--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea that speaking at all on the…" description: "\"The idea that speaking at all on the topic, demanding public space in which to have that debate, is itself an act of complicity with violence, and viol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg" --- # The idea that speaking at all on the topic, demanding… ![“The idea that speaking at all on the topic, demanding public space in which to have that debate, is itself an act of complicity with violence, and violence against Israelis, understood as synonymous with Jews, and so violence against Jews, clearly stops the speech with an unspeakable allegation.” quote by Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg) > “The idea that speaking at all on the topic, demanding public space in which to have that debate, is itself an act of complicity with violence, and violence against Israelis, understood as synonymous with Jews, and so violence against Jews, clearly stops the speech with an unspeakable allegation.” [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Demanding public debate on Israeli‑Palestinian issues can be framed as complicity with violence against Jews. **In simple terms:** Calling for debate may be seen as supporting violence. Key Takeaway Critically assess how speech is framed in conflict. Themes politics speech violence Mood critical provocative Type theoretical political When to use this quote - media commentary - academic discourse - activism Key Concepts critical theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - When does speech become complicity? - How can dialogue address violence without endorsing it? A Different Perspective Risk of silencing legitimate dissent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allegation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allegation/) [Allegations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allegations/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Complicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicity/) [Complicity Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicity-violence-1993002/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Speech Unspeakable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech-unspeakable-1993001/) [Topics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/topics/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Unspeakable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unspeakable/) [Unspeakable Allegation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unspeakable-allegation-1993000/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violence Jews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-jews-1993003/) ## Related quotes > [If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/if-the-arabs-put-down-their-weapons-today-there-would-be-no-more/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [When one set of Jews labels another set of Jews 'anti-Semitic,' they are trying to monopolize the right to speak in the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/when-one-set-of-jews-labels-another-set-of-jews-anti-semitic-they-are/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Firstly, what anyone does in their personal life, I am no one to comment on that. Secondly, allegations can be levelled at anyone. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/firstly-what-anyone-does-in-their-personal-life-i-am-no-one-to/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [If you make a defamatory allegation that the Prime Minister is guilty of criminal misappropriation of pension funds of Singaporeans, that's a very serious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/if-you-make-a-defamatory-allegation-that-the-prime-minister-is-guilty/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [ Fascism allegation \[to Donald Trump\] is not coming from the left. This is coming from the right. It's coming from inside the Republican Party… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/fascism-allegation-to-donald-trump-is-not-coming-from-the-left-this/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [“We all know I won't be killed because of this stupid allegation of espionage, but because I decided to be who I always dreamed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-all-know-i-won-t-be-killed-because-of-this-stupid-allegation-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [On the allegation of withholding temperature data, we find that CRU was not in a position to withhold access to such data or tamper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muir-russell/on-the-allegation-of-withholding-temperature-data-we-find-that-cru/) [Muir Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muir-russell/) > [Now all orators effect their demonstrative proofs by allegation either of enthymems or examples, and, besides these, in no other way whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/now-all-orators-effect-their-demonstrative-proofs-by-allegation/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [ This \[British\] dossier is still considered to be mostly uncorroborated but it's overall allegation is that the Trump folks knew, the \[Donald\] Trump folks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/this-british-dossier-is-still-considered-to-be-mostly-uncorroborated/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [“My attorney rubbed his hand across his mustache and the corners of his lips several times, as though the allegation was a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/my-attorney-rubbed-his-hand-across-his-mustache-and-the-corners-of/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“Now, the scene you just saw," I began, pointing to the stage. "Was about you and T.C.," he concluded, nodding like he already knew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kluger/now-the-scene-you-just-saw-i-began-pointing-to-the-stage-was-about/) [Steve Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kluger/) > [There are media houses which put headline with a question mark, and that is how they can get away without taking the accountability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-kaushal/there-are-media-houses-which-put-headline-with-a-question-mark-and/) [Vicky Kaushal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-kaushal/) > [God as my witness, may He strike me down if this allegation is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-crouch/god-as-my-witness-may-he-strike-me-down-if-this-allegation-is-true/) [Paul Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-crouch/) > [It was the BJP that betrayed me when one of its members made the Rs 150-crore bribery allegation against me without evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-kumaraswamy/it-was-the-bjp-that-betrayed-me-when-one-of-its-members-made-the-rs/) [H. D. Kumaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-kumaraswamy/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Judith Butler > [I don't think we have to have a personal relation to a life lost to understand that something terrible has taken place, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-don-t-think-we-have-to-have-a-personal-relation-to-a-life-lost-to/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [We need a legal and political understanding of the right of the refugee, whereby no solution for one group produces a new class of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/we-need-a-legal-and-political-understanding-of-the-right-of-the/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [When we say gender is performed, we usually mean that we've taken on a role or we're acting in some way and that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/when-we-say-gender-is-performed-we-usually-mean-that-we-ve-taken-on-a/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Cameras help to minimize collateral damage, and very often, without a camera a missile cannot fire. Certainly, without a camera a drone can't function,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/cameras-help-to-minimize-collateral-damage-and-very-often-without-a/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [I would say that I'm a feminist theorist before I'm a queer theorist or a gay and lesbian theorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-would-say-that-i-m-a-feminist-theorist-before-i-m-a-queer-theorist/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Very often, if you just get the question: "Well, are you a Zionist?" if you say no, it's assumed that you want the destruction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/very-often-if-you-just-get-the-question-well-are-you-a-zionist-if-you/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Sexual harassment law is very important. But I think it would be a mistake if the sexual harassment law movement is the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/sexual-harassment-law-is-very-important-but-i-think-it-would-be-a/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Genocide is not a legitimate option. It's not ok to decide that an entire population has no right to live in the world. