Keeping Alive Our Own Ideas of Freedom - Steven Salaita on Palestinian Resistance, Genocide and Electoralism
Jan 8, 2024
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In this podcast, guest Steven Salaita, an educator and author, discusses topics such as the Palestinian resistance, Israel's genocidal retaliation, settler colonization theory, the complex nature of Hamas, anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia, understanding settler colonialism, the nuclear threat of Israel, strategies for protests and resistance movements, and the significance of cultural and intellectual work.
Palestinians maintain the idea of freedom as a practical necessity, passing it on to future generations despite attempts to erase it.
Western engagement should prioritize condemning Zionism and addressing structural racism instead of imposing judgments on Palestinian political dynamics.
The desire for return and the aspiration to reclaim home sustain Palestinians in their struggle, reflecting their determination to safeguard their humanity.
Collaboration with other movements and communities is crucial for the struggle for Palestinian liberation, creating meaningful connections and amplifying collective voices.
Deep dives
Maintaining the Vision of Freedom
Amidst the horror and suffering, Palestinians hold on to the idea of freedom and refuse to let the oppressor define their struggle. The understanding that freedom is not abstract but a practical necessity fuels their resilience. By keeping the idea of freedom alive, Palestinians ensure that it will be passed on to future generations and become their inheritance. The oppressor's attempts to erase this vision only strengthen their resolve. Upholding the idea of freedom requires overcoming despair and embracing a volatile mixture of optimism and defiance.
Misunderstanding Hamas and Palestinian Resistance
Western rhetoric often misrepresents Hamas, reducing it to a rhetorical tool used to justify Israeli violence and oppression. Palestinians understand the need for resistance and deterrence capabilities in the face of colonization and siege. Dismissing or condemning Hamas overlooks the practical realities and diverse ideological landscape of Palestinian society. Western engagement should prioritize condemning Zionism and addressing the structural racism that underlies the Israeli state's actions rather than imposing judgments on Palestinian political dynamics.
Preserving the Idea of Return and the Struggle for Home
The practical and human desire for return, the aspiration to reclaim home, sustains Palestinians in their struggle. The jubilation expressed in response to martyrdom operations, although misinterpreted, represents hope and the longing for a better future. Palestinians possess a clear understanding of their struggle, unmediated by the oppressor's pragmatism, and refuse to lose sight of their vision for freedom. This understanding reflects their determination not to become the monsters painted by the colonizer and to safeguard their humanity even in the face of oppression.
Anti-Arab Racism and Zionism
Zionism remains a driving force behind anti-Arab racism in the United States. Anti-Arab sentiment is often disguised as political opinion, particularly regarding Palestine. Articulating a belief in the right of Jews to have a Jewish majority state often carries implicit anti-Arab racism. Recognizing and challenging the underlying assumptions and prejudices is crucial in addressing and dismantling these racist narratives.
Importance of Resilience and Adaptation in Activism
In order to overcome challenges faced by activists, it is crucial to be resilient and adaptable. It is important to not let provocations or roadblocks deter the progress of organizing efforts. Instead, pivot and find new ways to achieve the desired outcomes. Different contexts and locations may require different tactics, and organizers should consider the local political landscape, history, and available options. While disruption can be an effective tool, it should be used strategically and in alignment with the goals of the movement. Maintaining a sense of humor and playfulness in the face of adversity can also be a powerful form of resistance.
Building Connections and Solidarity
Collaboration with other movements and communities is crucial in the struggle for Palestinian liberation. By forging relationships and working together with indigenous, labor, and other marginalized groups, activists can create meaningful connections, support each other's goals, and amplify their collective voices. Recognizing the mutual struggles for self-determination and liberation strengthens the movement and helps build a broader network of support.
The Role of Resistance and Defiance
Engaging in resistance, both militarily and discursively, is a necessary component of the struggle to end the genocide and achieve liberation in Palestine. Upholding steadfastness and refusing concessions to the oppressor is a critical stance to maintain. It is important to have serious conversations about Palestinian resistance, moving beyond Orientalist stereotypes and preconceived notions. By supporting and defending different forms of resistance, we can challenge dominant narratives and push for a genuine and comprehensive liberation movement.
This is a lightly edited version of a livestream we hosted back on December 13th with Steve Salaita.
We’ll include a link to that livestream for folks who want to watch the conversation, which is one of my favorites we’ve hosted since we launched our Youtube Channel as a companion with this audio podcast.
Steven Salaita is an educator and the author or editor of eight books. His written work includes Inter/Nationalism: Decolonizing Native America and Palestine, Uncivil Rites, Israel's Dead Soul, and Anti-Arab Racism in the USA: Where it Comes From and What it Means for Politics.
His forthcoming book An Honest Living: A Memoir of Peculiar Itineraries will be released in March 2024.
In this episode, we discussed several of Salaita's recent interventions regarding the Palestinian resistance and Israel’s genocidal retaliation. All of the articles we discuss can be found on his website: stevesalaita.com. Because it was a livestream, audience members were also able to ask questions and Steve was gracious enough to answer several of those as well.
A quick update, in order to catch up on some of the fifteen audio podcasts we’ve recorded but haven’t released yet we will focus on editing and releasing those over the next couple of months. So if you haven’t yet make sure you also subscribe to our YouTube channel, a link to that is in the show notes. Over there, there are a number of conversations we haven’t converted to audio yet, and we will continue to host more livestreams there in the coming weeks as well.
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