"Until the June 1967 war I was completely caught up in the life of a young professor of English. Beginning in 1968, I started to think, write, and travel as someone who felt himself to be directly involved in the renaissance of Palestinian life and politics"

Edward Said’s reflection marks a significant turning point in his personal and intellectual journey. Prior to the June 1967 war, also known as the Six-Day War, Said describes his life as immersed in the pursuits typical of a young academic, specifically as an English professor. His attention, energy, and identity were primarily shaped by the routines and ambitions of scholarly life in literature and academia. His interests were seemingly apolitical or at least not directly connected to his heritage or to the broader geopolitical context of the Middle East.

The events of 1967, when Israel fought neighboring Arab countries and subsequently occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights, had a profound impact on Said’s consciousness. The aftermath of the war brought increased global attention to the Palestinian cause, displacement, and the persistence of Palestinian identity in the face of loss and occupation. For Said, this historical rupture awakened a sense of personal involvement and responsibility that transcended the boundaries of his academic profession.

From 1968 onwards, Said's life trajectory shifted. His sense of self became inseparable from the wider fate of the Palestinian people and their struggle for recognition, dignity, and rights. He began to use his intellectual tools, not merely for literary critique, but as means for political and cultural advocacy. Writing and traveling became acts of engagement, bridging his dual identities as a scholar and as a Palestinian in exile. The phrase “renaissance of Palestinian life and politics” suggests that Said was not only bearing witness to but also actively participating in a cultural and political revival, seeking to reclaim narrative agency for Palestinians on the world stage. This transformation shaped both his work and his legacy, blurring the lines between personal biography, scholarly endeavor, and collective political involvement.