Zionism and the Settler Colonial Paradigm | Dr. Arnon Degani

[@liteenergy4843]

What the speaker doesn't seem to understand is that in most "settler colonialist" projects, such as in North America and Australia, etc. most of the people who were settled were planted, dumped, transported, and even exiled. Most of the people had no options but to be settled and become settlers. Israel is a bit different, but not entirely. There are Jews whose ancestry has been in Israel and the Middle East for millennia. There are also those who have been dispersed and have returned. This is not exactly the same thing as other settler scenarios. Though it is true that most Jews came there as refugees and displaced persons. It is also not mentioned that a good number if not most Palestinians came to Israel during the British Mandate for better jobs and living standards, even as temporary workers. They have surnames from places like Egypt and Syria and have wonderful little family stories about how they first came to Israel, and how they would take a train or other form of transport to go home and visit their parents, grandparents, and other family members. There's also a good number who were Bedouin Nomads with no sense of sovereignty or borders who chose to become more settled when opportunities arose. A good number were also Egyptian draft doggers who came there in the late 1800s. This does not make the Palestinians the first settlers or the "indigenous" people of the area. It just doesn't.

[@AlexSavillePhoto]

He also doesn’t appear to take into account that violence (including rape, murder and mutilation) against the Jews - both Zionist and those already present in the land - started before the Jews took the fight back to the Arabs.

[@iditbes6962]

Why colonialism only discussed starting in the context of Europe and not in the context of past imperialism, like the ottoman for example?

[@NJIT22]

Or others examples including migration from Arabia to the rest of the Middle East and North Africa or Turks to Asia Minor

[@soup100]

Because Europe had colonies and in some cases still have colonies. The Ottoman Empire is no longer with us.

[@iditbes6962]

@@soup100 Really? So how the Arab from Arabia are still in Judea?

[@untubus]

@@soup100 Hence the main accusation against the successful colonialist powers is: They were successful. That they all work hard now on acknowledging their history and seek truth and justice for all of their citizens is just being ignored. Turkey and Russia? They just whitewash their history, and point the fingers at exactly those other people who face the truth of their own history.

[@corkjaguar]

Too much focus on Europeans (including the former USSR and the Americas) who moved to what is now Israel, 60% of Israelis (those who see themselves as primarily Israeli) are of Middle Eastern origin and either had ancestors there 200 years ago or were forced to move out of Arab countries and nowhere else would take them. Of the 30% who are of European+ origin a large proportion came in the 3 years after the Holocaust, when they were dispossessed of their homes and belongings and unwelcome to return to their native lands, no one else including the USA (which had quotas) would take them in.