Jarbawi writes: "The longer any colonial occupation endures, the greater the settlers' racism and extremism tends to grow."



Israeli troops on the border with Gaza. (photo: BBC)

ALSO SEE: Obama Dares to Question Israeli Blockade of Gaza

Israel's Colonialism Must End

By Ali Jarbawi, The New York Times

enturies of European colonialism have provided the world with certain basic lessons about subjugating colonized peoples: The longer any colonial occupation endures, the greater the settlers’ racism and extremism tends to grow. This is especially true if the occupiers encounter resistance; at that point, the occupied population becomes an obstacle that must either be forced to submit or removed through expulsion or murder.

In the eyes of an occupying power, the humanity of those under its thumb depends on the degree of their submission to, or collaboration with, the occupation. If the occupied population chooses to stand in the way of the occupier’s goals, then they are demonized, which allows the occupier the supposed moral excuse of confronting them with all possible means, no matter how harsh.

The Israeli occupation of Palestine is one of the only remaining settler-colonial occupations in the world today.

READ MORE