Genocide Bad: Notes on Palestine, Jewish History, and Collective Liberation

by Sim Kern

Part activist memoir, part crash course in Jewish and Palestinian history, Genocide Bad dismantles Zionist propaganda and maps a course towards collective liberation in ten unapologetic essays.

Part activist memoir, part crash course in Jewish and Palestinian history, Genocide Bad dismantles Zionist propaganda in ten unapologetic essays. Drawing connections between Biblical promises and exploding pagers, medieval dress codes and modern-day apartheid, Kern sketches a sweeping history of imperialism with their characteristic blend of far-ranging research, pop-culture insights, and scathing humor.

Kern, a former teacher, journalist, novelist, and book influencer, gained international recognition as an anti-Zionist Jewish activist in the days after October 7th, 2023. At a time when social media was flooded with “I Stand with Israel” posts, Kern started sharing content encouraging their followers to read Palestinian books, learn Palestinian history, and question Western reporting on Palestine—videos which went viral into tens of millions of views.

Despite facing hate messages, death threats, and exile from the Zionist Jewish community, Kern has remained steadfast in their advocacy over the past year. They’ve posted daily videos on Palestinian, Jewish, and colonial history, and they’ve raised over $500,000 in direct aid for families in Gaza—all while navigating the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting a newborn. In Genocide Bad, Kern reflects on the life experiences that led them to anti-Zionist activism, while capturing and expanding upon their online educational content.

Kern doesn’t flinch when confronting the horrors of genocides past and present, but there is also tremendous hope contained in these pages—hope that springs from examples of courage and resilience in the face of extreme violence, and from the kinds of resistance that might just lead to our collective liberation.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Middle East, Audiobook, Social Justice, Memoir

241 pages, Paperback

Published April 22, 2025

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a surprisingly chill vibe to it, reading it felt like sitting with a friend and having them break things down for you with a focus on how to not let yourself get bogged down by bad faith actors.

If you've been online in activist or leftist spaces in the last few years, I can almost guarantee you've either gotten into a fruitless argument with someone who may or may not have been a bot or you've felt like screaming at people to stop wasting time doing it, or maybe you've done both. Kern does a good job of explaining when it's time to pull the plug or to just not engage, not every debate bro needs to be debated.

Kern also does a great job of quickly breaking down and debunking talking points and of putting them in their larger historical context when relevant. They're really good at confronting their own BS in a way that makes it clear that it's okay to grow and to learn better, nobody knows everything, so the text is really approachable.

It's in a similar vein as One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad in the sense that yes there is a memoir aspect to this book but to call it a memoir would feel disingenuous.

Lastly, I've seen a lot of grifting accusations levied at Kern for writing this book. It's something they were asked to do by Hannah Moushabeck of Interlink Books, a Palestinian owned publishing house, and they have consulted with other Palestinians in the writing process so as to avoid speaking over Palestinian voices, I don't feel like this is grifting I feel like this is Kern using their voice and platform in a way they were asked to support the movement in a way that few others could.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible and it somehow manages to balance this necessary message with humour, heartbreaking reality, and optimism.

[RB · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 22nd, 2025: “Genocide Bad” arrived in my mailbox (in the Netherlands!) today, and I’m already enthralled—after just the Foreword. Sim’s writing is refreshingly candid, rich in research, and mercifully free of pretension. It’s a clear-eyed, unapologetic voice that immediately resonates. I can’t wait to delve into the rest.

Updated review, August 17, 2025:
I originally received the paperback version of Genocide Bad in April 22nd, 2025. I immediately read the foreword, in spite of having other longer ongoing reads I intended to finish first. The foreword had me enthralled. Sim’s writing is refreshingly candid, rich in research, and mercifully free of pretension. It’s a clear-eyed, unapologetic voice that immediately resonated with me. I put it aside and decided wait with the rest of the book for the summer, once I had finished the other books. I was barely able to wait until I could to delve into the rest of it. Then lo and behold! Just when I was about to pick up the book again I saw that the audiobook was finally released and narrated by Sim Kern themself! What a treat! The rest of the book absolutely delivered and I cannot recommend it enough. I’m afraid that the ones who need to read it the most will probably be the last ones to read it.

[Karen Kohoutek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this more than five stars.

[Sarah Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very accessible read for people who are looking for a well-researched account of what is happening in Palestine now, and the historical context thats led to what is happening today.

[VinciCato · Rating 5 out of 5]

So accessible and informative. Read it so fast. More fiction writers need to write non fiction books about important topics like this!

