Decolonizing the Study of Palestine: Indigenous Perspectives and Settler Colonialism after Elia Zureik

The study of Israel and the ethnic relations in Palestine-Israel has been shifted since the work of Palestinian scholar Elia Zureik, who argued that Israel was the product of a colonization process and should be studied through the same concepts and theorization as South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia, and other colonial societies. This book studies the colonial project in Palestine and how it has transformed Palestinians' lives, covering topics such as settler colonialism, dispossession, the separation wall, surveillance technologies, decolonisation methodologies, and popular resistance. It is composed mostly of Palestinian scholars and scholars of Palestinian heritage and is the first book in which the indigenous Palestinians not merely write back, but principally aim to lay the foundations for decolonial social science research on Palestine.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The topic of Palestine and the Palestinians remains highly contentious, and until the late 1980s, the question of Palestine was approached through Western social theories that emerged after World War II. These theories granted European settlers and colonists the mission of guiding the backward natives of Palestine toward modernity. However, a significant shift occurred in the study of Israel and the ethnic relations in Palestine-Israel with the work of Palestinian scholar Elia Zureik. Building upon Zureik's pioneering research, this book delves into the colonial project in Palestine and its profound impact on the lives of the Palestinians. Zureik argued that Israel was a product of colonization and should be studied using the same concepts and theorization as South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia, and other colonial societies. He also rejected the moral and civilizational superiority of the European settlers.

In developing this work, the contributors to this book argue that colonialism is not merely a political-economic system but also a mode of life and consciousness that has far-reaching consequences for both the settlers and the indigenous population. Spanning 13 chapters (in addition to the introduction and the afterward), the book covers a wide range of topics, including settler colonialism, dispossession, the separation wall, surveillance technologies, decolonization methodologies, and popular resistance. Comprising mostly Palestinian scholars and scholars of Palestinian heritage, this book represents a groundbreaking effort as it is the first to primarily focus on the voices and perspectives of the indigenous Palestinians, rather than merely providing a response. The authors aim to lay the foundations for decolonial social science research on Palestine, challenging the dominant narratives and promoting a more inclusive and accurate understanding of the region's history and current situation.

Weight: 576g
Dimension: 235 x 157 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780755648351