On January 23rd, French President Emmanuel Macron, a firm supporter of the State of Israel, declared in a press conference that colonization of the Palestinian territories by the Israelis constituted an obstacle to peace between the two parties. Whether the French President is right or wrong, there is much to examine in such a claim. The use of the term “colonization” by President Macron came naturally to his reasoned speech, but it still embodies a deeply-rooted misconception.
In most of the West, the use of the term “colonization” to define the Israeli military or civilian presence in the West Bank has become the diplomatically “correct” manner of addressing the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Arabs. Whether this comes as a result of hostile campaigns against the Jewish State, or whether this is simply pedalled by ill-informed individuals, the idea that Israelis should be considered as foreign colonists in the West Bank has prevailed – much to the delight of Israel’s critics. The reality is, however, that this claim contradicts every element of territorial legitimacy.
Click here to read the full article in The Times of Israel.
Contributed by 2018-2019 King’s College London CAMERA Fellow Simon Moos.