"In Conversation" Series
Lecturer:
Prof. Danny Orbach (Hebrew University)
Title:
The Inverted Funnel of Information and the Creation of a False Consensus: The Case of the 'Genocide' Allegations in Gaza
Abstract:
In this talk, we will examine several methodological pitfalls in the public, academic, and journalistic reactions to the Israel–Gaza War. A striking puzzle stands at the center of our discussion: how has Israel come to be accused of genocide by a growing chorus of scholars, journalists, and human rights organizations? This is especially paradoxical given that Israel may be the only state in military history to have delivered nearly two million tons of humanitarian aid to enemy-held territory. It is also the only military to have repeatedly sacrificed the element of surprise—issuing advance warnings before bombings and declaring humanitarian zones—thereby forfeiting military advantage in an effort to minimize civilian casualties.
Our focus will be less on the conduct of the war itself and more on the ways in which a broad public and scholarly “consensus” has been constructed from a narrow set of biased sources. These sources are then laundered through ostensibly neutral intermediaries, multiplied across publications, and presented as a diverse and robust evidentiary base—creating a false impression of plurality where, in fact, little exists.
We will conclude by reflecting on the rise of authoritarian epistemologies, in which the authority of “professional” sources such as UN bodies is allowed to override the actual quality of their arguments. We will consider how this dynamic contributes to the erosion of trust in information mediators, and we will propose alternative methodologies that prioritize reasoned analysis over authority or activist impulse.
Location:
Eilat Hall, Feldman Building, Second Floor, Edmond Safra Campus.