Legislative Orientalism

• In Event: 20454 - Moral Dilemmas, Cultural Production, and Policy Frames in Middle Eastern Societies

Abstract

This paper investigates Orientalist frames in Congress’ legislative response to the October 7 attack. An analysis of the legislation introduced to the 118th Congress following the October 7, 2023 attack shows how lawmakers rely on orientalist tropes to explain what happened and to justify US actions in response to the attacks. Tropes of Arabs and protesters being violent, uncompromising, and deceitful pervade the legislation. Meanwhile, acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering or the history of the occupation of Palestine is largely absent. Also absent are instances when the behavior of the governments of Israel or the US is in violation of international law. Ignoring these cases maintains the orientalist dichotomy between the East and West. But also, the orientalist narrative fails to address the underlying causes of the conflict, which means more violence is likely in the future. It also means no justice and more hardship for Palestinians.

Author

• Dwight Neil Haase, University of Toledo