On the olive tree in the courtyard of my house.

In order to understand the origin, development and current status of the contemporary movement for reconciliation within Israel, we must first take a look at the historical impact that Zion colonialism has had upon Israeli Arabs, or the Palestinians. While the terms colonialism and imperialism are familiar, the term Zion colonialism is arguably less familiar. By linking Zionism to these better-known forms of historical domination and subordination, it slowly becomes apparent that the old tactical maneuverings of Western nations arrives in semblance once again. However, this contemporary rendition appears through the auspices of a lesser-known and more discrete manifestation of imperialist dominion- via the guise of democracy.1

Many perceive the question of conflict solely as a struggle between Arabs and Jews. While the role of identity is critical in deciphering the adversity present within the conflict, it must be understood that identity politics alone, are unable to satia

While Zionism originates in ideology as a national movement for the return of Jewish people to their historical homeland- paired with the aims of restoring Jewish sovereignty, political Zionism takes on the character of the liberal nationalist movement which swept through Europe during the 19th century. 3 Liberal nationalism aspired two basic goals: liberation from foreign rule, and national unity in countries that had been partitioned into many political entities.4 Zionism synthesized these two goals of liberation and unity by aiming to free the Jews from hostile and oppressive alien rule and to reestablish Jewish unity by gathering Jewish exiles from the four corners of the world to the Jewish homeland- or the Land of Israel.

Through this newly introduced poetic voice, the beginnings of Palestinian mobilization and collective social awareness arose leading to the most natural next step, the social movement for amelioration of societal conditions that perpetually slighted Palestinian existence within Israel, to the ranks of a subaltern existence.

From the onset “the Zionists were novel in that they saw the Palestinians as subordinates but excluded them from a meaningful existence: they were considered to be inconsequential nomads who ‘neglected’ the land before 1948…thus to be Palestinian during the first two decades of Israel’s existence either meant exile for the 780,000 Palestinians who were driven out in 1948, or it meant an indecent subaltern existence within Israel for the remnant 120,000 who managed to stay on.”18

The issues revolving around the social stratification of the Palestinians are much a philosophical debate, in that they are presented within a material reality. For instance the concept of ‘otherness’ can only exist upon identification of difference-so that consideration given to Arabs had to derive from a reliance on comparisons made to other groups. 19 Somewhat predictably, similitude of class and social makeup can often be consequent from identification based on a broader global scale rather than indigenous groupings, which in Israel’s case are clearly and intentionally homogeneous. 20 What is meant here is that preceding material stratification comes a psychological stratification which linked what were primarily the European Jews to counterparts seen to be those nations of the West. Schimmel argues “individuals constitute a people if (and only if) its potential members define themselves as a people.” 21 She continues, “In principle, a people may be defined not only by its members but by powerful non-members for their own convenience-to justify depriving members of power.”22 Clearly, Zionism uses terminology to distinguish and classify- possessing the ability to “out” members of a nation, in this case namely the Palestinians, which were deprived of authority regardless of their ever-growing presence.

Some topics in this essay:
Palestine UNRWA, Arabs Jews, Israel Zionism, Bassem Serhan, Jewish Western, Israel Zionist, Gaza Strip, Land Israel, Liberation Organization, Imperial Economy’, social movement, palestinian social, role identity, palestinian social movement, palestinian movement, palestinian identity, external factors, zion colonialism, national identity, palestinian people, zionist agenda, primarily response external, evolution palestinian movement,