Whatever Israel does, it enjoys military support and diplomatic cover from Western powers. What are the roots of this delusional state of mind, and how can democratic principles prevail for the good of all?
Introduction
Gaza – A Case Study
1. Duplicity
2. Genocide
3. Colonialism
Western Complicity
1. Talking Points
2. Double Standard
3. Silencing Dissent
The Zionist Fraud
1. History and Myths
2. Hasbara and Lobbying
3. Authoritarian Collusions
Fighting For Democracy
1. Holding to Principles
2. Resisting the Empire
3. A People’s Future
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Gaza – A Case Study
1. Duplicity
- Us and Them
- Being at War
- Endgame
Us and Them
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine
Common wisdom among Israel’s supporters and allies is that since it is a democracy, the country necessarily fights the good fight and only defends itself against its aggressors. This is forgetting that Zionism—Israel’s foundational principle—runs at the exact opposite of the democratic ideal. The country is a settler colonial project based on religious identity; full citizenship is granted to Jews wherever they come from, whereas natives are either second-class citizens or live under occupation while being continuously dispossessed of their homes and land. Whether at a low or high level of intensity, war is thus inherent to Zionism’s colonial endeavor, whose violent history did not start with the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th, 2023.
Since that fateful day, however, the genuine perspective of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has revealed itself in a crude light. Not only have Gazans been the target of an avowed genocidal intent; Israeli settlers in the West Bank, emboldened by their government’s explicit intent to annex the whole territory, have harassed, killed, and stolen Palestinian properties at an unprecedented rate. Confirming that Palestinians do not matter, the present Israeli government has eventually made clear that it will never allow a Palestinian state to exist.
As it has always done, Israel claims that its survival is at stake. But its survival as what? Democracy is founded upon universal and unconditional moral principles; how could it prevail through the indefinite and exclusive use of violence? If, moreover, it genuinely were about Israel’s security, peace would have been built long ago with the Palestinians, notably after their political leader, Yasser Arafat (1929–2004), formally recognized the existence of Israel in 1988.1 Instead, Israeli officials have constantly implied that no goodwill is possible on the other side. This attitude has only confirmed that a colonial endeavor is fundamentally at odds with elevating the exercise of power to the genuine political level that defines relationships among free men. Countries like the United States, New Zealand, or Australia have eventually departed from their original colonial stance; why should it be fundamentally different with Israel? How can the right of Palestinians to a viable territorial space on their ancestors’ land be a seemingly unsolvable issue?
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Philippe Roussel has long been interested in studying the power structures defining our increasingly unsustainable and undemocratic world. This website serves as the primary platform where he presents his ideas and findings to an international audience.