Abstract

In this article I investigate the scientific grounds for reflecting on Palestine-Israel in light of other struggles, particularly those against Nazism and South African apartheid. Keeping in mind the distinction between simplistic comparisons and the use of analogies when events are not exact replications of one another, I evaluate John de Gruchy’s intersectional approach to Israel and the Palestinians. Likewise, I reflect on the cross-contextual reasons for Jewish Israeli and South African activists’ impression of the Palestinian struggle being part of a broad moral struggle against othering that transcends the boundaries of the geo-political context. The article concludes that critical scientific discussions and responsible moral discernment on Israel’s relation with the Palestinians cannot ignore the meta-narratives of systemic injustices such as state-sanctioned violence, apartheid, colonialism or ethnic cleansing that gave rise to resistance movements and prophetic theology in the contexts of Nazism and South African apartheid.

Highlights

  • The idea of referencing other contexts of gross human rights violations in relation to the practices and policies of Zionist Israel is often viewed as deeply problematic by many

  • I reflect on the cross-contextual reasons for Jewish Israeli and South African activists’ impression of the Palestinian struggle being part of a broad moral struggle against othering that transcends the boundaries of the geo-political context

  • This is followed by a review of arguments proposed by Jewish Israeli and South African activists who link the nature of the Palestinian struggle to the dynamics of other crimes against humanity before a conclusion is reached

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The idea of referencing other contexts of gross human rights violations in relation to the practices and policies of Zionist Israel is often viewed as deeply problematic by many. States of America, for example, indicate that Christians who value scientific verification and who find fundamentalist and literal interpretations of the Bible problematic do not associate with the Palestinians’ experience of pain and their quest for self-determination and freedom These Christians are generally progressive on human rights for especially the historically oppressed and women, and yet they tend to be sceptic about the validity of the Palestinian struggle (Raheb 2014:25–26). I consider the merits of using an intersectional approach to reflect on Palestine-Israel in the work of John De Gruchy This is followed by a review of arguments proposed by Jewish Israeli and South African activists who link the nature of the Palestinian struggle to the dynamics of other crimes against humanity before a conclusion is reached

False parallelism or scientific connections?
John de Gruchy’s intersectional approach to Israel and the Palestinians
Intersectionality in the views of Jewish Israeli and South African activists
Findings
Conclusion
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.