Scam-beg of the week: Ran Greenstein

An Israeli-born academic who relocated to South Africa. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. 

He frequently writes and lectures on the intersection of identity, nationalism, and race, specifically drawing comparisons between Israel/Palestine and Apartheid-era South Africa. He is highly active in the anti-Zionist academic space and frequently appears on panels and webinars for groups like ⁠ #Africa4Palestine ⁠. 

Summary of his article "Reflections on Academic Sanctions" (BDS Strategy): https://www.bdsmovement.net/news/reflections-academic-sanctions 

Ran Greenstein argues that broad, general academic boycotts don't work. Instead, he proposes "smart, focused sanctions." 

His strategy has three main pillars:

1.⁠ ⁠Target Specifics: Don't boycott an entire university; target specific programs, hires, or individuals tied to the IDF or "oppressive practices."

2.⁠ ⁠Make Demands Realistic: Demand things the university can actually do (like firing a specific professor), rather than demanding they end the occupation.

3.⁠ ⁠The Inside-Out Attack: Use radical left-wing Israeli and Arab students inside the universities to identify the targets, while international BDS groups apply the external pressure. This makes the boycott look like an internal grassroots demand rather than a foreign attack.