"Resistance Always Has a Utility in Time" - Abdaljawad Omar
Dec 10, 2023
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Abdaljawad Omar, a podcast guest, discusses various topics in this episode. Some of the most interesting topics include labor organizing, strike waves, solidarity with Palestine, and getting anticapitalist art through Hollywood. The conversation also delves into resistance, mourning and melancholy in the Palestinian context, and the power and impact of resistance in the struggle for Palestinian liberation. Other topics covered include prisoner exchanges, the experiences of Palestinians in 48, and settler responses to immigrants.
Resistance in the Palestinian context emerges from an acceptance of mortality and a defiance against dehumanization imposed by colonial power.
Israeli mourning reflects a fear of vulnerability and a refusal to confront their own humanity, necessitating the need to challenge Israelis to engage in mourning and acknowledge shared humanity.
Resistance serves as a psychological necessity by challenging the invincibility of the colonizer, representing a possibility of liberation for the colonized and revealing the limits of power for the colonizer.
The resistance movement aims to dismantle distorted narratives, such as the displacement of the Holocaust onto Palestinians, in order to achieve justice and self-determination for the Palestinian people.
Deep dives
Resistance and Mourning in the Palestinian Context
Resistance in the Palestinian context is closely tied to the acceptance of one's own mortality. Palestinians live within a constant horizon of loss, experiencing the ongoing revulsion and precarity of colonial subjugation. This lived experience creates a deep understanding of vulnerability and dependency on others, whether it be the possibility of being killed, arrested, or displaced. Resistance, therefore, emerges as an act of defiance against the dehumanization imposed by the colonial power. Accepting the probability of death becomes a necessary condition for sustaining resistance and generating the will to fight for liberation. In this sense, resistance becomes a means of preserving the shattered sense of loss and retaining the memory of what has been taken, despite the limitations imposed by the colonial condition.
The Paradox of Zionist Grief
Zionist grief reveals a paradoxical narrative. Israelis, who present themselves as invincible and powerful, often project their own vulnerabilities and fears onto Palestinians. The horrors of the Holocaust are invoked to justify the violence and displacement experienced by Palestinians, perpetuating a victim-aggressor dynamic. Israeli mourning is marked by a sense of paranoia, an obsession with security, and a profound fear of vulnerability. This displacement of grief onto the Palestinian 'other' reflects a refusal to confront their own humanity, as well as a need to dehumanize Palestinians. The resistance movement aims to create space for Palestinians to mourn their losses and also challenges Israelis to confront their vulnerability and engage in mourning as a means of healing and acknowledging the shared humanity of all involved.
The Power Dynamics of Violence and Resistance
Resistance evokes a moment of rupture in the power dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized. While resistance may include acts of violence, its purpose extends beyond mere destruction. It serves to remind both the colonized and the colonizer of their humanity and vulnerability. By challenging the invincibility of the colonizer and inflicting wounds borne from decades of colonial oppression, resistance becomes a psychological necessity. For the colonized, resistance represents a possibility of liberation, while for the colonizer, it reveals the limits of their power and invincibility. This dialectic of violence and resistance highlights the complex interplay between mourning, power, and the potential for transformative change within the colonial context.
Displacing the Holocaust Narrative
The Israeli narrative often attempts to displace the memory of the Holocaust onto the Palestinian people, portraying Palestinians as the aggressors and perpetrators. This distortion of history not only vilifies Palestinians but also shields Israel from confronting its own role in the dispossession and suffering of the Palestinian population. Palestinians are accused of being 'Nazis' or responsible for giving Hitler the idea for the Holocaust, despite the fact that it was the Zionist movement that sought to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. This manipulation of the Holocaust narrative reinforces the power imbalance and perpetuates the dehumanization of Palestinians. The resistance movement aims to challenge and dismantle these distorted narratives in order to achieve justice and self-determination for the Palestinian people.
The Power and Dynamics of Resistance
Resistance is seen as a necessity beyond utility in the Palestinian context, as it affirms identity and belonging, and opens the possibility for future resistance. The efficacy or utility of resistance is often questioned, but historical examples and the ongoing struggle demonstrate its political and transformative power. Resistance in Palestine has had tangible effects, such as the removal of checkpoints and the release of prisoners. While resistance may not always result in immediate victories, it continues to build a legacy of endurance and a vision for a free Palestine.
The Complex Relations in Palestine
Palestinians in different regions and contexts have unique experiences and relationships with the Israeli state. Palestinians in 1948 faced the destruction of their world during the Nakba and have since lived in a precarious space, balancing survival and resistance. The experience of Palestinians in 1948 is shaped by an interplay of cooperation, fear, resistance, and a struggle for belonging. The events of October 7th, which shattered Israel's sense of invincibility, created a climate of fear and repression, limiting the ability of Palestinians in 1948 to openly express solidarity with the resistance or criticize Israeli policies. Despite these challenges, a sense of pride in the resistance remains among many Palestinians in 1948.
The Struggle for Expression and Fear in 1948
Palestinians in 1948 face significant constraints on their ability to openly express their sentiments and support for the resistance. The fear of arrest or reprisals has led to a climate of self-censorship, where even minimal expressions of solidarity on social media can lead to severe consequences. The securitized response by Israeli authorities aimed to control any form of dissent or sympathy towards the Palestinian cause in order to maintain a sense of control and power. This has limited the ability of Palestinians in 1948 to provide vocal support or actively engage in protests, creating a sense of frustration and powerlessness.
The Paradox of Remaining and Cooperation
Palestinians in 1948 face a complex dilemma of existing within the Israeli system while yearning for liberation. The ideology of cooperation and acceptance of Israel's settler state structures presents a challenge for Palestinians in finding ways to express their identity and aspirations. The fear of further marginalization and repression has led some to adopt a more passive posture, accepting limited rights and opportunities within the Israeli system. However, others resist this narrative and continue to voice their pride and longing for a free Palestine, navigating the tension between survival and resistance.
In this episode we welcome Abdaljawad Omar back to the podcast.
This is another slightly edited livestream that we’ve converted to an audio podcast. You can check out the video on our YouTube channel, we’ll put that link in the show notes. And Also just to note that we’ve continued to put lots of content out there, including an interview with Boots Riley from The Coup also the director and creator of the film Sorry To Bother You and the hit series I’m A Virgo. We talked to him about labor organizing, the strike wave, solidarity with Palestine and getting principled anticapitalist art through the gauntlet that is Hollywood.
I really wanted to get an audio version of this episode with Abdaljawad out this week. Many will know that Refaat Alareer was assassinated this week by the Israeli military. And while we don’t talk about Refaat in this conversation directly, I needed to go back and listen again to Abdaljawad’s commentary on resistance and on mourning and melancholy in the Palestinian context. I hope that this conversation will be therapeutic for others in a way that enables you to continue to put one foot in front of the other and continue to struggle and resist in whatever capacity you can. And in doing so I hope that we can honor Refaat memory and all of the thousands of other martyrs as we continue to seek to find courageous ways support the struggle for Palestinian liberation, which is an important front in the struggle for the liberation of all people.
Just a note this conversation was recorded back on November 30th amid the prisoner exchanges, so if that portion of the conversation where we discuss that feels a bit dated that is the reason why, but it still feels like an important and pertinent discussion nonetheless. We will include the pieces we discussed in the show notes.
Lastly I will say that we are launching our Sylvia Wynter study group in the beginning of January you can find out more about that on patreon, and becoming a patron is the best way to support the show, but also to keep up with all of our episodes whether they are released first on YouTube or via this podcast feed.
