American origins of israel's "Settler" policy: A post-structural assessment

Israel's policies of domination over Palestine are not a new phenomenon in the field of international relations. Historically, antisemitic practices have brought the theological notion of the "Promised Land" (Arz-ı Mev'ûd) back into political discourse. This belief, initially rooted in religious tradition, has evolved into a central component of modern Zionist ideology. Within this framework, the aim has been to unite all Jewish communities under a single nation-state. The claim of a "historical right" over the land of Palestine, supported by the dominant powers of the time, culminated in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. However, had the primary objective been merely to establish a state, the systematic "settler" expansion that followed 1948 would have been unnecessary. The Promised Land discourse, grounded in divine legitimacy, has become the foundation of Israel's territorial ambitions. In this regard, Israel's discursive and structural "settler" strategies bear significant resemblance to the United States' 19th-century expansionist ideology, known as Manifest Destiny. This thesis presents a comparative analysis of the "Manifest Destiny" discourse that legitimized U.S. westward expansion and the "Promised Land" narrative used to justify Israeli "settler" policies in Palestine. Adopting a post-structuralist framework, it draws on Michel Foucault's concepts of discourse and power relations, alongside Jacques Derrida's method of deconstruction. The study seks to examine how both discourses function in processes of othering, domination, and the production of legitimacy. There search demonstrates that these discourses are not merely ideological remnants of the past, but continue to operate as contemporary regimes of truth that enable spatial occupation, legal legitimation, and cultural erasure. Ultimately, this thesis argues that such "settler" discourses do not only reflect the traumas of the past, but actively shape a future of irreversible devastation for the Palestinian people. Accordingly, it provides a critical perspective on how the international system continues to reproduce these hegemonic narratives. Keywords: Manifest Destiny, Promised Land, Post-structuralism, United States, Israel