The Palestinians have reclaimed their cause

After the ceasefire agreement, the sight of Gazans walking en masse toward the ruins of their homes gave an impression to many that they had emerged victorious after a prolonged war. Even Israelis seemed to notice this sentiment and were visibly surprised. For days, weeks, and months, bombs rained down on Gaza, leaving no building unscathed. The devastation was so profound that the memories of it would clearly linger for centuries. Yet, the people chose to walk toward the rubble with conviction. This feeling of victory was not without reason.

Since October 7, the Palestinians had resisted as an entire people, and this collective defiance brought them a sense of triumph. Perhaps it was this united resistance that made the Palestinian cause resonate globally from the very first days. Yet the photographs of Palestinians returning to their destroyed homes after the ceasefire, with the demeanor of triumphant commanders, hint at something deeper than mere "victory."

We hear these seemingly victorious people speak, and their words reveal the pain of their losses, which they do not attempt to conceal. Yet, their faces are lit with a belief that reclaiming their cause will carry them into the future. Through their photos amidst the ruins, they proclaimed that they had halted a new wave of dispossession and returned to the last space they could still call their own.

In fact, I should have placed the phrase "reclaiming their cause" in quotation marks because it stems from Edward Said’s essay, "On Lost Causes." I merely adapted its title to today’s context. Said regarded the Oslo Accords of September 1993 as a surrender agreement. Reading his essay today, considering the passage of time and subsequent events, it is hard to disagree with him. However, such a perspective cannot be the sole or complete assessment of the situation.

While trying to make sense of current events in Palestine, I revisited Richard Falk’s 2014 article in *The Nation* titled "On Lost Causes and the Future of Palestine." Under the headline, Falk's striking sentence was highlighted: "The appearance of Palestinian defeat is an optical illusion that obscures the possibility of Israel’s ultimate defeat." Drawing from Said’s essay, Falk analyzed events up to 2014. His statement was powerful, but the broader thoughts expressed in the article were even more inspiring.

One particularly resonant line in the piece suggests revisiting Said’s work: "The only causes with the potential to overcome humanity’s greatest challenges are the ones that appear to be lost." Falk connects this idea to abandoning the Enlightenment legacy of "instrumental reason" and relates it to reclaiming lost causes. He introduces the concept of a "leap of faith" in this context: "The problem, of course, is that in times of crisis and disruption, skeptical empirical wisdom constrained by dominant forms of common sense cannot provide the answers, making it necessary to risk a leap of faith."

Understanding the resolve born of such belief—one that defies a purely pragmatic, goal-oriented logic—is no easy task. Nearly all Arab neighbors had abandoned them, strategically aligning themselves through the Abraham Accords and reducing Palestinians to a mere nuisance. Every condition worked against the Palestinians: Europe and the United States provided unconditional support to Israel, and a new wave of displacement seemed inevitable. Losing the cause appeared to be a foregone conclusion, and despair might have overtaken them in the years to come. Zionists possessed every tool to eradicate the Gazans. In this context, only the factor Falk describes as a "leap of faith" could reverse the situation.

We must strive to understand the Palestinians’ sense of victory. Building on the writings of Edward Said and Richard Falk, one could conclude that the Palestinians have regained their cause. Perhaps what shines on their faces is the joy of restoring their lost belief. For outsiders, understanding this joy is not easy.

After October 7, particularly within some religious conservative circles, Hamas and the Palestinians were accused of falling into Israel’s trap. According to this view, Israel had achieved its objectives, and those placing their trust in "instrumental reason" concluded that the Palestinians would inevitably lose. This reflects a deep rift, one that has only now become visible.