'October 7 did not happen in a vacuum': Gilbert Achcar traces the historical roots of Israel's genocide in The Gaza Catastrophe

October 7 did not happen in a vacuum. Gilbert Achcar’s collection of essays, written over three decades and published in The Gaza Catastrophe: The Genocide in World Historical Perspective, sheds light on the historical context of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, notably the collective power of the international community in shaping a significant part of Israel’s might and its interpretation.

Gilbert’s book looks at three main issues: the history behind the genocide in Gaza, which includes a detailed look at Zionism; a historical perspective on the events of October 7; and a reflection on Palestinian and Israeli politics and society, against the backdrop of the global resurgence of the far right.

Noting that Israel has perpetrated the first genocide “executed by a technologically advanced state since the final defeat in 1945 of the far-right Axis powers’ coalition of World War II,” Gilbert refers to The Lancet’s analysis on the implications of Israel’s genocide.

While Zionists have referred to genocide accusations as a new form of antisemitism, Gilbert writes, “it is the refusal to recognise this plain fact that constitutes a new variant of genocide denial.”

The book gives an overview of Palestinian factions’ politics after 1967 and how the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) renounced its anti-colonial struggle to meet US demands, culminating in the Oslo Accords in 1993.

This, in turn, prompted Hamas to dominate the dynamics of armed struggle.

Here, Gilbert states that Hamas “continued to cultivate a mystical belief in the liberation of Palestine by armed means,” noting that its ideology stood in sharp contrast to the Palestinian Authority, which worked as a “subcontractor of Israel’s subjugation of the Palestinian people.”

Gilbert holds Hamas to account for its inferiority in military might, stating that comparisons to other colonial settings, such as Algeria and South Africa, are not valid. The latter, he notes, was ruled by a minority colonial entity.

“Zionist settler-colonialism uprooted the Indigenous population, thus cancelling the natives’ overwhelming majority,” Gilbert writes.

From Holocaust guilt to Zionism

The book traces historical strands to illustrate the rise of the far-right in Israel, noting the international community’s contribution towards the Zionist colonial project since the 1947 Partition Plan, which Gilbert describes as “a colonial decision.”

It also portrays Israel’s preoccupation with the expulsion of Palestinians, particularly after 1967, and how Israel’s far-right made the transition to mainstream politics, largely because of its preoccupation with maintaining a Jewish demography.

A vital critique in this book is the Western perception of European Jews as white. Gilbert links this change of perception to their recognition post-World War II, after the Holocaust, noting how the Judeo-Christian concept became mainstream in the aftermath of the war.

The misuse and misinterpretation of the Holocaust as pertaining solely to Jews, rather than all minorities, became “a warning against anti-Jewish racism conceived as singular.”

Relevant to October 7’s recent history, Gilbert writes, “Singling out the Holocaust as irreducible to an instance of generic racism and genocide allowed another operation to take place: the identification of the state of Israel with the Jewish condition.”

This vision had additional implications, notably the new definition of antisemitism, which included criticism of Israel. This shift would not have been possible were it not for white European racism, Holocaust guilt, and Zionist colonisation.

Gilbert shows how normalising and excusing Zionism contributed to the current Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as how Zionist supremacy and the genocide are dependent on Western powers. The book traces the history back to Theodor Herzl’s Zionist ideology and how he envisaged that “Christian anti-Semites would be his project’s staunchest supporters.”

Furthermore, Gilbert notes, “The historical circumstances of the Balfour Declaration were completely in accordance with the views of Zionism’s ‘prophet’ Theodor Herzl.”

From antisemitism, the book notes, Zionism created “a colonial state structurally integrated into the imperialist system.”

The path to 'Greater Israel'

Gilbert’s dissection of history and the links he makes between decades and events show a swift capitulation to Zionist demands that are now being challenged by a rising awareness. However, the Global North-South divide remains and continues to feed into Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Without the historical context, such as the Oslo Accords as a more refined version of the earlier Allon Plan, much of what is currently happening in Gaza risks being reduced to the immediate circumstances.

The book does the opposite. As the discussion turns towards more contemporary politics, such as US policies after Hamas won the elections, Ariel Sharon’s tactical plans for disengagement, and increased settlement expansion, the author illustrates the multitude of pretexts Israel relied on until it reached a genocidal level in Gaza.

In contrast to Hamas discourse on October 7, Gilbert states that October 7 gave Israel the chance to implement its concept of ‘Greater Israel'.

The discussion brings the book back to its beginning – what did October 7 signify, and what were its repercussions?

Gilbert makes it clear that he supports non-armed resistance for Palestinians, given the discrepancy in military power between Israel and the colonised Palestinians.

Gilbert also notes that explicit US support for Israel, besides the military aid that started with Kennedy and was increased during Obama’s administration, began on 23 October, making the US completely complicit in genocide.

With this, there comes a realisation that the cost of October 7, while rooted in history, surpassed all that was previously imaginable in terms of colonial violence and gains.

Ramona Wadi is an independent researcher, freelance journalist, book reviewer, and blogger specialising in the struggle for memory in Chile and Palestine, colonial violence, and the manipulation of international law

Follow her on X: @walzerscent