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Palestine: A Socialist Introduction
This edited volume makes an impassioned and informed case for the central place of Palestine in socialist organizing and of socialism in the struggle to free Palestine.
Palestine: A Socialist Introduction systematically tackles a number of important aspects of the Palestinian struggle for liberation, contextualizing it in an increasingly polarized world and offering a socialist perspective on how full liberation can be won.
Through an internationalist, anti-imperialist lens, this book explores the links between the struggle for freedom in the United States and that in Palestine, and beyond. It examines both the historical and contemporary trajectory of the Palestine solidarity movement in order to glean lessons for today’s organizers, and compellingly lays out the argument that, in order to achieve justice in Palestine, the movement has to take up the question of socialism regionally and internationally.
Contributors include: Jehad Abusalim, Shireen Akram-Boshar, Omar Barghouti, Nada Elia, Toufic Haddad, Omar Hassan, Remi Kanazi, Annie Levin, Mostafa Omar, Khury Petersen-Smith, and Daphna Thier.
Palestine: A Socialist Introduction systematically tackles a number of important aspects of the Palestinian struggle for liberation, contextualizing it in an increasingly polarized world and offering a socialist perspective on how full liberation can be won.
Through an internationalist, anti-imperialist lens, this book explores the links between the struggle for freedom in the United States and that in Palestine, and beyond. It examines both the historical and contemporary trajectory of the Palestine solidarity movement in order to glean lessons for today’s organizers, and compellingly lays out the argument that, in order to achieve justice in Palestine, the movement has to take up the question of socialism regionally and internationally.
Contributors include: Jehad Abusalim, Shireen Akram-Boshar, Omar Barghouti, Nada Elia, Toufic Haddad, Omar Hassan, Remi Kanazi, Annie Levin, Mostafa Omar, Khury Petersen-Smith, and Daphna Thier.
250 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
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August 3, 2021I don't want to rate this book. I read this book to educate myself about the Palestine. Just a few pointers:
1. Certain (historical) things have been written from various perspectives, so it may hurt some people's sentiments.
2. If you don't know the basics of politics or political terms then it might be hard for you to follow.
3. The book talks about everything that happened in Palestine after 1948
4. Palestinians living/who lived in Palestine have authored the book so you WON'T GET ISRAEL'S PERSPECTIVE. And you shouldn't even ask for Israel's perspective because it's like asking a book about WWII from a Nazi's perspective.
1. Certain (historical) things have been written from various perspectives, so it may hurt some people's sentiments.
2. If you don't know the basics of politics or political terms then it might be hard for you to follow.
3. The book talks about everything that happened in Palestine after 1948
4. Palestinians living/who lived in Palestine have authored the book so you WON'T GET ISRAEL'S PERSPECTIVE. And you shouldn't even ask for Israel's perspective because it's like asking a book about WWII from a Nazi's perspective.
May 25, 2021
Haymarket Books is currently offering the ebook for free to download, available here:
This was a great, comprehensive introduction to Palestine and the history of the oppression of the Palestinian peoples featuring a collection of essays from a variety of scholars. I picked it up to read now as it was just published months ago and the past few weeks have seen a surge in global discussion and media coverage since the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in Shiekh Jarrah and subsequent violence. I also am not very familiar with socialist theory so I thought it would be a good place to start to educate myself by reading work from Palestinian and anti-imperialist scholars (which it turned out to be).
I initially hesitated to read this book after seeing a critique of it on twitter (found here: ). In my opinion, I don't think it holds strong enough to warrant not reading it because the book does exactly what the title says it does: introduces the reader to Palestine with a socialist angle. We can get caught up in the technicalities of what socialism means and digress into the intricacies that distinguish Trotskyism and Stalinism (which that review adamantly argues is harmful to the cause), but for those who are not familiar with socialist theory and history I think it explains well how socialist themes can be applied to anti-imperialist movements within Palestine and globally. For those that seek to understand these nuances within the socialist movement in more detail, then this introduction is perhaps too basic and requires a more specialised work (the reviewer linked above provides some recommendations). For those however who want to read a narrative of the region in relation to occupation, settler-colonialism, and capitalism from the Palestinian perspective with a socialist application then I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
I would certainly disagree with anyone who argues that this book is anything other than anti-imperialist as it continuously exposes the implications of the United States and the settler-colonial Zionist project by the state of Israel on Palestinian lives within the local and regional context as well as in diaspora. Contrary to the Twitter review, I think we can critique US enemies AND be anti-US imperialism when discussing all the obstacles to liberation from oppression - which I think the book does well. Regardless, you can make up your own mind after reading!
