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Stephen Zunes

@szunes.bsky.social
7.3K followers 120 following 1.7K posts

professor, parent, interests in peace, human rights, U.S. foreign policy

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Reposted by Stephen Zunes
Joseph Yans @joeyans.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
🇵🇸🇮🇱Wyoming Star explores the current situation in Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank) a year into a ceasefire with American University's Gregory Aftandilian, @szunes.bsky.social, and @zaha-hassan.bsky.social. wyomingstarnews.org/2026/10/15/e... #Palestine #Gaza #WestBank #Israel #politics #analytics
A beekeeper tends to beehives with his sons on the roof of a destroyed building in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood on 5 August 2026 (Omar al-Qattaa / AFP)
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Polling data has shown that enough progressives, Muslims, Arab-Americans, and younger voters refused to vote for Harris over the Gaza war that it caused her to lose swing states she otherwise would have won. If she had said this in the fall of 2024, Trump would not be president.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Both political parties continue to insist that the majority of Americans are wrong.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
I'm one of three scholars interviewed in this analysis of the situation one year after the ceasefire in Gaza. wyomingstarnews.org/2026/10/15/e...
wyomingstarnews.org
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
My latest article, published in The Nation, looks at the significance of Navi Pillay winning the Nobel Peace Prize and the bipartisan opposition in Washington to her work. Please consider circulating. www.thenation.com/article/worl...
thenation.com
Why Navi Pillay’s Receiving the Nobel Peace Prize Is So Important
She believes that human rights and international law are universal principles that must be enforced regardless of violator’s ideology, ethnicity, or geostrategic alignment.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
My interview this morning on a Singapore television station on the war between the Houthis and the Saudi regime: www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0TH...
youtube.com
Houthis not simply Iran's proxies, says analyst
YouTube video by CNA
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Here's a link to an hour-long interview I did the other night for a New Zealand radio show and podcast in which I addressed the the authoritarian threat and the upcoming midterm elections here in the United States. player.accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?...
player.accessmedia.nz
13-10-2026 - US Democracy in Peril - Stephen Zunes
I will be talking with Prof.Stephen Zunes 13Oct.2026 2026 Prof. of international relations at the University of San Francisco has Who has taught and participated in nonviolent people power movements. ...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
While Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries publicly congratulated last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, the rightwing Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, Democratic leaders have been conspicuously silent about human rights advocate Navi Pillay winning this year's award.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
In reaction to a statement on the anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks and his appearance at a memorial gathering, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is being attacked by both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian extremists. I know the feeling...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
A new book shows the arrogance of Biden administration officials in their support for Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. One example was National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, when told of how U.S. policy was alienating influential countries like South Africa, he replied "Fuck South Africa!"
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
From my interview on KTVU earlier today on the legacy of the Hamas terrorist attacks three years ago, as well as some analysis on the ongoing turmoil in France. www.ktvu.com/video/fmc-nv...
ktvu.com
Foreign policy expert on 2 major international developments
Stephen Zunes, USF Professor & Program Director of the USF Middle Eastern Studies Program, appeared on 'Mornings on 2' to discuss 3-years since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the violent cl...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The U.S. war in Afghanistan began 25 years ago today. Two weeks earlier, I wrote in USA Today that if the U.S. did intervene, most Taliban leaders would survive to fight again, large numbers of civilians would be killed, and the U.S. would become embroiled in "an unwinnable counterinsurgency war."
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
My letter-to-the editor in yesterday's Santa Cruz Sentinel:
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Here's a policy brief for 2026 Democratic nominees for House and Senate I've written examining the key positions and major hot button issues regarding U.S. policy and Israel/Palestine. Please share with any campaigns with which you have connections: stephenzunes962006.substack.com/p/opposing-u...
stephenzunes962006.substack.com
Opposing U.S. Support for the Israeli Government—A Winning Election Issue
Twelve talking points for enlarging our coalition of voters—a briefing paper
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
My latest Substack post looks at this week's decision to finally withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq; the initial decision to invade 23 years ago; its strategic, legal, political, and moral implications; and its legacy today. substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
Two Decades of Murderous Lies and Stupidity
The US withdrawal from Iraq finally brings another horrific bipartisan intervention to a close
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And here is another segment from KPFA-FM News I did yesterday, this one regarding Israeli and U.S. denial of Israeli violation of the Genocide Treaty and, in spite of this, bipartisan support for ongoing military aid to Israel: kpfa.org/app/uploads/...
kpfa.org
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Here's a link to an interview I did for KPFA-FM News yesterday on U.S. rejection of Iranian offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz: kpfa.org/app/uploads/...
