My Palestine: An Impossible Exile

by Mohammad Tarbush, Nada Tarbush (foreword)

A memoir that combines political and economic commentary with personal and national history.

Mohammad Tarbush was born in British Mandate Palestine. As an infant, he and his family were forced to evacuate their village together with its entire population, after the Zionist victory that led to the establishment of the State of Israel. Then as landless refugees in the West Bank, the family sank into poverty.

When, as a teenager, Tarbush left home one day under the pretext of visiting relatives in Jordan, he in fact set off on a year-long hitchhiking journey to Europe, where he would eventually become a highly successful international banker and a key behind-the-scenes promoter of the Palestinian cause.

In My Palestine, Mohammad Tarbush combines poignant personal memoir with incisive political and economic commentary on the tumultuous events that shaped the history of Israel, Palestine, and the modern Middle East.
 

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, History

352 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2024

Reviews

[Grace Sumner]

Incredible book that has woven historical narrative and autobiography together, telling of a history of repeated and forced displacement and eventually, exile

You can read and feel the love Mohammad has for his homeland, the people, as well as the unrelenting unjustice. He never forgot this despite his prosperous academics and employment throughout his life.

Would recommend this book, and it's a nice change from reading about those impacted from events from them, instead of through historical archives.

[Nazmiye Gül]

The vivid personal anecdotes and the concrete historical analysis are intertwined with each other very accurately in this book. The author’s life is kinda miracle I must say. He got in touch with kings, prime ministers and artists in his lifetime. And for me one of the important figures of his life is Edward Said. I read the pages where his name was mentioned with a longing smile. And if the book of “The Question of Palestine” of Edward SAID was the first one in the area of history of Israel-Palestinian conflict, the second one is this one.

[Mark]

Superb. What is incredibly sad is the fuller understanding that what is happening in Israel/Gaza/Lebanon has been happening largely since 1948. A one-state solution is the only way to right things.

[Sherry]

Sometimes less is more and that's what I would say about this book, LESS.

'Here is a book with a big heart. A personal as well as political history of Palestine ... It's impossible to read this and continue to argue for the status quo.'
- Arundhati Roy

Maestro herself said it accurately and precisely. I couldn't have said it in a better way.

It's indeed an UNFORGETTABLE MEMOIR. A MUST READ.

[Val]

Mohammad Tarbrush was born in Beit Nattif in 1948 and spent his entire life in exile from his homeland. This is a personal memoir of his journey to Europe as a teenager and subsequent career in banking, but is also an overview of those decades of Palestinian history. Tarbrush was well connected and often a part of the discussions and negotiations around Palestine’s future. He writes both a personal account and an academic account of the years of tortuous history. Where he wasn’t directly involved, he gives extensive references.

While the history of Palestine is well documented, this book gives his unique perspective on it. He also gives, as an epilogue, his vision of what the future of the region could be. His humanity burns through. Despite his forced exile, which lasted until his death, he never writes with rancour. There is a lot of grief but always touched with his hope that there will be restitution and his country and people will exist as a nation again, in peace.

[RoPlo28]

Fascinating journey and showed some real cojones by putting reputation and status on the line to secure his place at a young age. It got more political in the final third, I expect because career-wise he was busy as a banker and focusing on his family so it became more diplomatically analytical - which I would read something else for if i wanted it. Nonetheless, no regrets

[The Contented]

What I liked most about this remarkable story was its hope. The author, made a refugee at a very young age, nonetheless retained his optimism against remarkable odds. The story is full of random people who he meets, whom he describes as ‘Godsends’. Something to ponder, for sure.

[Raye Evangelion]

A lucid and supremely informed overview of the upsetting subject of modern Palestine. An antidote to hazy psuedo-information and fractured truths around the subject, as well as a truly inspiring and motivating personal narrative.

[Jabril Jan]

First third was class with his growing up story and leaving Palestine however it got a bit repetitive and boring when he was just repeatedly attempting to increase Palestinian recognition and failing. Obviously great and all but frustrating to read and less enjoyable than the start.