On Palestine (2015), by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé, is a book on the past, present and future of Palestine. The book is divided into two parts: dialogs and reflections. In the dialogs Chomsky and Pappé talk together or alone under the guidance of Frank Barat. The goal is to understand the current (2014) situation and how the struggle for a free Palestine should continue. The second part of the book consists of some essays written by Chomsky and Pappé. Those dive further into what has been discussed earlier.
That the book is written by two great thinkers of our time is amazing, especially with the fact that Pappé is Israeli himself. That fact provides the book with a viewpoint of what it is like inside in Israel, and what the mental gaslighting in the society is like. The book focuses on the current and future situations, but does that through a historical lens, connecting current events to historical ones. Doing this makes it easier to do the same with the now current events.
The strive for a decolonial free Palestine
The fact that this book is written almost ten years ago makes it the perfect case to discuss some of the thoughts about a free Palestine. Because history didn’t start on the 7th of October. It also didn’t start in 2014 (Gaza), 2006(Elections in Gaza), 2000(Second Intifada), 1993(Oslo Accords), 1987(First Intifada), 1967(Six day war), 1947(Parition plan, two state soluction UN), or 1920(Start of the British mandate). It has been ongoing for over 100 years.
The book does this history justice, by going through these events and discussing them, questioning them, and connecting them to each other and to the ideologies behind them. To say it with my own words, without to much nuance, the book describes the process of establishing and expanding the colonial settler state of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. Ilian Pappé even described the policy of Israel in the Gaza Strip as “an incremental genocide” (page 147). Looking at this statement, originally from 2006, with the current knowledge is absolutely terrifying. With the current ongoing Genocide in the Gaza Strip it is saddening that statements made in 2006 are still true and are only getting worse.
Next to all of this the book goes into the peace process and how it works against a just and free Palestine. To say it without to much nuance again, the peace process only works with the idea that Israel is a legitimate state and that the proposed two state solution is a fair and just solution. It forgets the fact that Israel is a settler state build upon the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. It cannot exist without that policy. Next to that, Israel made the two state solution impossible by expanding the settlements in the West Bank.
Connecting this book with South Africa and student protests
This book does a great job at comparing the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa with the situation in Palestine. It is comparable to a certain extend, yet it also has some defining differences. One fact that was important was the reliance on the black population in South Africa, which was 90% of the population. They were the work force. This isn’t the case in Palestine. The Palestinian people are of ‘no use’ to Israel. They simply want them gone. Then there is the common similarity between the two. Both cannot exist without the support of the settler state called the United States. As long as the support from the US continues Israel can keep doing what they do.
Then there are the student protests, following those in the times of Vietnam and Apartheid, demanding divestment from Israeli universities and companies that are complicit in the genocide on the Palestinian people. While they are violently being beaten down by police all around the world, they give hope. Hope on a true just and fair future. A future where the Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and were everyone, Palestinian or Israeli, has the same rights.