Howard Eissenstat
@heissenstat.bsky.social
Laurentian Associate Professor of History, St. Lawrence University.
Non-resident scholar, Stockholm University, Institute for Turkish Studies (SUITS)
Focused on Turkey and the Middle East.
Unlikely to argue on-line. Blocks dumb, annoying, or noisy.
Non-resident scholar, Stockholm University, Institute for Turkish Studies (SUITS)
Focused on Turkey and the Middle East.
Unlikely to argue on-line. Blocks dumb, annoying, or noisy.
Pinned
Lots of new follows this past few days. Welcome!
By way of introduction, I am a historian working on modern Turkey and, more generally, the Middle East.
I will also sometimes post on running, work dogs, and running with work dogs.
And the occasional snarky commments on US politics
By way of introduction, I am a historian working on modern Turkey and, more generally, the Middle East.
I will also sometimes post on running, work dogs, and running with work dogs.
And the occasional snarky commments on US politics
As a little holiday gift, I’m sharing my mom’s beloved sour-cream twist cookie recipe.
They’re lightly sweet—perfect with coffee or tea.
And honestly, it makes me happy to think of people enjoying her food even now that she’s gone.
Here’s the recipe exactly as she typed it, maybe 60 years ago.
They’re lightly sweet—perfect with coffee or tea.
And honestly, it makes me happy to think of people enjoying her food even now that she’s gone.
Here’s the recipe exactly as she typed it, maybe 60 years ago.
November 25, 2025 at 5:50 PM
As a little holiday gift, I’m sharing my mom’s beloved sour-cream twist cookie recipe.
They’re lightly sweet—perfect with coffee or tea.
And honestly, it makes me happy to think of people enjoying her food even now that she’s gone.
Here’s the recipe exactly as she typed it, maybe 60 years ago.
They’re lightly sweet—perfect with coffee or tea.
And honestly, it makes me happy to think of people enjoying her food even now that she’s gone.
Here’s the recipe exactly as she typed it, maybe 60 years ago.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
A short thread on why some Christians love Jews so much they want them to move elsewhere.
To be clear, this is actually a really good example of Christian Zionism which *pre-dated* political Zionism.
Why I don't trust philo-Semitic conservatives, in one subtitle
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
A short thread on why some Christians love Jews so much they want them to move elsewhere.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
Mazloum Abdi's emphasis (in his most recent interview with Mezopotamya) on the need for him to visit Ocalan should, IMO, also be considered against this background.
At the end of the day, for Ankara, the whole process has been, since from the beginning, about the PKK and its affiliates laying down arms. I do not see much disagreement among regime actors on this broad point. Remember Bahceli calling Ocalan two months ago to make a call to the SDF.
From this point onwards, as the Imrali visit is also realized, I believe the fate of the rapprochement process with Ocalan is entirely dependent on what will happen with the SDF in Syria.
November 25, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Mazloum Abdi's emphasis (in his most recent interview with Mezopotamya) on the need for him to visit Ocalan should, IMO, also be considered against this background.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
Israel is set to destroy our guesthouse. But Masafer Yatta still welcomes all who resist
Mohammed Hureini’s family has hosted hundreds of activists, journalists, and politicians in At-Tuwani. If this demolition proceeds, half of the village may be next.
www.972mag.com/at-tuwani-gu...
Mohammed Hureini’s family has hosted hundreds of activists, journalists, and politicians in At-Tuwani. If this demolition proceeds, half of the village may be next.
www.972mag.com/at-tuwani-gu...
Israel is set to destroy our guesthouse. But we still welcome all who resist
My family has hosted hundreds of activists, journalists, and politicians in At-Tuwani. If this demolition proceeds, half of our West Bank village may be next.
www.972mag.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Israel is set to destroy our guesthouse. But Masafer Yatta still welcomes all who resist
Mohammed Hureini’s family has hosted hundreds of activists, journalists, and politicians in At-Tuwani. If this demolition proceeds, half of the village may be next.
www.972mag.com/at-tuwani-gu...
Mohammed Hureini’s family has hosted hundreds of activists, journalists, and politicians in At-Tuwani. If this demolition proceeds, half of the village may be next.
www.972mag.com/at-tuwani-gu...
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
New episode 📢📢
Seçil Daǧtaș on religious difference in Turkey's Hatay
👇👇
turkeybooktalk.com/2025/11/25/s...
Seçil Daǧtaș on religious difference in Turkey's Hatay
👇👇
turkeybooktalk.com/2025/11/25/s...
Seçil Daǧtaș on religious difference in Turkey’s Hatay
Turkey Book Talk #258 – Seçil Daǧtaș, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Waterloo, on “Under the Same Sky: Everyday Politics of Religious Difference in Southern Turkey” …
turkeybooktalk.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:07 PM
New episode 📢📢
Seçil Daǧtaș on religious difference in Turkey's Hatay
👇👇
turkeybooktalk.com/2025/11/25/s...
Seçil Daǧtaș on religious difference in Turkey's Hatay
👇👇
turkeybooktalk.com/2025/11/25/s...
A short thread on why some Christians love Jews so much they want them to move elsewhere.
To be clear, this is actually a really good example of Christian Zionism which *pre-dated* political Zionism.
Why I don't trust philo-Semitic conservatives, in one subtitle
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
A short thread on why some Christians love Jews so much they want them to move elsewhere.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
ah yes, the people yearn for the dersh
"elevate charismatic figures such as Alan Dershowitz"
-____________-
-____________-
November 25, 2025 at 10:54 AM
ah yes, the people yearn for the dersh
I largely agree with Sinem here.
From the PKK's perspective, the main concerns are (a) Ocalan's continued imprisonment and (b) salvaging what they can of the SDF in Syria.
