Academic Debate on the Systematic Targeting of Palestinian Existence

Saturday, November 23, 2024: The Master's Program in Israeli Studies and the Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies organized the first in a series of dialogues entitled “The War of Annihilation: The Systematic Targeting of Palestinian Existence.” The series aims to analyze and discuss Israeli colonial policies that seek to erase the Palestinian presence and ways to resist them.

The discussion was hosted by Dr. Walid Habbas, a researcher at the Palestinian Forum for Israel Studies (Madar), who presented on the annexation of the West Bank and the meaning of extending Israeli sovereignty, and Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, director general of the Arab Center for Applied Social Studies, who discussed the mechanisms of repression directed against internal Palestinians. Dr. Hala Shoaibi, director of the master's program in Israeli studies, moderated the discussion.

Habbas began his discussion by emphasizing the meaning of occupation in the context of international law, noting that what is happening in the West Bank is not an occupation, but rather an attempt to impose sovereignty and resolve the conflict fully. He pointed to the structural shifts in the West Bank's military governance apparatus under the last Israeli government, which led to the takeover of the colonial administration by settlers. Habbas concluded his speech by explaining the practical and operational implications of imposing Israeli sovereignty on the West Bank, including the structural changes that may accompany the implementation of the occupation's plan.

Mustafa began by explaining the interaction of interior Palestinians with the war against Gaza after October 7, noting the limited nature of the protest action. He explained that the lack of interaction by them was due to several factors, including the disintegration of the internal political situation, the spread of crime and violence in Palestinian towns, and the Israeli suppression of expressions of sympathy for Gaza. Mustafa stated that silence was the most prominent characteristic of the collective behavior of Palestinians inside, especially in the first three months of the war, with some limited exceptions.

Mustafa also emphasized that October 7 was a milestone in the status of Palestinians in the interior, both in terms of their civil status within the “Jewish state” and their relationship with the Palestinian people. He discussed the system of control and censorship that was imposed on Palestinians inside and its impact on reducing the protest movement and political activism. Mustafa concluded his intervention by emphasizing the magnitude of the great challenges faced by Palestinians inside, whether at the level of the Jewish state and its attempts to subjugate them in all ways and means, or at the level of the self in the absence of a serious Palestinian political project.

The dialogue witnessed a rich and constructive discussion about the future of the West Bank and the role of the Palestinian Authority in light of the Israeli plan, in addition to the challenges facing the Palestinians inside and the opportunities for political forces to revitalize political action in the occupied Palestinian interior.