Demystifying Decolonization: Reclaiming Palestinian Authorship of Their Destiny

This handbook chapter critically examines how decolonial theory can be reimagined through Palestinian perspectives and experiences. It challenges dominant frameworks that often treat Palestine as a case study rather than a source of theoretical innovation. The authors argue that Palestinian intellectual traditions offer distinct insights into decolonization that go beyond conventional academic discourse.

The chapter explores how Palestinians articulate their own visions of liberation and repair despite ongoing settler colonialism. It analyzes grassroots movements, cultural production, and indigenous knowledge systems that demonstrate Palestinian theoretical contributions to decolonial thought. Through examining specific examples of Palestinian resistance and world-making practices, the authors show how these experiences generate sophisticated theoretical frameworks for understanding colonial power and decolonial possibilities.

The work critiques how international solidarity movements sometimes appropriate Palestinian struggles without engaging with Palestinian theoretical perspectives. Instead, it advocates for approaches that center Palestinian intellectual leadership and political imagination. The chapter concludes by proposing methodological principles for decolonial scholarship that genuinely engages with Palestinian theoretical contributions rather than treating Palestine solely as a field of study.