The "Unity Intifada" and '48 Palestinians: Between the Liberal and the Decolonial

The recent uprising, known as the "Unity Intifada" or the "Unity Uprising," drew attention to '48 Palestinians (also known as Palestinian citizens of Israel). In this intervention, I suggest that the uprising brought to the surface not only their commitment to their national identity but also the deep political contention and divide among '48 Palestinians that has been part of their political landscape for decades. The essay situates the recent uprising within the historical context of '48 Palestinian mobilization, focusing specifically on the political transformations of the 1970s that culminated in the 1976 Land Day protests and the October 2000 uprising. It shows that, like the two earlier historical moments, this most recent uprising is marked by a divide between those who see the '48 Palestinians within the framework of Israeli politics, society, and citizenship and those who seek to locate them within the larger question of Palestine and its decolonial future(s).