[Cal Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an accessible read that breaks down a ton of Ideas. Don't sit on this one—it's a must read. For instance, I wouldn’t normally be interested in Jewish history but now I am! Sim also has some great book recs included as well. I appreciated them sharing their own experiences too. Despite the title, sim also is very funny like The Daily Show/ Last Week Tonight type humor. Highly recommend!

[Vic1245 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. Very empathetic, loving and informative. So glad to be a part of your social media mishpocha and glad to have read this book. May it be a light of love and hope for all.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good at serving the author’s purpose - providing counterarguments to typical zionist points. however, i find the class analysis and theory of change aspects to be underdeveloped(noting that i am approaching this with a ML lens and the author is an anarchist). most notably on the chapter of armed resistance - while i will give leniency because armed resistance is a difficult subject to broach in published literature. it is true to some extent that armed resistance follows the failure of peaceful resistance, but it is more that armed resistance responds to violent occupation. a mere acceptance of armed resistance nor a neutral standpoint towards the leaders of armed resistance does not feel right. furthermore, the analysis of israelis as an also oppressed class is unfair. to some extent, they are bound my propaganda and serve imperial forces. however, their existence depends on dispossession and colonial violence. finally, as hopeful as the conclusion was, it lacked any sort of framework for meaningful change. freeing palestine and ridding the world of imperialism requires more than cultural change - it requires a total abolition of an imperial system that requires organized forces to lead a movement

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading. It very eloquently puts historical fact, folk lore and religious mythology, and personal experiences all into a neat package clearly explaining whats going on in the world and why we need to open our eyes to it.

[Sameeha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today (10/7/25) marks 2 years since this ongoing genocide started. This is an important book that I'll be returning to again and again, for it doesn't just teach us about the ongoing conflict in Palestine, and its origins, but is a general treatise in critical thinking and empire states. It urges the reader to question everything, and argues that "every accusation (by an oppressor) is a confession". It is a call to action. It is a thesis on what the world is and what it should be. 100% required reading!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only take half credit as I speed read this while babysitting and the book was found on the kitchen island, but damn. I normally hate non fiction, and world talk bores me, and scares me, so I avoid it at all costs, but the writing style by this author was perfect, the way the thoughts were carried out was easy, and I really felt like I learned so much. I like how someone is speaking on some pretty blatant facts that seem to be hushed up by the media. I fully approve

[Jess Esa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An accessible and empathetic deconstruction of zionist propaganda, an exploration of history, and a discussion of collective liberation that holds enough depth and nuance to be helpful, wherever you are in your own journey.

[Cammy Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There’s one corner of the Earth cops will never be able to police—and that’s the space between our ears.”

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trust me, I’m sympathetic to the cause. But Kern takes it way too far and doesn’t add much to the convo. I would and have faulted pro-Israel books for the same. I strongly recommend well-intended liberals and leftists to read a more balanced introductory text.

Rating: 2.5 rounded down. Really engaging, but nothing special and had its issues.

[Nina Madanat · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Every accusation is a confession.”
Kern is a teacher, influencer, activist, and author who equips us with information and facts to stand strong in the fight to liberate 🇵🇸 Love how they end the book with notes from families in Gaza ❤️

[Sam Cox]

i actually finished a book everyone please cheer

[YeastOfEden · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hadn’t heard of Sim Kern before finding this book. I’m guessing most of the people who read Genocide Bad discovered it through the author’s pro-Palestine Tiktoks. But I went in blind, and I’d describe what I just read as a tweet stretched out to the length of a book.

I’m not pro-Israel in the least. But Kern falls into an archetype that, if I were being frank, I would call the “terminally online leftist activist”. As a fellow terminally online person, I’m very familiar with this archetype. They talk a certain way, use certain turns of phrase and jargon, hold certain opinions. Kern ticks off every box, and it seems that Kern wrote this book for fellow terminally online leftist activists who already agree with them, as a sort of instruction manual for how to counter certain Zionist arguments, rather than to convince squishy milquetoast progressives like me to put on a keffiyeh and take to the streets.

Except that’s exactly what Kern says is one of the aims of the book! Here’s a quote from the foreword which gives something of a thesis statement:

“This book is designed to clear up any misgivings you may have about using the word ‘genocide’ to refer to what Western media calls ‘the Israel-Hamas war’. In fact, my secret, nefarious agenda is to convert you…into a fellow comrade in the fight against genocide.”

If that’s what the book was designed to do, then it’s simply a failure. Because Kern never actually argues that what’s going on in Gaza is a genocide. Kern just starts from the premise that it is, and runs with it. Which does nothing to “clear up misgivings” to those who aren’t already in full agreement with that premise.