I especially appreciated Part 3 which explains the importance of the BDS movement (featuring an interview with its co-founder), the crucial role of Palestinian women in shaping the resistance, and the parallels with the Black liberation movement in the United States and other movements against white/colonial oppression across the world. The afterword by Remi Kanazi is particularly inspiring and details ways in which we can act in solidarity against the ongoing oppression.
And finally just want to emphasize again that this is just an introduction! Reading about Palestine should not stop here as there are so many great books as well that I feel more prepared to engage with after reading this.
This was a great, comprehensive introduction to Palestine and the history of the oppression of the Palestinian peoples featuring a collection of essays from a variety of scholars. I picked it up to read now as it was just published months ago and the past few weeks have seen a surge in global discussion and media coverage since the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in Shiekh Jarrah and subsequent violence. I also am not very familiar with socialist theory so I thought it would be a good place to start to educate myself by reading work from Palestinian and anti-imperialist scholars (which it turned out to be).
I initially hesitated to read this book after seeing a critique of it on twitter (found here: ). In my opinion, I don't think it holds strong enough to warrant not reading it because the book does exactly what the title says it does: introduces the reader to Palestine with a socialist angle. We can get caught up in the technicalities of what socialism means and digress into the intricacies that distinguish Trotskyism and Stalinism (which that review adamantly argues is harmful to the cause), but for those who are not familiar with socialist theory and history I think it explains well how socialist themes can be applied to anti-imperialist movements within Palestine and globally. For those that seek to understand these nuances within the socialist movement in more detail, then this introduction is perhaps too basic and requires a more specialised work (the reviewer linked above provides some recommendations). For those however who want to read a narrative of the region in relation to occupation, settler-colonialism, and capitalism from the Palestinian perspective with a socialist application then I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
I would certainly disagree with anyone who argues that this book is anything other than anti-imperialist as it continuously exposes the implications of the United States and the settler-colonial Zionist project by the state of Israel on Palestinian lives within the local and regional context as well as in diaspora. Contrary to the Twitter review, I think we can critique US enemies AND be anti-US imperialism when discussing all the obstacles to liberation from oppression - which I think the book does well. Regardless, you can make up your own mind after reading!
I especially appreciated Part 3 which explains the importance of the BDS movement (featuring an interview with its co-founder), the crucial role of Palestinian women in shaping the resistance, and the parallels with the Black liberation movement in the United States and other movements against white/colonial oppression across the world. The afterword by Remi Kanazi is particularly inspiring and details ways in which we can act in solidarity against the ongoing oppression.
And finally just want to emphasize again that this is just an introduction! Reading about Palestine should not stop here as there are so many great books as well that I feel more prepared to engage with after reading this.
October 30, 2023
This is an essay collection by multiple writers looking at Palestine through a socialist lens. There are some essays I found more engaging then others, as per usual with a collection, but overall it was a good read. I feel like the title is a bit misleading, as this doesn't read like an introduction text to me, on either Palestine (which I have a good understanding of) or Socialism (which I have a very basic understanding of). I still think there is a lot to gain from the essays even if some of them went deep into the weeds- which is great if you already have some understanding and may be too much or too specific for someone looking for an introduction.
The strongest essays to me were:
"Not an Ally: the Israeli Working Class" -analyzing how labor rights and the working class relate to the struggle for Palestinian freedom
"Multiple Jeopardy: Gender and Liberation in Palestine" covering a number of things from White Feminism to Palestinian women contribution in liberation work and their erasure from it
"Cops Here, Bombs There: Black-Palestinian Solidarity" which talks about solidarity in the 60's to the present
I will also say there is an essay "The National Liberation Struggle: A Socialist Analysis" that I remembered seeing this thread a while back and this is one of the essays that for me went a bit too deep into the weeds regarding socialism and like I said my socialism history is not great, so I can't say much about that criticism. There is also this review which also addresses this essay and the introductory framework from the editors:
This book is currently, and frequently, offered as a free e-book from the publisher Haymarket Books.
