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Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner's Guide
Since its release in 2009 Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner's Guide has become an essential primer for undergraduate students and activists getting to grips with the Palestine/Israel conflict for the first time. Ben White skillfully distills the work of academics and experts into a highly accessible introduction.
This new updated and expanded edition includes information on the Israeli blockade and attacks on the Gaza Strip since 2008, new policies targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel and the growth of the global Boycott Divestment Sanctions campaign.
Packed with vital information, quotations and resources, Israeli Apartheid never loses the human touch. The book is rooted in the author's extensive personal experience in Palestine and includes testimonies by Palestinians describing how Israeli apartheid affects their daily lives.
This new updated and expanded edition includes information on the Israeli blockade and attacks on the Gaza Strip since 2008, new policies targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel and the growth of the global Boycott Divestment Sanctions campaign.
Packed with vital information, quotations and resources, Israeli Apartheid never loses the human touch. The book is rooted in the author's extensive personal experience in Palestine and includes testimonies by Palestinians describing how Israeli apartheid affects their daily lives.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
49 people are currently reading
1044 people want to read
About the author
Ben White
5 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Ben White is a freelance journalist and writer specializing in Palestine/Israel. He also writes on the broader Middle East, Islam and Christianity, and the 'war on terror.' Ben has been to Palestine/Israel many times since 2003 and has a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University.
Ben White is a freelance journalist and writer specializing in Palestine/Israel. He also writes on the broader Middle East, Islam and Christianity, and the 'war on terror.' Ben has been to Palestine/Israel many times since 2003 and has a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 24, 2017
Very tempted to give this five stars. If, like me, you grew up not delving too much deeper into what lay behind the mainstream news line on Palestine, until the cracks started to show in that narrative, then this book is a must-read. I've been reading some great comment on the situation (for example, Chomsky), but that comment presupposes a pretty good familiarity with the timeline. Any gaps in that are extremely well filled in by this book.
It shows how the state of Israel has systematically degraded, attacked and heaped injustice upon the Palestinians who live in their country, and those whose country they occupied illegally. As well as a simple, referenced recounting of the key events and policies, there is a handy FAQ which debunks some of the standard lies/misapprehensions directly and effectively.
What's maybe most powerful, though, is the sheer breadth of quoted opinion and support for the truth -- that the state of Israel is very much an apartheid state. When a man like Desmond Tutu says as much, you sit up and take notice. After reading this, it's pretty much undeniable; it's hard to see how those who argue otherwise can be anything other than three things: indoctrinated, disingenuous, or just ill-informed and taken in by the propaganda. If everyone read this book, the occupation would have to end in short order.
It shows how the state of Israel has systematically degraded, attacked and heaped injustice upon the Palestinians who live in their country, and those whose country they occupied illegally. As well as a simple, referenced recounting of the key events and policies, there is a handy FAQ which debunks some of the standard lies/misapprehensions directly and effectively.
What's maybe most powerful, though, is the sheer breadth of quoted opinion and support for the truth -- that the state of Israel is very much an apartheid state. When a man like Desmond Tutu says as much, you sit up and take notice. After reading this, it's pretty much undeniable; it's hard to see how those who argue otherwise can be anything other than three things: indoctrinated, disingenuous, or just ill-informed and taken in by the propaganda. If everyone read this book, the occupation would have to end in short order.
May 17, 2021
This is a very important book that should be read by everyone especially the centrists who have suggested Palestinians to migrate to other places. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE GD ISRAEL WANTS.
I am still boiling with rage and miserable at the same time.
I am still boiling with rage and miserable at the same time.
Read
June 1, 2021This is not a book on Palestine or Israel or their history. It has a very specific focus. It is constructed like a long blog post (I don’t mean this pejoratively. Keep your prejudices to yourself.) making one argument—that there’s a specific word for what Israel does to Palestinians and that’s Apartheid. It has meticulous references and the argument is presented with a sharp clarity, but you got to go in keeping in mind the purpose of the book. So it’s the perfect book to convince someone that Israel is an apartheid state, and there are a wealth of references to get you going on the specific aspects of history you might want to read after this book. One more thing I admire about the book is, it has a very simple structure, and if you wanted to read one particular facet of the argument, you can just dive in and read that bit. There’s also an FAQ section with retorts to common Zionist talking points. So essentially you have everything in this book to win an Internet argument against a garden variety Zionist sympathiser. And of course anyone on the fence will definitely tip over to the good side.
It’s important to know the definition of “apartheid” as presented in the book, based on scholarship on the subject and international conventions.