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/genocide-is-not-a-legitimate-option-it-s-not-ok-to-decide-that-an/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“Let's face it. We're undone by each other. And if we're not, we're missing something. If this seems so clearly the case with grief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/let-s-face-it-we-re-undone-by-each-other-and-if-we-re-not-we-re/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [The pleasurable part of public mourning can also lead to a sense of self-sanctification that justifies in advance any war effort, whether or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-pleasurable-part-of-public-mourning-can-also-lead-to-a-sense-of/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“There is no life without the conditions of life that variably sustain life, and those conditions are pervasively social, establishing not the discrete ontology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/there-is-no-life-without-the-conditions-of-life-that-variably-sustain/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“That the power regimes of heterosexism and phallogocentrism seek to augment themselves through a constant repetition of their logic, their metaphysic, and their naturalized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/that-the-power-regimes-of-heterosexism-and-phallogocentrism-seek-to/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [I think that public grieving is a good thing. People need to be grieved; loss needs to be acknowledged publicly, because it helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-think-that-public-grieving-is-a-good-thing-people-need-to-be/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [Maybe we need to start with the rethinking of what is "west" and what is "non-west." It seems to me that there are any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/maybe-we-need-to-start-with-the-rethinking-of-what-is-west-and-what/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [It will not do to say that international law is the enemy of the Jewish people, since the Jewish people surely did not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/it-will-not-do-to-say-that-international-law-is-the-enemy-of-the/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) [Explore all 248 Judith Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) ## More Allegation quotes > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [It was the BJP that betrayed me when one of its members made the Rs 150-crore bribery allegation against me without evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-kumaraswamy/it-was-the-bjp-that-betrayed-me-when-one-of-its-members-made-the-rs/) [H. D. Kumaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-kumaraswamy/) > [God as my witness, may He strike me down if this allegation is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-crouch/god-as-my-witness-may-he-strike-me-down-if-this-allegation-is-true/) [Paul Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-crouch/) > [There are media houses which put headline with a question mark, and that is how they can get away without taking the accountability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-kaushal/there-are-media-houses-which-put-headline-with-a-question-mark-and/) [Vicky Kaushal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-kaushal/) > [“Now, the scene you just saw," I began, pointing to the stage. "Was about you and T.C.," he concluded, nodding like he already knew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kluger/now-the-scene-you-just-saw-i-began-pointing-to-the-stage-was-about/) [Steve Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kluger/) > [“My attorney rubbed his hand across his mustache and the corners of his lips several times, as though the allegation was a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/my-attorney-rubbed-his-hand-across-his-mustache-and-the-corners-of/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [ This \[British\] dossier is still considered to be mostly uncorroborated but it's overall allegation is that the Trump folks knew, the \[Donald\] Trump folks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/this-british-dossier-is-still-considered-to-be-mostly-uncorroborated/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Now all orators effect their demonstrative proofs by allegation either of enthymems or examples, and, besides these, in no other way whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/now-all-orators-effect-their-demonstrative-proofs-by-allegation/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [On the allegation of withholding temperature data, we find that CRU was not in a position to withhold access to such data or tamper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muir-russell/on-the-allegation-of-withholding-temperature-data-we-find-that-cru/) [Muir Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muir-russell/) > [When one set of Jews labels another set of Jews 'anti-Semitic,' they are trying to monopolize the right to speak in the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/when-one-set-of-jews-labels-another-set-of-jews-anti-semitic-they-are/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“We all know I won't be killed because of this stupid allegation of espionage, but because I decided to be who I always dreamed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-all-know-i-won-t-be-killed-because-of-this-stupid-allegation-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [ Fascism allegation \[to Donald Trump\] is not coming from the left. This is coming from the right. It's coming from inside the Republican Party… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/fascism-allegation-to-donald-trump-is-not-coming-from-the-left-this/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [If you make a defamatory allegation that the Prime Minister is guilty of criminal misappropriation of pension funds of Singaporeans, that's a very serious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/if-you-make-a-defamatory-allegation-that-the-prime-minister-is-guilty/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [Firstly, what anyone does in their personal life, I am no one to comment on that. Secondly, allegations can be levelled at anyone. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/firstly-what-anyone-does-in-their-personal-life-i-am-no-one-to/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [We take every single allegation of Islamophobia seriously and where we do find party members or people who hold positions in local government doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/we-take-every-single-allegation-of-islamophobia-seriously-and-where/) [Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/) [Browse all 23 Allegation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allegation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The idea that speaking at all on the topic, demanding public space in which to have that debate, is itself an act of complicity with violence, and violence against Israelis, understood as synonymous with Jews, and so violence against Jews, clearly stops the speech with an unspeakable allegation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-topic-demanding-public-space-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Allegation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-topic-demanding-public-space-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/judith-butler-1374_allegations_the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-top_1796405.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The idea that speaking at all on the topic, demanding public space in which to have that debate, is itself…” — Judith Butler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Judith Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The idea that speaking at all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-topic-demanding-public-space-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-idea-that-speaking-at-all-on-the-topic-demanding-public-space-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```