French Publisher Recalls 'Offensive' Truth from Dictionary
French publisher Hachette has dutifully recalled a dictionary after it dared to describe Israeli victims of the October 7 attacks, who resided in settlements, as "Jewish settlers." The publisher vowed to review all its educational materials. One can almost hear the collective gasp from corporate boardrooms: using accurate descriptors for individuals residing in internationally recognized illegal
settlements (as per UN Security Council Resolution 2334) is, apparently, a bridge too far. (Al-Monitor) Will the next edition clarify that these were 'enthusiastic new residents in contested territories'? This isn't about accuracy; it's about control of narrative. The term 'settler' accurately identifies individuals participating in an expansionist project on occupied land. But such historical and
legal context is inconvenient for those who prefer their dictionaries to offer sanitized, unchallenging versions of reality. One wonders how many dictionaries will be burned before colonial projects are finally described with the proper vocabulary.