The argument is divided into three parts. The first part is a concise presentation on key events in the last 70 years, and the development of Zionism as an ideology since before that. The important facts like what the founders of Zionism envisioned for Israel, the proportion of Jews and Palestinians at some junctures, etc. This sets up the exclusionary character of Israel as a concept.
The second part lists the various ways Israel has realised apartheid in practice. Through laws, governing, occupation, collective and individual punishment, etc. It is a concise list of Israel’s crimes basically, and it’s a dispassionate account interspersed with a couple of Palestinian testimonials. By the very nature, this account doesn’t convey the sheer inhumanity at the heart of each of these crimes, but it’s not meant to do that.
The third part lists a few initiatives by various Palestinian, Israeli and international organisations working against the occupation and apartheid, and it’s unusual for me to see that in a book, and it drives home how much this book is a resource for activism more than anything else. If you want to do something about making amends to the world’s apathy to Palestine, there are ways suggested in the book to help. But of course, the book is 8 years old and it cannot be comprehensive.
The situation has vastly improved in the international stage over the past few years for the Palestinians, while life in the Occupied Territories has become much worse as Israel has been getting more and more brazen, and the rise of authoritarian right wing solidarity world wide. The purpose of the book gathers much more urgency, while maybe the book becomes much less accurate in describing the present.
It’s important to know the definition of “apartheid” as presented in the book, based on scholarship on the subject and international conventions.
For the purpose of the present Convention, the term ‘the crime of apartheid’, which shall include similar policies and practices of racial segregation and discrimination as practised in southern Africa, shall apply to the following inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them … [emphasis added]
Article II, International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, UN General Assembly Resolution 3068, 30 November 1973
...
In 1973, the UN’s General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, which meant agreeing on a detailed description of what exactly ‘the crime of apartheid’ looked like. From this list of ‘inhuman acts’, there are some particularly worth highlighting:
• Denial to a member or members of a racial group or groups of the right to life and liberty of person … by the infliction upon the members of a racial group or groups of serious bodily or mental harm, by the infringement of their freedom or dignity, or by subjecting them to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
• Any legislative measures and other measures calculated to prevent a racial group or groups from participation in the political, social, economic and cultural life of the country … [including] the right to leave and to return to their country, the right to a nationality, the right to freedom of movement and residence …
• Any measures including legislative measures designed to divide the population along racial lines by the creation of separate reserves and ghettos for the members of a racial group or groups … the expropriation of landed property belonging to a racial group …
As will be described in Parts I and II of this book, Israel has been, and continues to be, guilty of these crimes, which are all the more serious for having been ‘committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons’.
The argument is divided into three parts. The first part is a concise presentation on key events in the last 70 years, and the development of Zionism as an ideology since before that. The important facts like what the founders of Zionism envisioned for Israel, the proportion of Jews and Palestinians at some junctures, etc. This sets up the exclusionary character of Israel as a concept.
The second part lists the various ways Israel has realised apartheid in practice. Through laws, governing, occupation, collective and individual punishment, etc. It is a concise list of Israel’s crimes basically, and it’s a dispassionate account interspersed with a couple of Palestinian testimonials. By the very nature, this account doesn’t convey the sheer inhumanity at the heart of each of these crimes, but it’s not meant to do that.
The third part lists a few initiatives by various Palestinian, Israeli and international organisations working against the occupation and apartheid, and it’s unusual for me to see that in a book, and it drives home how much this book is a resource for activism more than anything else. If you want to do something about making amends to the world’s apathy to Palestine, there are ways suggested in the book to help. But of course, the book is 8 years old and it cannot be comprehensive.
The situation has vastly improved in the international stage over the past few years for the Palestinians, while life in the Occupied Territories has become much worse as Israel has been getting more and more brazen, and the rise of authoritarian right wing solidarity world wide. The purpose of the book gathers much more urgency, while maybe the book becomes much less accurate in describing the present.
October 18, 2024
4.5
Świetnie wytłumaczony temat.
Świetnie wytłumaczony temat.
July 25, 2021
Interesting book - a great beginner's guide if you are like me and know a little about what happened between Israel and Palestine (i.e you know bad stuff went down but you were never really taught in school about the specifics) and finally want to learn more about the history, the present (although I will say I think the present is the present for the time it was written (2014) - and most importantly, what is being done and what can be done in the future. In addition to this it also has a little FAQ section with the most common questions being asked and answered that personally also helped clear up some things for me.
