Defining Anti-Palestinian Racism

Anti-Palestinian Racism is adjacent to Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, but specifically aims to silence, erase, dehumanize, and defame Palestinians and their allies who publicly advocate for Palestinian human rights.

This form of racism intersects with colonialism, sexism, xenophobia, cultural appropriation, and more; it seeks to justify and normalize over 75 years of Palestinian dispossession and oppression, as well as to isolate and silence diaspora Palestinians and discourage them from self-advocating, and others of advocating for them.

Anti-Palestinian racism is a consequence of Zionism. We reject the assertion that opposing Zionism is anti-Jewish. The dehumanised lives and deaths of Palestinians under occupation, violence, and segregation are the inevitable by-products of Zionism, not Judaism— it is antisemitic to blame people of the Jewish faith for the ongoing dispossession of Palestinian land and property.

Examples and Connections

  1. Silencing or creating controversy around Palestinian self-advocacy or allyship, stigmatizing Palestinian self-expression, rewarding self-silencing;

  2. Assigning genocidal intent to Palestinians; no other possible context for their actions, they are bloodthirsty and ‘savage’ people deserving of whatever inhumane treatment and life possible;

  3. Using antisemitism as a cudgel and automatic silencer for critics of Israel or Zionist policies, which devalues both the harm of anti-Jewish hate, as well as the dignity of Palestinian human rights;

  4. Portraying Palestinians as only Victim or Terrorist removes any humanity or truth, it reinforces harmful stereotypes and objectifies rather than explains, therefore perpetuating oppressive dynamics;

  5. Erasure and denial of Palestinians was a key Zionist tool in the earlier days of constructing a narrative about Israel’s birth: “a land without a peoples,” etc.

  6. Palestinians and their allies must first unreservedly disavow and denounce Palestinian resistance in order to be allowed to participate in public discourse;

  7. Cultural appropriation of Palestinian symbols that serves to erase and vilify Palestinian existence and cultural property, including the keffiyeh, slogans and chants, the watermelon, music, food, and more;

  8. Systemic oppression of advocacy focused on Palestinian human rights by Western governments, media, institutions, academia, public service, and beyond;

  9. Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism are related to anti-Palestinian racism but APR manifests in unique ways;

  10. Understanding APR must also take intersections with colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy, ableism, homophobia and pinkwashing, censorship, and ecoterrorism into account.

Shared Experiences

APR 101 is planning on growing by sharing first-hand accounts and experiences of anti-Palestinian racism in text and video format over the coming weeks and months.

If you are Palestinian and would like to share an experience of APR publicly, either attributed to you or anonymous, please get in touch using the form at the bottom of the About page.