One could grant that yes, Israel has conducted its war on Gaza in a brutal, inhumane way with a callous disregard for innocent civilian life. But is that not true of a thousand other wars throughout history - wars that are not considered to be genocidal? At least 350,000 German civilians died from Allied bombing in WW2, far exceeding the death toll in Gaza. Does this mean that the Allies committed genocide against the German people? If not, then why is that not a genocide but this so “obviously” is?

I’ll admit, I’m one of those people who have misgivings about using “the G word”. It’s not that I reject it outright. I’m uncertain about it, and could be swayed either way. But asking about this online is a good way to get an anonymous mob screeching in your face for even daring to ask the question. So I figured I’d read a book. A new book, one which was apparently “designed” to clear up these silly opinions of mine.

I was hoping that Kern would give their counter-arguments to questions like those I asked above, because arguing that this is a genocide seems like the logical first step before building on that foundation. But no, it’s simply not addressed in all 241 pages. The closest Kern comes is simply stating that a bunch of scholars and a UN special committee think it’s a genocide, and that’s not satisfactory. First, it’s only ever mentioned in passing, and it wasn’t for lack of space - there are long, LONG rambling sections that should have been cut out entirely. Second, large groups of scholars and the UN have been wrong before, so while it’s a point in favor of the “This is a genocide” camp, it’s not exactly a slam dunk. Third, Kern is an anarchist, so why would they expect a simple appeal to authority to end the debate?

Then again, at one point Kern calls the Crusades a genocide. And at another point Kern makes a reading list about various genocides, and according to that list, they consider the Vietnam War and the Irish Potato Famine to be genocides too. So perhaps Kern is operating by their own personal, non-commonplace definition of “genocide”: “a bad thing where a lot of people die”.

To me, this isn’t a minor point, but the central structural failing of Kern’s book. Everything that follows is like putting up a bunch of scaffolding without a sturdy foundation to build on. After the foreword and an autobiographical section, we get to the meat of the book, “Answering Hasbara”, divided into 9 chapters which seek to counter various Zionist arguments. I think the only logic animating Kern’s choice of things to argue against was whatever comments on social media annoyed them the most. And case in point, the first 3 of those chapters aren’t about genocide, but identity politics.

Terminally online leftist activists have historically loved identity politics. That all changed in late 2023, when Congressional Republicans co-opted the left’s rhetoric about lived experience, microaggressions, dogwhistles, and language as a form of harm (which the activist left had been banging on about for the previous decade) and weaponized it as part of their crusade against “campus antisemitism”. And while the right’s accusations were obviously overblown, there was a kernel of truth in them. In the past, leftist activists would say that we should all listen and submit to the discomfort of any one member of any marginalized group, and tear the world apart to remake it in an image that would make them feel comfortable. But when it came to this one particular case, suddenly these same leftists shifted the burden of proof onto Jewish people to explain and justify why their discomfort even mattered, or should even be talked about, ever. Being confronted with a mirror image of their own insufferability caused a lot of leftists to panic, and they scrambled to adjust their worldview, presumably including Sim Kern.

Kern’s answer is not to abandon identity politics altogether, but to cordon off the type of identity politics they don’t like into its own separate thing called “deference politics”. At first, I was quite surprised and pleased with the way Kern called out deference politics within their own movement and themself. But they quickly forget those lessons and revert back to deference politics for the rest of the book. Kern is stuck in a 2020 Robin DiAngelo-style worldview, pathologically obsessing over their own feelings of white guilt and privilege, hyperventilating over the sins of “white supremacist patriarchal imperial colonial capitalism” (which sounds like a parody, but it’s a direct quote) while ignoring or making excuses for these same sins whenever they’re present in a non-Western country.

It’s almost impressive how blatant Kern’s double standards are. Take, for instance, the way Kern goes on and on about the antisemitism of medieval Christians a thousand years ago, but lets the Islamic world completely off the hook for similar, and far more recent, crimes. The Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish exodus from the Arab world was fueled by Nazi propaganda, widespread antisemitism, and riots, massacres, and pogroms which pushed the Jewish people to flee. In Kern’s telling, the entire thing was orchestrated by the Zionists, with the pogroms minimized as “a few, isolated acts of mob violence”. No doubt, Sim Kern would blow their gasket if anyone tried to minimize the Deir Yassin massacre (which had a lower death toll than any of the 3 I linked there) as a small, isolated act of violence which wasn’t connected to any larger pattern.