August 21, 2013
To refer to Israel as an apartheid state offends many given the background to the state’s origins and the sense that only the systemic racism that was the South African system from after WW2 until the early 1990 counts as apartheid. This short, sharp and explicitly argued case sets out to show that the label is justified. Like many other analysts of Israel, Ben White draws on the UN’s 1973 definition of apartheid (“inhuman acts for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group and systematically oppressing them”) to show that it applies.
His argument turns around a number of key characteristics if Israel. The first is that it is a colonial state – that is, that is was built on a place, Palestine, where there existed a previous population who were over-run and expelled. The second is that this indigenous population was systematically expelled from its historic homeland; White makes a compelling case for ethnic cleansing (not that we used that term in 1948/9). The third is that Israel’s domestic law systematically prioritises one ethnic group, Jews, over any other in a manner that means that Palestinian citizens of Israel do not have the same citizenship rights or equal treatment as Jewish citizens of Israel. Furthermore, he also shows how the development and implementation of a considerable body of Israel’s legal code systematically oppresses and marginalises Palestinians. These matters deal with the creation of the state of Israel as an ethnically exclusive state, and one that defines as its citizens those non-Jews who were born and who stayed there and members of a particular faith group, no matter where they were born.
The second set of characteristics relates to the situation of those Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. The fourth characteristic then is that Israel is systematically settling and taking control of the occupied Palestinian territories in a manner that violates international law both through the creation of colonies/settlements in strategically vital areas of the West Bank and in doing so underlining the viability of any Palestinian state that might be created there. As well as this colonisation of the West Bank, he also draws attention to the ‘Partition Wall’ an effect of which is the secure more West Bank land under Israeli control. In addition to this colonisation of the West Bank, White also identifies the oppressive circumstances of military rule including the highly restrictive permit system, house demolitions as well as detention, torture and military brutality that undermine Palestinian life.
The final section of the book also identifies a range of civil society organisations working to protect and enhance the situation for Palestinians including both those in Israel/Palestine such as legal rights activists, those opposing house demolitions and the wall and those who organise to commemorate the Nakba, ‘the catastrophe’ that was the creation of a colonial state in historic Palestine. In addition, he provides advice on forms and styles of international solidarity action.
This is an excellent primer, balancing narrative and analysis with case studies and individual/family stories. There is also an extremely good resource list including international solidarity groups. It is one of the most useful resources I have for the work I do on issues related to Palestine, providing brief summaries of many of the key issues.
His argument turns around a number of key characteristics if Israel. The first is that it is a colonial state – that is, that is was built on a place, Palestine, where there existed a previous population who were over-run and expelled. The second is that this indigenous population was systematically expelled from its historic homeland; White makes a compelling case for ethnic cleansing (not that we used that term in 1948/9). The third is that Israel’s domestic law systematically prioritises one ethnic group, Jews, over any other in a manner that means that Palestinian citizens of Israel do not have the same citizenship rights or equal treatment as Jewish citizens of Israel. Furthermore, he also shows how the development and implementation of a considerable body of Israel’s legal code systematically oppresses and marginalises Palestinians. These matters deal with the creation of the state of Israel as an ethnically exclusive state, and one that defines as its citizens those non-Jews who were born and who stayed there and members of a particular faith group, no matter where they were born.
The second set of characteristics relates to the situation of those Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. The fourth characteristic then is that Israel is systematically settling and taking control of the occupied Palestinian territories in a manner that violates international law both through the creation of colonies/settlements in strategically vital areas of the West Bank and in doing so underlining the viability of any Palestinian state that might be created there. As well as this colonisation of the West Bank, he also draws attention to the ‘Partition Wall’ an effect of which is the secure more West Bank land under Israeli control. In addition to this colonisation of the West Bank, White also identifies the oppressive circumstances of military rule including the highly restrictive permit system, house demolitions as well as detention, torture and military brutality that undermine Palestinian life.
The final section of the book also identifies a range of civil society organisations working to protect and enhance the situation for Palestinians including both those in Israel/Palestine such as legal rights activists, those opposing house demolitions and the wall and those who organise to commemorate the Nakba, ‘the catastrophe’ that was the creation of a colonial state in historic Palestine. In addition, he provides advice on forms and styles of international solidarity action.
This is an excellent primer, balancing narrative and analysis with case studies and individual/family stories. There is also an extremely good resource list including international solidarity groups. It is one of the most useful resources I have for the work I do on issues related to Palestine, providing brief summaries of many of the key issues.
May 14, 2021
Actual Rating: 4.5
'We have forgotten that we have not come to an empty land to inherit it, but we have come to conquer a country from people inhabiting it.'