The strongest essays to me were:
"Not an Ally: the Israeli Working Class" -analyzing how labor rights and the working class relate to the struggle for Palestinian freedom
"Multiple Jeopardy: Gender and Liberation in Palestine" covering a number of things from White Feminism to Palestinian women contribution in liberation work and their erasure from it
"Cops Here, Bombs There: Black-Palestinian Solidarity" which talks about solidarity in the 60's to the present
I will also say there is an essay "The National Liberation Struggle: A Socialist Analysis" that I remembered seeing this thread a while back and this is one of the essays that for me went a bit too deep into the weeds regarding socialism and like I said my socialism history is not great, so I can't say much about that criticism. There is also this review which also addresses this essay and the introductory framework from the editors:
This book is currently, and frequently, offered as a free e-book from the publisher Haymarket Books.
December 7, 2024
It's been more than 200 days since the start of the current conflict in Palestine. Three months later, Radical Reading group decided to read this book for January to February. Four months later, I, the nominator, finally finished this book. Even though I prepared myself to be educated, this was still not an easy read. There are twelve essays, offering lots of perspectives from historical backgrounds on the actors and the regions, plus lenses of gender, intersectionalities, and the links to other social justice movements. The later parts were more digestible for me - maybe because they involve fewer dates and less repetitive - but also since it about the 'now'. The book - published in 2020 - made a chilling prediction of a much bigger conflict that was going to happen. Voila, we are consistently reading it on the news each day. I hope people are not going to be desensitized over the figures of deaths and destruction (as of now over 35,000 killed, 14,500 were children). I wish the book explores more about the BDS movement since it is the one thing that I saw actually had some kind of impact in my country. I guess I will have to look for sources elsewhere. Glad I read this book, truly, quite eye-opening and a basically a feast for thought.
January 26, 2021
A fantastic introduction to Palestinians' struggle for liberation. For a short(-ish) book, there's a lot of info packed into it.
It covers a wide range of topics, from the historical roots of the 1948 Nakba to the nature and extent of US and UK support for Israel at the expense of Palestinians and other oppressed Arab groups in the middle-east, to even a class analysis of Israel and an explanation of the counter-revolutionary nature of the Israeli working-class. It also includes important chapters detailing the history and failure of the PLO and left-wing liberation organizations to really improve material conditions for Palestinians and how such groups - and Palestinians outside said groups - have responded to the Arab Spring and Arab uprisings throughout the region, as well as chapters on the role of women in the Palestinian liberation movement and the connection between the Palestinian struggle and the black struggle for liberation in the US.
While Palestinians have faced crushing defeats fighting for basic human rights and the right to return to their own land, the authors who wrote the several essays which compose this book remind us that there is a way out and to be optimistic. While Palestinians face oppression from 3 fronts - from the Palestinian Authority which is supposed to represent them, from Western-backed Israel and from other Arab states who accept them as refugees but treat them as second-class citizens, Palestinians - along with other working-class Arab groups - have been organizing on the ground in complex and shifting ways. Support for Palestinians have also been gaining ground in the US and other countries through the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) Movement.
Ultimately - as the authors remind us - the only way forward to liberating all oppressed and colonized peoples is international solidarity and struggle against imperialism, settler-colonialism and capitalism.
It covers a wide range of topics, from the historical roots of the 1948 Nakba to the nature and extent of US and UK support for Israel at the expense of Palestinians and other oppressed Arab groups in the middle-east, to even a class analysis of Israel and an explanation of the counter-revolutionary nature of the Israeli working-class. It also includes important chapters detailing the history and failure of the PLO and left-wing liberation organizations to really improve material conditions for Palestinians and how such groups - and Palestinians outside said groups - have responded to the Arab Spring and Arab uprisings throughout the region, as well as chapters on the role of women in the Palestinian liberation movement and the connection between the Palestinian struggle and the black struggle for liberation in the US.
While Palestinians have faced crushing defeats fighting for basic human rights and the right to return to their own land, the authors who wrote the several essays which compose this book remind us that there is a way out and to be optimistic. While Palestinians face oppression from 3 fronts - from the Palestinian Authority which is supposed to represent them, from Western-backed Israel and from other Arab states who accept them as refugees but treat them as second-class citizens, Palestinians - along with other working-class Arab groups - have been organizing on the ground in complex and shifting ways. Support for Palestinians have also been gaining ground in the US and other countries through the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) Movement.