Kern bends over backwards to defend Hamas, comparing them to the rebels from Star Wars and the Hunger Games. In the process, they condemn George Lucas for not funneling his riches to “anti-imperial” terrorist groups. However, Kern’s hatred of the rich, present throughout the book, doesn’t seem to apply to Mousa Abu Marzook or Khaled Mashal, two senior Hamas leaders whose net worths are $3 billion and $4 billion, respectively. And for all their supposed anarchist skepticism, Kern just fully, naïvely buys that Hamas was “clarifying” its old charter by scrubbing away the explicit calls to vanquish and kill the Jews. It’s not like they’re putting on a show for the benefit of their international PR while talking the exact same way amongst themselves or anything!

Now, I’m not Jewish. Sim Kern is. But Kern seems to struggle with that identity. And while they have the right to express these feelings, I worry about the implications they have for other people. The Star of David now makes Kern “sick to [their] stomach” and they liken it to a swastika. Kern wants to “resign” from being Jewish, and continues to label themself that way mainly because it’s useful for their anti-Zionist activism. They state “If it would do Palestinians any good for me to renounce my Jewishness…I would do so in a heartbeat.” (you can’t find a clearer example of “deference politics” than that.) To Kern, there is no possible justification for feeling ill will toward any ethnic or religious group - except one. Kern states that they can “understand where animosity towards Jews as a whole might be coming from”. Kern “can understand why…people might have negative feelings towards Jews generally”. Kern tells a story of being overcome with terror at the Jewish family who moved in across the street from them, simply because they were Jewish. And Kern says that it would be a “relief” to not have to continue associating with Jewish people.

I know that “self-hating Jew” is a common trope used to smear anti-Zionist Jews. But what am I supposed to make of all this? What am I supposed to make of Kern calling the Jews “a people that seem hell-bent on making themselves synonymous with genocide”? And I’m supposed to be shocked that many Jews aren’t so eager to flock over to Kern’s side? This is why I am not a “fellow comrade” in Kern’s movement, because it’s not just Kern who speaks like this. I 100% oppose the government of Israel. But there comes a point when a movement gives way to a mob, and the mob spirals further and further away into the frenzy of its own hatred. And so, legitimate grievances with the state of Israel are broadened into hatred of Israelis as an ethnic group, and then broadened even further into hatred of Jews as a whole. This is not the majority of the movement, but a minority which is growing like a cancer on the left and the right. And all Kern can do is give these people a pat on the head and a permission slip, and tell others to stop using the only word we have at our disposal to call out this ancient hatred.

This is not giving the Jews special treatment. Again, I have no connection to Judaism whatsoever. This is consistently applying the standards that Kern claims to believe in. I oppose anyone who fans the flames of hatred towards Palestinians, Somalis, Puerto Ricans, Taiwanese, Ukrainians, Muslims, atheists, Hindus, Christians, and yes, Jews.

To be clear, I don’t think Kern is actually antisemitic. At other points in the book, Kern seems quite keenly aware of and sensitive to anti-Jewish hate, when it’s coming from white Christians. But they seem to vacillate back and forth on whether or not it’s a big deal, like they vacillate on deference politics. You’d think an activist like Kern would be rigidly consistent in their views - but the opposite is true.

Not only are they inconsistent, but like I said, the book reads like a tweet. It’s angry, hyperbolic, combative, and childish all at once. Occasionally Kern will make a good point or say something reasonable. But so much of it reveals that whatever world Kern is living in, it’s light-years away from reality.

Take this quote: “Israeli media is some of the most heavily censored on earth…Even the most tepid criticism of the government within Israel is met with brutal violence, arrests, and suppression.” Seriously? We’re talking about the country which is home to news outlets like Haaretz and +972 Magazine, human rights orgs like B’Tselem and Yesh Din, and political parties like Hadash and Ta’al? I’m not saying there’s no censorship in Israel, but it’s not even close to the same ballpark as North Korea or the PRC. Kern makes so many hyperbolic assertions like this one that it becomes numbing.

Kern calls both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris “openly fascist”, apparently seeing no difference between the two. They also define fascism as “a capitalist government without the nice window dressing of neoliberalism”. That would have been news to Hitler, who despised capitalism (seeing both capitalism and Bolshevism as part of the same Jewish plot). Like a true Tiktok misinformation factory, Kern churns out confident falsehoods about fascism and many other topics I don’t have the space to get into.

The third and last part of Kern’s book involves an eye-rolling description of the anarchist utopia they’re striving for in the long term. This utopia will involve “liberatory education” to brainwash the masses into becoming anarchists. We are inspiringly told to expect less and “sacrifice conveniences” in this utopia. Your car is to be taken away, and the roads “re-wilded with native plants to heal the scars in the land”. The suburbs are to be torn down and replaced with “food forests and wildlife corridors”. Yeah, because I love stepping in buffalo scat every time I leave the house and getting mauled by bears on the way home. If houses are even allowed in Kern’s “utopia” - maybe the idea of a private domicile is itself a “Western hetero-patriarchal construct”. Maybe we’re all going to be “persons experiencing unhousedness” in this brave new world of anarchy.

