Why a glossary?

In the current discourse on Palestine/Israel, it seems to us that the dominant voices remain stuck in a friend-or-foe scheme, using the strategy of “whoever shouts the loudest wins”. In our view, this approach achieves neither sustainable security nor real freedom – for anyone. Therefore, we strive to take steps towards a unifying narrative that recognizes the suffering & responsibility of all sides. This is a cornerstone for both a diaspora, in which we share solidarity with one another, and a free and secure Palestine/Israel.

One problem is the polarized discourse that often stands in the way of a unifying narrative and genuine solidarity – to give an example: for some, the use of terms such as “genocide” or “apartheid” to describe the situation in Palestine/Israel is already antisemitic – for others, the rejection of these terms is already an expression of colonial racism. In most cases, different people understand completely different things by the same term, and an understanding between the different camps seems impossible. Nevertheless, terms are important for naming injustice and responsibility and are therefore a prerequisite for solidarity and justice.

With this glossary, we would like to take a closer look on some buzzwords of the debate and shed light on their various facets. Thus, the completely different interpretations of the exact same term will be highlighted and put next to each other. In some cases, we will try to synthesize the various narratives and give our own take. In other cases, differing narratives existing at the same time and being displayed as such, may already achieve a synthesis and/or critique of dominating narratives.

We think it is time to overcome the one-sided partisanships, and we hope this glossary can be a step in the right direction.