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Abstract
In the period following the Second Intifada, many Israeli and Palestinian peace activists began to despair of traditional coexistence efforts, turning instead to joint nonviolent political activism against Israeli policies. This mode of joint work came to be known as ‘co-resistance’. It would be fair to wonder if such activism might foster joint Israeli–Palestinian efforts towards a shared society, possibly a one-state solution. However, somewhat counter-intuitively, solidarity can sometimes reinforce separation between the two parties in question. This article uses the Solidarity Movement as case study to explore the political role of Israeli co-resistance activists. Using ethnographic methods and drawing upon Albert Memmi's theory of the ‘coloniser who refuses’, this article illustrates how co-resistance can serve to reinforce and advance separation between Israelis and Palestinians into two distinct national communities.
Notes
1 Note that the Solidarity Movement, a group of Israeli activists, bears no connection to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led movement of international volunteers.
2 All of the quotes taken from interviews have been translated into English by the author.
3 For more information and analysis on the history of Israeli, Palestinian, and joint nonviolent activism, see Mohammed Abu-Nimer (2006).
4 Ta'ayush, ‘About’, Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/cqdm9d8, accessed 6 March 2013.
5 ‘What Is Our Struggle About?’, Sheikh JarrahSolidarity: http://www.en.justjlm.org/what-is-our-struggle-about, accessed 14 April 2014.
6 ‘Achievements within the Green Line’, Solidarity Movement Hebrew Website: http://www.justjlm.org/%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%, accessed 18 March 2013.
7 All of the names in this study have been changed in order to protect the confidentiality of informants.
8 Oded, interview with the author, Jerusalem, 11 July 2012.
9 ‘Solidarity: A Movement for Civil Equality’, Solidarity Movement Hebrew Website: http://tinyurl.com/67zvtlq, accessed 12 April 2014.
10 ‘List of Organizations’, Peace NGO Forum: http://www.peacengo.org/en/ListOfOrganizations, accessed 13 April 2014.
11 Yael, interview with the author, Jerusalem, 18 July 2012.
12 Shai, interview with the author, Be'er Sheva, 6 August 2012.
13 Liran, interview with the author, Jerusalem, 13 July 2012.
14 Michal, interview with the author, Tel-Aviv, 22 July 2012.
15 Liran, interview with the author.
16 Ahmad, interview with the author, Jerusalem, 13 July 2012.
17 Ibid.
18 Or, interview with the author, Jerusalem, 9 August 2012.
19 Michal, interview with the author.
20 J Street, ‘J Street Responds to Sheikh Jarrah Arrests’, J Street: http://jstreet.org/blog/j-street-responds-to-sheikh-jarrah-arrests_1, accessed 7 March 2013.
21 J Street, ‘Saturday Night, February 26’, J Street Conference Website: http://conference.jstreet.org/saturday, accessed 7 March 2013.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Leanne Gale
LEANNE GALE is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Her honours thesis was entitled ‘The Terrible Paradox of the Left: The Solidarity Movement as a Case Study of Joint Israeli–Palestinian Nonviolent Activism’. She currently lives in Jerusalem and works as an NIF-Shatil social justice fellow.