Some reads for understanding the situation in Palestine

The latest crisis in Palestine is but a blip in the long, blood-soaked history of the region. The accumulated human toll and suffering continues to this day with no end in sight. How did it begin, and where would it lead? Is there an end in sight?

While some are keeping close tabs on developments in Palestine, others may be reading up about it. The topics of Palestine and the Israeli occupation are sensitive and can be hard to understand, so we've put together a selection of materials we think will help anyone who wants to know more about the conflict.

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappe
Oneworld Publications
9781851685554

Since the Holocaust, hiding major crimes against humanity has been almost impossible. Yet, as Ilan Pappe unveils, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in 1948 has somehow been erased from the global public memory. But why is it denied, and by whom? Using Israeli archival materials and testimonies of Palestinian victims, Pappe builds a case for the existence of this crime and how it unfolded.

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
Picador
9781250787651

Drawing on untapped archival materials and the reports of generations of family members, this book upends accepted interpretations of the conflict in Palestine. Khalidi traces a century of colonial war on the Palestinians, waged first by the Zionist movement and then Israel, with the support of Britain and the United States.

Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom by Norman G. Finkelstein
University of California Press
9780520318335

The Gaza Strip is among the world's most densely populated regions. Since 2004, Israel has launched eight devastating "operations" against Gaza's population and subjected it to a merciless blockade. Based on numerous human rights reports, Finkelstein presents a meticulously researched probe into Gaza's martyrdom. He shows that although Israel has conducted its assaults in the name of self-defence, these actions constituted violations of international law.

In Search of Fatima by Ghada Karmi
Verso Books
9781844673681

This memoir chronicles Karmi's childhood in Palestine, flight to Britain after the Nakba, and coming of age in a north London Jewish suburb. It reflects the author's personal experiences of displacement and loss against a backdrop of the major political events that shaped conflict in the Middle East. An intimate, nuanced exploration of the hardships of psychological displacement and loss of identity.

Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman, and Khalil Shikaki
Bloomsbury Academic
9781350321380

This book provides a balanced overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It sets out to relay basic information on its evolution and explore the efforts to resolve it, and then goes on to portray the differing perspectives of each of the important parties. Written by a distinguished team of leading scholars, this book outlines key developments in the history of the conflict.

Palestine by Joe Sacco
Jonathan Cape
9780224069823

At the time of the first Intifada, Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco spent two months with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Upon returning to the United States he started working on this book, which combines eyewitness reportage with comic-book storytelling. In it, he captures the heart of the Palestinian experience with insight and humour.

The Question of Palestine by Edward W. Said
Vintage
9780679739883

Said traces the clash between two peoples in the Middle East and its repercussions. He attempts to answer the question of Palestine in the context of colonialism and orientalism, arguing in favour of a two-state settlement to promote peace, understanding, and common interest. This book has been touted as the most useful and authoritative account of Palestine available for anyone interested in this region.

Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Michael B. Oren
Presidio Press
9780345461926

Though it lasted for only six days, the 1967 Arab–Israeli war never truly ended. Every crisis that tore through this region in the ensuing decades is a consequence of those six days. In this book, said to be the first comprehensive account of this epoch-making event, Oren reconstructs both the action on the battlefields and the political shocks that rocked the world.

They Called Me a Lioness by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri
Oneworld Publications
9780593134597

Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi came of age participating in nonviolent demonstrations against the occupation of her village in the West Bank. At 16 years old, a video of her slapping an Israeli soldier went viral. She was arrested and spent her 17th birthday behind bars. The vivid, gripping storytelling in this memoir, co-written with journalist Dena Takruri, illuminates the daily struggles of life under occupation. (Tamimi was arrested on 6 November 2023, a week after her father, Bassem Tamimi, was detained.)

All the best in your reading. While a solution to the conflict seems out of reach in the near future, we hope that latest bout of violence will end soon.