The Experience of Extreme Violence

An often-overlooked dimension of public debate on the Middle East is the role of religious mobilizations for peace in Israel–Palestine. Contrary to groups engaged in political violence or armed struggle, activists, theologians, and intellectuals draw on alternative interpretations of religious traditions to promote their visions of justice and peace. Their work reveals a highly complex landscape in which original yet sometimes ambiguous reflections emerge on coloniality and decolonization, nationalism and religion, post-conflict trajectories, and the role of the state. Caterina Bandini, a sociologist at EHESS and lecturer-researcher at the University of Lille and CERAPS, specializes in activism, religious mobilization, and colonial relations in Israel–Palestine. She is also cofounder of Yaani, an independent research collective, and author of Une Cause sacrée. Religion, décolonisation et mobilisations pour la paix en Israël-Palestine (Karthala, 2025).

In French.