The last couple of years have shown us that just anybody on the internet thinks they are legal experts, medical experts, epidemiologists, and now lately, this, of course, has come to International Relations. Everyone and their mother now thinks they can solve the issue with Israel and Palestine. Then, of course, you have your usual Pro-zionist playbook propaganda, which has been going on for decades. ” You can’t criticize Israel, or you’re Anti-Semitic,” or the ” Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East” rhetoric.
The most common one that I probably see among my crowd is the classic Pinkwashing which focuses on Israel being more gay friendly, which still does not redeem that billions of dollars go from the US to support the increasing socio-economic disparities between Israel and Palestine. When you deprive people of basic needs and cram them into glorified parking lots and continue to keep taking from them, you will not expect them to be socially progressive. Also, there is a lot of elements in Israeli societies that are pretty damn socially conservative.
However, there have been heaps of free Palestine activists also coming out of the woodwork, especially in the US, which I partly applaud. I am glad to see more people are not swallowing the spoon-fed propaganda they were served many years ago and starting to look independently for more information. But, on the other hand, this camp has to lead to sweeping generalizations about all Israelis and even just Jewish people.
The Anti-Semite look is not a good look either. Some of these supporters are useful idiots who only further benefit and enable Hamas, a gift for the ultra-right. Screaming ” Death to Israel” is not constructive. Trying to simplify the situation with two-sentence memes is useless. It’s not that black and white. If the experts in IR are having a grappling time trying to solve this puzzle, can horse girl Becky from Freshmen year do it?
Israel is not going anywhere. It is a force that has to be reckoned with. Some Jewish people are indigenous to the land. Many went back hundreds of generations and immigrated long before Israel existed. Many immigrated to Israel to escape persecution. Nine million people cannot just be kicked out when there is no place for them to go. Does it justify stealing land and ethnic cleansing? Absolutely not! There is no getting either group out of this area.
I’ve been an advocate for a free Palestine or at least a fair two-state solution since before I was in university. Unfortunately, I have caused my mother a couple of ruined friendships over my views. I’ve had two friends block me for being “Anti-Israel” and then had another friend block me for not being “Pro-Palestinian enough. My personal opinion is for a fair and just two-state solution. I’ve read about the theory of a confederation between the two that actually would sound ideal, but we have a long way to go. As for the BDS movement, I’m on the fence.
I have Israeli and Palestinian friends in a handful of countries. I know this gives me about as many credentials to talk about this subject, as much as dating an African American makes me immune to racism. Still, I’ve been exposed to both worlds for both my adolescent life and my adult life. In addition, I happen to have one degree in International Relations and another in Geopolitics. Therefore, I have studied this conflict for years. Grasping the conflict is easy, but trying to find the correct solution is what is complicated. It’s more than “Both sides are bad”/ “Israel is an apartheid state”/” Israel has a right to defend itself ” which are the three most common narratives.
Although, despite being somewhat well versed in this issue, I’m still learning every day. I’ve decided for the rest of this post. I will share less about my opinion on this situation but showcase some Palestinian and Israeli voices that can give a more nuanced reflection than an oversimplified meme or one-liner argument. In addition, I’ll include some valuable resources. Not all of them necessarily line up 100% with my take on the situation.
I’ve found lately that there are several profiles on instagram from Palestinian and Israelis that have been very informative. If Instagram is your time, I highly recommend following these profiles.
Youtube
Readings
The 11 biggest myths about Israel-Palestine.
Fact check: Children used as a propaganda tool in the Israel-Gaza crisis
Israel’s War on Facts and the Infographic Intifada
Iran’s Obsession with its Imperial Past and Israel
Opinion pieces
The only way to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem: Fareed Zakaria
Column: Attacks on Jews over Israel are a gift to the right
Organizations to follow
These are just a few resources that I think are helpful. I didn’t list everything in the world. If anyone has any links they feel I should add to this list then, please do no hesitate to comment. I welcome it!
Wonderfully informative as always!
Well done, Heidi!
Thank you both!
Heidi, you have taken an explosive topic and given helpful information for those seeking an in-depth picture of what is going on. Thank you for that.
Thanks, Dot, I did my best!