Our Department Organized a Conference on “Israel’s Occupation Policy”

A conference entitled “Israel’s Occupation Policy” was organized by the Department of History at the Faculty of Letters of Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University (KMU).

The conference was held on 15 October 2026 in the Conference Hall of the Faculty of Letters. Associate Professor Mehmet Çelik, a faculty member of the Department of History, delivered the presentation. The event was attended by academics and students.

Beginning his presentation by explaining the distinction between classical colonialism and settler colonialism, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çelik stated that classical colonialism focuses on exploiting a colonized country’s resources, legal system, and form of governance, whereas settler colonialism aims to seize the land itself and displace the indigenous population from their homeland.

Addressing the historical background of the Zionist project, Çelik discussed the role of the First Zionist Congress, held in Basel in 1897, the Balfour Declaration of 1917, and increasing immigration during the British Mandate period in the process leading up to 1948. Recalling Theodor Herzl’s note in his diary following the congress, “In fifty years, everyone will see it,” Çelik argued that the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan and the establishment of Israel in 1948 indicated a policy implemented step by step according to a predetermined timeline. The presentation also covered the Peel Commission, Plan Dalet, the Deir Yassin massacre, and the Nakba, the term meaning “catastrophe” that refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians.

The second part of the conference focused on developments in southern Lebanon. Reviewing the historical trajectory from 1919 through Operation Litani in 1978 and the 1982 invasion to the present day, Çelik stated that the Israeli army’s crossing of the Litani River and its capture of Beaufort Castle on 31 May this year pointed to the prospect of a prolonged occupation in the region. Drawing attention to the Golan Heights as a precedent, Çelik argued that a similar demographic transformation was being pursued in southern Lebanon. He also noted that groups advocating settlement in the region had brought their calls before the Israeli parliament. Ceasefire processes, the situation of the Lebanese army, and the potential impact of the upcoming elections in Israel on the country’s policy toward Lebanon were also among the issues discussed.

Concluding his presentation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çelik emphasized the importance of interpreting current developments within their historical context, stating: “The destruction in Gaza did not begin on 8 October, nor did the occupation policy in Lebanon begin with Hezbollah. Both are the products of a vision that took shape before the establishment of this state.”

The conference concluded with a question-and-answer session, followed by the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çelik by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Çakır, Dean of the Faculty of Letters.

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