Working Definition of Anti-Palestinian Racism

This working definition of anti-Palestinian racism inspired by and based upon the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

Anti-Palestinian racism is a form of prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed at Palestinian people and those perceived to be Palestinian. Anti-Palestinian racism targets the national, cultural, religious, or ethnic identity of Palestinians, or denies Palestinians the same human rights and recognition afforded to other peoples. Recognizing the widespread impact of anti-Palestinian racism is vital to ensuring equality, peace, and justice.

Illustrative Examples of Anti-Palestinian Racism

Manifestations of anti-Palestinian racism might include:

1. Denying Palestinian Identity: Claiming that Palestinians do not constitute a legitimate or distinct people with a history, identity, or cultural heritage.

2. Denying Palestinian Right to Self-Determination: Rejecting the right of Palestinians, as a people, to self-determination, including the establishment of an independent and viable state.

3. Denial or Distortion of the Nakba: Denying, trivializing, or justifying the forced displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the Nakba in 1948, or downplaying the ongoing displacement of Palestinian people.

4. Double Standards in Human Rights: Applying different standards to Palestinians than to other groups in terms of human rights, civil rights, or self-determination, such as denying Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem basic rights under international law while defending such rights for others.

5. Denying the Reality of Apartheid Conditions: Rejecting or dismissing the characterization of the conditions faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories as a form of apartheid, despite evaluations by international human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

6. Stereotyping and Demonizing Palestinians: Propagating negative stereotypes, conspiracy theories, or generalizations about Palestinians as a group (e.g., attributing terrorism, violence, or extremism to Palestinians as a people or portraying them as inherently opposed to peace).

7. Excluding or Marginalizing Palestinian Narratives and Perspectives: Systematically excluding Palestinian voices, histories, or perspectives from educational, cultural, and public discourse, or delegitimizing Palestinian experiences as invalid or inherently biased.

8. Justifying Violence or Discrimination Against Palestinians: Supporting or rationalizing violence, discrimination, or disproportionate use of force against Palestinian civilians, or excusing policies that systematically harm Palestinians under the guise of security.

9. Rejecting Palestinian Refugee Rights: Denying the rights of Palestinian refugees, as enshrined in international law, to return, restitution, or compensation for losses experienced due to displacement.

10. Anti-Palestinian Political Litmus Tests: Requiring Palestinians to disavow their national identity or cultural heritage, or to accept narratives that undermine their historical experiences, as a condition for participation in civil society or political life.

Clarifications

Criticism of specific actions or policies of Palestinian individuals or political organizations is not, in and of itself, anti-Palestinian racism. Criticism should, however, be evaluated for anti-Palestinian bias, particularly if it involves delegitimizing Palestinian rights or identity, applying double standards, or engaging in collective blame.

This definition is a tool to identify and educate about anti-Palestinian racism. It is intended to guide governments, educational institutions, and other organizations in recognizing and countering anti-Palestinian discrimination and bias.