jada's review against another edition
4.0
the conflict between israel and palestine is frequently portrayed an inevitable religious debate that has been going on since time immemorial, and since no one religion can be said to be better than the other, it is also perceived as one with is fated to go on forever. fortunately, that is not the case, well, not entirely. khalidi traces the history of the seemingly ever-present conflict from its origins in the 1800s to the circumstances in the present day. religion does have a part to play—jewish settlers justified their claim on palestinian land in the name of zionism—but it is fundamentally a settler-colonial conflict, as the book’s title says.
the book is structured into six chapters, with each bearing the title of a significant event in the conflict. this makes it easier for the reader (or for me at least) to keep the chronology straight. the more i learnt about the palestinian situation, the more i felt that this is a profound injustice. literally nothing about it is justified, and it still amazes me to this day that people still support israel, self-proclaimed colonists (well in the beginning of course, where colonialism was still in vogue). khalidi details the rise of israel as a nation with the assistance of britain, and later the united states, active participants in the oppression of palestinians.
the failures of various palestinian organisations, such as the PLO and Hamas are detailed, but never in a way that implied that they were hopeless. the resistance of the palestinains was underscored. i appreciated the way the conclusion coherently explained the reasons that countries at large have for siding with israel, which appears to be a normal nation just like any other. one point i found especially interesting is khalidi’s assertion that the conflict cannot be resolved as long as the national resistance of each is denied by the other. even though it has already been established that the israelis are colonialists, the fact does remain that over the past 100 years, there have been generations of people who believe they have a claim to the land, and that they can’t just throw them out. it really is the “irony of nationalism”.
very well written book; i definitely feel like i have a much better grasp of the palestinian situation having read it.
the book is structured into six chapters, with each bearing the title of a significant event in the conflict. this makes it easier for the reader (or for me at least) to keep the chronology straight. the more i learnt about the palestinian situation, the more i felt that this is a profound injustice. literally nothing about it is justified, and it still amazes me to this day that people still support israel, self-proclaimed colonists (well in the beginning of course, where colonialism was still in vogue). khalidi details the rise of israel as a nation with the assistance of britain, and later the united states, active participants in the oppression of palestinians.
the failures of various palestinian organisations, such as the PLO and Hamas are detailed, but never in a way that implied that they were hopeless. the resistance of the palestinains was underscored. i appreciated the way the conclusion coherently explained the reasons that countries at large have for siding with israel, which appears to be a normal nation just like any other. one point i found especially interesting is khalidi’s assertion that the conflict cannot be resolved as long as the national resistance of each is denied by the other. even though it has already been established that the israelis are colonialists, the fact does remain that over the past 100 years, there have been generations of people who believe they have a claim to the land, and that they can’t just throw them out. it really is the “irony of nationalism”.
very well written book; i definitely feel like i have a much better grasp of the palestinian situation having read it.
archytas's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
This is a mix of analysis, history and opinion. The early sections run mainly through well-worn territory, but it is from the 1970s, when Khalidi has experience of the events he is describing. His insights into developments within the PLO, it's relationships with Palestinians in both Lebanon and Palestine, and the role of the PFLP much more deeply engaged me in the latter part. Khalidi - whose perspective unsurprisingly is that more effort should have gone to international diplomacy earlier - drives analysis through grief and frustration in the last sections, looking at the failures of the PA, the increasingly hardline US position and the repeated assaults from Israel. But the star here is the focus on Palestinians and their dynamics. I'd be keen to see something more focused on that in the future.
dithorba's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Absolutely required reading on the formation and history of Israel and it's continued colonization and subjugation of Palestine.
From river to sea, Palestine will be free. 🇵🇸
From river to sea, Palestine will be free. 🇵🇸
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation, Religious bigotry, War, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
soosoyi's review against another edition
5.0
Short information: Theodore Herlz made explicit calls for a state for the Jews, with the "sovereign right" to control immigration (he paid a visit in 1898).
"In the name of God, let Palestine be left alone."
"Instead, with the smug self-assurance so common to nineteenth-century Europeans, Herzl offered the preposterous inducement that the colonization, and ultimately the usurpation, of their land by strangers would benefit the people of that country." [This condescending attitude toward the intelligence, not to speak of the rights, of the Arab population of Palestine was serially repeated...]
"The 1917 Balfour Declaration, issued by a British cabinet and committing Britain to the creation of a national Jewish homeland, never mentioned the Palestinians, the great majority of the country's population at the time,"
"They were described in terms of what they were not, and certainly not as a nation or a people - the words "Palestinian" and "Arab" do not appear in the sixty-seven words of the declaration."
"They aspired to control their own fate."
"Thus, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine began well before the state of Israel was proclaimed on May 15, 1948."
"This is a unique colonialism that we've been subjected to where they have no use for us. The best Palestinian for them is either dead or gone." - Edward Said
"..., the five million Palestinians living under an Israeli military regime in the Occupied Territories have no rights at all, while the half million plus Israeli colonists there enjoy full rights."
"The Palestinian people, whose resistance to colonialism has involved an uphill battle, should not expect quick results. They have shown unusual patience, perseverance, and steadfastness in defending their rights, which is the main reason that their cause is still alive."
"In the name of God, let Palestine be left alone."
"Instead, with the smug self-assurance so common to nineteenth-century Europeans, Herzl offered the preposterous inducement that the colonization, and ultimately the usurpation, of their land by strangers would benefit the people of that country." [This condescending attitude toward the intelligence, not to speak of the rights, of the Arab population of Palestine was serially repeated...]
"The 1917 Balfour Declaration, issued by a British cabinet and committing Britain to the creation of a national Jewish homeland, never mentioned the Palestinians, the great majority of the country's population at the time,"
"They were described in terms of what they were not, and certainly not as a nation or a people - the words "Palestinian" and "Arab" do not appear in the sixty-seven words of the declaration."
"They aspired to control their own fate."
"Thus, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine began well before the state of Israel was proclaimed on May 15, 1948."
"This is a unique colonialism that we've been subjected to where they have no use for us. The best Palestinian for them is either dead or gone." - Edward Said
"..., the five million Palestinians living under an Israeli military regime in the Occupied Territories have no rights at all, while the half million plus Israeli colonists there enjoy full rights."
"The Palestinian people, whose resistance to colonialism has involved an uphill battle, should not expect quick results. They have shown unusual patience, perseverance, and steadfastness in defending their rights, which is the main reason that their cause is still alive."
farrahsoa's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.25
This is an essential read. Echoes much of what I’ve heard from Palestinian and Palestinian-American students.
hypatiasilver's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
7anooch's review against another edition
5.0
Great overview of the plight of Palestinians. Not overly dense or academic, but definitely not just a ‘popular’ account. The biographical element, the fact that the author talks extensively about his family’s involvement at each relevant turn, gives it a sense of immediacy that would have been missed in a more ‘impartial’ account.
laythco's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Excellent introduction to the history of modern Palestine. Khalidi does an exceptional job in writing history in a style that is engaging and inclusive of non-academic readers.