Due to the rise in “tensions” in the middle east between the “haves” and the “not allowed to have”, i.e. between Israel and the Palestinian territories, I might be forced to write my opinion on the situation despite the possibility of a push back. Due to possible repercussions, I would also like to clearly state that I am against all forms of aggression.
The scope of this post is intended to reframe the narrative from the perspective of colonialism based upon the context in Canada, South East Asia and South Africa.
Over the course of the last 70 years or so there has been a stalemate between the state of Israel, Palestinians and the neighbouring Arab/ Persian states.
In a manner of speaking, the people of Palestine are the first nations of Palestine in the context of the last 1500 years (Diocese of the East, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottaman Empire). I would consider the people who live in the illegal settlements outside of the designated 1967 border (Green line) to be infringing on the rights of the people who have farmed and lived in the area over the course of several generations.
When the Palestinians request an illegal settlement to be removed, that could be considered the equivalent of a land claim. Access to shelter, clean drinking water, electricity, food and the internet are basic human rights which seem to have been curtailed by both the governments of Israel and Canada, with regards to their respective indigenous populations. Access to the the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is controlled by Israel (IDF) and could be considered to be the equivalent of the Indian agent.
Incursions by the IDF in the name of retaliation happens once every few years, between the IDF and groups like Hamas, PLO and the civic population. This would be similar to what was happening in South Africa with the raids and house to house searches, in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
let me turn the attention the other way around. Associations like Hamas, the PLO and others are extremely similar to First Nation band offices that can’t seem to get their act together. PLO seems to run a corrupt and inefficient administration with resources which is acceptable to the Israeli government. Whereas Hamas runs an equivalent inefficient administration without resources. (Most likely due to their 1988 Manifesto). The simple South African example after apartheid, would be the Fateh being the equivalent of the ANC and Hamas being the equivalent of the EFF.
One of the other similarities would be intergenerational trauma and the sense of hopelessness. The issue plays out in different ways but it is fundamentally the same. In the Palestinian example, you would have lost access to your farm while still maintaining your home. Another example would be to do with water which gets diverted away (Jordan River). Therefore some people tend to throw rocks at their perceived oppressors and join militant groups. On the other hand in Canada poor quality land was used for the reserves i.e. bad for agriculture and kids were forcibly removed from their culture and forced into residential schools. In the case of the First nations and Inuit many found drugs and alcohol to be an escape. However, both groups tend to still be marginalised due to their physical and cultural attributes.
This is a very simplified version of the events that have and are taking place both in Canada and in Israel/ Palestine. The conflict is a lot more nuanced and involves, religion, ethnicity, land, water air and the right to personal and intellectual property. Therefore, the idea behind is article is to say that this conflict is not unique and a solution to the stalemate can be found if selfishness and ego can be put aside.