But there’s one topic in the book that brings together everything that annoyed me about this book: the inconsistency, the ignorance, the hatred, the hypocrisy, the double standards, the failure to address the main point. And that is Kern’s treatment of the question: What would be the fate of the Israelis if the state of Israel is destroyed and replaced with one Palestinian state from the river to the sea?

At first, in Chapter 7 of “Answering Hasbara”, Kern scolds you for even asking the question. They make a long, drawn-out comparison to slaveowners after the American Civil War, which is not engagement with the point but an attempt to shut down the conversation - just like certain Zionists who respond to any criticism of Israel with “You’re a Nazi”. Kern says that in the event of a one-state solution, we should still worry about the safety of Palestinians. And deference politics aside, that’s true! To me, both are relevant. If the Israeli government gave even a whiff of consideration to the idea of dissolving itself, I don’t doubt that Zionist terrorist groups like Irgun and Lehi would spring up again, and I would fear for the safety of the Palestinian people, perhaps even more so than now. But when it comes to the Israeli people, Kern dodges the question, declares the matter closed, and quickly moves on.

But then Kern comes back to this topic 2 chapters later. And this time, Kern doesn’t reflexively bat away the question, but at least formulates it: What if a group like Hamas is elected to rule this new Palestinian state, and they turn the current dynamic on its head, become the oppressors, and enact a genocide upon the 10 million denizens of Israel? After a bunch of unconvincing waffle, Kern declares it “highly unlikely”, linking a Medium article as “research”. Besides, they say, “a genocide of Israelis could only be accomplished with vast weapons arsenals supplied to Palestinians by another imperial country”. Gee, I’m glad there aren’t any imperial countries around who would do such a thing!

Kern goes on to say that the Israelis must give back all the land they stole “in living memory”. What is living memory? First they say that “at the very least”, all the post-1967 settlements in the West Bank must be returned, an outcome that I’m frankly okay with. But then Kern lets it slip: Israeli Jews “are not entitled to keep living on land, and in houses, that they or their parents stole from Palestinians within the last century”.

So then, the answer is that all the Jews must be exiled en masse after all. Where will they go? Kern doesn’t tell us. Kern can call it “highly unlikely” til the cows come home, because it serves their political narrative to say so. But anyone who is in touch with history, politics, or reality knows that the only possible outcome of this one-state solution would be a civil war. A bloody, catastrophic, brutal war of annihilation which would dwarf anything that came before it: the Nakba, the Six-Day War, the Destruction of Gaza, anything. Each side would throw out everything it has to commit genocide against the other, and I’m less concerned with which side “wins” than with not getting to that point at all.

In short, I oppose Kern’s one-state solution because Genocide Bad.

Obsessing over online comments that live rent-free in their head to the very end, Kern answers an obvious objection: “We’ll give back our homes in Palestine when you give your house to a Native American.” And again, Kern gives a bunch of unconvincing waffle about how they support #LandBack but well, you see, the situation is a little different here and their family bought a farm 150 years ago but they don’t own it and it’s complicated and nuanced and so forth. But forget the farm, the house Kern lives in right now is built on stolen land, is it not? Isn’t the entire United States of America stolen land? So just put up an ad online offering it for free to the first Indigenous family to accept the offer, do some light vetting, and there you go! I guarantee you’ll get takers within minutes. But no. Isn’t it convenient how everything seems so easy and simple when Kern is talking about what the Israelis have to do, but when something impacts their own personal life, suddenly it’s not so simple?

Okay. I’ll stop being petty. Maybe this was less a review than a long rant, but I had to rant after reading the ravings of a keyboard warrior for 241 pages. To sum it up, Sim Kern should stick to writing fiction. I tried to go in with an open mind, and I fought against giving it 1 star. But this one just wore me down. If someone designed a book to irritate me specifically, they couldn’t do much better than this. Sim Kern comes across as a nice person on some pages and totally deranged on others. I don’t know what to make of them ultimately, but this book is a product of political ideology and social media algorithms, not individual human expression. I do plan to read more anti-Zionist books. Just…please, no more that were written by a Tiktoker.

[Rachel Ashera Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a clear-eyed, passionate deconstruction of hasbara talking points. If you know a lot of facts, there probably won't be much here that's new to you, but Kern knows how to argue persuasively and their framing is very useful and well-articulated. (It also kind of freaks me out how many biographical similarities we have. It's one of those books where I thought I'd probably get along quite well with the author.)

