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By Ramzy Baroud
At a latest Istanbul convention that introduced many Palestinian students and activists collectively to debate the seek for a typical narrative on Palestine, a Palestinian member of the viewers declared on the finish of a short, however fiery intervention, ‘we’re not purple Indians’.
The reference was a comparatively outdated one. It was attributed to former Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat throughout an interview in his workplace in Ramallah the place he was forcefully confined and surrounded, two years earlier, by the Israeli army that had re-invaded the populous Palestinian metropolis. Within the interview, the pinnacle of the PLO and president of the Palestinian Authority (PA) stated that, regardless of Israel’s try at eradicating the Palestinian folks, they continue to be steadfast. Israel had “didn’t wipe us out,” Arafat stated, including, “we’re not purple Indians.”
Although Arafat’s intention was to not degrade or insult Native American communities, the assertion, typically taken out of context, hardly displays the deep solidarity between Palestinians and nationwide liberation struggles, together with indigenous struggles around the globe. Sarcastically, Arafat, greater than any Palestinian chief, has cast ties with quite a few communities within the World South and in reality everywhere in the world. A era of activists had linked Arafat to their preliminary consciousness, then involvement in Palestine solidarity actions.
What stunned me is that the touch upon Palestinians not being ‘purple Indians’ in Istanbul was quoted repeatedly and, often, solicited applause from the viewers, which solely stopped when the convener of the convention, a well-regarded Palestinian professor, declared frustratingly, “they’re neither ‘purple’ nor Indian.” Certainly, they don’t seem to be. Really, they’re the pure allies of the Palestinian folks, like quite a few indigenous communities, who’ve actively supported the Palestinian wrestle for freedom.
The seemingly easy incident or poor alternative of phrases, nonetheless, represents a a lot higher problem dealing with Palestinians as they try and reanimate a brand new discourse on Palestinian liberation that’s now not hostage to the self-serving language of the PA elites in Ramallah.
For a number of years, a brand new era of Palestinians has been preventing on two totally different fronts: in opposition to Israel’s army occupation and apartheid, on the one hand, and PA repression on the opposite. For this era to achieve reclaiming the wrestle for justice, they have to additionally reclaim a unifying discourse, not solely to reconnect their very own fragmented communities all through historic Palestine, but in addition re-establish solidarity strains of communication throughout the globe.
I say ‘re-establish’, as a result of Palestine was a typical denominator amongst many nationwide and indigenous struggles within the World South. This was not a random consequence. All through the Fifties, 60s and 70s, fierce wars of liberation had been fought throughout continents, main usually to the defeat of conventional colonial powers and, in some circumstances like Cuba, Vietnam and Algeria, to true decolonization. With Palestine being a compounded case of western imperialism and Zionist settler colonialism, the Palestinian trigger was embraced by quite a few nationwide struggles. It was, and stays, a most uncooked instance of western supported ethnic cleaning, genocide, apartheid, hypocrisy but in addition inspiring indigenous resistance.
PLO factions, intellectuals and activists had been identified and revered worldwide as ambassadors to the Palestinian trigger. Three years following his assassination by the Israeli Mossad in a Beirut automobile bombing, Palestinian novelist Ghassan Kanafani was awarded posthumously the Annual Lotus Prize for Literature by the Union of Asian and African Writers as a delineation of the widespread wrestle between peoples of each continents. Not solely has Palestine served as a bodily connection between Asia and Africa, it has additionally served as an mental and solidarity connection.
Arab international locations, which additionally fought their very own painful however heroic nationwide liberation wars, performed a significant position within the centrality of Palestine within the political discourses of African and Asian international locations. Many non-Arab international locations supported collective Arab causes, particularly Palestine, on the United Nations, pushed for the isolation of Israel, backed Arab boycotts and even hosted PLO places of work and fighters. When Arab governments started altering their political priorities, these nations, sadly however unsurprisingly, adopted go well with.
The huge geopolitical adjustments after the Chilly Battle, in favor of the US-led Western camp, profoundly and negatively impacted Palestine’s relations with the Arab and the remainder of the world. It additionally divided the Palestinians, localizing the Palestinian wrestle in a course of that appeared to be decided principally by Israel alone. Gaza was positioned below a everlasting siege, the West Financial institution was splintered by quite a few unlawful Jewish settlements and army checkpoints, Jerusalem was swallowed complete and Palestinians in Israel turned victims of a police state that outlined itself totally on racial grounds.
Deserted by the world and their very own management, oppressed by Israel and bewildered by outstanding occasions past their management, some Palestinians turned in opposition to each other. This was the age of factionalism. Nonetheless, Palestinian factionalism is greater than Fatah and Hamas, Ramallah and Gaza. Equally harmful to the self-serving politics are the quite a few provisional discourses that it espoused, neither ruled by any collective technique or an inclusive nationwide narrative.
When the PLO was ousted from Lebanon following the Israeli invasion and lethal battle, the character of the Palestinian wrestle reworked. Headquartered in Tunisia, the PLO was now not in a position to current itself as a pacesetter of a liberation motion in any sensible sense. The Oslo Accords of 1993 resulted from this political exile and subsequent marginalization. It additionally accentuated an present pattern the place an precise battle of liberation became a company type of liberation, starvation for funds, false standing and, worse, a negotiated give up.
This a lot is now acquainted and acknowledged by many Palestinians. Much less mentioned, nonetheless, is that just about forty years of this course of left Palestinians with a special political discourse than that which existed for many years previous to Oslo.
Undoubtedly, Palestinians are conscious of the necessity for a brand new liberated language. This isn’t a simple process, neither is it a randomly generated course of. The indoctrination that resulted from the Oslo tradition, the factional language, the provincial political discourse of assorted Palestinian communities, left Palestinians with restricted instruments by means of which to precise the priorities of the brand new period. Unity is just not a political doc. Neither is worldwide solidarity. It’s a course of that’s formed by a language which needs to be spoken collectively, relentlessly and boldly. On this new language, Palestinians are Native Individuals, not of their supposed propensity to be ‘worn out’, however of their delight, resilience and continued quest for equality and justice.
– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He’s the creator of six books. His newest e book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is “Our Imaginative and prescient for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Communicate out”. Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Analysis Fellow on the Heart for Islam and World Affairs (CIGA). His web site is www.ramzybaroud.internet
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