Dictionary of Palestinian Political Terms

The conflict that developed in historic Palestine between the Jewish immigrants of the
Zionist movement and the Palestinians, which turned into the “Middle East Conflict”
involving Israel’s neighboring Arab countries and resulted in the ongoing Israeli
occupation of the Palestinian territories, has shaped Palestinian political life
fundamentally.
The story of the conflict is, in a variety of ways, a story of competing narratives that
have developed over time. An abundance of negotiations, backchannel meetings and
conflict resolution initiatives attest to the fact that even the question of who has the
prerogative over interpretation is a political issue. This is not only a question of
interpretation and the use of specific politically-charged terms such as “freedom
fighter” or “terrorist”. But it is also the question of whole events, such as massacres or
promising peace initiatives that are ignored, forgotten or intentionally erased from
collective and even academic memory.
In this regard, this Dictionary of Palestinian Political Terms is intended to offer a guide
to Palestinian politics and Palestinian political thought. It attempts to present a
collection of some of the most prominent actors, movements, agreements, plans and
ideologies as well as events that have shaped the history of Palestinian politics. It aims
to encourage interested individuals, students and researchers to further investigate
and develop a nuanced and critical understanding of a people’s desires to live secure,
in dignity and in self-determination.