This chapter critically interrogates the rhetoric of social justice, exposing the dissonance between its theoretical ideals and its selective, often complicit, application—particularly in conflict zones like Palestine. Building on the arguments of Arar, Guajardo, and Bogotch (Handbook on leadership in education. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023) in Beyond Social Justice, it argues that genuine social justice must be rooted in dismantling systemic oppression rather than serving as an abstract academic exercise. Abdel Wahab Almaseri (2001) critiques neoliberal academia for prioritizing theoretical discourse over confronting real-world injustice, while Leah Mayblin’s Asylum After Empire (2017) reveals how colonial legacies shape contemporary policies, often deploying the language of justice to obscure ongoing oppression. Through a critical lens, the chapter exposes the limitations of mainstream social justice rhetoric, particularly in the Palestinian context, where Western-backed colonial violence has led to epistemic erasure, genocide, educide, and the suppression of Palestinian identity. It underscores the urgency of decolonizing social justice frameworks and calls for an actionable, anticolonial approach that moves beyond performative solidarity to confront structural oppression. Challenging the complicity of global academia, the chapter demands the amplification of marginalized voices and the reimagining of social justice as a practice rooted in accountability, resistance, and the unwavering defense of the right to education.

Title

Second International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Social (In)Justice

Publisher

Springer

Publisher Country

Netherlands

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

None

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

1

Year

2025

Pages

18