Facing the settler: Hatem Bazian, ‘Introduction: Fanon’s Palestine and the Colonial Dividing Line’, Islamophobia Studies Journal, 2024 | settler colonial studies blog

Facing the settler: Hatem Bazian, ‘Introduction: Fanon’s Palestine and the Colonial Dividing Line’, Islamophobia Studies Journal, 2024

17Oct24

Excerpt: Fanon’s insights on colonialism, oppression, and the division between colonizers and the colonized resonate profoundly when examining the complex and enduring struggle in Palestine. His writings shed light on the intricacies of a struggle where a colonial dividing line has been etched deep into the landscape and consciousness of the region. In exploring Fanon’s perspective on the colonial experience, and applying it to the Palestinian context, we gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics that have shaped the Israeli-Palestinian colonial entanglement. From the physical barriers of walls, checkpoints and daily violence to the social, cultural, and psychological divides, Fanon’s framework provides valuable insights into the ongoing struggle for justice, freedom, right of return, sovereignty, and peace in Palestine. This exploration seeks to illuminate the multifaceted layers of the conflict through the lens of Fanon’s astute analysis, highlighting the enduring relevance of his work in understanding the complexities of colonialism and its lasting impact on societies around the world, including Palestine. Palestine’s geographical world is a colonized one divided in two; the colonized are the indigenous Palestinians and the colonizers are the Zionists and all their Western allies. In this geography and per Fanon’s framing, “the dividing line, the border, is represented by the” military barracks, bases, concrete walls, and the sniper stations. Thus, in the Palestinian colonial experience, everything revolves around the “power” of the Israeli (colonial) Defense Force, settlements and settlers, and persistent structured violence.

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