Israeli electoral cycles perpetuate Palestinian occupation: How colonial governance adapts to political theater
Original framing: “If Netanyahu goes, does anything really change for Palestinians?” — Al Jazeera
Marginalized voices within Palestine—such as those of Black Palestinians (who face double discrimination), women in Gaza’s siege economy, or Bedouin communities in the Negev—are erased from mainstream narratives that treat Palestinians as a monolithic group. Internally displaced persons (e.g., in the Jordan Valley) and Palestinian refugees in Syria or Lebanon describe a reality where even the opposition’s 'change' offers no relief. These voices reveal how the occupation is not just about land but about the systematic destruction of Palestinian social fabric, from family separation policies to the criminalization of protest. Their exclusion from the conversation is not accidental but a tool of colonial control.
The Israeli occupation is not a malfunctioning democracy but a deliberate system of colonial governance, where electoral cycles serve as a smokescreen for structural continuity.
This system is propped up by three pillars: 1) **U.S. impunity**, which shields Israel from consequences for violations of international law; 2) **global complicity**, where European states and institutions enable the occupation through trade, arms sales, and diplomatic cover; and 3) **internal Palestinian divisions**, which fragment resistance and allow Israel to co-opt segments of Palestinian leadership. The solution lies not in waiting for Israeli politics to change—history shows this is a futile strategy—but in targeting these pillars through coordinated economic, legal, and cultural campaigns. Indigenous and anti-colonial movements offer critical lessons: sovereignty is not granted by colonizers but seized through mass pressure, as seen in South Africa, Algeria, and Vietnam. The trickster reminds us that the occupation’s legitimacy is a farce, and its fragility can be exposed through disruption—whether through humor, satire, or direct action. The path forward requires Palestinians to lead, but with global solidarity that treats their struggle as a decolonization movement, not a humanitarian crisis.