Imran Idzqandar

In search of new perspectives

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

AI helped scientists discover more materials faster (+44%), but 82% said their work became less fulfilling. Will AI make creativity a thing of the past?

https://t.co/J8o3ZSYqVl

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

Fascinating piece on the science but also economics of solar cells! Excited to see how these tandem cells fare in the market.

https://t.co/A6LAnanSFU

[Omar Waseem @omarwasm]

The past week

[Fateen Anam Rafid @Fateen_Anam]

We brought Ted to life

He ended up roasting all of our friends’ startups

If you are interested in building AI toys with us, DM me

[CoffeeSpace @CoffeeSpaceApp]

How can you tell if someone is a founder?
Don't worry, they'll you

[Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib @afalkhatib]

Just boycott them all? The decision by a large element of the pro-Palestine BDS movement (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) to shun & denounce Standing Together (Odim Beyachad/ע��מדים ביחד) is puzzling & truly short-sighted. It is also symptomatic of how far-left radical activists have & continue to sabotage, undermine, and weaken pro-Palestine activism with unrealistic, maximalist, aggressive, and, at times, even prejudiced positions, goals, and proclamations. At a time when the Palestinians desperately need diverse allies and partners, you’d think that some would focus on finding the slightest common ground with a wide-ranging audience, including and especially in Israel.

The problem with BDS is that it started as a reasonable nonviolent effort to induce corrective and different behaviors that serve Palestinians' legitimate and urgent grievances. Ultimately, this should mean achieving a just and equitable peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, two nations coexisting through pragmatic and realistic frameworks that are forward/future-oriented. As time went on, however, instead of seeking to expand the reach and efficacy of the BDS movement, it became a vehicle for the ideological expression of leftist dogmas and radical beliefs that are so common in social justice movements. Rather than pushing for political change through the use of pressuring tactics, for many within the movement, the goal became about dismantling Israel, eradicating Zionism, eliminating colonialism, and exceptionally maximalist, unrealistic, ineffective, and detrimental slogans and objectives. BDS only allowed for or promoted engagement with anti-Zionist Jews and Israelis, who are a minority that wields limited to no power. But any attempt to engage with “mainstream” Israelis or Zionists becomes a supposedly shameful act of “normalization” of Israel.

Just like the Occupy Wall Street & Women’s March movements, or even Black Lives Matter (the national organization, not the idea/principle) lost their potency due to leftists/communists/Marxists/anarchists dominating the strategic decision-making, the BDS movement started facing a similar trend. I used to be a supporter of BDS because I was a proponent of a targeted boycott that induces a specific action/desired outcome. However, I felt disillusioned with the devolution of BDS’s strategies because they were genuinely impotent and thought that Israel and Zionists could simply be isolated per the commonly cited South African model.

Specifically, I always took issue with the academic boycott because academia should be a sacredly open, inclusive, and tolerant space that allows for all ideas and expressions to take place, even if someone is an Israeli or a Zionist. The charge that Israeli academics are a fundamental part of Palestinians’ oppression/apartheid does not justify academic bullying and isolation attempts – if you don’t like what someone has to say, then provide a rebuttal or say something in response (you know, the answer to bad speech is more good speech). But don’t seek to shun them literally because they’re Israeli (specifically, because they’re Jewish because Arab/Muslim Israelis are looked at differently by BDS activists).

Most importantly, and after decades of conflict, separation, and polarization, I believe engagement with wide-ranging Israeli and Jewish/Zionist audiences is more important now than ever before. Not only will this be key for maintaining both peoples’ mutual humanity, but it will also be instrumental in fueling grassroots efforts to solve various issues, including the occupation, settlements, and other grievances. Palestinian liberation will occur partly due to cooperation with Israelis, not despite them. Palestinian freedom and self-determination will not take place if the long game is to dismantle and deconstruct Israel, Zionism etc., etc.

And for the record, I personally oppose attempts by various state governments to criminalize BDS activism, which ultimately is a form of protected speech (with a few exceptions where some BDS chapters acted irresponsibly). There has to be an outlet for people to engage in pro-Palestine activism that’s nonviolent, and I don’t doubt the sincerity and intentions of many BDS activists. However, BDS has ultimately failed to make any meaningful progress toward its own stated goals.