And, sadly, while there are many good books by Palestinians about Palestine liberation, some folks are just going to take it more seriously coming from an Ashkenazi Jew.

I spent way too much time arguing with Zionists on Facebook so even though the argument can really be boiled down to two words (genocide. bad.) this was a very valuable read.

[Hina Ansari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read extensively on the subject of Palestinian oppression, but never from the viewpoint of an anti Zionist Jewish person. While it is tough to surprise me with an historical information, this author goes in a direction I didn’t know a ton about, biblical history and they debunk a most, if not all of the myths of Israel. It is well worth the read and I’m glad I snagged it when I saw a brief snippet about it on Twitter. If you’re a fan of the Free Palestine movement, or are new to it, this book will be a quicker read through the topic, and give you lots of talking points to shut people up who only regurgitate western media points.

[Anika (Encyclopedia BritAnika) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Kern who has been a really clear voice through the Israeli conducted Genocide in Gaza. A Jewish nonbinary author, I appreciated their reasoned, researched, personal take on the genocide and all the arguments people make for its conducting and excusing. And at the end of each Kern’s response is the same: genocide is bad. No matter against whom or by whom, genocide is bad. It’s that simple.

[Bibliophile10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the author's discussion of race is problematic and even potentially harmful, but there is also a lot of clear, galvanizing writing. Overall a valuable, if flawed, read for those needing foundational knowledge of Palestine and a basic code of ethics.

[Tommy Lazarou · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the historical facts, the laid back approach was a little off-putting to me. I can see how people would like that in today’s day and age, but for me I just want the facts.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

informative. devastating. compelling. motivating. 🇵🇸❤️‍🩹

[blume4000 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das ist kaum vorraussetzungsvoll, extrem informativ und sehr gut recherchiert - Stern Abzug nur für den Humor, den ich einfach nicht so lustig finde und den Anfang, den ich zäh fand. Irgendwie diese Selbstreflexion über Influencer*insein und so kp iwie hat mir das bisschen ick gegeben ich wusste auch nicht dass Sim Kern online activist ist. Ich mochte glaub den Reality Check nicht, dass ich ein Buch von ner Person aus dem Internet lese? Kp ob’s das ist das klingt plausibel vielleicht bin ich zu eitel aber ich hab ja auch von anderen Leuten ausm Internet Bücher gelesen, wo mich das nicht störte……. Keine Ahnung Leute aber lest das das ist gut und kurz ich weiß nicht warum ich dafür 8174738284 Tage brauchte ich war glaub nicht in dem Headspace für Lesen generell.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Say it with me:
“Genocide bad.”
Full stop.
No qualifiers.

[Domino · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is gonna be long, please prepare yourself.

The description of this book says “part activist memoir, part crash course in Jewish and Palestinian history.” I was not prepared for the amount of memoir included in this book.

There is a lot of virtue signaling right off the bat. Kern will continually remind the reader of their good deeds, morals, or opinions. In the first few pages of the book, they described that they have a “responsibility” to Palestinians, and are writing this book specifically because they were asked to do so by a Palestinian. This initially rubbed me the wrong way because it implies that Kern’s proximity to Palestinians serves as an authenticating factor to this book (it was giving white savior). moving on.

The first 35 pages are a personal statement on why they wrote the book and why they are qualified to speak on this matter. It was unnecessary and a slight victimization of oneself. In particular, chapter 1 discusses how deference politics is attempting to bully Kern out of the Palestinian dialogue because their opinion as a non-Palestinian is not as important right now. Weaponizing deference politics to justify writing a book about an experience not entirely unique to oneself seems A LITTLE tone deaf. While I understand the principle Kern is communicating, I believe their criticism of deference politics is flawed in this context. I believe Kern could have taken a couple pages to say something like “as a Jewish individual who has first-handedly researched and witnessed the Zionist propaganda agenda, I want to write a book dismantling Zionist arguments,” rather than 35 pages of stating that they are bullied out of Palestinian dialogue. While I do not doubt Kern’s experience with anti-Jewish hate, these 35 pages seemed drawn out.

Going off of that^^ Kern somehow makes each chapter about themself. In a chapter 6, Kern takes an entire page (or more) saying statements such as, “I have seen atrocities happen in this war,” “I have Palestinian friends,” “I fear for Palestinians on a daily basis,” etc. They are using “I” to make it seem like this genocide is something they have to endure as well, which degrades their statements of solidarity. While it is normal for global injustices to cause sadness and anxiety, this is tone deaf for an author who has not first handedly experienced such atrocities. Moving on.

