Post-truth politics

 

Since October 7, 2023, epistemicide by the media and online influencers has been on the rise. Epistemicide, which is the systematic destruction of rival forms of knowledge, is evident. The mass-murder of Gazans, and the destruction of their livelihoods, schools, communities, universities, heath centers, and cultural and religious centers all contribute to the death of Gazans as spokespeople and knowledge producers of their own history and being. Coupled with radical, misinformed social media influencers, attempting to both justify the Israeli aggression and negating any Gazan narrative, the process is gradual, but guaranteed. The process of denying existence as a nation, as a people, as a community with a distinguished and proper culture and history, and right to exist. It is a process that aims to eradicate the concept of non-citizen, as Gazans have been since 1948, where, in Tendayi Bloom’s words, the absence of citizenship and the livelihood of people despite the system are also being denied.

But the tragedy does not stop here. In comes post-truth politics, which in itself fuels false narratives and feeds public anxiety, distrust and suspicion. Most importantly, post-truth politics has become wishful, non-factual narrative. 

In the Trump-Harris debate held on September 10, 2024, the presidential candidates were asked about their policies towards resolving the Israel-Gaza conflict. And here, each candidate played the term rhetoric to the beat. 

Trump’s answer was a fictional, back-to-the-future, and painfully predictable “this would not have happened under my watch”. A non-answer that gaslights spectators and tricks them into believing that the suffering, injustice, and dehumanization of Gazans would not have led to any new forms of resistance (irrespective of its effectiveness or soundness). Had he been president, Gazans and Israelis would have held hands and rejoiced their neighborly ties under the Mediterranean rainbow. Such inflated ego that embarrassingly allows its bearer to believe that an audience would be reassured that a genocide would end if he were allowed to travel back in time, is sadly not shocking today.

Then came in Harris with another post-truth political maneuver. Harris insisted on a cease-fire agreement and a two state solution. She either lacked the courage or the brains to realize that Israel decided no, and voted no, on both issues. Claiming that her approach to end the conflict is by inking a deal to stop all aggression and establishing a Palestinian state is also gas-lighting an American public. It is time for hard truths, for finger pointing, for brutal honesty.

At present, Palestinians seem to be locked in between a media army that manipulates ignorant and biased actors to spread half-truths and deny truths, and politicians who are delusional and drowning in rhetoric that anything they say is completely void of meaning, inspiration, or goal. Whilst this is happening, a literal army is eradicating an entire body of culture, and uprooting its people in every possible mean.

Epistemicide is happening, and we are watching. And some are clapping. But Gazans are not, and will not, be erased.