The reconstruction of the Palestinian national identity post-Nakba : conceptualising the impact of Fatah's rise through Western national theory, 1948-1982

• Main Author: Ayad, Raed
• Published: University of East Anglia 2017
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.753861

Regional intricacies and rivalries have produced complex social conditions throughout the Middle East. Yet, the study of nationalism and identity has regularly been viewed through a uniform, often Eurocentric lens, which is not wholly applicable to the Palestinian identity. This thesis will explore the Palestinian identity through Western theory, providing a unique look into the reconstruction of said identity post-Nakba. In a geopolitical system, where rights and responsibilities fall within the parameters of sovereign nation states, understanding a stateless nation, namely the Palestinians, through existing approaches can prove to be limiting. Therefore, the author of this thesis will initially attempt to define how the Palestinian identity may fit into modern theory, providing a critical analysis of the manner in which nations are defined. Hence, the approach of this research entails dividing the Palestinian narrative into three nuanced stages post-Nakba; the refugee, the revolutionary and the statesman. Each stage was studied separately, exploring the impact of identity and nationalism theory as the Palestinian narrative developed. Researching the development of the identity, as it evolved through these stages, allows one to understand the base of the Palestinian identity as it’s accepted today. During the initial refugee period the Palestinians were required to look inwards. The construction of identity is a collective formation of those who feel a sense of belonging to one another, and in this case through being excluded from another group. Once this was realised, the Palestinians entered the revolutionary period, during which, Pan-Arab fervour began its decline. Recognising the opportunity at hand, Fatah took control of the PLO and began to separate themselves politically from the Arabs. Throughout the era of the statesman the PLO gained recognition as the sole representative of the Palestinians-by both the Arabs and the United Nations, initiating the PLO’s journey towards recognition by developing a national authority.