The imposition of often extreme restrictions and the daily use of violence have severely affected Palestinian society. Numerous curfews and roadblocks prevent people from visiting relatives and... Show moreThe imposition of often extreme restrictions and the daily use of violence have severely affected Palestinian society. Numerous curfews and roadblocks prevent people from visiting relatives and friends, and from travelling for work or education. As a result of the 'real' disruption of their lives, an increasing number of Palestinians compensate their loss of freedom by 'virtual' mobility on the Internet. In doing so, they reconstruct the notion of a transnational Palestinian community and identity. Show less
Palestinian national identity arose during the period of British rule (1917-1948). The Nabi Musa (Prophet Moses) festival - mawsim al-Nabi Musa - provides us with an example of how a religious... Show morePalestinian national identity arose during the period of British rule (1917-1948). The Nabi Musa (Prophet Moses) festival - mawsim al-Nabi Musa - provides us with an example of how a religious ritual celebrated within a colonial context shaped nationalist ideas. Rituals, such as festivals and pilgrimages serve as arenas for the interaction of various social groups, each of which possesses its own agendas and discourses on questions of order in society. In British-ruled Palestine, powerful social groups such as the Palestinian political leaders and the British colonial authorities used the Nabi Musa festival to promote a conservative version of Palestinian nationalism, one which remained anti-Zionist but which avoided expressing popular discontent regarding British occupation. Show less
Instead of focusing on the details of the current crisis in Palestine, it is important to think broadly about the global implications of this problem. The main observation made in the following is... Show moreInstead of focusing on the details of the current crisis in Palestine, it is important to think broadly about the global implications of this problem. The main observation made in the following is that the Palestinian crisis exposes the deficiencies of the modern international order and the limits of modernity at large. The implications of such an observation reach far beyond Palestine to include almost all the communities that do not neatly meet modernity's requisites. Show less
The latest Intifada has once again brought to the fore all the national themes of resistance inherited from the first Intifada. The same songs, the same poems and the same symbols are used. The... Show moreThe latest Intifada has once again brought to the fore all the national themes of resistance inherited from the first Intifada. The same songs, the same poems and the same symbols are used. The Palestinian television constantly mingles images of the first Intifada with those of the present uprising. Unlike the first Intifada, however, there is no massive commitment on behalf of the youth to the cause of the Intifada Al Aqsa. The following is concerned with how the attitude of the young Palestinians towards the national struggle has evolved, which could explain the difference in their level of commitment to the two uprisings. Show less
