Nation-State, Minoritization, and the Zionist Project: The Political Construction of Palestinians in Israel

Öz

This study examines the position of Palestinians within the context of Israel by moving beyond classical definitions of minority and focusing instead on a politically constructed process of minoritization. Rather than asking why Palestinians are a minority, the article aims to explain how and through which mechanisms they are made into one. In this framework, the concept of minority is treated not as a numerical or cultural difference, but as a political category shaped by power relations within the modern nation-state. The study analyzes the Zionist nation-state project through the lens of an ethnically आधारित state logic and settler colonialism. Within this context, the status of Palestinians in Israel is explored through legal structures, spatial organization, and security discourse. It argues that, despite formal citizenship equality, legal arrangements structurally position Palestinians as secondary citizens; spatial policies reproduce everyday exclusion; and demographic and security narratives legitimize these inequalities. The article concludes that Palestinians are neither fully excluded nor equally included, but rather positioned in an in-between status that sustains ongoing minoritization. Ultimately, it proposes understanding the Palestinian issue not only in terms of occupation or displacement, but as a structural problem revealing the minority-producing capacity of the modern nation-state.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Minoritization
• Zionism
• Nation-State
• Palestinians
• Israel

Destekleyen Kurum

No financial support or funding was received for this study.

Etik Beyan

Since this study does not involve human participants, human data, or animal subjects, it does not require ethical committee approval. As the author, I declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ulus-Devlet, Azınlıklaştırma ve Siyonist Proje: İsrail’de Filistinlilerin Siyasal İnşası

Öz

Bu çalışma, Filistinlilerin İsrail bağlamındaki konumunu, klasik azınlık tanımlarının ötesine geçerek siyasal olarak üretilmiş bir azınlıklaştırma süreci üzerinden ele almaktadır. Makalenin temel amacı, Filistinlilerin neden bir azınlık olduklarını açıklamaktan ziyade, nasıl ve hangi mekanizmalar aracılığıyla azınlıklaştırıldıklarını ortaya koymaktır. Bu çerçevede çalışma, azınlık kavramını sayısal ya da kültürel bir farklılık olarak değil, modern ulus-devletin iktidar ilişkileri içinde şekillenen bir siyasal kategori olarak ele almaktadır. Çalışma, Siyonist ulus-devlet projesini etnik temelli bir devlet mantığı ve yerleşimci sömürgecilik perspektifiyle analiz etmektedir. Bu bağlamda Filistinlilerin İsrail içindeki statüsü, hukuk, mekansal düzenleme ve güvenlik söylemi üzerinden incelenmektedir. Hukuki düzenlemelerin, biçimsel yurttaşlık eşitliğine rağmen Filistinlileri yapısal olarak ikincil bir konuma yerleştirdiği, mekansal politikaların gündelik hayatta dışlanmayı yeniden ürettiği ve demografi ile güvenlik söyleminin bu eşitsizlikleri meşrulaştırdığı gösterilmektedir. Makale, Filistinlilerin İsrail bağlamında ne tamamen dışlanan ne de eşit biçimde dahil edilen bir grup olarak konumlandırıldığını bilakis bu ara durumun azınlıklaştırmanın sürekliliğini sağladığını ileri sürmektedir. Sonuç olarak çalışma, Filistin meselesini yalnızca işgal ya da mültecilik bağlamında değil, modern ulus-devletin azınlık üretme kapasitesini açığa çıkaran yapısal bir sorun olarak ele almayı önermektedir. Bu yaklaşım, hem azınlık çalışmaları literatürüne hem de Siyonizm ve İsrail üzerine yapılan eleştirel çalışmalara kuramsal bir katkı sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Azınlıklaştırma
• Siyonizm
• Ulus-Devlet
• Filistinliler
• İsrail

Destekleyen Kurum

Bu çalışma için herhangi bir finansal destek veya fon sağlanmamıştır.

Etik Beyan

Bu çalışma insan katılımcılar, insan verileri veya hayvan denekler içermediğinden etik kurul izni gerektirmemektedir. Yazar olarak herhangi bir çıkar çatışması olmadığını beyan ederim.

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