- Moshe Sharett, Israel's Second Prime Minister
I love the simplicity and how easy it is for a beginner to understand the history and story of Palestine and Israel. The words used by the author are easy to understand and the glossary at the end of the book is also helpful. I also like how the author includes maps of the areas and photographs of the struggle and the oppression, some were even taken by himself.
The author quoted from various sources from both sides, including leaders of the Zionists. Despite the title "apartheid", the author draws the similarities as well as differences between the apartheid regime in South Africa with the regime of Israeli Zionists.
'While in apartheid South Africa, the settlers "exploited" the "labour power" of the dispossessed natives, in the case of Israel, "the native population was to be eliminated; exterminated or expelled rather than exploited".
This is, overall, a simple read for a complex topic.
'We have forgotten that we have not come to an empty land to inherit it, but we have come to conquer a country from people inhabiting it.'
- Moshe Sharett, Israel's Second Prime Minister
I love the simplicity and how easy it is for a beginner to understand the history and story of Palestine and Israel. The words used by the author are easy to understand and the glossary at the end of the book is also helpful. I also like how the author includes maps of the areas and photographs of the struggle and the oppression, some were even taken by himself.
The author quoted from various sources from both sides, including leaders of the Zionists. Despite the title "apartheid", the author draws the similarities as well as differences between the apartheid regime in South Africa with the regime of Israeli Zionists.
'While in apartheid South Africa, the settlers "exploited" the "labour power" of the dispossessed natives, in the case of Israel, "the native population was to be eliminated; exterminated or expelled rather than exploited".
This is, overall, a simple read for a complex topic.
May 23, 2021
Prendetelo.
May 19, 2021
Such a clear overview of the immense harm that has been caused to Palestinians for decades. Especially Part I (Israeli Independence, Palestinian Catastrophe) and Part II (Israeli Apartheid) illuminated a lot for me. The "Frequently Asked Questions" section in the back is also well worth a read - it really clearly dispels some major myths about Israel/Palestine. You definitely don't need a degree in law or international relations to wrap your head around this! Recommended.
August 4, 2021
Who knew that if instead of just accepting what everyone told you about this conflict being hard to understand and a black box you shouldn't look at directly, and instead picked up a concise, well written, extensively documented, book on the subject it could be *at the very least* contextualized and understood within already existing frameworks? If recent events haven't crystalized your thoughts on this conflict, this should.
November 3, 2023
Get the ebook free here!
February 10, 2014
This book is absolutely amazing. I have tried to read before many other books about this conflict but I found them too difficult. It is definietly a beginner's guide that won't tire you with long history of both countries, but without hesitation will just go straight to the facts that were unknown to me. I didnt know that it is possible to creat such a short and essential book about the most complex conflict in the world. It is not a book that will try to prove that both sides have their 'stories', this book is firmly standing on Palestines side and has strong and well documented facts to defend (and help you to learn how to do it) the opressed nation. I loved the questions and answers part in the book as well. I am definietly going to read up more about this conflict and will definietly read another book written by this bright author!!
September 12, 2024
A structured and simple historical timeline of what has happened and the explanation why what Israel is doing to Palestine is apartheid. A great start, and as seen in the title, the best beginner's guide to finding out more about the crimes the "state" has committed and continues to, as we know.
June 9, 2021
An excellent introduction to the Israeli Apartheid, examining the current structures of Israeli domination in Palestine. A very important book that should be read by everyone. White draws the UN’s definition of apartheid (1973) as “inhuman acts for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group and systematically oppressing them’ while presenting the realities of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. He also compared and contrasted Israeli Zionists with the apartheid regime in South Africa.
This book is truly a beginner’s guide. It’s short yet very clear, concise, and straightforward. This book firmly stands on the Palestinian side, supported by well-documented facts. The author presents his arguments with maps to illustrate the occupation, numbers, statistics and photographs that he obtained himself from the area. The FAQs and Glossary section is a must-read. I recommend reading this one for a start. #reviewbukuazzah #FreePalestine
5/5 stars 🌟
This book is truly a beginner’s guide. It’s short yet very clear, concise, and straightforward. This book firmly stands on the Palestinian side, supported by well-documented facts. The author presents his arguments with maps to illustrate the occupation, numbers, statistics and photographs that he obtained himself from the area. The FAQs and Glossary section is a must-read. I recommend reading this one for a start. #reviewbukuazzah #FreePalestine
5/5 stars 🌟
August 15, 2021
Saying that this book is important is an extreme understatement. It is essential for everyone who wants to understand better the Israeli-Palestinian relations. And who is not afraid to open their eyes. In terror.