I’m sure this book could be useful for someone who has zero knowledge of the Palestinian history, Zionism, or the ongoing genocide. For me, I did not learn a whole lot, and I found most arguments or ideas to be a vast oversimplification. Many chapters were extremely short, and I wish Kern would have written in more depth about some of these arguments.

To close off, I’m gonna state some random points that bothered me throughout the book:
- referring to Americans as “USians” because “America is a continent, not a country” ….. okay….. but it is generally understood that “American” refers to the United States of America?, not North America. I hope I don’t sound like a Republican for that one. It seemed highly performative instead of clarifying. Maybe if this book were about North & South Americans, it would be useful!
- Comparing Israel and Palestine to the Capital and District 12 from the Hunger Games. Very weird. No further comment.
- Occasional Kamala Harris slander, but minimal attention to the #1 promoter of hate and white supremacy (our president, Donald Trump)
- Some of the discussions on Jewish identity in relation to race perception were a bit contradictive and confusing but maybe that’s a me-problem? Okay I’m done.

[Rama · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Israelis are not free. They are trapped within an ever-accelerating cycle of violence that they must perpetuate to keep their supremacy intact, All of their children are forced to serve in the IOF and become killers. Compulsory military service is not a hallmark of a free society. Israeli media is some of the most heavily censored on earth, to prevent any non-Zionist, liberatory ides from getting through to its citizens. Even the most tepid criticism of the government within Israel is met with brutal violence, arrests, and suppresion. It's Israelis who live trapped within the barbed-wire cages they erect to keep Palestinians out of their settlements in the West Bank. So Israelis are not Jews who got free of empire. They're Jews who became the foot soldiers of empire.”

3.5/5 rounded up mostly to push this book higher in the Goodreads rankings so people who normally wouldn’t pick it up would see it as artificially inflated lol. If I were to critique this on a literary level, based on the expectations I had for it, I would say it was lacklustre. If I was really being honest, I’d say it read like a long-form TikTok. But was that a flaw of the writing, or a feature? Given the background of the author as a primarily social media influencer/political commentator, I cannot say this style is unusual. However, I will say that the narrative voice got too pop-culture-y, to the point where it felt distracting. While all mediums for communicating information are essential, each one does come with a unique set of ‘rules’. Writing a political book, then, usually wouldn’t involve the same level of side tracks, comedic interventions, and celebrity references, as making an online video. This structure made it difficult for me to focus on the subject matter, because I felt as though I was being patronized and talked down to. HOWEVER- would this be a good introduction for a lay person? Maybe. Although it isn’t the first book I’d recommend. I also felt that the author missed a lot of cultural and historical context, barely mentioning the six day war, the Balfour declaration, the nakba, etc. So in a pseudo way, this book was at once a great one for beginners language wise, but not content wise.

It did, of course, have its positives. I choose to align myself with pro Palestinian sentiments, regardless of who is saying them. I staunchly oppose the identity politics and over-individualizations of the movement, separating what is at its core a humanitarian crisis into a division of faction. The word ‘traitor’ is thrown around too easily, and I enjoyed the comments the author made on this particular topic, referencing the ingenious Táíwò’s takes on identity politics. Here are some excerpts I found to be particularly illuminating:

“ And we live in a world where people are marginalized for all kind of identities so how do you know which oppressed group to prioritize over another? What’s more, there are paid infiltrators in these streets! Particularly in the social media streets! CIA, Hasbara, and neo-Nazi operatives are here, using sock puppet accounts on social media to turn us against each other. And for every one of them, there's a bunch more well-intentioned leftists who do the same work of empire, eating the left from within because they're naïve, or ego-driven, or misguided, or simply too exhausted to learn new ways of relating. So in deciding who to listen to, you're going to have to employ some critical thinking. Here are some helpful questions to ask:
Is this person building community, or tearing it apart?
Is this person more focused on building power, or on appearing morally pure? Is this person prioritizing life-and-death issues, or are they prioriting feelings, wording, and symbolic victories? Is this person focusing on radical transformation, or on preserving be status quo?”

I found it interesting that they even take it a step further:

“ I couldn’t care less how pure your intentions are. I can't know and don't care whether you're motivated by guilt or rage or the noblest of ideals. Call for a Free Palestine because it's cool. Wear a keffiyeh because you look great in one. Dunk on Zionists because you don't want to be associated with them. Say “Free Palestine" because Macklemore and Kehlani said so. Shout "Genocide bad!" over and over and over again—for clout, for followers, for fame, or for deep moral conviction—it's all the same to me. Act out of sacred self-interest. Organize against empire because you yourself want to be free, and you recognize that your freedom is bound up with the freedom of Palestinians, and all people, and all life on earth. Find whatever reason you can to keep showing up. You won't be alone.”

