Guests Tufik Haddad, Palestinian academic, and Saverio Leopardi, historian of the Palestinian left, delve into the Intifada's transformative impact on left-wing movements in Palestine. Haddad highlights the grassroots activism resisting Israeli occupation while discussing the decline of the Palestinian left. Leopardi examines how political Islam emerged as an alternative. Author Sarah Irving reflects on Leila Khaled's revolutionary role and the evolving participation of women in the PFLP, showcasing the intertwined narratives of resilience and resistance.
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Intifada Sparks Grassroots Revival
The Intifada shifted Palestinian struggle focus to the occupied territories.
Local grassroots organized political, social, and service groups filling Israeli neglect gaps.
insights INSIGHT
Intifada Leadership Challenges PLO
The Intifada's unified national leadership included Fatah, PFLP, DFLP, and the Communist Party.
Local leadership challenged the PLO in exile and complicated peace negotiations.
insights INSIGHT
Islamism Emerges as New Alternative
Islamist groups like Hamas presented a new radical alternative to the PLO and left.
They gained grassroots support by promising an Islamic approach to Palestinian liberation.
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Palestine Limited, Neoliberalism and Nationalism in the Occupied Territories
Palestine Limited, Neoliberalism and Nationalism in the Occupied Territories
Tufik Haddad
The end of history
Francis Fukuyama
In 'The End of History and the Last Man', Francis Fukuyama posits that with the ascendancy of Western liberal democracy following the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, humanity has reached the end point of its ideological evolution. Fukuyama draws on the philosophies of Hegel and Marx, arguing that history is a linear progression towards liberal democracy, driven by the mechanisms of natural science and the human desire for recognition (thymos). He contends that liberal democracy satisfies every man’s thymotic longing for dignity and recognition, making it the final form of human government. However, Fukuyama clarifies that this does not mean the end of historical events or conflicts, but rather that all future developments will be within the framework of liberal democracy[2][3][4].
Leila Khaled, Icon of Palestinian Liberation
Leila Khaled, Icon of Palestinian Liberation
Sarah Irving
For many years, Palestine had one of the strongest left-wing movements in the Arab world, represented by prominent figures such as Emile Habibi, Leila Khaled, and Ghassan Kanafani. At the beginning of the First Intifada in the 1980s, Palestinian left groups were still the main challengers to the hegemony of Fatah, although the Left has lost much of its influence in the period since then.
Red Star Over Palestine: Histories of the Palestinian Left is a six-part series from Long Reads exploring radical movements and progressive organizations of the region. We examine the experience of Palestinian communism and the left-wing currents inside the PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization. We also look at the outsized impact of the Left on Palestinian cultural life.
Our fifth episode focuses on the period from the First Intifada, arguably the high-point of the Palestinian left-wing movement, to the Oslo Accords.
Red Star Over Palestine is hosted by Daniel Finn and produced by Conor Gillies. Music provided by Fadi Tabbal.
Jacobin Radio 