Ultimately - as the authors remind us - the only way forward to liberating all oppressed and colonized peoples is international solidarity and struggle against imperialism, settler-colonialism and capitalism.
May 14, 2021
Some fair criticisms of the book's author getting influenced by imperialist versions of history is here (h/t ab)
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July 5, 2021People dunk on anarchists for whatever reason but most of the time their criticisms are hard to dismiss. Lot of people in reviews are linking some twitter thread which accuses this book of being literal CIA propaganda for saying USSR didn't have the right approach to Palestine, and for saying Assad is a brutal dictator. How absurd! Firstly there wasn't much to the criticism except that USSR approached Palestine through a cold war lens, and that PFLP hasn't been very principled for some time. Entirely sober criticisms imo.
And even if these criticisms are unfair, or wrong, they are inessential to most of the arguments in the book. The essays in the book make a good job of introducing the main obstacles in the way of Palestinian liberation: the brutal repression by Israel with active support by the US, the duplicity of the Arab states, and the cowardice and corruption of Palestinian politicians. These factors are not equal, but they're each necessary for the continued existence of the status quo.
Each of these factors are explained in reasonable detail in the various essays, and while not all of them are written in a gripping way, they are all assembled to form a compact and reasonably complete whole. The socialist lens in looking at the Palestine struggle makes sense in each of the factors as it is integral in explaining the Israeli imperialism, the Arab states' complicity and the Palestinian politicians unprincipled inaction. This is not to say that the analyses are particularly deep, but Palestine problem is not complex at all and a superficial socialist analysis seems adequate. I mean to say this is not a tough read.
And even if these criticisms are unfair, or wrong, they are inessential to most of the arguments in the book. The essays in the book make a good job of introducing the main obstacles in the way of Palestinian liberation: the brutal repression by Israel with active support by the US, the duplicity of the Arab states, and the cowardice and corruption of Palestinian politicians. These factors are not equal, but they're each necessary for the continued existence of the status quo.
Each of these factors are explained in reasonable detail in the various essays, and while not all of them are written in a gripping way, they are all assembled to form a compact and reasonably complete whole. The socialist lens in looking at the Palestine struggle makes sense in each of the factors as it is integral in explaining the Israeli imperialism, the Arab states' complicity and the Palestinian politicians unprincipled inaction. This is not to say that the analyses are particularly deep, but Palestine problem is not complex at all and a superficial socialist analysis seems adequate. I mean to say this is not a tough read.
October 13, 2023
Revisiting this book because of the war in Israel/Palestine rn, there are some essays and passages in here that I wish everyone would read, ones that identify the many different splintered political factions within Palestine, it is a complex political landscape not a monolith. && The ones that show that the Israeli government and founders (British, American & Western European imperialist leaders) do not care about Jewish people really � it is never safe or okay to be an occupier, the fact that Zionism has been sold as safety and morally just is a tragedy that exploits very old trauma. Israel is a colonial project that has preyed on and radicalized many vulnerable populations which is heartbreaking. Some essays in this book also speak about the treatment of Arab Jews by the Israeli state which is very telling.
This book is informative and has a timeline at the front which is very useful. The book is rooted in ideas of Marxism so the perspective is often talking about class and issues of the working class which is cool! I question certain points that are made, but it’s a really informative and sad read, I would recommend it if you’re wanting to know more about this issue and you identify with socialist politics.
Of course as a white American reading this book I must think about the ways I am an occupier in these the US and how can I be in true solidarity with indigenous people here.
This book is informative and has a timeline at the front which is very useful. The book is rooted in ideas of Marxism so the perspective is often talking about class and issues of the working class which is cool! I question certain points that are made, but it’s a really informative and sad read, I would recommend it if you’re wanting to know more about this issue and you identify with socialist politics.
Of course as a white American reading this book I must think about the ways I am an occupier in these the US and how can I be in true solidarity with indigenous people here.
