Special edition: chasing truth and (re)conciliation: navigating contexts, tensions, limits and possibilities “Reclaiming truth recovery against the backdrop of ongoing Zionist settler colonialism in Palestine”

• Date: 15 August 2023
• Pages: 1038-1052
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-05-2022-0106
• Published date: 15 August 2023
• Author: Brendan Ciarán Browne

Special edition: chasing truth

and (re)conciliation: navigating

contexts, tensions, limits

and possibilities “Reclaiming truth

recovery against the backdrop

of ongoing Zionist settler

colonialism in Palestine”

Brendan Ciar

an Browne

Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Abstract

Purpose–This article arguesthat truthrecovery practicesthat takeplace againstthe backdropof ongoing settler

colonialerasure, as is the case whenconsidering Zionistcolonial violence in Palestine, mustfocus on combating

state-sponsored attemptsat erasure, ratherthan solely providinga platform for the expressionof settler guilt.

Design/methodology/approach–T he article analy ses existing lit erature on trut h recovery prac tices that take

placein Palestine,including thework of a varietyof local NGOs engagedin such praxis,with a view to considering

how thisform of transitionaljustice has germinated incrementally in thespace. Criticalreflection on thework of a

variety ofgrassroots NGOs is situatedalongside other formsof transitional justiceintervention.

Findings –The article argues that in the context of enduring settler colonialism, the truth regarding past

Zionist atrocities in historic Palestine must avoid being curated in the present day in such a way as to allow for

damage limitation rather than the platforming of conversations around meaningful repair. Truth recovery for

recovery’s sake serves only to reinforce the settler colonial status quo rather than properly agitate for a full

decolonisation, one that demands and facilitates indigenous Palestinian return.

Originality/value –The article challenges prevailing notions of the role of truth recovery practices in spaces

of enduring settler colonial value. It makes clear that the role of truth recovery interventions in sites where

colonial violence endures must be to actively and meaningfully support activities that reinforce native identity,

history and presence on the land. Moreover, by reference to existing grassroots attempts at truth recovery in

Palestine, the article provides an original and clear argument that states it is simply not enough to platform the

revelation of uncomfortable truths or to provide opportunities for settler violence of thepast to be “confessed”

in public if it is disassociated from challenging the present-day structures of ongoing oppression.

Keywords Palestine, Israel, Transitional justice, Truth recovery, Settler colonialism

Paper type Conceptual paper

Introduction

In the absence of a period of transition, and in the context of ongoing Zionist settler colonial

erasure in historic Palestine, centring the “truth”around the foundational violence that

undergirds and maintains the Israeli state-building project assumes great significance [1].

Since its formation in 1948, successive Israeli governments have invested great time, energy

and resources into marginalising narratives of Palestinian dispossession and exile so as to

EDI

43,6

1038

© Brendan Ciar

an Browne. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under

the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and

create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full

attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://

creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/2040-7149.htm

Received 3 May 2022

Revised 1 May 2023

Accepted 17 July 2023

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 43 No. 6, 2024

pp. 1038-1052

Emerald Publishing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-05-2022-0106