March 13, 2020
A concise introduction to Israeli apartheid regime, but after a while you just get used to barbaric level of violence. That's a problem and it's not a problem about the book. It's just the reality.
October 29, 2023
(2023/10/29): First, I think it is worth noting that there are very few truly objective "textbooks" regarding the history of Israel/Palestine. This is for many reasons, but primarily because some of the histories are thousands of years old, from when we have no way of knowing for sure what happened and a lot of people's understandings of that time come from holy books (and I don't think I need to go into why holy books are not good references for anything, save for their actual corresponding religion). Additionally, we live in a time of rampant disinformation where history is still being (re)written. That is to say, history is not settled and, as we know, is written by the victor.
Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner's Guide is not a textbook. It's a very long persuasive and argumentative essay. That is to say, there is a point to it beyond just listing facts. White gives you information (which is very well cited) and helps you draw the conclusions. I went in with some understanding and came out vaguely disturbed in many aspects. The aim of this book is as the title describes: to make the readers recognize that Israel is an apartheid state, albeit it a different one from South Africa (the country we all think of when someone says "apartheid"). Before reading Israeli Apartheid, I had the vague feeling that Israel was an apartheid state, and after finishing it, I feel this to be absolutely true.
Here are a couple of quotes from the book that were particularly interesting:
In 1976, then-South African Prime Minister John Vorster – a man who had been a Nazi sympathiser in World War II – was afforded a state banquet during a visit to Israel.
For the Zionists, Palestine was 'empty'; not literally, but in terms of people of equal worth to the incoming settler.'
Comparing Zionist colonisation to what had happened to indigenous peoples in North America and Australia, Churchill could not 'admit that a wrong had been done to those people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race, or at any rate, a more worldly-wise race, to put it that way, has some in an taken their place.'
Partition was not the reasonable compromise it can sound like. The Palestinian Arabs were more than two thirds of the population of Palestine, and were a majority in all but one of the 16 subdistricts...[The] Partition Plan handed over 55.5 per cent of Palestine to the proposed Jewish state...The Jewish state would include prime agricultural land and '40 percent of Palestinian industry and the major sources of the country's electrical supply'.
An estimated half of the eventual total of dispossessed Palestinians had been 'cleansed' before the 'Arab-Israeli' war even began.
Israel is not a state of all its citizens, like for example Britain, the USA or France, but rather a state for some of its citizens: Jews. Moreover, it is not just the state of its Jewish citizens: it identifies itself as the state of all the Jews worldwide, no matter where they live.
In 2003, the Knesset passed the "Nationality and Entry into Israel Law" which bans Palestinians from the OPT who marry Israeli citizens from gaining residency or citizenship status.
Unrecognized villages are communities of Palestinians that the Israeli state has refused to officially acknowledge exist...With no official status afforded to their communities, the residents receive no government services and their homes are targets for demolition.
And these quotes are only from the first 80-something pages.
Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner's Guide is not a textbook. It's a very long persuasive and argumentative essay. That is to say, there is a point to it beyond just listing facts. White gives you information (which is very well cited) and helps you draw the conclusions. I went in with some understanding and came out vaguely disturbed in many aspects. The aim of this book is as the title describes: to make the readers recognize that Israel is an apartheid state, albeit it a different one from South Africa (the country we all think of when someone says "apartheid"). Before reading Israeli Apartheid, I had the vague feeling that Israel was an apartheid state, and after finishing it, I feel this to be absolutely true.
Here are a couple of quotes from the book that were particularly interesting:
In 1976, then-South African Prime Minister John Vorster – a man who had been a Nazi sympathiser in World War II – was afforded a state banquet during a visit to Israel.
For the Zionists, Palestine was 'empty'; not literally, but in terms of people of equal worth to the incoming settler.'
Comparing Zionist colonisation to what had happened to indigenous peoples in North America and Australia, Churchill could not 'admit that a wrong had been done to those people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race, or at any rate, a more worldly-wise race, to put it that way, has some in an taken their place.'
Partition was not the reasonable compromise it can sound like. The Palestinian Arabs were more than two thirds of the population of Palestine, and were a majority in all but one of the 16 subdistricts...[The] Partition Plan handed over 55.5 per cent of Palestine to the proposed Jewish state...The Jewish state would include prime agricultural land and '40 percent of Palestinian industry and the major sources of the country's electrical supply'.
An estimated half of the eventual total of dispossessed Palestinians had been 'cleansed' before the 'Arab-Israeli' war even began.
