Whether you have been an avid follower of the Palestinian struggle throughout the years, or just a mere observer to the recent developments, it is with no doubt that you now notice a disruption to the status quo of the Palestinian cause, marking the start of a new chapter for Palestine.
For long brutal years, the discourse propagated on the topic was carefully subjugated by the Israeli occupation and its controlled media outlets, spreading a single undisputed and unchallenged narrative. This narrative followed -and still attempts to follow- a simple straightforward reductionist logic, one that portrays Hamas as a terrorist organization using citizens as human shields, and Israel responding under the cover of its right to self-defense. Throughout these years, Israel has been hedging its international image as the only democracy in the Middle East on its media grip, while committing human rights violations with unparalleled impunity; violations that amount to crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution, disregarding international law (as per Human Rights Watch). The relentless media grip and propaganda allowed the continuation of Israeli authority’s reinforcement of its occupation on the besieged Palestinian territories, creating the largest open-air prison in Gaza while annexing territories in the West Bank, kicking people out of their homes and lands and killing hundreds of civilians. It also continues to impose institutionalized discrimination against Palestinians living under its rule in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The media’s discursive strategies have long enabled and legitimized the forceful displacement and domination practices by Israel. Palestinians became a death-toll and a collateral damage paid in return for god-knows-what justification at each bombing, not worthy of international attention (if any attention was given, it is to Hamas militants and the collateral damages). Defending Palestinian rights against oppression became a taboo. This strategy has managed to dehumanize Palestinians, spreading the colonizing discourse of the ‘Other’ to take away their agency and rights, diverting the attention from the atrocities falling upon them by Israeli authorities. But this grip is set to a collapse.
The combination of the social media tool as an alternative media outlet, and the rising voices of educated generations of Arab-Palestinian youth comes together as the recipe for Israel’s worst nightmare. The atrocities and brutality are heard and seen live, in translation, with international attention and rallying support as Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood fight for Palestinian freedom became the turning point to exposing the occupation. It becomes impossible to turn a blind eye. This timely transfer of information is challenging the media’s credibility, and while it doesn’t guarantee a change to the reality the Palestinians are facing, it most certainly raises important questions that challenges the status quo.
The reductionist approach previously used by the occupation comes at a disadvantage when the whole world has access to watching the brutal practices of the occupation and the turn of events. It no longer starts at Hamas and ends with Palestinian lives being collateral damage. Human rights organizations and Jewish organizations are speaking up. The questions are pressuring the traditional media sources to present a different discourse, one that gives agency to Palestinians -while often ridiculously interrupted- and introduces Arab and Palestinian youth to the west identifying the injustices they face while defending. Interviews with Muhammad Alkurd (Palestinian citizen of Sheikh Jarrah on CNN) and Husam Zomolot (Palestine Ambassador to the UK) on BBC went viral as they called-out on the accuracy of information and choice of words to describe the situation. It is even more complex to Israel when a knowledgeable Arab anchor is on the call, clear in the interview by Ayman Mohyeldin with Mark Regev (Senior Advisor to Israeli Prime Minister) on MSNBC.
The questions are opening pandora’s box of knowledge in regard to the Palestinian timeline of suffering and the role of the US and the UK in the propagation of violence, as well as the financial support given to Israel. As knowledge spreads through alternative media and language is properly utilized to call-out the misinformation; Israel is exposed.
The power of language also comes in play as knowledge diffuses. Israel has long used language as discursive practices of power, and exposing the encroachments is only possible when the language is reclaimed. Palestinians are resisting in discourse, correcting misconceptions and highlighting the power of language in presenting them the reality to the world. It is not “clashes” when one side has one of the top ranked military strengths worldwide and an iron dome to protect against rocket fires. It’s not a “conflict” when war crimes are being committed at the hand of the occupier. It is an “apartheid” state when different citizens are granted different rights, and it is *ethnic cleansing* when a state is actively replacing a population for the favor of settlers. The knowledge of the adequate language and terminology is a major threat to the mainstream narrative and a major catalyst of unity for the Palestinian people. Knowledge and language at the moment are arguably more effective and threatening to Israel atrocities than Hamas’ rockets in fighting apartheid and occupation.
This resistance comes at a cost though. Israel is exhausting all its powers to retaliate and silence the words as well as the Hamas rockets. At the time of writing this piece 188 Palestinians have lost their lives including at least 55 children and 31 women. Lynching Palestinians under the nose of the Israeli military is a common scene in Israeli controlled cities. Israel is deploying disproportionate use of military force killing civilians and destructing Palestinian infrastructure for the sole purpose of terrorizing Palestinians and keeping them quiet in fear for their lives. The attempts to silence and override those voices are even surfacing as algorithms are playing against Palestinian content creators. Many social media accounts in solidarity with Palestine are being limited or banned, and their out-reach is tampered with under the umbrella of community standards.
Israel pattern of dealing with the situation is sometimes described as “cutting the grass” as every few years bombs an escalation takes place where it invades Gaza to weaken militants there and destroy their weapons, to cut the grass. This pattern never sustainably solves the situation. With the challenged media grip, access to technology, diffusion of knowledge, along with the rising voices of frustrated Palestinians in response to oppression, different variables intertwining with the equation. Whether this would lead to a different outcome is yet to unfold.
Knowledge is Power. Words are Power.
#FreePalestine #SaveSheikhJarrah #GazaUnderAttack #SaveGaza
