Georg Hegel, a German philosopher, said: “The only thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history.” Collectively, we’re not good at that. What have we learned from centuries of colonialism and the ensuing struggles for decolonization and freedom? Hardly anything, especially looking at what’s going on right now in Palestine.
I’m Algerian, I know a bit about decolonization (at least the Algerian case). It’s dreadful. The Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962) claimed the lives of 300,000 to 500,000 Algerians (according to French sources) and 1,500,000 (according to Algerian sources), as well as 5,000 to 6,000 European civilians. A terrible human cost. France stayed in Algeria for over 130 years, defeated many resistance movements against its occupation, committed one genocide after another, and yet, how did that end? Negotiations and peace talks (the only way!), resulting in the Evian Accords, signed in March 1962.
Algerian nationalism existed for many years before 1954, but its leaders became increasingly aware, especially after WWII, that simply knocking on the door was not going to work, and they needed to do more. Had the French listened to people like Messali Hadj, who were more inclined to use peaceful means to achieve independence, we would likely be in a completely different configuration now. Algerians were pushed into military action by the French. A result of over a century of colonial oppression, with no prospect of improvement. Exactly what’s been happening in Palestine for decades.
The French propaganda had also labeled the FLN (The National Liberation Front, known by its French acronym FLN) as terrorists to justify the punitive expeditions, the killing of civilians, and the systematic use of torture, which was seen as acceptable and even necessary. It’s been recognized by the French themselves and is well documented now. The perpetrators were the victims, and the victims were presented as perpetrators! Today, it’s all just history repeating itself. The only difference is that we’re seeing it live on television.
I think the armed struggle was necessary, ‘freedom is not free’ as the Americans like to say, but the French did not lose the war militarily. The political, social, and economic price of continuing their colonial project was too high to justify. If they are not at that point yet, the Israelis will get there very soon. So why haven’t they realized the inevitable, i.e., pulling out from occupied territories? The answer has to do with the international context.
Most of the world, including the US, saw the Algerian struggle as a legitimate revolution, which in fact coincided with many other independence and civil rights movements all over the world. Today, the oppression and killing of the Palestinians, under occupation and siege, are presented as a ‘war on terror’. EU and US governments buy into that, but not international public opinions.
The Israelis’ superpower sponsors are willing to let the current conflict go on, no matter how abhorrent or illegal under international law. This will backfire and will have lasting effects. Both the Algerians and the French are still struggling, to this day, for reconciliation and healing from the scars of colonization and a war that ended more than 60 years ago. It is beyond sad that the world needs to see such genocidal violence to half-realize that the occupation cannot continue. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds of all time, said: “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” We certainly prove him right day in and day out.