Israel is not a state of all its citizens, like for example Britain, the USA or France, but rather a state for some of its citizens: Jews. Moreover, it is not just the state of its Jewish citizens: it identifies itself as the state of all the Jews worldwide, no matter where they live.
In 2003, the Knesset passed the "Nationality and Entry into Israel Law" which bans Palestinians from the OPT who marry Israeli citizens from gaining residency or citizenship status.
Unrecognized villages are communities of Palestinians that the Israeli state has refused to officially acknowledge exist...With no official status afforded to their communities, the residents receive no government services and their homes are targets for demolition.
And these quotes are only from the first 80-something pages.
Read
May 31, 2021I learned a lot from this like specific terms relating to israeli state structure and how they continue to evade legal structures. But overall, there were some places that bothered me so I think reading Leila Khaled or Rashid Khalili would definitely give a stronger base to someone wanting to learn more. should definitely be read with a more critical eye.
"You wouldn't hear a Tibetan activist being accused of 'singling out' China - so why should Palestinians or their supporters be treated any differently, just because it's israel?"
---> I didn't really get the point of this analogy and it seemed redundant.
"You wouldn't hear a Tibetan activist being accused of 'singling out' China - so why should Palestinians or their supporters be treated any differently, just because it's israel?"
---> I didn't really get the point of this analogy and it seemed redundant.
October 18, 2024
v good primer on how israeli apartheid works. think i was looking for something more detailed on discriminatory laws though but still good 👍🏾 (some iffy comments)
October 27, 2024
This is a must read for everyone!!!
May 14, 2021
This is a short read and an easy introduction to the topic of Israel/Palestine. The FAQ and glossary sections at the back are particularly helpful to those trying to gain understanding of the situation quickly. That being said, this book should certainly act as a starting point (as the "beginner's guide" title suggests); the subject requires much more depth than what's given here.
October 22, 2011
A very straight-forward book detailing the origins of Israel, the occupation of Palestine, and the political goings-on concerning the ongoing problems in the Middle East. Very easy to read and showing compassion to both sides.
July 6, 2012
good little intro to some of the history, politics, and ethics involved in the israel-palestine conflict.....
September 25, 2013
An amazing work. So concise and brief that you can review it quickly, but at the same time it is so rich that you would wish you have few hundred copies to distribute around.
October 30, 2023
This should technically be on the 2018 read list but I just remembered it! I read it mostly for research so I didn’t think it counted but it doesss because I finished the whole thing.
May 17, 2021
Israeli Apartheid is a easily accessible and solid introduction to the situation between Israel and Palestine. At times, it is a little dry from a literary perspective because of the heavy use of facts and figures and use of definitions. However, for those with little knowledge of the apartheid policies of the Israeli state this is a really good introduction for basics and it's not very long.
Initially Ben White draws on UN definitions in the introduction and draws comparisons with apartheid South Africa (which many readers are likely to be more familiar with) to help provide context and explain why Israel is an apartheid state. We should not, however, conceive of Israel and South Africa as exactly the same.
The book is then broken into three parts. First, White introduces the historical context of 1948 and Nakba, the destruction of Palestine state (with estimates of around 700,000 Palestinians exiled from their homes) and the creation of Israel. There is limited discussion about the wider geopolitical climate and influence of colonialism at this point, but there are some references to British imperialism.
The second part goes into context on Israeli state policies since 1948 and focuses on the ethnic cleansing policies. The restriction of resources available to Palestinians (notably water sources), the housing policies and dispossession of land, the settler colonialism policies, the construction of the wall and more. White highlights the human rights violations and makes clear references to policies, statements from politicians and rulings from courts etc to evidence this all. This is probably the most impactful section of the book as it provides a lot of context for the current situation and why the terminology of apartheid, ethnic cleansing etc is the appropriate language to use.
The final section focuses largely on what we can do now by drawing on the works of current NGOs and groups on the ground, which includes Israeli groups against state apartheid policies. This is followed by a frequently asked questions section which offers an exploration of several issues with a core focus on the racial and anti-Semitic concerns. White points out this is a focus on state politics and not an attack on the faith of individuals on either side. This is about human rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
This is by no means an exhaustive book on the subject of Israeli apartheid policies but a useful introduction for anybody wondering where to begin. I picked this e-book up free from pluto press, but it's currently 50% off until May 24th 2021.
Initially Ben White draws on UN definitions in the introduction and draws comparisons with apartheid South Africa (which many readers are likely to be more familiar with) to help provide context and explain why Israel is an apartheid state. We should not, however, conceive of Israel and South Africa as exactly the same.
