Unthinkable Thoughts

In 2009, an international conference exploring models of statehood for Israel and Palestine was held at Toronto’s York University. The conference became a cause célèbre in Canada and Israel when extraordinary pressures were exerted on the conference organizers, their academic departments, and university administrators by pro-Israel lobby groups, private university donors, members of the academic community, and even the federal government. Although the conference itself was uneventful, the lead-up roiled Canadian academia and society, provoking a controversy that raised major issues regarding academic freedom.

Unthinkable Thoughts covers the history of the events from the perspective of Susan Drummond, one of the conference organizers. First, she methodically examines the idea of constitutional bi-nationalism in Israel/Palestine, and explores why it is such a fraught, contentious notion. Drawing from copious documentation, including confidential communications accessed under Freedom of Information legislation, she then lays out the behind-the-scenes minutiae of statements made and decisions taken before and after the conference took place. This book serves as a cautionary tale of the ease with which matters of fundamental principle can become compromised in the face of intense social and political pressure.