"Hypothetical" Uprooted and Disenfranchised: The Israeli-Palestinian Blueprint for Indigenous Dispossession in North America
July 4, 2024โข510 words
"There is not one single place built in this country that did not have a former Arab population." ~ Moshe Dayan
"I believe that in the long run, separation between Israel and the Palestinians is the best solution for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." ~ Yitzhak Rabin
"We do not wish and do not need to expel Arabs and take their places." ~ David Ben-Gurion
"Goldstone has done terrible damage to the cause of truth and justice and the rule of law. He has poisoned Jewish-Palestinian relations, undermined the courageous work of Israeli dissenters and-most unforgivably-increased the risk of another merciless IDF assault." ~ Norman Finkelstein
"I found that looking at the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from an outside vantage point was actually quite distancing. The history of the conflict, the personalities, the violence, the distrust, and the seeming lack of viable solutions made meaningful involvement feel impossible. What changed that, for me, was changing the vantage point." ~ Jason Alexander
Hypothetically, if the Israeli-Palestinian crisis were applied to the Indigenous peoples of North America, it would result in a scenario rife with legal, social, economic, health, and political challenges.
It's important to acknowledge the significant impact of taking Indigenous lands, as it would create complexities similar to those seen in the Israeli-Palestinian situation, leading to numerous challenges. Displacing Indigenous people from their land would violate their rights to self-governance, resulting in extensive legal battles at national and international levels. This would also compel Indigenous communities to relocate, depriving them of essential resources and potentially leading to violence, which could damage the reputations of Canada and the United States.
Culturally, such displacement would endanger the survival of Indigenous languages, traditions, and ways of life, leading to increased tensions and divisions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, ingraining negative stereotypes, racism, discrimination, and scapegoating.
Indigenous communities would likely experience heightened poverty and diminished economic opportunities. Moreover, the unjust exploitation of land resources would harm the environment and exacerbate existing inequalities.
Displacement can lead to mental health issues, lack of access to food and healthcare, and environmental degradation, resulting in long-term health problems.
The situation would have overwhelming political implications, straining the legal system and international relations and harming the economies of Canada and the U.S. Security would be compromised, potentially leading to protests and civil disobedience, requiring costly and resource-draining responses from law enforcement and the military. The long-term repercussions would include generational trauma and enduring economic and social costs, which are deeply concerning.
These actions continue the cycle of past injustices, much like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other historical mistreatments of Indigenous people, ultimately leading to prolonged suffering and conflict.