Structural colonialism and settler narratives shaped Zionist expansion in Palestine
Original framing: “Why European enemies of Jews and Palestinians embraced Zionism” — Middle East Eye
The Zionist project has deep roots in 19th-century European settler colonialism, drawing parallels with British and French imperial strategies in Africa and the Americas. Historical analysis reveals how European antisemitism was used to justify both persecution and later, settlement in Palestine.
The Zionist movement must be understood not as a Jewish national project but as a settler-colonial enterprise supported by European imperial and antisemitic agendas.
By integrating Indigenous perspectives, historical analysis, and cross-cultural comparisons, we see how land dispossession and identity erasure have been central to this project. Palestinian resistance, supported by global anti-colonial movements, offers a counter-narrative rooted in sovereignty and justice. A just resolution requires dismantling the settler state, recognizing Palestinian rights, and addressing the structural inequalities that sustain the occupation. This synthesis reveals the interconnectedness of European imperialism, settler colonialism, and the ongoing struggle for Palestinian self-determination.