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Globalize the intifada
Palestinian resistance slogan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Globalize the intifada" is a slogan that has been used to advocate for international support of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation as well as various other causes users of the phrase see as tied to the Palestinian cause. The Arabic word intifada (Arabic: اِنْتِفَاضَة intifāḍa), derived from the root n-f-ḍ (ن-ف-ض), means 'a shaking off' and can refer to a popular uprising or rebellion.
In the context of Palestine, it refers to Palestinian uprisings or resistance against Israel; the call to "globalize" it suggests extending the spirit and actions of these uprisings beyond the regional context to a worldwide movement.[1][2][3] The slogan and related chants have been a subject of controversy and discussion regarding their impact and implications. The slogan has been criticized by some Jewish groups as anti-Zionist inciting political violence, terrorism, and antisemitism.[4][5][6]
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Intifada
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Morphology
Intifāḍa (انتفاضة) is an Arabic verbal noun (مصدر maṣdar) of instance (اسم مرة ism marra) of the verb intafaḍa (انتفض), derived from the triconsonantal Semitic root n-f-ḍ (ن-ف-ض) related to shaking (off), dusting (off), and making something shiver.[7]: 1157 The verb انتفض intafaḍa is in the verb form اِفْتَعَلَ iftaʿala, referred to in Western sources as 'form VIII,' denoting reflexivity.[7]: 1157
Meaning
The Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic gives the meaning of the verb انتفض intafaḍa as: "to be shaken off, be dusted off; to shake; to shudder, shiver, tremble; to shake off from oneself; to wake up, come to consciousness," as in "انتفض من سباته to shake off one's lethargy," and of its verbal noun انتفاضة intifāḍa (pl. انتفاضات intifāḍāt) as a "shiver, shudder, tremor; awakening (pol.); popular uprising."[7]: 1157
In the context of Palestine, the word intifada refers to attempts to "shake off" the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the First and Second Intifadas.[8][9] The term was originally chosen to signify "aggressive nonviolent resistance";[10] in the 1980s, Palestinian students adopted intifada as less confrontational than terms in earlier militant rhetoric since it bore no connotation of violence.[11] The First Intifada was characterized by protests, general strikes, economic boycotts, and riots, including the widespread throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli army and its infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza. The Second Intifada was characterized by a period of heightened violence. The suicide bombings carried out by Palestinian assailants became one of the more prominent features of the Second Intifada and mainly targeted Israeli civilians, contrasting the relatively less violent nature of the First Intifada.
The First Intifada lasted from 1987 to 1993. The Second Intifada started with the October 2000 protests in Israel and continued until 2005. The term Third Intifada has been variously used to describe 2014 Jerusalem unrest, the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, the 2023+ Gaza war and other events.
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Usage
The slogan “globalize the intifada” is used at various anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian protests, sometimes alongside chants such as “intifada until victory” and “intifada revolution”.[12][2][13] Supporters describe it as a call for resistance against what they view as colonial violence and oppression.[14]
The slogan has appeared in U.S. and U.K. demonstrations during major Middle East conflicts, including the Second Intifada and the 2023–24 Gaza war, and has been used by groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace.[15][16] Its use has also drawn criticism, with public officials and Jewish organizations arguing that the chant can function as an endorsement of violence or antisemitism.[17]
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Criticism
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Perspective
The call to "globalize" the Intifada through protests and social media posts is seen by critics as an endorsement of past uprisings and a call for their expansion on a global scale. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the phrase has been associated with incitement of violence against Jewish communities.[12] Both the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee interpret the slogan as endorsing acts of terrorism and indiscriminate violence against Israelis and Jews worldwide.[5][18]
In October 2023, Matthew Foldi of The Spectator asserted that protesters using the slogan were supporters of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[19] Some Jewish writers, including David Hazony, Zev Eleff, Ayal Feinberg and Nora Berman, have interpreted the use of the slogan not just as a challenge to Israel but as being a broader declaration of war against Jews, promoting antisemitism, and calling for violence instead of peace.[20][21][15] Following the 2023 death of Jewish-American Paul Kessler after a fatal altercation during dual pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests, Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid criticized the slogan and argued the protests were inherently hateful of Jewish peoples.[22]
During a December 2023 United States congressional hearing with presidents of major universities, representative Elise Stefanik asserted that the use of the term was a call for genocide of Jewish people,[23][24][25] a position rejected by journalist Daoud Kuttab, academics Seth Cantey, Zinaida Miller and Seth Mandery and others, who noted that the term simply means "uprising".[26][27][28][29][30]
Defense
Others argue that calls for intifada are not inherently violent, arguing that the term "Intifada" does not translate into genocide, being more correctly translated into "uprising".[26][31] Daniel Lefkowitz of the University of Virginia hypothesizes that, though Israelis and many Jews consider the term to be violent, Palestinians associate "Intifada" with the First Intifada, which was largely non-violent; however, Palestinians also attacked Israelis.[32] Some argue the target of "intifada" is the Israeli occupation with the goal of Palestinian independence.[26]
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See also
References
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