Social Struggle and the Crisis of the Palestinian Left Parties
Following the Oslo accords of 1993, structural changes have imperiled the socioeconomic conditions of the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). These changes are defined by a radical shift in the political economy of the oPt whereby the complex interplay between the policies of donor-backedPalestinian Authority’s (PA) neoliberalism and Israeli colonialism introduced excessive forms of social exclusion, economic inequality and led to unparalleled fragmentation of the Palestinian social fabric. Amid this dynamic, the Palestinian left parties that historically constituted militant forces in advancing progressive social agendas and in organizing myriad forms of social struggle as part of the national liberation struggle have critically declined. The long-standing crisis of thePalestinian left has not only left the post-Oslo repressive socioeconomic dynamic unchallenged,but also, more perilously, Palestinian left parties - consciously or unconsciously - became hostage,if not acquiescent to this status quo.
