Truth, Justice, and Agonism? Asymmetrical Recognition and the Reorganization of Peace Activism in Palestine/Israel

This article examines how peace activists in Palestine/Israel negotiate recognition, truth, and justice under conditions of extreme power asymmetry. Drawing on agonistic peace theory, agonistic recognition, and Palestinian critiques of normalization, it asks what minimal conditions can enable agonistic debate among unequal rivals without flattening asymmetry or balancing atrocities and accountability. Empirically, the article traces transformations in Israeli and Palestinian peace activism from the Oslo Accords to the aftermath of October 7, 2023, focusing on the emergence of two coalitions in Israel—the Peace Partnership (PP) and The Time Is Now (TIN). Through participant-observation, interviews, and analysis of public events and organizational materials, it shows how activists moved from partisan, one sided recognition to binational, coalition based organizing amid intensified ethnonational separation and criminalization of dissent. The article argues that recognition in asymmetric conflicts cannot be captured by models of mutual exchange or co-dependent narrative transformation. Instead, asymmetrical and temporally staggered forms of recognition—including one-sided acknowledgment by the stronger side, and justice oriented coalition work and brokerage—create partial but meaningful openings for future agonistic engagement. By bringing temporality, local practices, and unequal actors’ perspectives into the study of peacebuilding, the article develops a more dynamic understanding of agonistic peace and proposes minimal conditions for agonistic debate that does not sideline truth and justice.