Anti-colonial ideas are changing the world

Israel is a colonial extension of Western European states and the United States in the most valuable region of the Eastern Mediterranean. This colonial structure is the product of the mandate regime established by Britain on the historic lands of Palestine after World War I. Although Israel is defined as a Jewish state, it is impossible, given the nature of the entity that has emerged, for us to see or present Zionist Jews as unwavering warriors of a religious struggle. Today, we cannot say that people around the world who support the Palestinians, despite belonging to different religions and cultures, are acting out of religious sensitivity. The primary source that motivates them is anti-colonial ideas. We saw this particularly in the Republic of South Africa's support for Palestine. We saw it similarly in the way many individuals representing the painful memories of Native Americans came to the forefront with their support for Palestine immediately after October 7, 2023. The internal events that have emerged in countries known for their support of Christian Zionism, such as Britain and Germany, must also be evaluated within the context of colonialism. Evangelism, like Zionism, is an ideology of the colonial era, and the British pride themselves on combining these two ideologies.

In a period when the world is changing rapidly, being able to contextualize events correctly is truly valuable. Many people in Turkey still evaluate events based on the liberal imperialist language of the 1990s. We could list the individuals and institutions representing these circles, but I don't think it's necessary. We can tell from occasional signs that our valued readers follow these circles. Among those who avoid putting events in their proper context, some operate under the umbrella of conservatism, while others, through their commitment to leftist thought, evaluate events based on the core judgments of the Europe and US-centered world. We don't even count those who, much earlier, placed Paris and London at the center of their worldviews anymore. Personally, I feel the need to follow the conservatives who later joined these ranks more closely. The new language they have developed, based on concepts of democracy, human rights and freedoms, makes the old guard seem mild. Judging by how they repeat liberal Western values like a mantra, we can say they ignore the world's transformation. Going further, it's very clear they cannot accept the devaluation of the Western-centered world. Yet, as we are trying to express, anti-colonial ideas are resonating today even in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Regarding the developments in the Anglo-Saxon world, we have previously mentioned the crackdown on the Palestine movement in Britain and the imposition of bans on speaking out against Israel. One of the most significant events of our current period is the support for Israel—essentially the representative of British colonialism in the Eastern Mediterranean—by political figures like Tony Blair and David Cameron, who are generally considered to represent the British state's raison d'être. Tony Blair is a very significant politician regarding his relations with the USA. From the 1990s onwards, Blair played a major role in the USA's expansionist attacks on the Islamic world. Cameron, on the other hand, threatened Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, for indicting Netanyahu and Gallant. The criminalization of pro-Palestinian activism in Britain was a reflection of the British state's raison d'être. The Germans have defined their support for Israel as a necessity of their Staatsräson (reason of state). For this reason, labeling critics of Israel in Britain as anti-Semitic is also a requirement of the state's logic. Accusing British politicians of succumbing to Jewish power stems from oversimplifying the matter. Therefore, the high court in Britain ruling that the ban on Palestine Action was unlawful is a significant development.

The banning of comments about Palestine at this year's Berlinale is also very significant. The fact that Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese-born American professor and novelist, was not allowed to speak at the Berlinale because of his statements in favor of Palestine is important for grasping the scale of the situation. Nguyen's words, "if you remain silent about genocide, you become complicit in genocide," should also be evaluated within the framework of anti-colonial ideas. Arundhati Roy from India also announced her withdrawal from the Berlinale after the jury's comment on Gaza, stating, "it is shocking to hear people say that art shouldn't be political."

When we say the world is dominated by Jews, that they can do whatever they want in any country, it becomes impossible to make sense of the events we have listed.