Israeli Occupation Causes Palestinian Identity Crisis
Israeli occupation and colonization is not only stripping Palestinians of their land, but their identity too, Rana Baker writes.
Colonialism is not limited to physical boundaries, theft of resources, and even military aggression. In fact, it extends far beyond what we see, hear, and touch to what we do not. And the latter is equally perilous to say the least.
It seems that colonial powers present the colonized not only with the illusion of democracy, prosperous economy, and social justice, but also with an ever-imposing dictionary of words that slowly becomes entrenched in their daily interactions and systems of thought. Domestic colonizers, i.e., the local beneficiaries of colonialism such as politicians, government officials and businessmen, are usually the first to adopt such dictionaries.
Palestine offers itself as a stunning example through a series of behaviors and generalizations that have become the "norm" to the extent that it is becoming smaller not only physically and geographically, but also in the language and mentality of its own people, the Palestinians.
Some weeks ago, I was surprised when an economist referred to the annual budget prepared by the Hamas government — which only rules Gaza — as a "state budget." If anything, this instance shows the implications that come with a decades-long occupation designed to create mentalities that act and react within pre-determined borders, never to surpass them.
