Thawra Ep. 9 – Palestine on the Road to Revolution
May 3, 2024
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Abdel Razzaq Takriti discusses the creation of a Palestinian national liberation movement in the 1950s, the foundation of Fatah, and the shift in Palestinian politics post-defeat. They explore the sociological impact of refugee communities, strategies for liberation inspired by the Algerian Revolution, challenges faced by Palestinian refugees seeking repatriation, and the role of faith, charity, and armed struggle in building resistance in Palestine.
The 1950s marked the emergence of Palestinian national liberation movements shaped by diaspora experiences post-Nakba, laying the foundation for Palestinian identity outside Pan-Arab ideologies.
Student circles in Cairo and Damascus played pivotal roles in organizing for Palestinian rights through armed struggle, diverging from the unified regional army focus of Arab nationalists.
Palestinian refugees demanded repatriation to newly established Israel in the 1950s, forming nationalist groups with diverse ideologies, sparking clashes between cautious Islamic approaches and youth-driven armed resistance.
Youth in Gaza post-Nakba engaged in resistance against Israeli settlements, challenging passive religious groups in mobilizing armed resistance and reclaiming lost lands for Palestinian autonomy.
The podcast explores Palestinian liberation struggles, including the Communist Party's role in providing education and cultural spaces to Palestinians and Iraqi Jewish members, envisioning a future of collective Arab-Jewish identity post-Zionism's defeat.
Deep dives
Emergence of Palestinian Nationalist Movements in the 1950s
In the 1950s, Palestinian politics saw the emergence of nationalist movements shaped by the diaspora's experiences after the Nakba. The movement of Arab nationalists laid the foundation for Palestinian identity, particularly in Beirut and Jordan. Key figures like Palestinians and other revolutionary groups contributed to the anti-colonial struggle in various regions, sparking the creation of radical Marxist factions. These movements, including Fatah, marked a departure from Pan-Arab ideologies, focusing exclusively on Palestinian liberation.
Student Circles and Political Mobilization
Student circles in Cairo and Damascus played crucial roles in organizing around Palestinian rights in the 1950s. Influenced by the Algerian Revolution, Palestinian students, led by figures like Yasser Arafat, emphasized armed struggle as the key to liberation, diverging from the Arab nationalist emphasis on unified regional armies. These student networks intersected in Kuwait and other Gulf states, creating a foundation for the formation of Fatah and revolutionary strategies centered around self-liberation.
Challenges and Strategies for Palestinian Return
Palestinian refugees in the 1950s sought to return to their homes in the newly established state of Israel, resulting in individual attempts at crossing borders. While some succeeded, most faced obstacles from the Israeli state, triggering demands for repatriation. Palestinian refugees formed groups with varied emphases, from pan-Arab ideologies to Islamic leanings. The Muslim Brotherhood's cautious approach clashed with the youth's desire for active resistance and armed struggle.
Youth Action and Resistance Efforts in Gaza
Youth in Gaza engaged in acts of resistance post-Nakba, targeting Israeli settlements through sabotage operations to disrupt settler colonists' normalcy. Refugee communities, despite facing challenges, expressed the urgency for Palestinian liberation. Figures like Abu Jihad mobilized youth towards armed resistance, challenging the passive approaches of established religious groups, igniting a fervor for direct action and reclaiming lost lands as part of the struggle for Palestinian autonomy.
The Ongoing Struggle for Palestinian Liberation
The podcast delves into the continuous fight for Palestinian liberation, exploring the historical events and movements that have shaped the struggle. It examines the challenges faced by Palestinians in the Israeli state, including military rule and cultural erasure. The discussion highlights the complexities of Arab-Jewish relations within the context of Zionism and colonial oppression, shedding light on the plight of Arab Jews displaced by the Zionist project.
Communist Party Influence and Arab Jewish Identity
The Communist Party's significance among Palestinians in Israel during the 1950s is emphasized, noting how it provided education and cultural space within the constrained environment. The podcast discusses the diversification of the Communist Party's membership with the inclusion of Iraqi Jewish individuals, reflecting on the complexities of Arab-Jewish relations within a settler colonial framework. It touches on the challenges faced by Mizrahi Jews due to the Zionist project's remaking of their identities.
Predictions of Zionism's Total Elimination
The podcast reveals Palestinian predictions from the 1950s about Zionism's aim for total elimination and the urgency felt to resist the escalating power of the colonial state. It underscores the refugees' longing for liberation tied to the right to return to their homes, reframing the narrative around return as a fundamental refugee right. The discussion engages with the refugee politics deeply embedded in Arab liberation struggles, envisioning a future reclaiming of Arab Jewish identity post-Zionism's defeat.
Arab-Jewish Encounters and Solidarity Prospects
Exploring encounters between displaced Eastern Jews and Palestinians in Israel during the 1950s, the podcast raises queries on the potential retention of Arab-Jewish identities and fostering anti-Zionist solidarity. It examines the structural barriers imposed by the Zionist project that hindered collective cohesion between Arab Jews and Palestinians. The episode contemplates alternative trajectories and counterfactual possibilities for cultural solidarity amid colonial oppression.
Challenges and Hopes for Future Emancipation
Addressing the challenges and hopes for future emancipation in the aftermath of the ongoing genocide, the podcast navigates through the complexities of post-conflict reconciliation and identity reclamation. It underscores the transformation needed to restore Arab Jewish identity and foster unity essential for liberation. The conversation interweaves discussions of post-genocide realities, the impact on regional dynamics, and the imperative of reshaping communal narratives for a collective emancipatory vision.
Featuring Abdel Razzaq Takriti, this is the NINTH episode of Thawra (Revolution), our rolling mini-series on Arab radicalism in the 20th century. Today’s installment covers the creation of a Palestinian national liberation movement throughout the 1950s by a people dispersed by the Nakba: organizations, alliances, and theories of change assembled in the universities, cities, and refugee camps surrounding Palestine. We end with the 1959 foundation of Fatah, the first organization for Palestinians led by Palestinians focused first and foremost on Palestinian liberation. This is the story of the beginning of the Palestinian national liberation movement as we have come to know it today.
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