I don't care about the Palestinian state. I really don't. (part 1) (Israel/Zionism as a European colonial project)
The anti-Palestinian narrative says that there was never been a Palestinian state. That is true to some extent, but not accurate. Similarly, there was no Syrian or Iraqi state before WW1. Nor the black in South Africa, the ‘Natives’ in the Americans, and Australia had a state. State or the modern national or nation-state is a human invention, a European invention.
In Europe, the modern states were a product of mostly internal development and interaction. That includes many wars, displacement, ethnic cleansing, compromises, agreements, exchanging of thought and ideas, and religious, social, and economical development, among other things.
In "the new world" European settlers and colonizers went through a similar process besides many differences. But in these places, the largest amount of violence was directed toward the "natives".
In that atmosphere, the Jewish Zionist movement was born in Europe. 1- Nations and nation-states, were rising. Nations were considered the natural units that every human is belonging to(unless you are primitive or barbarian). Nation members have many things in common: land, language, history, blood, religion, interests, and aspiration. Without a strong nation (or national) state, the nation would be vulnerable and unable to maintain its interests 2- The world is big. If you are unfortunate or have a dream, go to another part of the world. You can materialize it there. That is what many thought at that time. In many places outside Europe, many European Christian and Jews did not consider the inhabitants as equal, not as a people/nation.
In that context, the Idea of the Jewish State was raising. The Idea that Jews belong to one nation and that the Jewish nation should have its own state to protect itself and metricize its interests and aspiration. Sure the European jews zionist have a lite chance to have that state in Europe, so the logical conclusion in that atmosphere would lead to considering building that state outside Europe. After considering some places like Argentina and Uganda to establish the Jews State, the final choice was Palestine.
But even before the rise of European Jewish Political Zionism, some European Christians campaigned for the establishment of Israel in Palestine, for both religious and colonial reasons. Already during the Napolian colonial camping on Egypt and Greater Syria, there was a try. Then some European Christians campaigned for involving the jews to conquer the "land of Israel" and to "re-establish the ancient Jerusalem". Even the famous Zionist slogan; "a land without a people [Palestine] for a people without a land [Jews]", did not first come from Jewish zionists. But the slogan originally came from Christian zionists.
Until today the Western Christians are one of the main strengths of Israel and Zionism. This can be easily seen by looking at Joe Biden’s, Hillary Clinton’s, and Donald Trump’s statements and policies. And as the statistic shows, Evangelical Christians are more supportive to Israel than the jews in the USA. This is why some think Zionism is more a Christian European project rather than a Jewish European one. Even Ben Jamail Netanyahu said; “I don’t believe that the Jewish State and Modern Zionism would have been possible without Christian Zionism. I think that the many Christian supporters of the rebirth of the Jewish State and the ingathering of the Jewish people in the 19th century made possible the rise of Jewish Zionism - modern Jewish Zionism.”
But many anti-racism, anti-colonialism Westerners can not think about Zionism in terms of settler colonialism, apartheid. Nor can they think about Isreal/Zionism as a Western project. That because of two main connected reasons; (that could also apply to some Israelis)
1- White Christian colonizers and settlers are demonized by many today. Many focus just on the huge injustice that ‘natives’ suffered in Algeria, the Americas, South Africa, and elsewhere. The focus is mainly on the greedy, racist, violent, and evil settlers' behavior and ideologies. They are just seen as oppressors. The part that many of the settlers suffered from religious persecution, wars, or famines in Europe is overlooked. Maybe to not justify that injustice in any way.
2- The Jews were among the most persecuted groups in Europe. Therefore, many Europeans feel the responsibility to end the injustice and suffering of Jews. Particularly, the Holocaust is an exceptional crime. (Btw., the Zionist movement and the colonization of Palestine started before Nazisim and even before WW1) For some, it shouldn't even be compared to other crimes or unjustice. Therefore linking the word colonialism to the Jews is part of denying the suffering of the Jews. It also contradicts the image of the demonized colonizer. For them, colonialists and settlers are powerful, privileged, and oppressive, and they cannot be victims. So Jews cannot be oppressors because they are victims.
Western social justice defenders stand against antisemitism and against the idea that European Jews are not fully European. But at the same time, unconsciously, they don’t really consider jews as fully European or Westerner. Because the real European is the privileged White Christian man. Jews are just seen as the victims of that man.
That white-black view that says a group can be either a victim or oppressor is one of the main reasons why it hard to think about Israel and Zionism as a settler colonialist project. Why some stand very strong against fascism, racism, paternalism, exploitation, and imperialism, but take a very soft stand against Zionism.
This is also one main reason why Palestinian is not seen as a full victim as the black in South Africa or the ‘natives’ elsewhere. Because the perfect victim needs the perfect oppressor… the white Christian man. When the white Christian man is the oppressor, it is more likely for the western social justice defender to stand with the oppressed without giving any justification for the oppression and oppressor. But the Palestinians had bad luck because they did not have that perfect oppressor.
#Israel #palestine #Gaza #StopApartheid
