Psychologist

Posted in Israel/Palestine | 8 Comments