TWIP-250921 Everything you need to know about Israel and Palestine!

In this compelling episode of Downstream, host Ash Sarkar sits down with historian Rashid Khalidi, author of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. Their conversation offers not just historical insight, but a piercing indictment of colonialism, propaganda, and the systems of occupation that continue to shape Palestinian life and global politics.

Khalidi reframes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a century-long colonial war, not a symmetrical dispute between two equal sides. He traces its origins to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, when Britain—then the imperial power in Palestine—pledged support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in a land overwhelmingly populated by Palestinian Arabs. This act, Khalidi argues, was not a neutral gesture but a declaration of war against the indigenous population, laying the groundwork for decades of displacement and denial.

The episode follows the structure of Khalidi’s book, which outlines six “declarations of war,” each marking a new phase of imperial aggression—from British colonialism to American complicity, from the Nakba of 1948 to the ongoing siege of Gaza. Khalidi emphasizes that this is a settler-colonial project, backed by global superpowers, designed to erase one people and replace them with another. This framing helps explain why peace talks fail, why international law is ignored, and why Palestinian resistance endures.

A key focus of the interview is U.S. foreign policy, which Khalidi critiques for shielding Israel from accountability while funding its military campaigns. He highlights the role of lobbying groups like AIPAC, which have entrenched bipartisan loyalty to Israeli interests and silenced dissent within Congress. From vetoing UN resolutions to enabling war crimes, the U.S. has played a central role in sustaining the occupation.

Ash Sarkar also explores the role of media and propaganda, prompting Khalidi to expose how dominant narratives invert reality—portraying Palestinians as aggressors and Israeli violence as “self-defense.” This distortion, Khalidi explains, is the result of decades of manipulation and cultural erasure. He calls on journalists, educators, and activists to challenge these narratives and center Palestinian voices.

The conversation turns to the current crisis in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes have devastated civilian infrastructure and displaced thousands. Khalidi describes this as collective punishment, aimed at breaking Palestinian will. Without sustained international pressure, he warns, the violence will continue—and the cost will be measured in lives lost and futures stolen.

Yet Khalidi also offers hope. He speaks of a growing global movement for Palestinian liberation, from student-led divestment campaigns to mass protests. He emphasizes that change will come not from governments, but from grassroots resistance and a new generation that refuses to be silent.

The episode ends with a call to action: educate yourself, challenge the dominant narrative, and commit to justice. Because solidarity is not a slogan—it’s a moral obligation.