kpfa.org
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A clip from a few days ago from an interview I did for Al Jazeera English on Iran holding firm on its negotiating positions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNxq...
youtube.com
Iran believes it has the upper hand in war with the US: Analysis
YouTube video by Al Jazeera English
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
From an interview I did this morning with Al Jazeera digital (in English) www.instagram.com/reel/DduJ-9Q...
instagram.com
‎الجزيرة‎ on Instagram‎: ""الحرب أضرت بمكانة أمريكا".. أستاذ الأمن الدولي والسياسة الخارجية بجامعة سان فرانسيسكو ستيفن زونس يقول في مقابلة مع الجزيرة إن التصويت على استمرار حرب إيران عكس الانقسام الحز...
175 likes, 5 comments - aljazeera on September 25, 2026‎: ""الحرب أضرت بمكانة أمريكا".. أستاذ الأمن الدولي والسياسة الخارجية بجامعة سان فرانسيسكو ستيفن زونس يقول في مقابلة مع الجزيرة إن التصويت على اس...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Here's a link to a wide-ranging 45-minute interview which addresses not only covers a number of contemporary issues, but a bit about my background and how I ended up doing my work on Palestine, Western Sahara, nonviolent resistance and more. open.spotify.com/episode/02Xa...
open.spotify.com
What John Bolton and a Debate on Democracy Revealed with Noted Professor Stephen Zunes
The Dr. Rod Berger Channel - Stories That Meet The Moment · Episode
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Tomorrow!
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schulz, former Democratic National Committee chair, has said that opposing US support for the Israeli government is "shameful and dangerous" and "is nothing short of anti-Semitic." Last month, the Democratic leadership named her to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This Wednesday at the University of California, Berkeley events.berkeley.edu/iis/event/32...
events.berkeley.edu
The United States and Global Anti-Authoritarian Movements
What is the most effective means by which the United States can support popular struggles for freedom around the world? Does Washington have the cr...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Here are links to three interviews I did with Al Jazeera English this afternoon regarding the situation with Yemen, the U.S., and Iran: mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/ahns18... mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/Kr35z5... mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/2rbWx1...
mediaview.aljazeera.com
zunes-19g-19
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This is an article I wrote ten years ago exploring the question of how certain forms of anti-Zionism can reasonably be considered antisemitic--and when it does not. www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-to...
ncronline.org
Is anti-Zionism inherently anti-Semitic?
Manifestations of anti-Semitism must be challenged, but we must also defend human rights and work for peace.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Here's a 20-minute interview I did yesterday (starting at 35:10) with Kris Welch at KPFA-FM on the situation in Yemen, including a history explaining how U.S. policy helped create this mess. A good primer if you are interested in learning about that war-torn country: kpfa.org/player/?audi...
kpfa.org
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
My thoughts on Yemen and the new Israeli documentary from KPFA-FM news. kpfa.org/episode/the-...
kpfa.org
War in Yemen; New film from "No Other Land" directors; EU and BRICS both call for end to Israeli settlement trade; Cuba War Powers Act; Turkish attack on LGBTQ groups | KPFA
War in Yemen re-ignites, producing a massive flow of refugees and likely closure of the Red Sea. With both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea now in war zones, global fossil fuel prices are set to s...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Important article by a respected (conservative) constitutional lawyer about the very threat that the Republican Congressional leadership will refuse to seat elected House members in January in order to prevent a Democratic majority. newrepublic.com/article/2151...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
My thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks: substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
Context and Consequences of the US Response to 9/11
How a deeper understanding of US actions and the responses to them can help predict likely outcomes
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Some words of wisdom from Rebecca Solnit on this 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks: www.meditationsinanemergency.com/9-11-the-c/
meditationsinanemergency.com
The Real 9/11: Citizens Succeeded, Institutions Failed
I wrote this for the eighth anniversary of 9/11, drawing on my 2009 book A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster; it felt right to revise and reissue for this tw...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
With Chris Pappas's victory in yesterday's primary in New Hampshire, there are now two Democratic Senate nominees (the other being Roy Cooper of North Carolina) endorsed by the Democratic Majority for Israel, which only endorses those supporting unconditional military aid to Netanyahu.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I'm quoted in this article about Iran's threat to establish a broader restricted zone, further threatening international shipping. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...
aljazeera.com
Can Iran enforce a restricted zone in the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran unveils plans for a restricted zone, but will Tehran be able to enforce it amid escalating tensions with the US?
