Palestinian culture is a soft power in the face of genocide

Palestinian culture is a soft and effective force in the face of the cultural genocide attempts practiced by the Israeli occupation for decades, as the occupation seeks to erase the Palestinian identity and steal and Judaize its heritage. Despite these challenges, Palestinian culture remains a powerful weapon in preserving identity and history and transmitting them to future generations. Culture allows the Palestinian people to express their suffering and hopes through literature, music and the arts, which enhances international awareness of the Palestinian cause and opens a space for resisting the Israeli occupation through non-violent means, embodying the steadfastness of the Palestinians in the face of ongoing cultural genocide attempts.

Since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, it has worked to destroy the Palestinian cultural heritage in direct and indirect ways, and today it continues its cultural attacks by imposing Israeli curricula on Palestinian schools in the 1948 territories with the aim of distorting historical awareness and erasing the Palestinian identity among new generations. The occupation seeks to replace the Palestinian cultural identity with an alleged Israeli identity by obliterating historical facts.

Despite these attempts, Palestinians continue to defend their heritage and identity through cultural production, including literature, arts, and music. This insistence on preserving heritage enhances the Arab and international world’s awareness of the Palestinian cause, and supports popular resistance against the Israeli occupation, making Palestinian culture a bulwark against attempts at cultural erasure and genocide. Therefore, Palestinian culture is not just a means of expressing identity, but rather one of the most prominent tools of resistance possessed by the Palestinian people, as is evident in literary, artistic, heritage, and culinary production, which has become a symbol of national identity in the face of the Israeli occupation over decades of struggle. Palestinian culture has become an influential soft power in the battle for survival and existence, based on a long cultural heritage of arts and popular literature. This heritage not only contributes to protecting identity, but also highlights it globally, and enhances the role of culture as an effective means of struggle.

Thus, culture becomes a weapon of resistance against attempts at cultural genocide, as current and previous generations affirm their right to exist and their connection to their land and heritage. Palestinian culture is not just a tool for preserving the past, but rather a force that motivates steadfastness and resistance against all attempts at obliteration since the founding of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1964, where cultural struggle was an essential part of preserving identity and resisting the Israeli occupation.

The organization focused on promoting cultural identity by establishing cultural entities such as unions of writers, artists and journalists, in addition to prominent research and academic institutions such as the Institute for Palestine Studies and the Palestinian Research Center. In 2004, the Palestinian Cultural Fund was established in cooperation between the Palestinian Ministry of Culture and the Norwegian government, to support cultural creativity in Palestine.

Despite the great challenges faced by the cultural struggle, this struggle remains a force to be reckoned with in the face of attempts at cultural obliteration, supported by information technology and the growing global awareness of the crimes of the Israeli occupation. The Palestinian cultural struggle remains a witness to the authenticity of the Palestinian identity and an effective means of preserving the Palestinian presence and resisting the ongoing attempts at cultural genocide, so that the Palestinian people remain protectors of their heritage and identity in the face of the Israeli occupation.

In conclusion, Palestinian culture remains a symbol of steadfastness and resistance in the face of the Israeli occupation. It is not just a means of expressing identity and heritage, but rather a soft power whose roots extend deep into Palestinian history through literature, art, and folklore. Palestinians continue to defend their rights and highlight their identity on the global stage, defying attempts at cultural erasure and genocide. Thus, the cultural struggle remains a solid pillar in protecting the Palestinian existence and ensuring its continuity for future generations.