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Israel on the Brink: And the Eight Revolutions that Could Lead to Decolonization and Coexistence
A renowned historian argues that we are seeing the beginning of the end of the Zionist project, and considers the issues that must be centered for a sustainable and peaceful future for Palestinians and Jews to emerge
In this urgent and timely book, historian Ilan Pappé, argues that the beginning of the end of the Jewish state began in 2022 with the election of the most right-wing government in the nation’s history. Long known for his willingness to expose the myths Israeli society has been built upon, Pappé sets out his thoughts about the risks and opportunities emerging from the horrors of this historical moment, and the eight "mini-revolutions" that could pave the way to a better future.
Israel on the Brink begins with a look back, explaining why the so-called peace process of 1967 to today have not only failed, but sown more violence. The second section of the book focuses on just what these indicators of the end of the Zionist project of Israel are, and what they imply.
The last section describes the issues that must be central for anyone involved in bringing an end to the violence and bloodshed and concerned about what will fill the political vacuum created by the demise of Israel. In chapters that embody a mix of hopeful projection and sober analysis, Pappé discusses eight “mini-revolutions” that have to occur for a different, less violent, and more hopeful future to occur
Relocating the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees to the center of the future vision;A new definition for the Jewish collective in historical Palestine;Finalizing a plan for what will be the future of the Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967; andA new strategy for a united Palestinian national movement.
Israel on the Brink is a much-needed antidote to popular dystopic thinking about the conflict, and a glimpse into how Israel and Palestine might look should these mini-revolutions succeed.
In this urgent and timely book, historian Ilan Pappé, argues that the beginning of the end of the Jewish state began in 2022 with the election of the most right-wing government in the nation’s history. Long known for his willingness to expose the myths Israeli society has been built upon, Pappé sets out his thoughts about the risks and opportunities emerging from the horrors of this historical moment, and the eight "mini-revolutions" that could pave the way to a better future.
Israel on the Brink begins with a look back, explaining why the so-called peace process of 1967 to today have not only failed, but sown more violence. The second section of the book focuses on just what these indicators of the end of the Zionist project of Israel are, and what they imply.
The last section describes the issues that must be central for anyone involved in bringing an end to the violence and bloodshed and concerned about what will fill the political vacuum created by the demise of Israel. In chapters that embody a mix of hopeful projection and sober analysis, Pappé discusses eight “mini-revolutions” that have to occur for a different, less violent, and more hopeful future to occur
Relocating the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees to the center of the future vision;A new definition for the Jewish collective in historical Palestine;Finalizing a plan for what will be the future of the Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967; andA new strategy for a united Palestinian national movement.
Israel on the Brink is a much-needed antidote to popular dystopic thinking about the conflict, and a glimpse into how Israel and Palestine might look should these mini-revolutions succeed.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2025
82 people are currently reading
2561 people want to read
About the author
Ilan Pappé
89 books1,803 followersIlan Pappé is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies, and political activist. He was formerly a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Haifa (1984–2007) and chair of the Emil Touma Institute for Palestinian and Israeli Studies in Haifa (2000–2008).
Pappé is one of Israel's "New Historians" who, since the release of pertinent British and Israeli government documents in the early 1980s, have been rewriting the history of Israel's creation in 1948, and the corresponding expulsion or flight of 700,000 Palestinians in the same year. He has written that the expulsions were not decided on an ad hoc basis, as other historians have argued, but constituted the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, in accordance with Plan Dalet, drawn up in 1947 by Israel's future leaders. He blames the creation of Israel for the lack of peace in the Middle East, arguing that Zionism is more dangerous than Islamic militancy, and has called for an international boycott of Israeli academics.
His work has been both supported and criticized by other historians. Before he left Israel in 2008, he had been condemned in the Knesset, Israel's parliament; a minister of education had called for him to be sacked; his photograph had appeared in a newspaper at the centre of a target; and he had received several death threats.
Pappé is one of Israel's "New Historians" who, since the release of pertinent British and Israeli government documents in the early 1980s, have been rewriting the history of Israel's creation in 1948, and the corresponding expulsion or flight of 700,000 Palestinians in the same year. He has written that the expulsions were not decided on an ad hoc basis, as other historians have argued, but constituted the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, in accordance with Plan Dalet, drawn up in 1947 by Israel's future leaders. He blames the creation of Israel for the lack of peace in the Middle East, arguing that Zionism is more dangerous than Islamic militancy, and has called for an international boycott of Israeli academics.
