8. A War of Position in Palestine

This chapter, first, outlines the theoretical backdrop that informed Gramsci’s terminology of (a) a war of manoeuvre and (b) a war of position. Second, it analyses whether these terms can be applied to the Palestinian case study, given its status as a semi-colonized territory under the occupation of a foreign power. Third, it briefly examines the history of Palestinian attempts at a war of manoeuvre. Finally, it outlines a basic framework for a Palestinian war of position that focuses not only on confronting the Israeli occupation but also on challenging the internal arrangement of Palestinian political and economic power—and its related class structure. This last section also examines Palestine’s position within the wider Arab world and considers how and in what way a Palestinian war of position would or could, have a broader role in the context of ongoing revolutions.