M. Gessen Writes About the Responsibilities of Citizenship for the New York Times
M. Gessen. Photo by Lena Di
In an op-ed for the New York Times, Distinguished Visiting Writer M. Gessen wrote about how Americans can learn from citizens of other countries that grapple with human rights issues. Speaking to Jewish citizens of Israel, Gessen discusses what it means to benefit from government actions one disagrees with. Gessen spoke with Michael Sfard, a human rights lawyer who represents Palestinians in Israeli courts, and Ella Keidar Greenberg, who refused to enlist in the Israeli army. “Being an idle bystander is doing something,” Greenberg says of her decision. “I’m either maintaining the system or dismantling it.”
“To be a good citizen of a bad state, one has to do scary things,” Gessen concludes. “It may be using your body to shield someone more vulnerable, [or] withdrawing your economic cooperation, weighing… flying under the radar against taking a risk.”
Post Date: 11-05-2025
“To be a good citizen of a bad state, one has to do scary things,” Gessen concludes. “It may be using your body to shield someone more vulnerable, [or] withdrawing your economic cooperation, weighing… flying under the radar against taking a risk.”
Post Date: 11-05-2025