Denial or Genocide? : The Palestinian People’s Struggle for Survival

There has never been a case of a colonial project, as in Palestine, in which so many forces are marshalled to eliminate a people from existence for so long from so many Western cities.

The case of Palestine offers an unprecedented example of a colonial project exerting massive force over a long period of time in order to eliminate a people from existence. The classic tool of colonial power is the use of physical force in order to occupy a territory, oppress its inhabitants until they submit to the occupier, and if they do not, to kill them. The Zionist project waged 11 different kinds of war against the Palestinian people over 150 years. This presentation asks: Did this colonial project succeed in its aim? To what extent has the Palestinian struggle for survival been successful? What possibilities does the future hold for the upholding of international law in occupied Palestine? How and to what extent are ordinary European citizens involved in this struggle? What responsibilities do citizens in democratic societies have in upholding international law and preventing the perpetration of war crimes?

Dr. Salman Abu Sitta is a Palestinian academic best known for formulating a practical return plan for Palestinian refugees and documenting Palestine’s land and people through extensive mapping. He is the Founder and President of the Palestine Land Society (PLS), whose archival collection and active files form the backbone of the Palestine Land Studies Center (PLSC) at American University of Beirut. Dr Abu Sitta has published over 400 articles, papers and books on Palestine, notably a series of atlases documenting Palestine at different periods (1871- 1877, 1917- 1966, 1948, and the Return Journey Atlas). He also worked on a series of poster maps about al Nakba, see: www.plands.org. His book, Mapping My Return, is a personal memoir describing the experience of Al Nakba in southern Palestine. Dr Abu Sitta is a member of several organizations dealing with Palestinian rights, human rights and international law