Book presentation
Eva Illouz "Der 8. Oktober"
Museum Dorotheergasse
© Corinna Kern/Suhrkamp Verlag
On 7 October 2023, the radical Islamic terrorist militia Hamas carried out devastating attacks in Israel. But the next day, public opinion was not dominated by sympathy for the victims. Instead, the attacks were legitimised as acts of resistance in progressive circles from Berlin to Paris to New York, and in some cases even cheered. Where does this hatred come from, which considers itself morally superior?
The events of 7 October, but also those of 8 October, have deeply shaken Eva Illouz. In her combative intervention, she traces how identity politics and theories inspired by French poststructuralism have become a breeding ground for a way of thinking that ignores historical facts and their inherent complexity and stylises Israel as the epitome of colonialist evil.
Eva Illouz, born in 1961, is a professor of sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and director of studies at the Centre Européen de Sociologie et de Science Politique, CSE-EHESS in Paris. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Frank Schirrmacher Prize 2024, the Aby Warburg Prize 2024 and the EMET Prize for Social Sciences. Her books have been translated into numerous languages.
Moderation: Doron Rabinovici
The event will be held in English.