Background on Palestine: Colonialism, apartheid, and occupation

The events in Palestine are sometimes depicted as being too complex to understand, or the problems there as being too long-standing to solve. In fact, the fundamental characteristics of the situation are simple.

The area of Palestine covers the current state of Israel and the territories it occupies in Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem). Gaza and the West Bank are collectively known as the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel also occupies the Golan Heights belonging to Syria, and the Shebaa Farms it has conquered from Lebanon.

Over the entire area, Israel upholds an apartheid system that violates the rights of Palestinians and Syrians to ensure the privileges of Jewish-Israelis. Israel also prevents millions of Palestinian refugees from returning to their homes, which is their right according to international law.

Palestinian civil society wants Israel to end the occupation, give equal rights to those Palestinians who are Israeli citizens, and allow refugees to return home. The international solidarity movement aims to support Palestinians and put pressure on Israel so that this aim, in accordance with international law, can be achieved.

Israel’s occupation is part of apartheid, and are both, in turn, parts of settler colonialism. A brief outline of their history is given below. Some sources for further reading are listed at the end.