Mohammed Al-Kurd in conversation 18 months from publication

JVL Introduction

We are pleased to share this 30 minute interview with Mohammed El-Kurd 18 months after the publication of his much acclaimed book “Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal”. Here he discusses the book and his need to write it as a counter to the dominant narrative that focuses on Jewish feelings rather than the reality of being in Gaza while a genocide was going on. The book explores the impact of needing for Palestinians to become “perfect victims”  to get empathy; also that they have no spokespeople and so people have had to do their own advocacy even as they mourn the loss of loved ones or are terrified of what may come next.

Many topics are touched on in this conversation of relevance to activists including the importance of naming the perpetrator – Zionism, the need for criticism and debate within the movement for justice for Palestinians, even while there is so much to address.  He also cautions against exceptionalising Palestinians arguing that Jewish suffering was exceptionalised after the Holocaust and this has created a permanent victimhood that shaped so much of the narrative so that antisemitism was – and still is – constantly raised whereas there is a genocide being perpetrated.

This article was originally published by The New Arab on Wed 16 Sep 2026. Read the original here.