His work has been both supported and criticized by other historians. Before he left Israel in 2008, he had been condemned in the Knesset, Israel's parliament; a minister of education had called for him to be sacked; his photograph had appeared in a newspaper at the centre of a target; and he had received several death threats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 29, 2025
14/Sep/2025
Months after finishing this book, I’m more convinced than ever that Israel’s slow collapse from within is imminent, if not already happening. Please do yourself a favor and read it. My rating isn’t meant to discourage you. On the contrary, I think this book is worth your time.
___
Can a Future Be Rebuilt on the Ruins of the Present?
So Israel on the Brink is a confrontation of our current situation. The historian Ilan Pappé is well known for challenging the foundational myths of Zionism and in this book, he offers one of his most urgent and direct arguments yet - the Zionist project, and subsequently the Israeli state built on it, is fracturing from within. What follows this fracture is not only determined by political changes, but by the fundamental cultural and moral issues that have stubbornly lingered in the background for far too long.
A Nation Split From Within
Pappé begins with an internal analysis - one often overlooked in broader conversations about Israel. He focuses on two dominant identities inside Israel today: the secular Israelis who uphold a nationalist, modern, often liberal Zionist identity - and the religious “Judea” Israelis, often settlers and ideologues, who see the state as divine territory and refuse compromise, even with their own people.
It’s this internal contradiction, Pappé argues, that has placed Israel in existential crisis. These two factions - once loosely aligned - are now clashing openly, politically, and culturally. Their competing visions for what Israel is (a democratic state vs. a biblically promised land) are tearing at the seams of the state itself. These cracks, he argues, are not temporary - they are signs of… collapse.
The Eight Mini-Revolutions - The Future??
From there, the book shifts toward building. A vision, let’s say? Pappé outlines eight “mini-revolutions” that must take place to move toward a just and peaceful future in historic Palestine. And it is clear that the author argues that these are not cosmetic fixes, but rather are paradigm shifts (mainly focused on coexistence between Palestinians and Jews.):
- A central commitment to the Right of Return - not as a side note, but as non-negotiable.
- An honest reckoning with the future of settlements in the West Bank.
- A truly representative Palestinian liberation movement that includes all Palestinians - uin exile, in ‘48, in the West Bank and Gaza.
- Reconnection between Jews and the Arab world, particularly the Eastern Mediterranean roots many Israelis share.
Why I Disagree, and Why I STILL Listen
There’s a point where Pappé says something like, ”The future depends on whether Palestinians move in the right direction.” And I’ll be honest…that sat heavy with me. It’s difficult to read a line like that when Palestinians are still under occupation, still in exile, still grieving, still being displaced. The future isn’t just ours to shape - not when the systems of control still operate so violently. And no, I’m not only talking about Israel here.
And to get this off my chest: after years of observing what’s happening - after years of living amidst the politics of our cause - I fear I hold strongly to this opinion, I find it difficult to fully accept the idea that Palestinians are expected to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for shaping what comes next. Yes, Jewish involvement will undoubtedly be significant, especially considering the historical and structural power imbalances. But to believe that this will all somehow conclude on peaceful or even mutually acceptable terms feels overly… idealistic????? The reality, I suspect, will be far more complicated, messy, drawn-out, and full of painful reckonings. It won’t be the beautiful or clean resolution some people imagine.
And, well, even if I don’t agree with the framing, I respect the intent behind it?
On Palestinian “Division” and the Truth Beneath It
One theme Pappé revisits is the so-called “division” (eye-roll here, yep) among Palestinians - particularly the tired, overused narrative of Fatah vs. Hamas. It’s become the default excuse, especially for Arab Zionists, who constantly invoke it as a reason to deny Palestinians their basic right to resist. It’s as if any sign of political disagreement somehow invalidates an entire people’s struggle for freedom. But that’s a gross oversimplification. No liberation movement in history has ever been perfectly unified, and expecting Palestinians to meet that impossible standard is both unfair and dehumanizing. We are not robots… we are people navigating impossible conditions, and of course, we disagree. But those disagreements are deliberately inflated, exploited, and weaponized to discredit us.
