Sumud (Steadfastness): The construction and resonance of pro-Palestinian solidarity discourses in the Netherlands (1969-1982)

Abstract

This thesis investigates the historical roots of the current wave of pro-Palestinian activism, following the Gaza 2023 war. It particularly focuses on the Nederlands Palestina Komitee (NPK), the first pro-Palestinian solidarity organization in the Netherlands, and examines how the NPK attempted to resonate their messages of solidarity with Palestine between 1969 and 1982. Operating in a context shaped by strong Dutch support for Israel and deep sensitivities around Holocaust memory, the NPK navigated significant cultural and political constraints.

The analysis, based on archival materials, press coverage, and an oral history interview, draws on framing theory from social movement studies, while also engaging with scholarship that emphasizes the role of emotions and creativity in activism. The study shows that the NPK aligned the Palestinian struggle with global anti-imperialist and anti-racist discourses, employing techniques such as frame bridging. These ideas entered the NPK's discursive repertoire through transnational encounters, including activist travel and interpersonal exchanges with Palestinian actors, whose agency played an important role in shaping the terms and content of solidarity. This insight aligns with historical scholarship that foregrounds the role of Global South actors in shaping transnational movements.

At the same time, the NPK consciously adapted these global frames to the sensitive Dutch context, emphasizing nonviolent forms of engagement and carefully distinguishing its anti-Zionist position from antisemitism. Despite these nuanced framing efforts, the NPK's discourses rarely achieved mainstream resonance, constrained by dominant cultural narratives surrounding the Holocaust and Israel. The thesis therefore finds that solidarity is not a given, but a dynamic and contested process shaped in a specific historical context and characterized by unequal power relations, aligning with David Featherstone's conception of solidarity. Yet while the NPK remained marginal in public discourse, it demonstrated creativity and moral persistance, offering valuable insights into the challenges and possibilities of social movements both past and present.