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A proposed new rule will dramatically reduce the length of visas granted to foreign journalists (five years to less than eight months), apparently as part of a Trump administration effort to pressure them to produce friendlier coverage. www.ipsnews.net/2026/07/trum...
ipsnews.net
Trump's Authoritarian Gambit to Muzzle the Foreign Press
Under a new rule proposed by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the duration of “I visas” for foreign media will be slashed
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A nice podcast about the American Friends Service Committee, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Quaker organization which for over a century has been in the forefront of movements for peace and justice. risingupwithsonali.com/friends-risi...
risingupwithsonali.com
Friends Rising Up In Service of Peace and Justice
https://ia601800.us.archive.org/12/items/RUFJ_Joyce_Ajlouny/2026_07_20_Joyce_Ajlouny.mp3
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The University of North Texas removed a much-anticipated art exhibition after only two days because it contained some displays critical of ICE. Fortunately, the University of California-Santa Cruz is now showing it. app.lookout.co/story/340583...
app.lookout.co
From Texas censorship to UCSC: Silenced anti-ICE art exhibition celebrating dual identity finds a home in Santa Cruz
Earlier this year, Mexican-born, Texas-raised visual artist Victor Quiñonez had his new exhibition, which speaks to being an immigrant in America and to the harm U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforceme...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The environmental consequences of the U.S, war on Iran. www.juancole.com/2026/07/isra...
juancole.com
US-Israeli Bombing Has Harmed Iran’s Wildlife, Farms, and Water Supply
By Kourosh Ziabari This article was originally published by
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The U.S. House of Representatives, with the support of 33 Democrats, has just passed an amendment that would prohibit any federal support of any college or university that divests from companies investing in Israel, the occupied territories, or otherwise supporting Israel's wars and occupations.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Here's an announcement of my upcoming talk at the University of California, Berkeley later this month events.berkeley.edu/iis/event/32...
events.berkeley.edu
The United States and Global Anti-Authoritarian Movements
What is the most effective means by which the United States can support popular struggles for freedom around the world? Does Washington have the cr...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The Trump administration has announced plans to remove the tax-exempt status of private schools that offer scholarships or other special programs for racial minorities. This would force my university to close its program supporting the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of Black students.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
One of many examples of the U.S.-backed destruction of Lebanon. In response to Israel's war on that country, the ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on the Middle East & North Africa declared, "The United States will continue to support Israel's right to self-defense."
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Jon Lovett reports that the U.S. Mint is issuing a commemorative dollar coin in honor of Gloria Steinem--worth 70 cents.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The U.S. government has accused Britain of "Jew hate" because their foreign minister (who is Jewish) criticized Israel for blocking adequate medical supplies from entering Gaza.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Here are links to three interviews I did for Al Jazeera English this afternoon on the U.S. and Iran, particularly in regard to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/FlIIML... mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/wk5m7a... mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/KUYfLb...
mediaview.aljazeera.com
STEPHEN ZUNES-18G-060926
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
From Al Jazeera:
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
You can find my thoughts about Gloria Steinem and her legacy, including some of the far left attacks against her, at: stephenzunes962006.substack.com/p/on-gloria-...
stephenzunes962006.substack.com
On Gloria Steinem
Praising accomplishments while acknowledging differences
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
If the Republicans try to steal the November election, can we mobilize effective nonviolent resistance strategies to protect the vote? Not too early to learn about various scenarios and how we can best resist! Download this 83-page field guide for protecting democracy: freedomtrainers.net/scenarios
freedomtrainers.net
Election Defense Scenarios - Freedom Trainers
Election Defense Scenarios is a field guide for protecting democracy. This resource walks readers through eighteen detailed scenarios — from voter roll purges and redistricting attacks to armed intimi...
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
My interview on the BBC this afternoon on the resumption of U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine. (My segments starts at the 1:20 mark.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdSV...
youtube.com
BBC Zunes interview Ukraine Sept 5
YouTube video by Stephen Zunes
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Here's a link to a 15-minute interview I did yesterday with Kris Welch on KPFA-FM on recent developments regarding U.S. policy in Middle East: kpfa.org/player/?audi...
kpfa.org
Player | KPFA
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Here's a clip of a short interview I did on BBC this morning about the implications of the escalating fighting between the United States and Iran: studio.youtube.com/video/TcqlOW...
studio.youtube.com
YouTube
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world.
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Stephen Zunes @szunes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Truthout has just posted my latest article about the Democratic leadership's elevation of supporters of the Israeli government, Arab dictatorships, and confrontation with Iran to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Please consider circulating. truthout.org/articles/dem...
truthout.org
Democratic Voters Say They Want Change, But the Party Just Elevated More Hawks
Party leaders are ignoring the three-quarters of registered Democrats who oppose providing military aid to Israel.
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