Born in Jordan, Joseph Massad is a Christian Palestinian, who received his PhD from Columbia University, and has received multiple awards for his writings which approach Zionism (as well as the shaping of the Middle east) from a neocolonialist perspective, and argues that the establishment, and expansion of Israel has largely been a settler colonial project.

in his book, Colonial Effects, he discusses the crafting of national identity, as it pertained to Jordan, which he argues, was done so externally, under British guidance. By doing so, he engages with the broader themes of post-colonialism, and state-building in the Middle East, which serves as a foundation for his critique of Israel.

In his recent webinar, he breaks down strategies employed by Israeli establishment to discredit legitimate resistance by Palestinians, via various means – whether by invoking antisemitism, or to apply labels, and misrepresentations which serve to dehumanize, and discredit.