Austrian Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek has released a new essay, "In a promised land," criticizing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The 79-year-old author dismissed the concept of a two-state solution as a "lie" and called for the European Union to implement sanctions against settler violence.
The Trump-Kushner vision of Gaza as 'property'
Jelinek’s essay, titled "In a promised land," draws a sharp parallel between current territorial disputes and the rhetoric of American political figures. She specifically references Donald Trump’s description of Gaza as a "beautiful piece of property," a comment made alongside his son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to the report, Jelinek views this perspective as emblematic of a broader, dangerous tendency to treat Palestinian land as a mere commodity rather than a legitimate homeland.
This framing suggests that the geopolitical struggle is being reduced to a real estate transaction, ignoring the human rights of the population living there.. By invoking these specific American figures, Jelinek highlights what she perceives as a global trend of devaluing Palestinian sovereignty in favor of commercial or political expediency.
The 'unspoken lie' of the two-state framework
The Nobel laureate argues that the diplomatic concept of a two-state solution has become a hollow gesture. Jelinek contends that the idea of a Palestinian state is being presented as a possibility even though current conditions make its existence impossible. She describes this discrepancy as an "unspoken lie" that causes intellectual discourse to collapse when confronted with the reality of land grabbing in the West Bank, Gaza,and Jerusalem.
As the report states, this "unspoken lie" shatters against the harsh circumstances of expanding settlement construction. This critique aligns her with a growing number of European intellectuals who believe that the current diplomatic status quo only serves to legitimize the ongoing occupation rather than challenging it through meaningful intervention.
Demanding EU sanctions for illegal settlement activity
Beyond literary critique, Jelinek has issued a direct political demand for the European Union to take concrete action.. She is calling for the imposition of sanctions to address illegal settlement activity and the ongoing confiscation of Palestinian land. this demand comes at a time when the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen and settlement activity in the West Bank remains a central obstacle to any credible peace process.
The report notes that Jelinek’s position is fueled by increasing frustration among European cultural figures who feel that rhetorical support for Palestinian rights has not been matched by meaningful policy, such as arms embargoes or diplomatic pressure.. her status as the descendant of a Holocaust survivor adds a significant layer of moral weight to these calls for European intervention.
The lack of a response from the EU or Israel
While Jelinek’s essay has entered the international debate, several critical pieces of information remain unverified .. It is currently unknown whether any European Union member states intend to move toward the sanctions Jelinek proposes, or if the call will remain within the realm of intellectual protest. Additionally, the report does not include any immediate reaction from Israeli officials regarding her characterization of the two-state solution as a "lie." Finally, it remains to be seen how Jelinek’s specific critique of the Trump-Kushner "property" model will influence broader discussions regarding the future of Gaza’s territory.
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