The book is then broken into three parts. First, White introduces the historical context of 1948 and Nakba, the destruction of Palestine state (with estimates of around 700,000 Palestinians exiled from their homes) and the creation of Israel. There is limited discussion about the wider geopolitical climate and influence of colonialism at this point, but there are some references to British imperialism.
The second part goes into context on Israeli state policies since 1948 and focuses on the ethnic cleansing policies. The restriction of resources available to Palestinians (notably water sources), the housing policies and dispossession of land, the settler colonialism policies, the construction of the wall and more. White highlights the human rights violations and makes clear references to policies, statements from politicians and rulings from courts etc to evidence this all. This is probably the most impactful section of the book as it provides a lot of context for the current situation and why the terminology of apartheid, ethnic cleansing etc is the appropriate language to use.
The final section focuses largely on what we can do now by drawing on the works of current NGOs and groups on the ground, which includes Israeli groups against state apartheid policies. This is followed by a frequently asked questions section which offers an exploration of several issues with a core focus on the racial and anti-Semitic concerns. White points out this is a focus on state politics and not an attack on the faith of individuals on either side. This is about human rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
This is by no means an exhaustive book on the subject of Israeli apartheid policies but a useful introduction for anybody wondering where to begin. I picked this e-book up free from pluto press, but it's currently 50% off until May 24th 2021.
January 29, 2025
video book review: https://youtu.be/MUiSd73O75U
I've recommended other books as "good introductions" but this book I've come to call a "handbook" because it goes beyond a short history (which it delivers well) but adds a short list of ways you can help as well as a glossary and an intro into the usual hasbara talking points you'll be exposed to by Zionists and their enablers.
"If Palestinians were black, Israel would now be a pariah state subject to economic sanctions led by the United States." (p. 8)
(quoting Moshe Sharett) "We have forgotten that we have not come to an empty land to inherit it, but we have come to conquer a country from a people inhabiting it." (p. 15)
(quoting Benny Morris) "Ben-Gurion was right...Without the uprooting of the Palestinians, a Jewish state would not have arisen here." (p. 15)
(quoting Chaim Weizmann in 1937) "[W]e shall expand in the whole country in teh course of time...this is only an arrangement for the next 25 to 30 years." (p. 18-19)
"Partition was not the reasonable compromise it can sound like. The Palestinian Arabs were more than two thirds of the population of Palestine, and were a majority in all but one of the 16 subdistricts. Jews owned around 20 per cent of the cultivable land, and just over 6 per cent of the total land of Palestine." (p. 24)
"I don't have any problem with the fact that we threw them out, and we don't want them back, because we want a Jewish state." (p. 26)
"[T]here is no Israeli nation that exists separately from a Jewish nation." (p. 45)
"[N]o other state in the world denies the right to conduct a family life on teh basis of national or ethnic belonging." (p. 59)
"[The checkpoints'] function is to send a message of force and authority, to inspire fear, and to symbolize the downtrodden nature and inferiority of those under the occupation." (p. 73)
(quoting Benny Morris) "Like all occupations, Israel's was founded on brute force, repression and fear, collaboration and treachery, beatings and torture chambers, and daily intimidation, humiliation, and manipulation." (p. 89)
I've recommended other books as "good introductions" but this book I've come to call a "handbook" because it goes beyond a short history (which it delivers well) but adds a short list of ways you can help as well as a glossary and an intro into the usual hasbara talking points you'll be exposed to by Zionists and their enablers.
"If Palestinians were black, Israel would now be a pariah state subject to economic sanctions led by the United States." (p. 8)
(quoting Moshe Sharett) "We have forgotten that we have not come to an empty land to inherit it, but we have come to conquer a country from a people inhabiting it." (p. 15)
(quoting Benny Morris) "Ben-Gurion was right...Without the uprooting of the Palestinians, a Jewish state would not have arisen here." (p. 15)
(quoting Chaim Weizmann in 1937) "[W]e shall expand in the whole country in teh course of time...this is only an arrangement for the next 25 to 30 years." (p. 18-19)
"Partition was not the reasonable compromise it can sound like. The Palestinian Arabs were more than two thirds of the population of Palestine, and were a majority in all but one of the 16 subdistricts. Jews owned around 20 per cent of the cultivable land, and just over 6 per cent of the total land of Palestine." (p. 24)
"I don't have any problem with the fact that we threw them out, and we don't want them back, because we want a Jewish state." (p. 26)
"[T]here is no Israeli nation that exists separately from a Jewish nation." (p. 45)
"[N]o other state in the world denies the right to conduct a family life on teh basis of national or ethnic belonging." (p. 59)
"[The checkpoints'] function is to send a message of force and authority, to inspire fear, and to symbolize the downtrodden nature and inferiority of those under the occupation." (p. 73)
(quoting Benny Morris) "Like all occupations, Israel's was founded on brute force, repression and fear, collaboration and treachery, beatings and torture chambers, and daily intimidation, humiliation, and manipulation." (p. 89)
July 10, 2021
The Western media have been serving lies and twisted stories all these while, trying to convince the world that Israel is the victim in this case. Which is absolutely not.