August 16, 2021
I'm giving it 3 stars out of sympathy with the cause, this should be called Palestine: A Trotkyiste Introduction. I was hoping to read about the history of socialist movements in Palestine from their genealogy to its contemporary status, but instead, I was given a weird internationalist relation with movements in the US like BLM and LGBT. Also, going through very superficial and almost stupid quotes about China and Stalin.
There's definitely something better out there.
There's definitely something better out there.
June 9, 2021
A collection of accessible essays for any leftist interested in learning more about Palestine. If you’re short on time (and have a general background of the country), I would recommend the following chapters and conclusion:
- Not an Ally: the Israeli Working Class (who inherently cannot stand with Palestine due to their material conditions)
- Gender and Liberation in Palestine (good critique on White Western feminism)
- Black-Palestinian Solidarity (shout out to the Miami Dream Defenders)
HOWEVER � please note that there is genuine critique regarding the stance on Stalinism that can best be summarized in this Twitter thread. I still recommend the book but it would be disingenuous to not include this.
- Not an Ally: the Israeli Working Class (who inherently cannot stand with Palestine due to their material conditions)
- Gender and Liberation in Palestine (good critique on White Western feminism)
- Black-Palestinian Solidarity (shout out to the Miami Dream Defenders)
HOWEVER � please note that there is genuine critique regarding the stance on Stalinism that can best be summarized in this Twitter thread. I still recommend the book but it would be disingenuous to not include this.
November 30, 2023
Incredible content but a little dry overall. Not enough to deter me, but just a note. Still highly recommend. from the river to the sea palestine will be free 🇵🇸
December 29, 2021
kinda finding it hard to rate this one because it was a collection of essays and while I do think the overal quality of the essays was great I think maybe I just...misunderstood what this book was about and I expected more of an "introduction" text rather than this well rather intense read that I do think expects the audience to have more than a beginning level knowledge on both Palestine (Which I know a little about) and socialism (which I don't know much about). I do think the conclusion at the end was really helpful to tie all the ideas of the essays together.
December 28, 2023
Essential read in my opinion! This book shares the history and political context of the US Imperial interest in supporting Israel which is crucial for those of us living in the US to understand. Very sad read especially as we see the day by day terror that is going on in the Gaza Strip right now.
May 15, 2021
Palestine: A Socialist Introduction is a collection of essays, which is divided into three parts.
The first section is historiographical and provides context for the Palestinian struggle. It explores the nature of Zionism as a settler colonialist project facilitated by imperialist powers like Britain and the United States. It examines how the US uses the state of Israel to maintain dominance regionally and globally. I learned that Israel carries out US imperialism by supplying arms to military dictatorships like the one in El Salvador. To flesh out the details of this section, I recommend the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. “Nakba is not a thing of the past. It’s impact is felt by every single Palestinian...�
A lot of the second section was new information for me. The essays examined how the Israeli working class is a collaborator of its own colonizer ruling class, the PLO, and Palestinian liberation in the broader context of Arab liberation and independence.
The third section was a favourite. It discusses the importance of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS) in the global fight for Palestine, taking inspiration from South Africa. The section on Black-Palestinian solidarity reminds me of Angela Davis� Freedom is a Constant Struggle and makes me excited to read Black Power and Palestine. The gender analysis features women in resistance and as political prisoners, and I wish it highlighted Fatima Bernawi.
The socialist analysis leans more to anarchism. The book features critique for what the writers see as top-down authoritarian movements and states that fail to address the local elites and capitalists. Examples they gave are China and the former USSR. Therefore, some may feel challenged or offended by their approach.
Awad and Bean believes that “an international socialist movement, from the bottom up, rooted in the workers and oppressed of the world is the only path toward liberation for Palestine.�
The first section is historiographical and provides context for the Palestinian struggle. It explores the nature of Zionism as a settler colonialist project facilitated by imperialist powers like Britain and the United States. It examines how the US uses the state of Israel to maintain dominance regionally and globally. I learned that Israel carries out US imperialism by supplying arms to military dictatorships like the one in El Salvador. To flesh out the details of this section, I recommend the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. “Nakba is not a thing of the past. It’s impact is felt by every single Palestinian...�
A lot of the second section was new information for me. The essays examined how the Israeli working class is a collaborator of its own colonizer ruling class, the PLO, and Palestinian liberation in the broader context of Arab liberation and independence.
