Professor Pappé, Palestine and the Peace Process
Prof Pappé outlined some of the biggest challenges and identified solutions to the Palestinian issue. One of it is of the need to change the language and the conversation. For example, the term "peace process".
For decades, the US has dominated the so-called "peace process" and talked about compromises and the need for both sides to "compromise", but Pappé argues that the framing of the issue is wrong.
Peace process to Israel is colonisation by other means. And getting legitimacy without international rebuke. But what is the reality on the ground? Life became more difficult for the Palestinians after the "peace process". More Palestinian lands were grabbed, houses demolished, and more illegal Israeli settlements were built after the so-called peace process (the 1993 Oslo Accord).
There is no peace process between a coloniser and the colonised. The deal should be about ending the occupation and colonisation. That is the root cause of the issue. (E.g. we did not negotiate for peace with the British but we negotiated our freedom)
In Apartheid South Africa there was no talk of peace process, but about changing the Apartheid regime, to dismantle the Apartheid system, the constitution and the ideology.
Pappé concluded by summarising key strategies that need to happen: Palestinian unity and the need to redraw a new strategy for the 21st century. The old model isn't working. And to step up international pressure and condemnation towards Israel e.g. the BDS movement and so on.
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