Ilan Pappe

What are the myths--and reality--behind the state of Israel? Ilan Pappe is one of the most outspoken and radical thinkers writing on the history of Israel. In this groundbreaking and controversial book he examines ten of the most contested ideas concerning the origins and identity of the contemporary state of Israel. Once and for all he explodes the myths that justify the rights of the Israeli state, asking, - Was Palestine an empty land at the time of the Balfour Declaration? - Were the Jews a people without a land? - Is there no difference between Zionism and Judaism? - Is Zionism not a colonial project of occupation? - Did the Palestinians leave their homeland voluntarily in 1948? - Was the June 1967 War a war of -no choice-? - Is Israel the only democracy in the Middle East? - Were the failed Oslo negotiations of 1992 the PLO's fault? - Was it a question of national security to bomb Gaza? - Is the Two States Solution still achievable? Written for the general reader, this book will prompt a huge, and necessary, debate.

Ten Myths about Israel

This took me a long time to read through - I’m not experienced reading non-fiction like this, so at times it was a lot. However, the organization of content was helpful for someone new to the subject, like me, to follow. The timeline included at the end of the book was a great resource to reference. Reading this in concurrence with fiction novels about Palestinian characters was a good combination, to give personal context to the information in this book. I highly recommend. 

Sophia 

Yaffa

This is a fundamental book to start shedding your doubts against the Palestinian struggle for independence. You will understand why Israel never is and never will be a legitimate state, and always have been a settler colonial project doomed to fail.

“History lies at the core of every conflict. A true and unbiased understanding of the past offers the possibility of peace. The distortion or manipulation of history, in contrast, will only sow disaster.”

Ilan Pappe exposes 6 myths about the History of Israel, 3 Fallacies of the Present Israel and 1 Conclusion on the future of the conflict between Israel and Palestine approaching the possibility (or not) of a two-state solution.

 It is interesting to see a pro-Palestine view coming from an Israeli/Jew perspective, especially after knowing how he's been excluded by his compatriots for not sharing the same ideas, which is minimally intriguing—to say the least.    

“It would be a real bonus if advocates of Zionism or loyal supporters of Israel were also willing to engage with the arguments herein. After all, the book is written by an Israeli Jew who cares about his own society as much as he does about the Palestinian one. Refuting mythologies that sustain injustice should be of benefit to everyone living in the country or wishing to live there.”      

On the other hand, that's the type of book I'd recommend merely as an introduction to the topic. I've seen some people saying Pappé is too vague and does not quote his fonts, saying “There are a lot of fonts, do your research yourselves” or whatever. However, I was glad to find this book full of bibliography by the end and the author quoted other historian's points during the chapters such as Muhammed Muslih, Rashid Khalidi, Gershon Shafir, Zeev Sternhell, and Zachary Lockman. But those quotations were not done in details, probably to encourage the reader to look for it by themselves (???) since there are a lot of books in the bibliography used as references to look for. In his own words:    

“My hope is that, whether the reader is a newcomer to the field, or a veteran student of it, the book will be a useful tool. It is directed primarily to anyone who finds themselves in a discussion on the evergreen topic of the Israel–Palestine question. [...] Moreover, the book will hopefully prove a useful tool for activists who recognize that knowledge about Palestine is as necessary as commitment to the cause. It is not a substitute for the incredible work done by many scholars over the years, whose contributions have made a book like this possible; but it is an entry point into that world of knowledge.”      

All in all, it really did serve it's purpose because it intrigued me enough to make me question everything I've been told about the conflict on Palestine until now—even looking for explanations in the Bible itself sometimes, when plausible. Good introductory reading (Since I feel it could have a lot more content and information approached)

addie

“History lies at the core of every conflict. A true and unbiased understanding of the past offers the possibility of peace. The distortion or manipulation of history, in contrast, will only sow disaster.”      

Ilan Pappe exposes 6 myths about the History of Israel, 3 Fallacies of the Present Israel and 1 Conclusion on the future of the conflict between Israel and Palestine approaching the possibility (or not) of a two-state solution. It is interesting to see a pro-Palestine view coming from an Israeli/Jew perspective, especially after knowing how he's been excluded by his compatriots for not sharing the same ideas, which is minimally intriguing—to say the least.    

“It would be a real bonus if advocates of Zionism or loyal supporters of Israel were also willing to engage with the arguments herein. After all, the book is written by an Israeli Jew who cares about his own society as much as he does about the Palestinian one. Refuting mythologies that sustain injustice should be of benefit to everyone living in the country or wishing to live there.”      

On the other hand, that's the type of book I'd recommend merely as an introduction to the topic. I've seen some people saying Pappé is too vague and does not quote his fonts, saying “There are a lot of fonts, do your research yourselves” or whatever. However, I was glad to find this book full of bibliography by the end and the author quoted other historian's points during the chapters such as Muhammed Muslih, Rashid Khalidi, Gershon Shafir, Zeev Sternhell, and Zachary Lockman. But those quotations were not done in details, probably to encourage the reader to look for it by themselves (???) since there are a lot of books in the bibliography used as references to look for. In his own words:    

“My hope is that, whether the reader is a newcomer to the field, or a veteran student of it, the book will be a useful tool. It is directed primarily to anyone who finds themselves in a discussion on the evergreen topic of the Israel–Palestine question. [...] Moreover, the book will hopefully prove a useful tool for activists who recognize that knowledge about Palestine is as necessary as commitment to the cause. It is not a substitute for the incredible work done by many scholars over the years, whose contributions have made a book like this possible; but it is an entry point into that world of knowledge.”       

All in all, it really did serve it's purpose because it intrigued me enough to make me question everything I've been told about the conflict on Palestine until now—even looking for explanations in the Bible itself sometimes, when plausible. Good introductory reading (Since I feel it could have a lot more content and information approached)

Ten Myths about Israel

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