Levinas, Ethics, and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

This book engages with the philosophical thought of French-Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. It studies some of his Talmudic readings and his concern for a Jewish “universal ethics.” It does so in relation to the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the moral imperatives that apply to the conduct of the State of Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) vis-a-vis the Palestinian people. The book not only looks at what Levinas understands about the moral “universality” of the Talmud but also applies this understanding to the assessment of the IDF military operations ongoing in Gaza since October 7, 2023. In this way, the author makes a distinction between the moral teaching of rabbinic Judaism to which Levinas appeals for its universality (on the one hand) and the ideology of political Zionism (on the other hand) to which Levinas subscribed, hence moral critique of the latter required in view of this moral teaching.

A unique contribution, this book will be indispensable to scholars and researchers of European philosophy, Jewish ethics, religious studies, Talmudic studies, and contemporary moral philosophy, as well as those interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.