Rashid Khalidi on the Palestinian Cause in a Volatile Middle East, and the Meaning of Settler Colonialism
Dec 16, 2024
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Rashid Khalidi, Professor emeritus at Columbia University and author of influential works on Palestinian history, joins Adam Kirsch, a writer and editor at The Wall Street Journal. They delve into the shifting power dynamics in the Middle East, discussing the limited support for the Palestinian cause from regional allies like Iran and Hezbollah. Khalidi emphasizes the historical roots of settler colonialism in relation to Zionism, challenging perceptions of the conflict. They also explore justice, equality, and the complexities inherent in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian identity.
Rashid Khalidi argues that the limited responses of Iran and Hezbollah reveal a self-serving agenda rather than genuine support for the Palestinian cause.
The historical framework of settler colonialism is essential for understanding the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its ongoing implications.
Deep dives
Understanding the Middle East Conflict
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly relating to Palestine and Israel, is characterized by its complexity and volatility. Recent events, such as the fall of Assad's regime in Syria and heightened tensions involving Hezbollah, have altered the geopolitical landscape significantly. These changes complicate predictions about the future of the war in Gaza, as the interconnections between regional powers like Hamas, Iran, and their strategic allies are fraught with miscalculations. Historical context is essential for understanding current dynamics, as the actions taken by groups like Hamas are not just reactions but also part of a broader narrative of conflict and resistance that spans decades.
The Role of Hamas and Regional Alliances
Hamas's recent actions have sparked debates about its intentions and the extent to which its leadership was isolated from regional allies like Hezbollah and Iran. It appears that the military decisions made by Hamas were not fully disclosed to its allies, which may have contributed to miscalculations about the anticipated responses from Israel and other regional actors. The expectation that a wider Arab uprisings would occur following their actions demonstrates a significant misunderstanding of the current geopolitical landscape. This miscalculation reveals the complex web of alliances and the varying interests of different factions within the region, ultimately leaving Hamas somewhat alone in its struggle.
The State of Palestinian National Movement
The Palestinian cause faces significant challenges, marked by fragmentation and the absence of united leadership. Various factions, such as Fatah and Hamas, struggle to maintain relevance and coherence in their strategies, which severely limits their effectiveness on the international stage. Compounding this issue is the perception that traditional allies have largely abandoned the Palestinians, creating a narrative of isolation and desperation. The ongoing conflict has rendered the Palestinian movement weaker than ever, with increasing land annexation by Israel and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza exacerbating the crisis.
Prospects for Resolution and Future Hope
Despite the grim state of affairs, there remains a recognition that a peaceful resolution between Israelis and Palestinians is essential, albeit challenging. Both sides must confront their past grievances and acknowledge the realities of their shared existence; a two-state solution appears to be the only viable pathway forward. However, historical animosities and the current political climate present significant barriers to achieving this goal. Long-term peace will require addressing the underlying injustices, dismantling oppressive structures, and fostering mutual recognition, necessitating difficult and transformative changes from both communities.
Power dynamics in the Middle East shifted dramatically this year. In Lebanon, Israel dealt a severe blow toHezbollah, and another crucial ally of Iran—Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria—was toppled by insurgents. But the historian Rashid Khalidi is skeptical that these changes will set back the Palestinian cause, as it relates to Israel. “This idea that the Palestinians are bereft of allies assumes that they had people who were doing things for their interest,” Khalidi tells David Remnick, “which I don’t think was true.” The limited responses to the war in Gaza by Iran and Hezbollah, Khalidi believes, clearly demonstrate that Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance “was designed by Iran to protect the Iranian regime. . . . It wasn’t designed to protect Palestine.” Khalidi, a professor emeritus at Columbia University, is the author of a number of books on Palestinian history; among them, “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine” has been particularly influential. The book helped bring the term “settler colonialism” into common parlance, at least on the left, to describe Israel’s relationship to historic Palestine. Sometimes invoked as a term of opprobrium, “settler colonialism” is strongly disputed by supporters of Israel. Khalidi asserts that the description is historically specific and accurate. The early Zionists, he says, understood their effort as colonization. “That’s not some antisemitic slur,” he says. “That’s the description they gave themselves.”
The concept of settler colonialism has been applied, on the political left, to describe Israel’s founding, and to its settlement of the Palestinian-occupied territories. This usage has been disputed by supporters of Israel and by thinkers including Adam Kirsch, an editor at the Wall Street Journal, who has also written about philosophy for The New Yorker. “Settler colonialism is . . . a zero-sum way of looking at the conflict,” Kirsch tells David Remnick. “In the classic examples, it involves the destruction of one people by another and their replacement over a large territory, really a continent-wide territory. That’s not at all the history of Israel and Palestine.” Kirsch made his case in a recent book, “On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice.”