Skip to main content
World feminism in crisis: Palestine and the betrayal of solidarity
Palestinian women have been failed by the feminist movement overall, argues MARYAM ALDOSSARI, calling for a return to principled solidarity instead of selective outrage and dehumanising narratives
SIDING WITH PALESTINE: A woman protester spells it out on a march in London, October 28 2023

FOR over a year now, the world has been inundated with the narrative that Israel has the “right to self-defence,” a claim used to shield and legitimise the relentless violence inflicted upon Palestinians — violence that has reached unimaginable levels.

Women and children bear the brunt of a brutal occupation that erases their humanity while subjecting them to relentless military aggression. In Gaza, the most densely populated strip on Earth, the siege tightens daily, depriving over two million people of the basic essentials of life.

In the West Bank, settler violence, condoned and facilitated by the Israeli state, has escalated to unprecedented levels. Palestinians are not only at the mercy of an occupying force but also trapped in a narrative that dehumanises them and normalises their suffering.
 
Historically, feminism has been a force for justice, taking on patriarchy, inequality, and colonial violence in its quest to liberate women. During the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, women played a pivotal role in resisting both racial and gender oppression, demonstrating feminism’s potential to confront intersecting systems of injustice.

Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
12 - Women in Saudi
Features / 20 April 2024
20 April 2024
How has Saudi Arabia, notorious for human rights abuses, been appointed to lead the UN commission on gender equality despite continuing to imprison women activists advocating for basic rights, asks MARYAM ALDOSSARI
Similar stories
Buildings destroyed during the Israeli air and ground offens
Features / 4 March 2025
4 March 2025
Israel’s crimes in Gaza have forced a reckoning with international law’s selective application as Western nations sanction ICC prosecutors and attack UN officials who demand accountability, writes RAMZY BAROUD
best of 2024 SH
Best of 2024 / 3 December 2024
3 December 2024
A manifesto for change, feminism in the digital age and a wordless play by Palestinians
Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Isra
Features / 7 October 2024
7 October 2024
One year on from October 7 2023, the general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, ANTHONY BELLANGER, deplores the paralysis of the UN and denounces the international community’s lack of action
12 - Women in Saudi
Features / 20 April 2024
20 April 2024
How has Saudi Arabia, notorious for human rights abuses, been appointed to lead the UN commission on gender equality despite continuing to imprison women activists advocating for basic rights, asks MARYAM ALDOSSARI