Genocide is often viewed as an issue of the past. In school, we are taught about colonialism and genocide in the historical sense, and never applied to current reality. Following global issues in the past few years, we see the danger of parading around this school of thought. When residing in the imperial core or an area without blatant violence, the social ills of settler-colonialism can escape our brains, even when global powers are complicit in mass death. Such is the case of Palestine.
In spring of 2021 during the Islamic month of Ramadan, Israeli police interaction in the besieged Gaza strip’s Al-Aqsa mosque led to the outbreak of protests and riots worldwide against Israeli Zionism. Hundreds of Palestinian civilians were and continue to be killed in the name of Israel, while Israel receives over billions in funding from countries such as the United States. Palestine is no recent issue, but due to the heightened violence in areas like Sheikh Jarrah of Jerusalem, staying silent in the face of violence is no longer an option.
Israeli occupation over Palestine isn’t historically renowned. During the period of the British mandate over Palestine after 1917, the Zionist movement first gained traction. Zionism is a settler-colonial political movement calling for the establishment of a Jewish nation-state in Palestine territory with majority Jewish citizens. The British were responsive to Zionist demands and issued the Balfour Declaration, promising “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. Though the British did not genuinely care about oppressed Jews, they explicitly sponsored Zionist efforts, as this advanced British supremacy over the world. Palestinian neighbourhoods faced destruction, and the eventual Israeli Declaration of Independence was released in 1948. Israel wasn’t forever, but rather a result of British support for colonialism.
1948 ensued the infamous ethnic cleansing of Palestine, known as the Nakba, however the genocide did not begin or end in 1948. Approximately 300,000 Palestinians had been expelled prior to the lifting of British mandate on Palestine, as reported by Al-Jazeera in May 2017. Mass displacement was enacted when the United Nations partition plan for Palestine was announced. On May 15, the creation of Tel Aviv was decreed. As units of the Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian and Iraqi armies invaded on May 15, the Arab-Israeli war was launched, and stretched until March 1949. “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine”, a nonfiction book by Ilan Pappe, discussed how approximately 750,000 Palestinians were displaced and denied rights. From this point onwards, Israeli forces prolonged in using unethical military tactics and violating international law, which the UN did not step in for.
Now, another wave of violence scours Palestine. 16 years have passed since the last Palestinian uprising, or intifada, and people are rising up for their values once more. Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, fights with Israel. A wave of unrest swells the West Bank, where Israelis killed off over 250 people, according to the New York Times in May 2021. While fending off apartheid, Gaza struggles to tend to COVID-19 cases as well. On top of this, the United States donated over $3.8 billion to Israeli military assistance in 2020 as recorded by the US Council on Foreign Relations, more than any other state. Peace among the Arabs and Zionists is a fantasy at this point.
Israel’s best ally, even in unprecedented times in 2021, is the United States. The support is bipartisan, through military aid. However, diplomacy is sensible. The US is also, after all, a settler-colonial nation. The $3 billion aid mentioned is an annual routine for the US. The US is unique in the sheer amount of aid donated-- while other Westernized countries agree with the Zionist cause as well, none allocate as much money. The Institute for Policy Studies notes US aid to Israel has consistently risen from twenty-five years ago, to the point where Israel now has a booming domestic arms industry. Israel is a salient feature of US foreign policy, keeping allies of the Soviet Union like Syria in check, partnering with US arms, and assisting with the US intelligence service. Without the US, Israel would not be as developed as it is today. We understand then, that Palestinian occupation is not concentrated to the Middle East or Muslims. Everyone has a role to play.
Popular news outlets consistently propose an agreement for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas and the Palestinian intifada is juxtaposed alongside Zionism, as if both create similar amounts of harm. If you argue for Israel, the public media acknowledges that as colonialism. However, speak too aggressively for Palestinians and suddenly it is anti-Semitic and militancy. Even in 2021, people play devil’s advocate for settler-colonialism. Palestine belongs to Palestinians, and replacing their native population, denying them rights, and destroying their culture is colonialism, plain and simple. No anti-Semitism or Islamophobia is involved, religion isn’t the issue. Palestinian Jews existed and the culture was secular. Even the initial armed movements were not Islamic extremists. The concept that justice for Palestine is anti-Semitic is anti-Semitic in and of itself-- it operates under the assumption that Judaism permits genocide and state violence.
All over the media, we see terms like “war”, “conflict”, and “religious tension”, putting up a pretense of there being two sides to a debate while Palestinians are killed in their own homeland. Empty promises like a “two-state solution” come to surface, implying Israelis are still owed some of the land. Obfuscatory vocabulary is utilized to block the true nature of genocide. Palestinian activists are referred to as anti-Semites, blocked off social media, deprived of resources. Despite educating and spreading videos of violence, people still turn a blind eye under the excuse that isn’t their country, therefore not their issue to fight for-- even though countries in the global North especially have taken stances, most of them siding with Israel.
Those of us distant from the situation may never understand the suffering colonized people go through. All we can do is amplify their voices and listen to local activists. Clear up misconceptions and share posts. Donate to Palestinian organizations, mutual aid, and personal fundraisers. US residents can also contact local and state representatives, pushing to cut funds to Israel. If attending college, join the campus “Students for Justice in Palestine”, an organization dedicated to Palestinian liberation. Additionally, follow the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement-- Israel is empowered by international cooperation with corporations. Cut the support off by boycott. Giving in to nihilism normalizes genocide and is not the answer. Believe in the anti-imperialist Palestinian cause. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Written by: Eshal Zahur
Edited by: Katie Park
Designed by: Luciana Akal
Works Cited
Beinart, Peter. “Debunking the Myth That Anti-Zionism Is Antisemitic.” The Guardian 7 Mar. 2019. Web. 19 June 2021.
“Boycott Israel Campaign 2012.” N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2021.
Fisher, Max. “The 11 Biggest Myths about Israel-Palestine.” Vox 14 May 2015. Web. 19 June 2021.
“Home.” Decolonize Palestine. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2021.
Jazeera, Al. “The Nakba Did Not Start or End in 1948.” Al Jazeera 23 May 2017. Web. 21 June 2021.
Kingsley, Patrick. “Why Did the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Explode Now?” The New York Times 15 May 2021. Web. 18 June 2021.
“Palestine Must Be Free Reading List.” Versobooks.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2021.
Pappe, Ilan. The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. Simon and Schuster, 2007. Print.
“See How Much You Know about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Council on Foreign Relations. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2021.
Sharp, Jeremy M. “U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel.” Congressional Research Service (2020): n. pag. Print.
“What Is BDS?” BDS Movement. N.p., 25 Apr. 2016. Web. 18 June 2021.
Zunes, Stephen. “Why the U.S. Supports Israel.” Institute for Policy Studies. N.p., 1 May 2002. Web. 21 June 2021.
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