Proceedings of The 6th International Academic Conference on Research in Social Sciences
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Metaphorical Language in The Speeches of Yasser Arafat, Former President of The Palestinian National Authority
Aadel Shakkour
ABSTRACT:
The proposed lecture shows how Yasser Arafat, the former president of the Palestinian National Authority (1994-2004), relied on metaphor as an essential rhetorical device to promote his ideological position of strong opposition to the discriminatory and brutal policies of the Israeli government toward the Palestinian people, and the policy of building settlements in the Palestinian territories. The specific examples of Arafat’s use of metaphor refer to the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, the systematic violation of human rights, the ignoring of Palestinians’ basic needs, and the refusal to recognize a Palestinian state. The proposed lecture based on the assumption that Arafat’s use of metaphor in his political discourse has unique rhetorical characteristics that help sharpen his messages, with the aim of emphasizing Palestinian suffering and positively influencing Israel’s discriminatory patterns of activity toward them, i.e., to make Israel recognize the rights of the Palestinian people, grant them historical justice, and implement a two-state solution.
keywords: political metaphors, political discourse, Yasser Arafat, Palestine, Israel