Decolonisation and the case of Palestine MEM: November 27, 2023
by Eleyan Sawafta
The situation in Palestine cannot be seen as a simple military occupation; it is much more than that. Israel’s geopolitical strategy involves not only occupying the land of Palestine, but also controlling the Palestinian people through ethnic cleansing, forced displacement and isolation. Thus, any understanding of the context of the situation should start or end with decolonisation, because Israel has been a settler-colonial regime from its creation in 1948.
Like other historical and positive social movements, the decolonisation narrative unfolds with complexity, seeks to rectify historical injustices, and empowers marginalised communities toward self-determination and freedom. When the latest Israel-Palestine war started, it is notable that some Western commentators began to critique the concept of decolonisation, asserting it to be “a dangerous and false narrative” in the case of Palestine.
Anti-decolonisation is the reluctance to acknowledge, discuss or engage with the processes of decolonisation.
