An Analysis of Noam Chomsky and Edward Said’s Indictment of Intellectual Dishonesty in the Middle East Discourse
Blaming the Victims: Spurious Scholarship and the Palestinian Question, edited by Edward W. Said and Christopher Hitchens (with key contributions from Noam Chomsky and others), is a scathing critique of how Palestinian history and rights have been systematically distorted, marginalized, and denied in mainstream Western discourse. Published in 1988, the book remains a seminal work that dissects the ideological mechanisms through which Palestinian dispossession is rationalized, denied, or rendered invisible.
Although Noam Chomsky and Edward Said did not co-author the book in full, both contributed pivotal essays that anchor its arguments. Their central thesis is that Western intellectual and media establishments have perpetuated a narrative that not only absolves Israel of accountability but also shifts the blame for Palestinian suffering onto the Palestinians themselves. This process, they argue, is not just politically convenient—it is an act of intellectual malpractice.
The Core Argument: Reversing Reality
At the heart of Blaming the Victims is the idea that a dominant ideological framework in the West has effectively inverted the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this framework, Israel is portrayed as a perpetually besieged state defending itself against irrational, violent Arabs. The Palestinians, meanwhile, are often depicted not as a displaced and oppressed people but as aggressors, or at best, as tragic but culpable figures.
Edward Said, in his essays, particularly "Zionism from the Standpoint of Its Victims," illuminates how Zionist narratives have succeeded in rendering the Palestinian presence negligible in historical discourse. Said argues that Palestinians are denied the status of historical actors; their voices, memories, and claims are often excluded from the intellectual debates that concern them. He challenges the widespread assumption that the Zionist project was one of pure redemption, countering with the fact that it involved the deliberate displacement of a native population.
Noam Chomsky, for his part, focuses on the role of American intellectuals, media, and political institutions in reinforcing this distorted narrative. His essay in the collection deconstructs the ways in which U.S. foreign policy and academic discourse have been complicit in erasing Palestinian grievances and rights. Chomsky meticulously details how scholarly works and journalism have selectively quoted or misrepresented facts to support pro-Israeli positions, often treating Palestinian sources as unreliable or ideologically tainted.
The Myth of “No Palestinian Identity”
A central theme throughout the book is the denial of Palestinian national identity. This idea is encapsulated in the infamous quote by former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir: “There were no such thing as Palestinians.” The authors of Blaming the Victims treat this not as an isolated opinion, but as symptomatic of a broader ideological framework. Denying Palestinian peoplehood, they argue, is a necessary component of legitimizing their dispossession.
By portraying the Palestinian experience as either nonexistent or self-inflicted, this narrative erases the structural realities of occupation, land confiscation, and military repression. Said’s work demonstrates how even liberal Western scholars often inadvertently perpetuate these myths by focusing on abstract discussions of terrorism or Islamic radicalism, rather than on the actual history of colonialism and resistance in Palestine.
Intellectual Complicity
A particularly scathing part of Blaming the Victims is its critique of the academic establishment. Several essays in the collection analyze the ways in which prestigious scholars and respected publications have produced what the editors term “spurious scholarship”—research that appears rigorous but is ideologically motivated and factually flawed. These texts, they argue, contribute to a broader campaign of misinformation that serves political ends.
Chomsky’s expertise in analyzing propaganda systems comes to the fore here. He outlines how media framing, selective reporting, and institutional gatekeeping work together to marginalize dissenting voices, including Palestinian scholars and activists. He notes how any critique of Israel, especially from an Arab perspective, is often dismissed as anti-Semitic or ideologically biased, while pro-Israel scholarship, regardless of its flaws, is granted a presumption of neutrality and legitimacy.
Implications for Policy and Public Perception
The book’s title, Blaming the Victims, encapsulates a broader psychological and political mechanism that functions in conflicts beyond Palestine. By shifting the responsibility for suffering onto the oppressed, dominant powers can absolve themselves of guilt and moral accountability. This mechanism is not unique to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—it can be seen in discourses surrounding colonialism, racial inequality, and economic exploitation globally.
In the case of Palestine, the implications are profound. If Palestinians are blamed for their own suffering—whether through alleged intransigence, extremism, or a refusal to compromise—then Israel’s actions, no matter how aggressive or unlawful, are rendered justifiable. This reframing stymies international solidarity and weakens efforts toward a just peace.
Said and Chomsky argue that dismantling this ideological apparatus is essential for any real progress. It requires not only a revision of historical narratives but also a commitment from intellectuals, journalists, and policymakers to confront uncomfortable truths. Without this reckoning, the cycle of violence and impunity is likely to continue.
Enduring Relevance
Though written over three decades ago, Blaming the Victims remains alarmingly relevant today. The core issues it addresses—the erasure of Palestinian narratives, the complicity of Western institutions, and the misuse of scholarship—continue to shape public discourse and policy. With the resurgence of global attention on Gaza and the West Bank in recent years, the book’s insights have gained renewed urgency.
Moreover, in an era where misinformation and ideological polarization are rampant, the book serves as a cautionary tale about the role of intellectuals in legitimizing power. As Chomsky has often said, the responsibility of intellectuals is to tell the truth and expose lies—a principle that this volume passionately upholds.
Conclusion
Blaming the Victims: Spurious Scholarship and the Palestinian Question is a powerful indictment of how knowledge can be manipulated to serve power. Through incisive analysis and a refusal to accept dominant narratives at face value, Edward Said, Noam Chomsky, and their co-contributors challenge readers to confront the uncomfortable realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They expose not only the injustices faced by the Palestinian people but also the intellectual systems that make those injustices possible—and invisible.
In doing so, they invite a radical act of empathy and accountability: to listen to the voices that have been silenced, and to question the ideologies that have rendered them inaudible for so long.
