Psychology for human rights
Note: This opinion piece reflects my personal views and not those of any group with which I am affiliated. In George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Oceania is a totalitarian society where Big Brother demands unquestioning conformity and obedience; where the Thought Police constantly monitor and punish every infraction of the rules; and where the Ministry of Truth …
Continue reading “Big Brother and the Israel Advocacy Machine”
Note: This opinion piece reflects my personal views and not those of any group with which I am affiliated. A PDF version is available here. For reasons I don’t understand, the American Psychologist, the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association (APA), has published another article that appears to misrepresent antisemitism and its prevalence within the mental health professions …
Note: This opinion piece reflects my own personal views and not those of any group with which I am affiliated. I was not present at the meeting I describe below. Last weekend, the 180-member governing Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association held its annual midwinter meeting in Washington, DC. In a series of crucial …
Continue reading “APA’s Council Meeting: Human Rights Win, Fear Loses”
Note: This opinion piece reflects my own personal views and not those of any group with which I am affiliated. Several colleagues have asked me recently why I think it would be a very serious mistake for the Association of Jewish Psychologists (AJP) to be awarded a seat on the American Psychological Association’s (APA) governing Council …
Continue reading “My Significant Concerns about the Association of Jewish Psychologists”
Note: This essay is adapted from the author’s August 2025 address at the American Psychological Association annual convention and from a webinar he presented in early September. The webinar includes many visual depictions of the topics discussed here. Welcome everyone. I’m Roy Eidelson, president of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence — Division …
Continue reading “We Must Not Look Away: Resisting Oppression and Pursuing Justice”
Labeling criticism of Israel and expressions of support for Palestinian rights as “antisemitism” has apparently become the primary weapon of Israel advocacy organizations in the United States. These groups — among others, the Anti-Defamation League, Stand With Us, Canary Mission, Betar US and, in my own profession, Psychologists Against Antisemitism — are seemingly committed to …
Continue reading “Two New Polls Reveal Israel Advocacy Falsehoods”
Some personal reflections on the profession of psychology and our responsibilities as we approach 100 days of authoritarian cruelty and corruption. Psychologists here in the United States represent a range of backgrounds and areas of expertise. But I believe we all share the recognition that protecting human and civil rights is essential — not only for the …
Continue reading “Psychologists Must Condemn This Assault on Human and Civil Rights”
Note: Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion and offer my personal perspective on the weaponization of antisemitism. This session took place as part of the annual conference of the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology (Division 39 of the American Psychological Association). Below is the full text of my …
Continue reading “The American Psychological Association and the Weaponization of Antisemitism”
An outrageously misleading petition titled “Antisemitism/Anti-Jewish Hate within the American Psychological Association” is now circulating among psychologists and related health professionals. Drafted by leaders of a group that calls itself “Psychologists Against Antisemitism,” the petition is long on accusations and generalizations but shamefully short on clarity and evidence. The petition authors claim that they “have documented …
The statement below was issued in January 2025 by the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (Division 48 of the American Psychological Association). As the Society’s current president, I am pleased to share it with readers. A PDF version is available online here. Psychologists Call for Justice and Accountability: Confronting the Atrocities Against Palestinian …