MUST READ: In his review of Ari Shavits book, My Promised Land: The Tragedy and Triumph of Israel, Nathan Thrall meticulously and generously guts liberal Zionism. Using history as the framework- Thrall squarely places the Zionist movement within its colonial context. Therein, Palestinians - their businesses, their families, food, networks of cities, and villages- are the present absent. They exist but dont merit the designation of people entitled to competing claims, let alone self-determination. Thrall takes Shavit to task on two primary points: 1948 was not simply an aberration in Israels history but a cornerstone of its settler-colonial project and the murder and forced displacement of Palestinians wasnt necessary, it was a choice in furtherance of a particular vision. That said, the piece notably lacks reference to a single Palestinian historian - the several of which, have long documented this history. Centering Palestinian voices is critical because it insists that resolution to this conflict cannot be reached on their behalf. The piece also seems to suggest that the source for Jewish self-determination in Palestine is found in UN Res 181, which proposed partition in 1947. Two things on this: 1) the resolution doesnt settle a question in law about territorial boundedness central to a self-determination analysis. This issue at least puts into question Jewish self-determination in Palestine as a matter of law; and 2) UN Res 181 included a non-discrimination clause and thus rejected ethno-national exclusivity. Partition as it is proposed today would contravene the terms and spirit of the resolution and therefore is insufficient to justify a majority Jewish state that necessitates the ongoing forced displacement, disenfranchisement, and exclusion of Palestinians Thralls piece remains a tour de force and is a must read. lrb.co.uk/v36/n19/nathan-thrall/feeling-good-about-feeling-bad
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 01:33:17 +0000