8.3 Conclusion

8.3 Conclusion

In this chapter, I have examined the strategies of resistance among Palestinians, particularly through the lens of sumud, which reveals a deeply rooted and multifaceted struggle against the forces of erasure imposed by the Israeli settler-colonial project. Sumud is not merely an abstract concept but a lived reality that permeates every aspect of Palestinian life. Through an analysis of daily acts of resilience, collective mobilisation, and extreme forms of defiance within Israeli prisons, such as hunger strikes and clandestine education, I have demonstrated how Palestinians reclaim agency and resist displacement. These strategies, whether through remaining on confiscated land, preserving cultural identity, or challenging incarceration through knowledge production, illustrate sumud as both an individual and collective act of defiance against colonial domination.

Throughout the preceding chapters, I have explored how Israel’s systematic strategies to erase Palestinian identity, agency and episteme manifest in various forms of violence, including physical, psychological, and cultural oppression. The tactics of slow erasure, through imprisonment, torture, harassment, and the destruction of livelihoods, seek to dismantle the very essence of Palestinian existence. However, the responses to these oppressive forces, particularly through the embodiment of sumud, demonstrate an indomitable spirit that refuses to succumb to erasure.

The acts of resistance discussed in this work, whether through daily life under occupation, creative defiance within prisons, or the revolutionary act of education in the most challenging circumstances, all underscore the central role of identity and agency in the Palestinian struggle. The Murabitat’s protection of Al-Aqsa, the creative pranks of imprisoned youth, the smuggling of sperm as a biopolitical act of defiance, and the hunger strikes that weaponise the body against the oppressor, all these are expressions of a collective determination to resist erasure and assert the right to exist, both as individuals and as a people.

Moreover, the Palestinian prisoners’ transformation of Israeli jails into spaces of intellectual and cultural resistance, where knowledge is preserved and disseminated, exemplifies the profound connection between education and liberation. In this context, the prison becomes not just a site of confinement but a crucible of resistance, where the struggle for freedom and identity continues unabated.

Ultimately, this chapter highlights that the resistance of the Palestinian people is not solely about confronting physical violence or enduring harsh conditions; it is about preserving the very fabric of their identity and agency in the face of a relentless settler-colonial project. Sumud, in all its manifestations, serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the Palestinian people. This resilience persists despite the odds, challenging the forces of erasure and asserting a steadfast presence in their land and history.