Consist of 183 pages, this is a sharp and explicit book explaining on how strategised & structured Zionists are in realising their goal of establishing a Jewish state by using fascism against Indigenous people of Palestine. It provides a clear overview of the great harm inflicted upon Palestinians.
I love how the author invites us to think and analyse the situation by providing the statistics, graphs, laws and necessary references, which helps us to do further research or reading of each topic. He also divide each topic to help us digest the issue one by one. Apartheid wall, restricted water & electrical sources, checkpoints and segregated roads are among the topic discussed in this book.
There are also a Frequently Asked Questions section in this book, which provides a list of argument from Zionist apologetic and also a counter of each arguments based on facts and only facts. So I think this is brilliant coming from the author.
Lastly, I couldnt say enough that this is a crucial book to be read by all of us. If you have zero knowledge about what is happening in Palestine, or you thought that it was a 'conflict' of two sides, I urge you to read this. It is important for us to have an adequate knowledge about what is happening so that it doesnt became a seasonal issue only. As a Muslim, it is our obligation to do our best to help them in any way that we can. The least we can do, is to equip ourselves with the knowledge and make dua for them, in shaa Allah.
Consist of 183 pages, this is a sharp and explicit book explaining on how strategised & structured Zionists are in realising their goal of establishing a Jewish state by using fascism against Indigenous people of Palestine. It provides a clear overview of the great harm inflicted upon Palestinians.
I love how the author invites us to think and analyse the situation by providing the statistics, graphs, laws and necessary references, which helps us to do further research or reading of each topic. He also divide each topic to help us digest the issue one by one. Apartheid wall, restricted water & electrical sources, checkpoints and segregated roads are among the topic discussed in this book.
There are also a Frequently Asked Questions section in this book, which provides a list of argument from Zionist apologetic and also a counter of each arguments based on facts and only facts. So I think this is brilliant coming from the author.
Lastly, I couldnt say enough that this is a crucial book to be read by all of us. If you have zero knowledge about what is happening in Palestine, or you thought that it was a 'conflict' of two sides, I urge you to read this. It is important for us to have an adequate knowledge about what is happening so that it doesnt became a seasonal issue only. As a Muslim, it is our obligation to do our best to help them in any way that we can. The least we can do, is to equip ourselves with the knowledge and make dua for them, in shaa Allah.
June 5, 2021
Excellent book for beginners . I was always wondering about where to start reading about Palestine . And hopefully , I chose this book .
It is divided into 05 parts :
1) The introduction : The author provided a definition of Apartheid , ethnic cleansing and a comparison with the apartheid system in South Africa .
2) The big historical lines leading to the establishment of Israel .
3) Apartheid : He explains how Israel is an apartheid state , and how its government is suppressing Palestinians .
4) Solutions / Future : This part provides an idea about the future of Palestine/ Israel in a realistic view , which I really like it .
5) FAQ : Helped me understand more .
In total ,this book is so precise , concise and above all easy to read . It has many maps , illustrations , photos and testimonies that helped me understand better and "feel more " about the conflict .
It opened my eyes on many aspects , I didn't know about . And the most important thing , it opened new perspectives and horizons for me .
It is divided into 05 parts :
1) The introduction : The author provided a definition of Apartheid , ethnic cleansing and a comparison with the apartheid system in South Africa .
2) The big historical lines leading to the establishment of Israel .
3) Apartheid : He explains how Israel is an apartheid state , and how its government is suppressing Palestinians .
4) Solutions / Future : This part provides an idea about the future of Palestine/ Israel in a realistic view , which I really like it .
5) FAQ : Helped me understand more .
In total ,this book is so precise , concise and above all easy to read . It has many maps , illustrations , photos and testimonies that helped me understand better and "feel more " about the conflict .
It opened my eyes on many aspects , I didn't know about . And the most important thing , it opened new perspectives and horizons for me .
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