Colonialism, orientalism, Europe’s ruralization

Israel, and this state’s operations need to be discussed within the colonialism context. This way, we would also be referring to the wrongness of limiting Israel’s presence to Jewish theology. The process that started with the emergence of Jewish settlements on Palestine land being under British mandate control was the most striking aspect of the problem. However, for some reason, the remains of the British mandate government were always ignored. Yet, Israel was the direct product of the British mandate government, and the establishment of Jewish theology as a context, was the result of this process.

Please specifically note that I do not mean to present the connection between the British mandate government and the prominence of Jewish theology as the discovery of a secret. It is quite natural that the policy implemented against Jews in terms of European history is identified as the “Jewish question.” The marginalizing attitude towards Jews in various European countries is a known fact. As a matter of fact, the U.K. is known to play a leading role in this regard. There are numerous studies discussing in various aspects the attitude against Jews in European countries known in Türkiye as well. Accordingly, we say that in terms of European history, the Jewish question developed in one aspect as an opposition to Christians. However, this is not adequate in terms of seeing the dimensions of the Jewish question. Jews were considered in various European countries as a national problem. Besides being seen as a religious and national issue, the reactions against Jews have economic dimensions as well. In the frame, the British mandate government carried a European history issue to a different region. In brief, the colonies built for Jews in Palestine are part of Europe’s universalization process.

It was quite obvious that they replaced the anti-Jew and anti-Christian sentiment in Europe with anti-Jew and anti-Muslim sentiment in Palestine. However, this is secondary compared to the universalization of a Eurocentric matter. As part of the same matter, it would be wrong to explain the ambiguity of Israel’s borders through Jewish theology as well. If anything, this could be an example to the politicization of religion. Jewish theology is used as a tool to achieve political objectives. Israel’s settler colonialism is against Palestinian interests. This process needs to be explained in the context of Europe’s colonialist expansionism. The Palestinian image functions in terms of expansionist policy as well. There is no negative statement regarding the location. In fact, religious concepts are extremely helpful with respect to the sacralization of the location.

In his book titled, “The Civilizing Process,” Nobert Elias explains the meaning of civilization for the British and French in the colonialism context. He claims Germans in the 19th century did not understand this concept. Elias states that contrary to the culture concept, civilization has an expansionary, an expansionist meaning. Edward Said’s orientalism criticism is meaningful in this context. As mentioned in previous columns, orientalism should be limited to the rightness and wrongness of the West’s East perception. The inclusion of concepts such as Palestine, Muslims, Palestinians in Western literature in the “rightness or wrongness” context, prevents the universalization process of civilization and culture from being revealed. Yet, the move and expansion fundamental to the universalization process are clearly visible. Limiting Israel’s presence and operations to the rightness and wrongness of Palestinians’ image signifies, to say the least, carries the matter in a futile area.

Similar matters were used in a manner leading to a similar state. For example, the colonialism concept is a product of the Eurocentric perspective, and indicates a class-based differentiation. Note that the term is used in the exploitation meaning. While this concept is commonly used to mean civilization and culture, there are examples of it being moved to other European areas. It is quite clear that the location idea goes missing in the colonialism concept. The common use of the colonialism concept, which is a product the class-based differentiation, can be discussed within the scope of expansionism and universalization. This is thus important in terms of seeing Europe’s universalization process. Dipesh Chakrabarty’s ruralization of Europe project also needs to be considered in this category.