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14 Institute for Palestine Studies - Printer version

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Reflections on the Meaning of Palestine
Alain Gresh
Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 41, no. 1 (Autumn 2011), p. 67
Essays
This essay addresses the Palestine question within a European context. After reflecting on why Palestine has
been widely embraced as a universal cause, the author explores its relationship to the Jewish question in
the changed context following World War II: Whereas prior to the war it was the Jews who were perceived as
a threat to European civilization, today it is the Muslim immigrants who have the scapegoat role. Also
discussed are philosemitism (and its manifestations in the West) and anti-Semitism (as it relates to the Arab
world), and how these phenomena have been impacted by the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The essay
concludes with utopian musings on possibilities for a future Palestinian-Israeli peace.