The third section was a favourite. It discusses the importance of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS) in the global fight for Palestine, taking inspiration from South Africa. The section on Black-Palestinian solidarity reminds me of Angela Davis� Freedom is a Constant Struggle and makes me excited to read Black Power and Palestine. The gender analysis features women in resistance and as political prisoners, and I wish it highlighted Fatima Bernawi.
The socialist analysis leans more to anarchism. The book features critique for what the writers see as top-down authoritarian movements and states that fail to address the local elites and capitalists. Examples they gave are China and the former USSR. Therefore, some may feel challenged or offended by their approach.
Awad and Bean believes that “an international socialist movement, from the bottom up, rooted in the workers and oppressed of the world is the only path toward liberation for Palestine.�
May 30, 2021
I give this book 3 stars because of troskyist view of socialism under ussr.
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February 17, 2024This was a hard one. Definitely not an “introduction�! I don’t think I had enough in depth knowledge of the past century of Palestinian politics to really understand a lot of what was discussed but I did get some shining gems of information from each essay. My mind has been broadened for sure.
I had some issues with the way this was written and it sometimes seemed like essays written for a college class with quotes pulled from the about section on websites. At other times there were statements made with few or no sources referenced which gave me pause. And sometimes it was so academic that I just could not follow. Anyway, important and impressive work nonetheless!
I had some issues with the way this was written and it sometimes seemed like essays written for a college class with quotes pulled from the about section on websites. At other times there were statements made with few or no sources referenced which gave me pause. And sometimes it was so academic that I just could not follow. Anyway, important and impressive work nonetheless!
January 19, 2024
While this book was not my actual introduction, it was my first clear introduction through a socialist lens.
Key Takeaways:
1. Like the US, Israel has a war-dependent economy.
2. Many members of the working class and the political left or those that identify as "Liberal" in Israel are beneficiaries of the occupation and of the constant fear of Israel having to "defend itself". Which is why those Israelis that are in complete opposition, are small in numbers, and among those who's voices are unheard.
3. Black-Palestinian solidarity is a longstanding tradition that goes back for decades despite what the Israli propaganda machine is feeding us in 2023-24. The last chapter gives plenty of examples and IMO, invites the reader to research and expand on this further.
Free Palestine!!!
Key Takeaways:
1. Like the US, Israel has a war-dependent economy.
2. Many members of the working class and the political left or those that identify as "Liberal" in Israel are beneficiaries of the occupation and of the constant fear of Israel having to "defend itself". Which is why those Israelis that are in complete opposition, are small in numbers, and among those who's voices are unheard.
3. Black-Palestinian solidarity is a longstanding tradition that goes back for decades despite what the Israli propaganda machine is feeding us in 2023-24. The last chapter gives plenty of examples and IMO, invites the reader to research and expand on this further.
Free Palestine!!!
October 22, 2023
A pretty good introduction to the oppression of the Palestinian people. I particularly appreciated the chapter explaining why at the moment, the Israeli working class cannot be counted on to aid in the Palestinian struggle, it was well written and explained. I think some of the contributors put too much trust in the so-called progressive democrats they mentioned as a way to forge Palestinian solidarity in the US, but I can understand where that urge comes from. I wish the chapter on feminism could have delved further into other work Palestinian women have been doing to resist, but I did learn about some who I hadn't heard of before, as well as the difficulties Palestinian women have in the west to gain sympathy for their cause. I don't know that this would be the first book I would recommend most people to read on the issue, but it would be up there on the list.
October 17, 2023
Now, more than ever, it’s important to learn about Palestine. To remember the Palestinian people, tell their stories, and build a place where they can pursue their future.
During this ongoing ethnic cleansing, hold close every Palestinian who shares their story, and seek their stories out. We need to be able to recount their stories when the day of reckoning comes.
From the River to the Sea. 🇵🇸
During this ongoing ethnic cleansing, hold close every Palestinian who shares their story, and seek their stories out. We need to be able to recount their stories when the day of reckoning comes.