And when we speak about Fatah - or more specifically, the PA - we’re not just talking about a political faction. We’re talking about a leadership that has, in many ways, actively betrayed its own people. The PA has functioned less like a representative body and more like a subcontractor for the occupation, enforcing policies that harm the very people it’s supposed to protect. Their coordination with Israeli security forces, their silence in moments of crisis, and their suppression of resistance within the West Bank - it all adds up (google what happened in the past couple of months in Jenin Camp, you’ll thank me later), It’s not a neutral division, it’s a CRISIS of legitimacy.
So when people point to ‘Palestinian division’ as if it’s some inherent flaw in the people themselves, what they’re really doing is ignoring the deliberate external pressures and internal failures that fuel it. They’re erasing the decades of imposed fragmentation, manipulation, and betrayal that have made this struggle even harder. But none of it negates the justice of the Palestinian cause, or even our right to fight for it.
Final Note
Do I think this is a necessary read? Absolutely.
It’s not an easy read - but it’s an essential one. And I’m grateful I had the opportunity to engage with it this early, with all the emotions and thoughts it stirred up.
As this was an early review copy, I want to extend my deep thanks to Edelweiss and Beacon Press for granting me access to this eARC.
Months after finishing this book, I’m more convinced than ever that Israel’s slow collapse from within is imminent, if not already happening. Please do yourself a favor and read it. My rating isn’t meant to discourage you. On the contrary, I think this book is worth your time.
___
Can a Future Be Rebuilt on the Ruins of the Present?
So Israel on the Brink is a confrontation of our current situation. The historian Ilan Pappé is well known for challenging the foundational myths of Zionism and in this book, he offers one of his most urgent and direct arguments yet - the Zionist project, and subsequently the Israeli state built on it, is fracturing from within. What follows this fracture is not only determined by political changes, but by the fundamental cultural and moral issues that have stubbornly lingered in the background for far too long.
A Nation Split From Within
Pappé begins with an internal analysis - one often overlooked in broader conversations about Israel. He focuses on two dominant identities inside Israel today: the secular Israelis who uphold a nationalist, modern, often liberal Zionist identity - and the religious “Judea” Israelis, often settlers and ideologues, who see the state as divine territory and refuse compromise, even with their own people.
It’s this internal contradiction, Pappé argues, that has placed Israel in existential crisis. These two factions - once loosely aligned - are now clashing openly, politically, and culturally. Their competing visions for what Israel is (a democratic state vs. a biblically promised land) are tearing at the seams of the state itself. These cracks, he argues, are not temporary - they are signs of… collapse.
The Eight Mini-Revolutions - The Future??
From there, the book shifts toward building. A vision, let’s say? Pappé outlines eight “mini-revolutions” that must take place to move toward a just and peaceful future in historic Palestine. And it is clear that the author argues that these are not cosmetic fixes, but rather are paradigm shifts (mainly focused on coexistence between Palestinians and Jews.):
- A central commitment to the Right of Return - not as a side note, but as non-negotiable.
- An honest reckoning with the future of settlements in the West Bank.
- A truly representative Palestinian liberation movement that includes all Palestinians - uin exile, in ‘48, in the West Bank and Gaza.
- Reconnection between Jews and the Arab world, particularly the Eastern Mediterranean roots many Israelis share.
Why I Disagree, and Why I STILL Listen
There’s a point where Pappé says something like, ”The future depends on whether Palestinians move in the right direction.” And I’ll be honest…that sat heavy with me. It’s difficult to read a line like that when Palestinians are still under occupation, still in exile, still grieving, still being displaced. The future isn’t just ours to shape - not when the systems of control still operate so violently. And no, I’m not only talking about Israel here.
And to get this off my chest: after years of observing what’s happening - after years of living amidst the politics of our cause - I fear I hold strongly to this opinion, I find it difficult to fully accept the idea that Palestinians are expected to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for shaping what comes next. Yes, Jewish involvement will undoubtedly be significant, especially considering the historical and structural power imbalances. But to believe that this will all somehow conclude on peaceful or even mutually acceptable terms feels overly… idealistic????? The reality, I suspect, will be far more complicated, messy, drawn-out, and full of painful reckonings. It won’t be the beautiful or clean resolution some people imagine.
