The Rule of Power in Palestine: Settler Colonialism, Neoliberal Governance, and Resistance

Seidel, Timothy; Tartir, Alaa

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-05949-1_1

“…Descriptions of governance in areas of limited statehood as “multi-level governance linking inter-and transnational actors to local ones in a variety of rule and authority structures” (Risse, 2013, p. 99) obscure the structural and discursive power relations that constitute governance in Palestine. Power of international governance in Palestine is exercised through settler colonialism and neoliberal development regimes (Seidel & Tartir, 2019). State building under occupation and settler colonialism has resulted in a de facto single state, which resembles more a Bantustan than a sovereign state.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood: The NGOization of Palestine

Arda¹,

Banerjee

²

2019

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In this article, we examine the shifting roles played by non-state actors in governing areas of limited statehood. In particular, we focus on the emergence of voluntary grassroots organizations in Palestine and describe how regimes of international development aid transformed these organizations into professional nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that created new forms of colonial control. Based on in-depth interviews with 145 NGO members and key stakeholders and a historical analysis of limited statehood in Palestine, we found that social relations became disembedded from the local context and re-embedded in new relations with international donor organizations resulting in a depoliticized public sphere. NGOization of the economy also resulted in new forms of exclusion and inclusion as well as contestations between a new class of urban middle-class professionals working in NGOs and the older generation of activists who were involved in grassroots organizations. Our findings have implications for business and human rights and governance in areas of limited statehood, in particular how private actors such as NGOs are able to exercise power in the economy.

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“…Descriptions of governance in areas of limited statehood as "multi-level governance linking inter-and transnational actors to local ones in a variety of rule and authority structures" (Risse, 2013, p. 99) obscure the structural and discursive power relations that constitute governance in Palestine. Power of international governance in Palestine is exercised through settler colonialism and neoliberal development regimes (Seidel & Tartir, 2019). State building under occupation and settler colonialism has resulted in a de facto single state, which resembles more a Bantustan than a sovereign state.…”

Section: Implications For Governance In Areas Of Limited Statehoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood: The NGOization of Palestine

Arda

¹

,

Banerjee

²

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this article, we examine the shifting roles played by non-state actors in governing areas of limited statehood. In particular, we focus on the emergence of voluntary grassroots organizations in Palestine and describe how regimes of international development aid transformed these organizations into professional nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that created new forms of colonial control. Based on in-depth interviews with 145 NGO members and key stakeholders and a historical analysis of limited statehood in Palestine, we found that social relations became disembedded from the local context and re-embedded in new relations with international donor organizations resulting in a depoliticized public sphere. NGOization of the economy also resulted in new forms of exclusion and inclusion as well as contestations between a new class of urban middle-class professionals working in NGOs and the older generation of activists who were involved in grassroots organizations. Our findings have implications for business and human rights and governance in areas of limited statehood, in particular how private actors such as NGOs are able to exercise power in the economy.

show abstract