Furthermore, I’d argue that the movement is doing tremendous harm to the pro-Palestine movement by attacking Jewish and Israeli allies and is an increasingly fringe, radical effort that is going nowhere. Engaging with diverse Jewish/Israeli audiences, and yes, that includes pro-Israel Zionists, should be normalized, not criminalized. “Anti-normalization” slogans are a relic of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s Pan-Arabism of the 50s and 60s, a bygone era of immense failures, defeats, and setbacks for Palestinians & the Arabs – not exactly the kind of inspiration that a rejuvenated Palestinian national movement needs right now.

Standing Together is incredibly courageous and has been on the receiving end of terrible treatment by many within Israel. They’ve taken principled stances and have worked tirelessly to build allyship with Palestinians (many of whom are actively involved in the organization) and bring an anti-occupation element to the pro-democracy demonstrations within Israel. They’ve been the primary voice within Israel, consistently calling for a ceasefire and decrying the horrendous impact of the IDF’s operation on Gaza’s civilians. And as any decent individual or group should have done immediately after October 7, Standing Together condemned Hamas’s terror and atrocities and rightfully criticized pro-Palestine leftists and allies who justified the attack as a legitimate act of resistance. They’re trying to operate within the mainstream landscape to be effective and become a political home for diverse Israeli audiences disillusioned with the Netanyahu/rightwing regime. That’s how you build effective power, not by appealing to fringe elements within the BDS/pro-Palestine movement. I commend and respect Standing Together and stand with them (no pun intended).

[David Klion @DavidKlion]

I'm something of a NYC nationalist—I really think it's a miracle that all the peoples of the world can live together in one city basically in peace and harmony—and this UES halal cart vendor story is only reinforcing that. https://t.co/sgqsFuDlrh

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

Found myself trying to reorganize my files and getting a couple new drives. Interesting to see reports of SSD reliability from @backblaze https://t.co/mTtrQRRNoE

[Valia Babycats🍉 @livetime_fe]

This broke me. I'm sobbing uncontrollably right now.

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

AI is cool…. but why don’t we start with centralizing applicant data. Most folks on US visas spend 10+hrs on each visa application (4 thus far). 80% of these items are additive - like education, travel & employment history - & don’t change much from year to year.

[LaborScale @LaborScale]

Adakah anda pasti kos yang anda akan ambil di universiti nanti akan memberikan anda peluang pekerjaan?
Adakah anda tahu purata gaji bidang yang anda ceburi?
Jika tidak, layari aplikasi web kami untuk menyemak peluang perkerjaan, purata gaji dan lain2 di https://t.co/OHpUTtS8AN

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

In today’s episode of terrible foreign policy: https://t.co/XxwUhPDfkC

[Fahmi Reza @kuasasiswa]

Kenapa kita buat macam ni...?

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

@wanakmalzarif is this the 27mm?

[jerm @jerm_cohen]

I shot the whole series from the safety of my own apartment.

My Quarantine Rooftop Culture series, is featured in this issue which is a guide to surviving the plague we’re living through.

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

What we're missing is a comprehensive understanding of the economic impact of shutdowns to the most vulnerable (ie. waiters, cleaners, clerks) who live paycheck-to-paycheck in uncertainty, who can't pay rent and have no choice other than to go home to their rent-free hometowns.

[Christopher Lee @chriskc_Lee]

What apparently happened in TBS today is exactly what we didnt want to happen. Mass gatherings at bus terminals & then folks going all over the country from the active COVID-19 area in the country. Are we not potentially spreading it nationwide? Maybe I'm missing something?

[Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan]

See, it can be done.

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

@MarinJr21 I love the name! Well done m8!

[Imran Idzqandar @imranidz]

A fascinating read uncovering the declining American youth who identify as religious. Many cite religion as “authoritative, univocal and changeless ... a matter of passive adherence.” Engagement has to occur for religion to appeal to youth.

https://t.co/D3cWACVqaE