And, well, even if I don’t agree with the framing, I respect the intent behind it?
On Palestinian “Division” and the Truth Beneath It
One theme Pappé revisits is the so-called “division” (eye-roll here, yep) among Palestinians - particularly the tired, overused narrative of Fatah vs. Hamas. It’s become the default excuse, especially for Arab Zionists, who constantly invoke it as a reason to deny Palestinians their basic right to resist. It’s as if any sign of political disagreement somehow invalidates an entire people’s struggle for freedom. But that’s a gross oversimplification. No liberation movement in history has ever been perfectly unified, and expecting Palestinians to meet that impossible standard is both unfair and dehumanizing. We are not robots… we are people navigating impossible conditions, and of course, we disagree. But those disagreements are deliberately inflated, exploited, and weaponized to discredit us.
And when we speak about Fatah - or more specifically, the PA - we’re not just talking about a political faction. We’re talking about a leadership that has, in many ways, actively betrayed its own people. The PA has functioned less like a representative body and more like a subcontractor for the occupation, enforcing policies that harm the very people it’s supposed to protect. Their coordination with Israeli security forces, their silence in moments of crisis, and their suppression of resistance within the West Bank - it all adds up (google what happened in the past couple of months in Jenin Camp, you’ll thank me later), It’s not a neutral division, it’s a CRISIS of legitimacy.
So when people point to ‘Palestinian division’ as if it’s some inherent flaw in the people themselves, what they’re really doing is ignoring the deliberate external pressures and internal failures that fuel it. They’re erasing the decades of imposed fragmentation, manipulation, and betrayal that have made this struggle even harder. But none of it negates the justice of the Palestinian cause, or even our right to fight for it.
Final Note
Do I think this is a necessary read? Absolutely.
It’s not an easy read - but it’s an essential one. And I’m grateful I had the opportunity to engage with it this early, with all the emotions and thoughts it stirred up.
As this was an early review copy, I want to extend my deep thanks to Edelweiss and Beacon Press for granting me access to this eARC.
October 7, 2025
Al contrario del suo publishing, questo è un saggio pieno di luce e ottimismo. Diviso in tre parti (sette crepe nello Stato di Israele, le mini-rivoluzioni necessarie e una lettera da un futuro di pace e ricostruzione collettiva), Pappé torna con l’occhio analitico dello storico a mostrarci come potrebbe andare, cosa potrebbe accadere con la comunione di intenti. Torna a ricordarci che non c’è rivoluzione senza immaginazione.
December 30, 2025
Ilan Pappè si dice certo della crisi irreversibile del progetto sionista e coltiva la speranza che dalle sue ceneri possa nascere, in luogo di Israele, un nuovo stato, con un nuovo nome, fondato sulla convivenza pacifica, il rispetto dei diritti, la pace. Uno stato in cui anche le strade cambieranno nome e in cui da Gaza, integrata nella nuova Palestina, si potrà prendere un treno per il Cairo o per Beirut. La costruzione di questo futuro, che passa per un radicale cambiamento degli equilibri mondiali, è affidato alle giovani generazioni, nella cui energica voglia di cambiamento Pappè ripone grandi aspettative (e noi con lui).
Essendo un libro costruito intorno a una possibilità, peroʻ, ha poco della disamina storica e molto dell'utopia ed è per questo che mi è parso meno interessante degli altri libri di Pappè, che ho invece amato ed apprezzato moltissimo.
Essendo un libro costruito intorno a una possibilità, peroʻ, ha poco della disamina storica e molto dell'utopia ed è per questo che mi è parso meno interessante degli altri libri di Pappè, che ho invece amato ed apprezzato moltissimo.
