The myths and reality behind the state of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—from “the most eloquent writer on Palestinian history” (New Statesman). In this groundbreaking book, the outspoken Israeli historian Ilan Pappe examines the most contested ideas concerning the origins and identity of the contemporary state of Israel.
The “ten myths” that Pappe explores—repeated endlessly in the media, enforced by the military, accepted without question by the world’s governments—reinforce the regional status quo. He explores the claim that Palestine was an empty land at the time of the Balfour Declaration, as well as the formation of Zionism and its role in the early decades of nation-building. He asks whether the Palestinians voluntarily left their homeland in 1948 and whether June 1967 was a war of “no choice.” Turning to the myths surrounding the failures of the Camp David Accords and the official reasons for the attacks on Gaza, Pappe explains why the two-state solution is no longer viable.
Reviews:
"Ilan Pappe is Israel’s bravest, most principled, most incisive historian." John Pilger
"One of the most prominent Israeli political dissidents living in exile … He is also one of the few Israeli students of the conflict who write about the Palestinian side with real knowledge and empathy."
About the author
Ilan Pappe was born and raised in Israel. Pappe is an Israeli historian and social activist having done his PhD at Oxford University. He is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies.
Author: Ilan Pappe
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Publisher: Verso
Published: 2017
ISBN: 978-1786630193