Jean-Paul Sartre and Palestine in Contemporary Arab Thought
Date
2025-05
Authors
Ahmed Atiya
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Al-Quds University
Abstract
Before delving into the various stances Sartre adopted regarding the Palestinian
cause—stances that led to a profound shift in how Arab intellectuals engaged
with him due to his hesitations, neutrality, sympathies, and eventual alignment
with the Zionist usurpation of Palestine—it is essential to first examine the prior
enthusiasm Arab intellectuals harbored toward the philosopher of “commitment.”
Their writings about him intertwined their hopes and aspirations with his works
and ideas, creating an image that might be termed “the Arab Sartre.” Within the
Arab intellectual sphere, Sartre was portrayed as the embodiment of the “human
conscience” and a “storm upon the age.” Articles were dedicated to him, dialogues
conducted, letters addressed to him, and extensive studies compiled—not only
concerning his philosophy but also reflecting our ardent admiration for it and the
great hopes we invested in it.
For nearly a quarter of a century, we lived through the “Sartre era,” which
commenced in our cultural landscape after World War II and held an overwhelming
influence on our writings until the June 1967 War. The closing chapter of this
engagement can be discerned in an article by Ibrahim Amer, published in al-
Hilal in January 1968, titled After Sartre. Given its subject and timing, this
study signified a dual ending: the decline of Sartre’s philosophy with the rise
of structuralism, which transcended existentialism and engaged in numerous
intellectual disputes with Sartre on the one hand, and the waning enthusiasm
of Arab intellectuals on the other—particularly after the June 1967 War, during
which Sartre aligned himself with Israel following his well-known visit to Egypt
in March of that year. As a result, translations of his works diminished or ceased
altogether, except for a few literary and artistic pieces. Consequently, interest in
him transitioned into purely academic studies, treating him as a historical figure
in philosophy rather than a living part of Arab intellectual culture, which had
once played a role in shaping modern Arab thought and sentiment.
This delineates two distinct phases in the Arab intellectual engagement with
Sartre. The first was characterized by the rise of ideas centered on freedom,
independence, progress, and social justice—concepts that had not yet been
theoretically established in our consciousness. Sartre was seen as a beacon who
could solidify and articulate this vision, paving the way for liberty and progress.
The second phase, following the defeat of 1967, was marked by introspection,
self-criticism, and a reassessment of the West—of which Sartre was a part. Just
as he had taken supportive stances, he could also be swayed or fall under Zionist
influence. This ambivalence is evident in our writings about him, which often
reflect our own perspectives as much as they interpret his philosophy.
To explore this transformation, we shall first examine a selection of testimonies
from Arab writers about Sartre, shedding light on the image he occupied in the
Arab intellectual and emotional landscape. We shall then analyze the diverse Arab
responses to his writings and positions on the Palestinian cause and the Jewish
question within the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.