January 1, 2026
Since October 7th, 2023 more than 500,000 Israelis have emigrated from Israel. Before Israel intentionally chose expansion over security in ’67 (read Noam), “in 1964 Jews were twice as likely as Protestants and Catholics to favor withdrawal from Vietnam.” And Jews like rabbi Abraham Heschel marched alongside MLK marching for civil rights. On October 7th, 2023 “it took nearly seven hours for the (Israeli) military to arrive in force.” That means Stevie Wonder could have ordered an Uber from Northern-most Israel to the Hamas entry point and would have arrived and given out autographs before the IDF decided to show up. As Ilan writes, “The IDF is unused to fighting anyone who actually fights back.” True dat - I never met a bully who provoked a fight he didn’t feel sure he could win. As Ilan says, “The stated aim of eliminating Hamas (in 2025) is as far away as ever.” You historically can’t eliminate resistance to oppression. Israelis like to refer to Gazans as animals, which does make sense because animals don’t boldly commit genocide and most of my friends prefer the company of animals to people – however unlike animals “in 2018, a report showed that Palestine had one of the lowest illiteracy rates in the world at 3.3 percent.”
When Israel pulled out of Gaza “in 2005, Israel destroyed all that existed in the settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip: public buildings, electricity and water infrastructure, and military installations.” No Zionist will tell you Hamas is a liberation movement, just like the Viet Cong were, or Algerians fighting for their independence, or as Paulo Freire wrote eloquently of in the Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Zionists entering Palestine, in an effort to make it look more like Europe, “destroyed the native trees and crops, replacing oaks, carobs, olives, and almonds with water-hungry pine trees.”
We were taught in school about the intellectual greatness of the European Enlightenment – yet note as a theoretically “enlightened” movement that it did not “dismantle racism, colonialism, or imperialism” or even the ridiculous wearing of powdered wigs (w/ the progressive exception of Ben Frankin). Most Enlightenment figures instead publicly coifed themselves like Ru Paul at Danceteria. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 which ends the Thirty-Year’s War, “cemented the principle that a state has sovereignty over its territories – that is, that other powers cannot interfere with a state’s domestic affairs within its borders.” You know, like Israel blatantly recently did by illegally attacking six sovereign nations (Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, Tunisia and Palestine) in JUST three days this year (9/2025).
It is de rigueur for fear mongering pundits like Bill Maher and Ben Shapiro to try to keep their audience Islamophobic (ignoring that historical the death count by Christian violence is far greater) but Ilan reminds us “When European anti-Semitism tried to alienate the Jews from the rest of society in many places, the mostly Muslim communities rejected these efforts.” [Al-Andalus for example – and George Galloway has a video shot in front of the largest synagogue in Tehran discussing the absence of anti-Semitism seen by its Jews in the land Israel loves to hate]. Ilan says Iraq had a thriving Jewish community, as did Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. As Iraqi Jewish writer Ezra Hadda stated, “We are Arabs before we are Jews.”
This book was supposed to be about how Israel as a racist state will collapse and decolonize itself, leading to coexistence. While I have read many other anti-Zionists saying, “Someday Israel will be over, and the cracks are already appearing”, I’m not so sure the end to the decades of bloodshed and oppression is near. Israelis are steadfastly settler-colonial and that leaves the US (as Israel’s biggest donor) opinion as where the change must happen. But only 5% of my Facebook friends, if that, have thus far shown the moral courage to post the slightest concern that financing a very televised genocide may be wrong, or that silence is indeed complicity.
I don’t know why Ilan wrote “Part Three: A Post-Israel Palestine Diary” which is from the perspective of the 2030’s and 2040’s (beginning p.157). Or why he didn’t explain better all the cracks he sees appearing on Israel’s façade and behind the scenes. He doesn’t discuss Israel paying $7,000 per post to Zionist influencers to push propaganda, the Canary Mission, the Shirion Collective, Zio-Troll farms, Israel’s failing poll numbers among the young, Israel sending war material to Rwanda during its genocide, Israel permanently silencing the opposition from JFK, USS Liberty survivors, to Charlie Kirk (see Candace Owens). Katie Halper, Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, John Mearsheimer, Norman Finkelstein, Gideon Levy, Jonathan Cook, Chris Hedges, Caitlin Johnstone, Tucker Carlson, and Candace Owens could wax eloquently for 10 minutes each on just the subject of how Israel is falling apart yet their points largely were not mentioned by Ilan in a book on that exact subject. A lost opportunity. There should have been a Michael Hudson style chapter just on the shakiness of Israel’s economy – or the present financial effects of the worldwide boycott of Israel. PTSD in IDF veterans - the Iron Dome almost ran out of interceptors in 2025 – Those of us who study this shit know that Iran has more missiles than Israel has interceptors so why not put that obvious threat to Israel surviving in this book? Or the HUGE numbers showing up in street protests around the world, or the videos of the public shaming/questioning of paid off political figures in the UK and US? Or the cumulative millions of people who have watched thousands of heartbreaking “Life in Gaza” videos or listened to testimonies of courageous eloquent doctors who worked in Gaza saying what they saw. A lost opportunity. However, I overall really did like this (and every) book of Ilan’s, but would more recommend Ilan’s “Ten Myths”, “Modern Palestine”, “Biggest Prison” “The Idea of Israel” “Lobbying for” and his “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” which each gave me more useable info.
