Why Palestinians must be criminalised so Europe can feel better about its history

“European opulence is a scandal, built on the backs of slaves, feeding on their blood, and owing its existence to the soil and subsoil of the underdeveloped world,” Frantz Fanon said in 1961. He observed that “Europe’s well-being and progress were built with the sweat and corpses of blacks, Arabs, Indians, and Asians a reality we are determined never to forget.” Since the 15th century, marked by formal colonial expeditions led by powers such as Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, Europe has persistently imposed challenges on its former colonies. The discourse on the history and backdrop of colonisation motivations and consequences spans religious, political, economic and social angles, extending beyond mere exploitation of resources to the present day. Europe has succeeded in manipulating the guilt of its problematic history by projecting its discriminatory mindset to accuse its victims of alleged criminal behaviour.

The persistent criminal stigmatisation arising from colonial Europe’s troubled past, characterised by the displacement of indigenous populations, perpetuation of slavery, endorsement of white supremacy, contribution to two devastating world wars, promotion of racism, xenophobia and advocacy for religious exclusivity, is strategically employed against victims of European colonisation today.

One such case involves the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians and the transfer of their land to European Zionist militias after World War II, orchestrated by colonial European powers led by the United Kingdom. Since then, Europe has consistently denied Palestinians their rights to exist and has used Palestine as a convenient scapegoat to whitewash its historical crimes against European Jews, erroneously labeling Palestinians as violent, radical and anti-Semitic.

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Describing Palestinians in such a manner not only emphasises that Zionist Israel, despite asserting indigenous roots in the Middle East, was originally comprised of European Jewish settlers who arrived from Europe to Palestine in the early 1920s. It also reveals, through the brutal tactics employed, that it is part of an ongoing European settler-colonial project similar to the ones in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, aiming to erase the indigenous population to this day. As Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: “The war on Gaza is not only between Israel and Hamas, but it is a war truly intended to save Western civilisation.” Furthermore, portraying Palestinians in such a manner constitutes an assault on their morality and ethical systems. This tactic is employed by Zionists and their allies in Europe to undermine Palestinians’ aspirations for liberation and self-determination.

Paradoxically, Palestinians, labelled as ‘criminal, radical, and violent’ bear the brunt of Europe’s allegiance shift to the Jewish people, historically seen as eternal adversaries. Despite Jewish persecution leading to the Holocaust, Europe seeks absolution by subjecting Palestinians to a new form of persecution. This mirrors a mindset marked by racism, anti-Semitism, white supremacy and Islamophobia ingrained in European thinking.

Shamefully, Europe perpetuates false stereotypes, portraying Palestinians as savages and radical jihadis, denying their humanity through dehumanising tactics. This mindset aims to dominate, erase and control, making genocide and mass killing seem less reprehensible by deeming the targeted group as subhuman. Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s assertion of a complete siege on Gaza, treating the population as “human animals” exemplifies this dehumanising approach.

In response to the attempt to criminalise and inaccurately label Palestinians, there’s a growing awareness and resistance against the stigmatisation imposed by unfamiliar, racially biased European terms. Palestinians, throughout their history, did not cultivate animosity toward Jews, violence, radicalisation, or racism. Instead, these labels were forcefully imposed by European colonisers, emphasising the foreign nature of such a prejudiced mindset. In their steadfast resistance to external interference with their land, culture and peaceful existence, Palestinians have consistently opposed foreign colonisers, from the British to Israeli Zionists. This resistance encompasses not only physical opposition but also a moral stand against discriminatory ideologies imposed forcefully by the European occupier.

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Facing Europe’s attempts to criminalise them, Palestinians assert daily that their existence challenges the morality of Zionist European colonisers. Rejecting European labels, they resist as their lands are seized and children killed by Zionist Jews. Palestinians actively oppose anti-Semitism, educating on the distinction between Jewish people and manipulating Zionists. Despite not being obligated to defend Judaism, they do so to avoid succumbing to hatred. Palestinians, through firsthand experiences, understand how religions can be manipulated for political gain. Despite ongoing struggles, they believe ordinary non-Zionist Jewish individuals pose no existential threat and advocate for their protection. Palestinians serve as global teachers, emphasising humanity even in dark times, rejecting dehumanising labels from white racist Europeans, and refusing to be labelled ‘human animals’ and children of darkness’ by Israeli leaders. They uphold a higher moral ground, grounded in indigeneity and a refusal to harm innocent souls based on perceived differences, resisting racism and preserving their free human spirits amid attempts at obliteration.

Much like the struggle of other free indigenous nations worldwide, Palestinians stand and fight against colonisers to secure their independence and liberation. It is noteworthy that colonisers, in a departure from the usual European colonisation patterns, employed the Jewish religion for the first time to advance their political agenda in invading and conquering indigenous lands. However, this deviation doesn’t alter the fundamental truth that all forms of colonisation eventually come to an end.

The driving force behind the Palestinian cause is liberation, pure and simple.

This quest for freedom is not confined to a specific group of colonisers but extends to include Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or any other colonisers. Colonisation, by its nature, is destined to be overcome by indigenous peoples, and deploying the anti-Semitic card against Semite Palestinians themselves lacks coherence in this context.

Europe’s increasing and explicit trend of criminalising Palestinian voices to assuage its prejudiced identity reveals a troubling inclination to castigate Arab Palestinians as if they are the instigators of racism and cruelty against their occupiers. Pressured to show kindness to violent colonisers, Palestinians find themselves paradoxically expected to be amiable towards Zionist Jews as Europe grapples with historical guilt. This demand for kindness implies a skewed narrative, shamelessly asking Palestinians to extend benevolence to a group essentially constituting a violent occupying force. This deliberate criminalisation serves as a means for Europe to absolve itself of guilt related to the Jewish people, emphasising a crucial lesson about the roots of racism and the unjust burden imposed on innocent individuals. Historical echoes expose Europe’s avoidance of reckoning with its transgressions, perpetuating victimhood and imposing stigmatisation on unfamiliar indigenous populations. Regardless of Europe’s accusations of inhumanity and racism, its endeavours falter when resilient indigenous people, whether in Palestine, Algeria, or South Africa, resist succumbing to the traps of racism and the obliteration of their peaceful, free human spirits.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.