The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the longest-running and most contentious disputes in modern history, is fundamentally a struggle for liberation, self-determination, and dignity. For Palestinians, the crux of the issue is not merely a territorial dispute or a call for political independence. Rather, it is a struggle against a century of colonial domination, displacement, and oppression. At the heart of this conflict lies the need for Palestinian decolonization, which is the only viable solution to securing long-lasting peace, justice, and freedom.
Understanding Decolonization in the Palestinian Context
Decolonization refers to the process of undoing colonialism, where a state withdraws from its colonies and allows them to gain sovereignty. In the case of Palestine, this means dismantling the Israeli settler-colonial project and restoring the rights and lands of the Palestinian people. Decolonization is not simply about ending Israeli military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; it encompasses dismantling the entire system of control, segregation, and dispossession that has been imposed on Palestinians since the establishment of Israel in 1948.
The term “decolonization” resonates deeply with Palestinians because their plight mirrors that of other colonized peoples throughout history. The creation of Israel was predicated on the displacement and expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians during the Nakba (the “Catastrophe”) in 1948. Today, millions of Palestinians live as refugees, stateless in neighboring countries, or under military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, deprived of basic rights. Decolonization is the process through which Palestinians seek to reverse this historic injustice and reclaim their sovereignty.
Colonialism and Its Impact on Palestine
Colonialism in Palestine did not start with the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. It began earlier, with the British Mandate over Palestine (1920-1948) and the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which expressed Britain’s support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. This declaration laid the groundwork for the systematic displacement of Palestinians and the creation of a settler-colonial state. The establishment of Israel in 1948 marked the culmination of this colonial project, resulting in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, known as the Nakba. This event was followed by decades of military occupation, land confiscation, settlement expansion, and the construction of a separation wall, all aimed at cementing Israeli control over Palestinian land and resources.
Today, Israel’s policies in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem have been described as a form of settler-colonialism, characterized by the expropriation of Palestinian land, the establishment of Jewish settlements, and the imposition of a separate and unequal legal system. Palestinians are subjected to military rule, while Israeli settlers living on the same land enjoy full citizenship rights under Israeli civil law. This system has created a reality of apartheid, in which Palestinians are systematically denied basic human rights.
The Limitations of the Two-State Solution
For decades, the international community has pursued a two-state solution as the most viable path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. According to this framework, Israel and a future Palestinian state would exist side by side, with Palestinians gaining independence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem serving as their capital. However, the two-state solution is increasingly seen as unworkable. Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has rendered the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state almost impossible. There are now more than 600,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with settlements connected by a network of bypass roads and military checkpoints that fragment Palestinian territory into disconnected enclaves.
Moreover, the political leadership in Israel has moved increasingly to the right, with many Israeli politicians openly opposing the creation of a Palestinian state. The Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century” in 2020, which proposed a highly fragmented Palestinian entity devoid of sovereignty, further undermined any remaining hopes for a two-state solution. From a Palestinian perspective, the two-state solution has always been a compromise, offering them only a fraction of their historic homeland and failing to address the right of return for Palestinian refugees. In recent years, many Palestinians have come to view the two-state solution as a dead end, given Israel’s entrenched settlement infrastructure and unwillingness to concede meaningful sovereignty to a Palestinian state.
The Need for Decolonization, Not Diplomacy
Given the collapse of the two-state solution and the persistence of Israeli settler-colonialism, it is clear that what Palestinians need is not another round of diplomacy or peace talks. They need decolonization — the dismantling of the Israeli settler-colonial regime and the restoration of their rights to land, sovereignty, and self-determination.
Decolonization would involve several key components:
Ending the Occupation: Israel must end its military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, dismantle its settlements, and return to the pre-1967 borders. This would require the evacuation of all Israeli settlers and the dismantling of the infrastructure of occupation, including the separation wall and military checkpoints.
Right of Return for Refugees: One of the core demands of the Palestinian people is the right of return for the millions of refugees who were displaced during the Nakba and their descendants. Under international law, refugees have the right to return to their homes and properties, and any solution to the Palestinian question must address this issue.
Equal Rights for All: Decolonization would also involve ensuring that Palestinians enjoy the same rights as Israelis, whether they live in Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza. This would mean dismantling the system of apartheid that privileges Israeli settlers over Palestinians and establishing a single democratic state in which all citizens are equal under the law.
International Accountability: The international community has a crucial role to play in supporting Palestinian decolonization. This includes holding Israel accountable for its violations of international law, imposing sanctions and boycotts until Israel complies with its obligations, and supporting Palestinian efforts for justice and liberation.
Relevant Examples of Decolonization Efforts
The concept of decolonization is not without precedent. Other settler-colonial regimes, such as South Africa under apartheid and Algeria under French colonial rule, have faced successful decolonization efforts. In South Africa, the dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of a democratic state in which all citizens have equal rights was achieved through a combination of internal resistance, international pressure, and negotiations.
In the case of Algeria, the struggle for decolonization was marked by a brutal war of independence against French colonial rule, which ultimately resulted in Algeria gaining sovereignty in 1962. Both examples demonstrate that decolonization is not a distant dream but a real possibility when the colonized people and their allies unite in their demand for justice.
To summarize, the Palestinian struggle is fundamentally a struggle for decolonization. The current reality in Israel and Palestine is one of settler-colonialism, apartheid, and oppression, and no amount of diplomatic efforts or temporary ceasefires can bring about lasting peace and justice without addressing this fundamental injustice. Only through decolonization — the dismantling of Israeli colonial structures and the restoration of Palestinian rights — can there be a future of peace, equality, and self-determination for both Palestinians and Israelis. The time has come for the world to recognize that Palestinians need decolonization, nothing else will work.