'State of exception' or 'state in exile'? The fallacy of appropriating Agamben on Palestinian refugee camps. Issue 9 (2nd September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tuastad, Dag
• Is Part Of: Third world quarterly. Volume 38:Issue 9(2017)
• Page Start: 2159
• Page End: 2170
• Publication Date: 2017-09-02
• Subjects: Participation and power -- Palestine -- migration and refugees -- authoritarianism -- democratisation; Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 909.09724
• DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2016.1256765
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-6597

Abstract

Abstract: To refer to Palestinian refugee camps as states of exception, appropriating the paradigm of Giorgio Agamben, is definitely tempting. Agamben argues that in times of crisis, individual rights of citizens are diminished and entire categories of people kept outside the political system. Nevertheless, there are flaws in applying Agamben's perspective on Palestinian camps. It acquits the camp residents from the autonomy over their own political agency. Historically, in Lebanon, camp residents experienced an almost limitless access to free political organisation. But this access has not been converted into the development of representative, legitimate political structures.