Justifying Occupation? A strategic frame-analysis of the way India & Israel have rhetorically justified their military annexations (1961-1981)

Abstract

Besides using military power to attain new territories, framing plays an important part in holding onto them, as it enables the occupier to ‘sell’ the idea of a new postconflict reality. Using postcolonialism as background theory, this thesis researches what historical frames were used, and what the effect of these frames were on (1) the domestic audience of the occupying country, (2) the audience of the occupied territories, and (3) the international community. It looks at the annexation of Goa (1961) and the Golan Heights (1981) as similar design case studies, where the former was accepted by more audiences. Frames that refer to national identity and safeguarding the existential safety of the occupying country, proved to be most successful across the audiences to gather support, or avoid serious sanctions from the international community, during 1961-1981. Abdul Abdelaziz