Michael Barnett is a Jewish American University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science at George Washington University. Born on November 10, 1960, Barnett’s research covers the Middle East, humanitarianism, global governance, and ethics—fields he uses to critique Israeli policy and U.S. foreign relations with Israel. Through a long record of publications, public panels, and interviews, Barnett has advanced narratives portraying Israel as an apartheid-like state engaged in systemic oppression, while minimizing or rationalizing the actions of Hamas as “resistance.”
Record of Advocacy & Ideological Bias
Publications and Commentary
Mar 2023: Authored the essay “Is Israel on the Precipice of Genocide?”, framing Israel as approaching the threshold of genocidal behavior and suggesting that international actors may need to intervene.
Jun 2023: Published “The Responsibility to Protect Palestinians,” accusing Israel of settler violence and claiming the Israeli government has failed to prevent atrocities in the West Bank. In this piece, Barnett justified Hamas’s “right of resistance” and argued that the United States must become a “guardian” of the Palestinians rather than an “enabler of oppression.”
Oct 2023: Wrote an opinion article for The Guardian titled “If Israel Invades Gaza It Will Be a Disaster for Both Palestinians and Israelis,” framing Israel’s military operations as potential war crimes and likening its policies to apartheid.
Apr–May 2023: Co-authored multiple articles for Foreign Affairs including “Can the Two-State Solution Be Saved?” and “Israel’s One-State Reality.” Both essays dismissed the viability of a two-state framework and described Israel as already functioning as a single, apartheid-like regime governing Palestinians through “structural inequality.”
Public Events and Statements
Dec 2023: Participated in a panel at GWU’s medical school, where he framed Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank as evidence of systemic oppression and violations of humanitarian norms.
Jan 2024: Spoke at a webinar hosted by the Arab Center Washington DC titled “Gaza and the Crime of Genocide: Legal and Political Dimensions of Accountability.” Barnett accused Israeli politicians of preparing for “genocidal acts against Palestinians” and cited UN “warning indicators” for genocide, while admitting there was not yet sufficient evidence to prove Israel had committed it.
Apr 2024: Appeared alongside other editors of his co-authored book “The One State Reality: What Is Israel/Palestine?” The book describes Israel as an “occupier,” alleges systemic discrimination against non-Jews, and refers to “Jewish supremacy” as a defining feature of the state.
Political Framing
Across his writings and events, Barnett routinely employs the language of international law and humanitarianism to indict Israel while obscuring the role of Hamas terrorism. His essays and talks depict Israel as a moral and political aggressor, applying terms such as “apartheid,” “ethnic cleansing,” and “genocide” to describe its actions. At the same time, he characterizes Hamas’s violence as a “trigger” for Israeli misconduct rather than as terrorism, echoing activist framing used to justify Palestinian militancy.
Michael Barnett’s record demonstrates how the rhetoric of humanitarian ethics can be used to advance politicized accusations against Israel. By positioning himself as both scholar and moral arbiter, Barnett leverages his authority to normalize claims of “Jewish supremacy” and “genocide” in academic and policy circles—turning scholarship on governance and ethics into a vehicle for anti-Israel advocacy.
