Palestine Ltd: Neoliberalism and Nationalism in the Occupied Territory

Date: 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 12:30pm to 2:00pm

Location: 

CMES, Rm 102, 38 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA 02138

The CMES Middle East Forum presents

Toufic HaddadToufic Haddad
Author and Journalist

Abstract: Since the 1993 Oslo Accords, the Occupied Palestinian Territory has been the subject of extensive international peacebuilding and statebuilding efforts coordinated by Western donor states and international finance institutions. Despite their failure to yield peace or Palestinian statehood, the role of these organisations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is generally overlooked owing to their depiction as tertiary actors engaged in technical missions. Toufic Haddad explores how neoliberal frameworks have shaped and informed the common understandings of international, Israeli and Palestinian interactions throughout the Oslo peace process. Drawing upon more than 20 years of policy literature, field-based interviews and recently declassified or leaked documents, he details how these frameworks have led to struggles over influencing Palestinian political and economic behavior, and attempts to mould the class character of Palestinian society and its leadership. A dystopian vision of Palestine emerges as the by-product of this complex asymmetrical interaction, where nationalism, neocolonialism and 'disaster capitalism' both intersect and diverge.

Toufic Haddad recently completed his PhD in Development Studies at the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. His doctoral research focused on the political economy of neoliberal approaches to conflict resolution and statebuilding in the Occupied Palestinian Territory from 1993-2013. It has recently been transformed into a manuscript and is under review for publication. Previous to enrolling in his PhD, Haddad worked in various capacities across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including as a journalist, researcher, editor, and publisher. He also worked in various NGOs (Badil Center for Residency and Refugee Rights; the Alternative Information Center) and INGOs (UNOCHA and UNDP).

He is the co-author of Between the Lines: Readings in Israel, the Palestinians and the U.S ‘War on Terror’ (Haymarket Books, 2007, together with Tikva Honig-Parnass), and Towards a New Internationalism: Readings in Globalization, the Global Justice Movement and Palestinian Liberation (Muwatin: Ramallah 2006, [Arabic] with Ala el Azzeh.) His writings on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been featured in a wide collection of print and online media including The National, Al Jazeera, Journal of Palestine Studies, Monthly Review Zine, Znet, Counterpunch, Overland, Jadaliyya, Al Akhbar, and International Socialist Review among others.

Contact: Liz Flanagan