Panel 5 : Colonial past, the weight of history and mobilizations for Palestine
Moderated by Véronique Bontemps, EHESS
The genocide of European Jews is often used to explain European countries' support for Israel. While questioning the importance of this factor, and putting it into perspective with Europe's colonial past, we will examine the importance of the exponential support for Palestine within societies, in the formulation of European foreign policies.
Gilbert Achcar
Gilbert Achcar is Professor Emeritus at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. His books include : Le Choc des barbaries (2002, 2017) ; La Poudrière du Moyen-Orient, with Noam Chomsky (2007) ; Les Arabes et la Shoah. The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives (2009) ; The People Want. A radical exploration of the Arab uprising (2013) ; The New Cold War. The United States, Russia and China from Kosovo to Ukraine(2023) ; and Gaza, genocide foretold. A turning point in world history (2025).
Véronique Bontemps
Véronique Bontemps is an anthropologist and researcher at the CNRS (IRIS). Her work focuses on the anthropology of contemporary Palestinian societies in the Middle East, with several themes : heritage, borders and inequalities, urban societies and experiences of illness. She coordinates the seminar " Contemporary Palestinian experiences and practices " at EHESS. She is the author of two books : Ville et patrimoine en Palestine (2012) and with Aude Signoles, Vivre sous occupation. Quotidiens palestiniens (2012). She recently co-edited Gaza, une guerre coloniale (2025).
