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Indigenous oral history is needed: Mohammed Nijim, ‘Indigenous Epistemologies and Decolonising Genocide Research on Palestine’, Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies, 25, 1, 2026

15Apr26

Abstract: In the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, more scholars have begun to examine the situation in Gaza in particular from a genocide perspective, like never before. Given this proliferation of scholarship on Gaza/Palestine, this article addresses some of the fundamental issues that should be considered when addressing genocide in Palestine. Although the Israeli colonial policies are context-dependent, Gaza must be viewed as part of the overall settler- colonial context of Palestine. I argue in this paper that genocide research on Palestine, while scant until late 2023, has not adequately engaged Palestinian oral history and Indigenous epistemologies to theorise and examine settlers’ genocidal violence. I contend that Western scholarship in general drew on biased Israeli accounts that amplify the settler’s voice and discount the victim’s experiences. Rigorous genocide research should centre the voice of the latter through Indigenous oral history. I argue that the adoption of settlers’ narratives, in some cases though unwittingly, led to the reproduction of Zionist discourses. While the case of Palestine should be grounded in Indigenous frameworks, I stress the importance of examining the historical role of the empire in enabling settlers’ violence in Palestine. Raphael Lemkin highlighted the links between settler-colonialism, imperialism, and genocide. However, I suggest that Lemkin’s legacy should be further studied to decolonise him. Ultimately, I address three crucial issues in international law, including the Genocide Convention, that would decolonise the field and transform it into a site of liberation and hope for oppressed groups.


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