Honestly, when public opinion is one of the threaders of the needle, I am inclined to agree with this take. The author also references great Black Marxist literature and continues to flesh out the connections between racism, capitalism, and oppression. They provide a useful resource into the changing definition of whiteness, a term used to denote not only race but also proximity to wealth and class.

Interesting read but not the best of its kind.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

God damn.

I came into this book expecting a crash course. Instead, I was taken everywhere: Gaza, Israel, the rise of the Catholic Church, the Protestant Reformation, the Torah, the rise of Zionism, Nazi Germany, Venice, Arab diaspora, rural Illinois, critical race theory, 400 BC, 2024 AD... It is amazing how much information is packed into a mere 200 pages. It would probably take me at least 10 years to consume the same amount of books, articles, and statements that Sim Kern condensed into this book. Even just looking at the 300+ sources cited at the end of the book is crazy. In fact, I think I'd have to read this book at least one more time to really retain the information in it. In this day and age of propaganda and media play (watch K-drama Queendom), it is difficult to know who is right or wrong. But if you read this book and you still do not respect the arguments, you may want to check your ego.

I am truly a beginner when it comes to Israel and Palestine. This is the first book I'm picking up about it. But even an expert and an expert skeptic could benefit from reading this book. The chapters are sorted based on common Zionist arguments but it goes in way deeper than you'd think. If I learned anything in my historical nonfiction and generational fiction era, everything is a chain reaction and to understand current events, we have to look at history. I just didn't expect Sim Kern to start at the actual beginning of the human race. It also covers a lot of moral questions that everyone will eventually have to face. How can we selectively condemn violence without falling into double standards? As a non-Palestinian, non-Jewish, American, why do we need to put so much emphasis on this genocide versus other ongoing genocides? What effect do I even have from simply reading books? How can you discredit a group that is widely known to have experienced their own genocide? What is a free Palestine?

I liked how the author also admitted to their follies and un-learnings during their path to knowledge. How they admit that as an anti-antisemitism (not a typo), anti-Zionist, Jewish person, they are so afraid of the dangers that come with publicly criticizing Zionists but yet their voice is so powerful and angry. As an example, the only quote that got me to puff air out of my nose: "Fucking LOL."

Honestly, this book is a 10/5 for effort and information. But it is a 4.5/5 overall.

While the book contains a majority of historical evidence and logical statements, here are some sassy quotes that got me to say "oh" out loud:

"What kind of credibility do I have to sit in judgment of a man like Yahya Sinwar? ... What clown shit--for those of us in the Capitol to pass judgment on the resistance fighters in District 12... Honestly, it's clown shit that our most enduring myths of principal resistance, within the US, are children's stories written by other privileged white people like George Lucas and Suzanne Collins... And though these creators became exorbitantly wealthy off their whitewashed stories of anti-imperial struggle, they have not reinvested that wealth into supporting anti-imperial struggles in the real world."

"Now, is it possible that people who have been violently oppressed will become violent oppressors in turn? Of course it is. Just look what's happening within the nation-state of Israel. Descendants of the victims of the Holocaust are carrying out a new holocaust in Gaza."

"Only plant-eating animals have horns, to defend themselves from predators. If the god of all non-Christians is prey, then who's the predator? Just saying!"

[aforestofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5 stars

I followed Sim on Instagram around the time they went viral and seen all their reels and posts since, but this book was still very enlightening and had a lot of new information and history I wasn't aware of. I loved learning more about Jewish history and the history of antisemitism. Everything just made so much more sense, and it made me wish we learned this stuff in school instead of the same zionist propaganda that's shoved down our throats year after year. Sim's voice is funny, with the right amount of sarcasm to make you smile while you read some pretty serious stuff. The footnotes were my favourite because it really helps having definitions for common terms that have been thrown around the last couple years, words you sort of know the meaning of, but not exactly.

I learned a lot and it left me feeling slightly more hopeful than I felt going in, especially in the third part of this book where Sim describes what a "Free Palestine/Free World" could look like. Honestly, it almost made me cry because it sounds so perfect and yet feels so unattainable at times. I did very nearly cry reading Shahd's letter from baby Heba's perspective, especially as I'm watching children starve to death live on my phone because Ishitreal refuses to allow formula and medical aid into Gaza. This is a very messed up, dark world we live in, and I just wish and hope and pray for all of this to stop and a better, safer world for all of us to live in.