From the PKK's perspective, the main concerns are (a) Ocalan's continued imprisonment and (b) salvaging what they can of the SDF in Syria.
From this point onwards, as the Imrali visit is also realized, I believe the fate of the rapprochement process with Ocalan is entirely dependent on what will happen with the SDF in Syria.
November 25, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I largely agree with Sinem here.
From the PKK's perspective, the main concerns are (a) Ocalan's continued imprisonment and (b) salvaging what they can of the SDF in Syria.
From the PKK's perspective, the main concerns are (a) Ocalan's continued imprisonment and (b) salvaging what they can of the SDF in Syria.
To be clear, this is actually a really good example of Christian Zionism which *pre-dated* political Zionism.
Why I don't trust philo-Semitic conservatives, in one subtitle
November 25, 2025 at 2:17 PM
To be clear, this is actually a really good example of Christian Zionism which *pre-dated* political Zionism.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
Quality time:
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
November 24, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Quality time:
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
With the ceasefire, attention has gone elsewhere.
The need is still there, though.
Give to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund this holiday season
give.pcrf.net/campaign/hol...
The need is still there, though.
Give to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund this holiday season
give.pcrf.net/campaign/hol...
Holiday Campaign 2025
{{MetaTags.description}}
give.pcrf.net
November 24, 2025 at 4:53 PM
With the ceasefire, attention has gone elsewhere.
The need is still there, though.
Give to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund this holiday season
give.pcrf.net/campaign/hol...
The need is still there, though.
Give to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund this holiday season
give.pcrf.net/campaign/hol...
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
Why I don't trust philo-Semitic conservatives, in one subtitle
November 24, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Why I don't trust philo-Semitic conservatives, in one subtitle
Vahid Abedini has now been released.
November 25, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Vahid Abedini has now been released.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
“The presence of so much fakery makes it possible to cast aspersions on any piece of information, any actor, or any conversation to the point that the truth is effectively meaningless.”
Elon Musk’s Worthless, Poisoned Hall of Mirrors
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:47 AM
“The presence of so much fakery makes it possible to cast aspersions on any piece of information, any actor, or any conversation to the point that the truth is effectively meaningless.”
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
Political Scientist Vahid Abedini detained boarding flight as he traveled to the annual MESA conference
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Political Scientist Vahid Abedini detained boarding flight as he traveled to the annual MESA conference
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
“Landis said he received an email instructing him to direct all inquiries about Abedini’s detainment to OU Marketing and Communications. OU Marketing and Communications wrote in an email to OU Daily Monday afternoon that it did not have a comment on Abedini’s detainment.”
November 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM
“Landis said he received an email instructing him to direct all inquiries about Abedini’s detainment to OU Marketing and Communications. OU Marketing and Communications wrote in an email to OU Daily Monday afternoon that it did not have a comment on Abedini’s detainment.”
It would, however, be preferable to them publishing another op-ed by James Fucking Carville, though.
no the new york times does not make money off of my once-a-year post about rogue one
The whole business model is just rage bait at this point. Just don’t engage with these people.
November 24, 2025 at 11:14 PM
It would, however, be preferable to them publishing another op-ed by James Fucking Carville, though.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
Dug up this old quote from 2016 after CHP voted to lift parliamentary immunities...CHP should have listened, but so should DEM today. The second they cross the regime, they'll be thrown to the dogs, and they may have few friends left after this lackluster support for the non-Kurdish opposition.
November 24, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Dug up this old quote from 2016 after CHP voted to lift parliamentary immunities...CHP should have listened, but so should DEM today. The second they cross the regime, they'll be thrown to the dogs, and they may have few friends left after this lackluster support for the non-Kurdish opposition.
A reminder that “quiet posters” (people you follow who don’t post that often) can be more fulfilling than the main timeline here. Can I remember how I got quiet posters as a sort of tab? Sorry no I can’t!
November 24, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Quality time:
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
November 24, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Quality time:
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
Spent this afternoon baking my mom's classic sour cream twist cookies for Thanksgiving with my daughter, who regaled me with all the exciting drama that is the first year of high school.
Here's the recipe, from Bubbe's type-written file, probably written down around 1970 or so.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
they were "controversial" for murdering palestinians at their food distribution sites.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial U.S.- and Israel-backed company that provided aid to Gaza, said Monday it would shutter operations.
US-backed aid company in Gaza shutters operations
The U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, set up to distribute aid to Gaza as an alternative to the United Nations but which Palestinians said endangered the lives of civilians as they tried to get food, has said it will shutter operations.
bit.ly
November 24, 2025 at 7:13 PM
they were "controversial" for murdering palestinians at their food distribution sites.
My Star Wars take?
The Star Trek universe is more interesting in every way.
The Star Trek universe is more interesting in every way.
November 24, 2025 at 9:07 PM
My Star Wars take?
The Star Trek universe is more interesting in every way.
The Star Trek universe is more interesting in every way.
Reposted by Howard Eissenstat
This story should be covered waaaaayy more than it is.
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Nicolas Guillou, French ICC judge sanctioned by the US: 'You are effectively blacklisted by much of the world's banking system'
Six judges and three prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have been sanctioned by the Trump administration. In an interview with Le Monde, Guillou discusses the impact of these measures on ...
www.lemonde.fr
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
This story should be covered waaaaayy more than it is.
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
If you met this guy at a party, you'd walk away slowly.
You'd warn your friends.
You'd warn your friends.
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
If you met this guy at a party, you'd walk away slowly.
You'd warn your friends.
You'd warn your friends.
Political Scientist Vahid Abedini detained boarding flight as he traveled to the annual MESA conference
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Political Scientist Vahid Abedini detained boarding flight as he traveled to the annual MESA conference