From the River to the Sea. 🇵🇸
December 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and think it did a great job giving an overview of key moments since 1948 (w/ some pre-1948 history littered throughout) that all helped either analyze the state of Palestine in the past/present, the role of the larger MENA region/movements + uprisings there, and/or the US's role in propagating Zionism and strengthening the Israeli Apartheid, but also progressive movements in the US that have been longtime supporters of the struggle for Palestinian liberation. And, each essay in the book does a good job of highlighting the importance of intersectionality when discussing Palestine/what freedom for Palestinians looks like.
It is a good introduction, but it definitely is easier to follow if you have some prior knowledge or understanding.
One section that did make me pause was in the conclusion when the editors said "a second strategic consideration is to prioritize joining forces with workers [in the US] involved directly or indirectly in the military-industrial complex..." but I do agree w/ the argument made in the end about how BDS will help organize workers to withhold labor from said corporations + gov institutions. I was thrown off by the initial wording, but then I agreed with the concluding thought.
It is a good introduction, but it definitely is easier to follow if you have some prior knowledge or understanding.
One section that did make me pause was in the conclusion when the editors said "a second strategic consideration is to prioritize joining forces with workers [in the US] involved directly or indirectly in the military-industrial complex..." but I do agree w/ the argument made in the end about how BDS will help organize workers to withhold labor from said corporations + gov institutions. I was thrown off by the initial wording, but then I agreed with the concluding thought.
June 13, 2021
Excellent overview of the Israeli apartheid in Palestine, and also a great primer on settler colonialism, socialism, even Marxism to an extent. Unapologetically politically biased (as is obvious from the title), the style of which felt unfamiliar and slightly challenging to me at the start (slightly manifesto-like), but I found most of the points very valid. I especially enjoyed the two chapters in Part 3 on the intersection of the Palestine liberation movement with feminism & queer rights, and with anti-racism & BLM, as well as the history of Zionism near the start.
4-star because the writing style was at times unnecessarily wordy or repetitive. However, it's a compilation of essays by different authors and activists, so I expect that not everyone's writing style will be exactly my cup of tea, and the majority of the writing was clear and compelling.
4-star because the writing style was at times unnecessarily wordy or repetitive. However, it's a compilation of essays by different authors and activists, so I expect that not everyone's writing style will be exactly my cup of tea, and the majority of the writing was clear and compelling.
January 22, 2021
This was maybe not as much of introduction to the history of Palestine and its liberation struggle as I might have needed, being a collection of essays by different authors, all informed by socialist history and thought. Don't get me wrong, it's good, and it's on an important subject. Just because I'm really behind on a lot of global issues isn't the book's fault. And I don't know a better more general introduction to the subject offhand. I particularly appreciated the essay on the connections between the U.S.'s Black liberation struggle and Palestine's, and an essay on women and gender in Palestine was also good, and maybe more accessible to me. I guess what I'm saying is that it's worth reading, so don't be daunted.
May 17, 2021
This book does a lot to explain the origins of Palestine, the British Mandate, as well as the Zionist Movement, Israeli pride as well as how the state of Isreal continues to be funded by imperial money from the United States of America. It also does a lot to make sure that the state in Palestine currently is not that of war, conflict or a clash, more so representative of settler colonialism, where one side constructs an exclusivist ethnocracy at the expense of the natives. Great read all around.
June 7, 2021
The United States Progressive population/movements tend to ignore the question: “Where do you stand on Palestine?� - This book from a Socialist point of view addresses why the Left needs to stand in solidarity with Palestine.
It’s a good intro to the topic. With the rise of DSA and the rise of BDS into the Democratic Party, this book would be good for a reading/study group.
It’s a good intro to the topic. With the rise of DSA and the rise of BDS into the Democratic Party, this book would be good for a reading/study group.
October 22, 2023
"We don't have [...] star-studded galas to raise funds for demonstrators in Gaza. We don't have waves of glowing op-eds in the New York Times and Washington Post affirming our struggle for justice. But we have people power, student organizing, local coalitions, and a growing chorus of voices outraged at the injustice in front of them."
Free Palestine 🇵🇸
Free Palestine 🇵🇸
December 21, 2021
essential reading
November 4, 2023
Definitely worth the read
December 12, 2023
I think this is a fantastic informative read that anyone who wishes to educate themselves about the socialism and anti-colonialism in the context of the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
December 29, 2023
so informative and so important. a must-read!
November 17, 2024
Stellar!!! A great text for people that want to learn more about Palestine!
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