Kathleen Christison
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Christison (born 1941) is an American
political analyst and author whose primary area of focus is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
.
For sixteen years, Christison worked as a political analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA). Between 1963 and 1972, her work concentrated on Vietnam
. The last seven years before her resignation from the agency in 1979 saw her work there centered on the Middle East
. Since leaving the CIA, Christison has worked as a free-lance author. She and her husband, Bill Christison, have gained recognition as vocal critics of Israel
. Her articles have been published extensively by the Journal of Palestine Studies
and CounterPunch
as well as in the Electronic Intifada
and Adbusters
. She is also the author of two books: Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy (1999 & 2001) and The Wound of Dispossession: Telling the Palestinian Story (2002).
Republican
" to foreign-policy critic as "a slow evolution" that was facilitated by the move she and her husband made away from Washington, D.C.
to New Mexico
.
In her book, Perceptions of Palestine, Christison examines how perceptions, attitudes, and policies of the United States government towards the Palestinians
and Israel over the last century have contributed to the irresolution of the conflict. The United States' special relationship with Israel is said by Christison to have undermined Palestinian political claims and downplayed the seriousness of their tragedy. According to the Arab Studies Quarterly, the questioning of this lack of moral equality in American responses and treatments of both Arab
and Jewish tragedies is a major theme of Christison's book.
At a conference entitled “I Am My Brother’s Keeper: Confronting Islamophobia” held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle on May 6-7, 2011, Christison stated that “The discourse in this country at the moment is very Islamophobic” and that the “anti-Muslim discourse,” is driven by “pressure from the pro-Israel lobby and Islamophobia lobby." She further stated that “Politicians are all afraid of opposing Israel publicly for fear of losing campaign funds.” She also stated that “All of the major groups who are involved in promoting Islamophobia are interlinked in many cases; they are the same people in one group or another. They are Christian fundamentalists, Christian Zionists, Tea Partiers, Israeli supporters, and a lot of this Islamophobia comes from Israel but it also comes from Israeli supporters.”
Regarding the relative calm in Israel during the previous few years, Christison stated that
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political analyst and author whose primary area of focus is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
For sixteen years, Christison worked as a political analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA). Between 1963 and 1972, her work concentrated on Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The last seven years before her resignation from the agency in 1979 saw her work there centered on the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Since leaving the CIA, Christison has worked as a free-lance author. She and her husband, Bill Christison, have gained recognition as vocal critics of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Her articles have been published extensively by the Journal of Palestine Studies
Journal of Palestine Studies
The Journal of Palestine Studies is an academic journal established in 1971. It is published and distributed by University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies. The current editor is Rashid Khalidi of Columbia University....
and CounterPunch
Counterpunch
Counterpunch can refer to:* Counterpunch , a punch in boxing* CounterPunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter* Counterpunch , a type of punch used in traditional typography* Punch-Counterpunch, a Transformers character...
as well as in the Electronic Intifada
Electronic Intifada
The Electronic Intifada is a not-for-profit, independent online publication which covers the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian perspective, "aimed at combating the pro-Israeli, pro-American spin" its editors believe exists in mainstream media accounts.-History:EI was founded by Ali...
and Adbusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
. She is also the author of two books: Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy (1999 & 2001) and The Wound of Dispossession: Telling the Palestinian Story (2002).
Philosophical bases
Christison has described the ideological shift she made from "ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
" to foreign-policy critic as "a slow evolution" that was facilitated by the move she and her husband made away from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
In her book, Perceptions of Palestine, Christison examines how perceptions, attitudes, and policies of the United States government towards the Palestinians
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and Israel over the last century have contributed to the irresolution of the conflict. The United States' special relationship with Israel is said by Christison to have undermined Palestinian political claims and downplayed the seriousness of their tragedy. According to the Arab Studies Quarterly, the questioning of this lack of moral equality in American responses and treatments of both Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and Jewish tragedies is a major theme of Christison's book.
Statements on Israel and the "Israel Lobby"
At a panel discussion on the Palestine Papers, held in February 2011 at the University of London, Christison stated that: "I have nothing against Jews, but I want the dismantlement of Israel as a Jewish state. The only way to get there is to talk about it. Nobody imagined apartheid would end either. What happened in those instances should be a model for a Jewish exclusivist government."At a conference entitled “I Am My Brother’s Keeper: Confronting Islamophobia” held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle on May 6-7, 2011, Christison stated that “The discourse in this country at the moment is very Islamophobic” and that the “anti-Muslim discourse,” is driven by “pressure from the pro-Israel lobby and Islamophobia lobby." She further stated that “Politicians are all afraid of opposing Israel publicly for fear of losing campaign funds.” She also stated that “All of the major groups who are involved in promoting Islamophobia are interlinked in many cases; they are the same people in one group or another. They are Christian fundamentalists, Christian Zionists, Tea Partiers, Israeli supporters, and a lot of this Islamophobia comes from Israel but it also comes from Israeli supporters.”
Regarding the relative calm in Israel during the previous few years, Christison stated that
“The problem is that Israel has peace right now – there is very little terrorism and has been very little terrorism for several years...What we need to fight for is justice, not peace... Peace is a benefit to the powerful – it allows the powerful to continue to oppress the powerless... Justice gives the powerless some kind of voice in resisting – hopefully not violently – the oppression under which they are.”
Books
- Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy (Hardcover 1999) University of California PressUniversity of California PressUniversity of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish books and papers for the faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868...
. ISBN 0520217179.http://www.mepc.org/journal_vol7/9910_christisonbk.asp (Updated softcover version released in 2001) - The Wound of Dispossession: Telling the Palestinian Story (2002) Sunlit Hills Press. ISBN 097125480X.http://www.amazon.com/dp/097125480X
Articles in the Journal of Palestine Studies
- "The American Experience: Palestinians in the US" (1989)
- "Dilemmas of Arab Christianity" (1992)
- "Macro Microcosm" (1992)
- "The City and Its People" (1993)
- "Pax Americana" (1995)
- "A Frank Examination" (1995)
- "Uneven but Invaluable" (1996)
- "US Policy and the Palestinians: Bound by a Frame of Reference" (1997)
- "US Policy Realities" (1997)
- "A Morality Tale?" (1998)
- "Selective Memory?" (1999)
- "'All Those Old Issues': George W. Bush and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict" (2004)