Abstract
This article follows the representation of Palestinian nationalism as a history of terrorism. This representation was produced in the Israeli media and academia, and broadcast by the state's political elite in international arenas. In the West, this image was accepted in many circles and affected the chances of the Palestinians having a fair hearing in the peace negotiations which began after the 1967 war. The article follows the construction of the equation of Palestinian nationalism with terrorism, assesses its impact on the peace process, and suggests the deconstruction of this narrative as the best way forward in future negotiations.
Acknowledgements
This paper is a revised version of the First Annual Critical Studies on Terrorism Lecture presented to a large and enthusiastic audience on 26 January 2009 in the Main Hall, Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University, UK. It was an excellent beginning to what we hope will be an important and prestigious lecture series. We are grateful to Professor Pappe for accepting our invitation to give the first lecture.