Class 3: Palestine Media Training
Occupying Force vs. Indigenous Population
The language often used to describe the colonization of Palestine obscures the power imbalance between the settler colony of ‘Israel’ and Palestine. The portrayal of the genocide as a "war" or "conflict" between two equal parties argues that such descriptions fail to acknowledge the reality of the Israeli occupation's 75-year history of colonization and the systemic power dynamics at play. Instead, use terms that explicitly recognize the asymmetry of power and the nature of Israeli actions as a form of occupation, aggression, and genocide. This representation fits within a broader framework of a struggle between an occupying force (Israel) and an indigenous population (Palestinians). Israel uses many things, including "apartheid," "genocide," and "settler colonialism," towards Palestinians. Palestinian resistance is always justified.
The Importance of Language
The current situation in Gaza should not be diluted or falsified through neutral language. Words like "occupation," "apartheid," and "genocide" are used to best describe Israel's actions, emphasizing Israel as an illegitimate Zionist regime imposing oppressive and colonial rule over the indigenous Palestinian population. We must insist on recognizing Palestinians not merely as victims of occupation but as an indigenous population fighting for their ancestral lands, rights, and identity against Israeli settler colonialism. We must insist on using terms that reflect the severity and nature of Israel’s colonization accurately.
Recognizing Palestinians as Indigenous Fighters
The Palestinian resistance is not only a reaction to immediate military actions by ‘Israel’ but, more importantly, a struggle against an ongoing process of colonization and erasure. This resistance is a fight for survival and self-determination in the face of efforts to marginalize and displace Palestinians from their land. Palestinian resistance is justified and a natural response to the conditions of occupation and subjugation.