When Israel pulled out of Gaza “in 2005, Israel destroyed all that existed in the settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip: public buildings, electricity and water infrastructure, and military installations.” No Zionist will tell you Hamas is a liberation movement, just like the Viet Cong were, or Algerians fighting for their independence, or as Paulo Freire wrote eloquently of in the Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Zionists entering Palestine, in an effort to make it look more like Europe, “destroyed the native trees and crops, replacing oaks, carobs, olives, and almonds with water-hungry pine trees.”
We were taught in school about the intellectual greatness of the European Enlightenment – yet note as a theoretically “enlightened” movement that it did not “dismantle racism, colonialism, or imperialism” or even the ridiculous wearing of powdered wigs (w/ the progressive exception of Ben Frankin). Most Enlightenment figures instead publicly coifed themselves like Ru Paul at Danceteria. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 which ends the Thirty-Year’s War, “cemented the principle that a state has sovereignty over its territories – that is, that other powers cannot interfere with a state’s domestic affairs within its borders.” You know, like Israel blatantly recently did by illegally attacking six sovereign nations (Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, Tunisia and Palestine) in JUST three days this year (9/2025).
It is de rigueur for fear mongering pundits like Bill Maher and Ben Shapiro to try to keep their audience Islamophobic (ignoring that historical the death count by Christian violence is far greater) but Ilan reminds us “When European anti-Semitism tried to alienate the Jews from the rest of society in many places, the mostly Muslim communities rejected these efforts.” [Al-Andalus for example – and George Galloway has a video shot in front of the largest synagogue in Tehran discussing the absence of anti-Semitism seen by its Jews in the land Israel loves to hate]. Ilan says Iraq had a thriving Jewish community, as did Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. As Iraqi Jewish writer Ezra Hadda stated, “We are Arabs before we are Jews.”
This book was supposed to be about how Israel as a racist state will collapse and decolonize itself, leading to coexistence. While I have read many other anti-Zionists saying, “Someday Israel will be over, and the cracks are already appearing”, I’m not so sure the end to the decades of bloodshed and oppression is near. Israelis are steadfastly settler-colonial and that leaves the US (as Israel’s biggest donor) opinion as where the change must happen. But only 5% of my Facebook friends, if that, have thus far shown the moral courage to post the slightest concern that financing a very televised genocide may be wrong, or that silence is indeed complicity.
I don’t know why Ilan wrote “Part Three: A Post-Israel Palestine Diary” which is from the perspective of the 2030’s and 2040’s (beginning p.157). Or why he didn’t explain better all the cracks he sees appearing on Israel’s façade and behind the scenes. He doesn’t discuss Israel paying $7,000 per post to Zionist influencers to push propaganda, the Canary Mission, the Shirion Collective, Zio-Troll farms, Israel’s failing poll numbers among the young, Israel sending war material to Rwanda during its genocide, Israel permanently silencing the opposition from JFK, USS Liberty survivors, to Charlie Kirk (see Candace Owens). Katie Halper, Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, John Mearsheimer, Norman Finkelstein, Gideon Levy, Jonathan Cook, Chris Hedges, Caitlin Johnstone, Tucker Carlson, and Candace Owens could wax eloquently for 10 minutes each on just the subject of how Israel is falling apart yet their points largely were not mentioned by Ilan in a book on that exact subject. A lost opportunity. There should have been a Michael Hudson style chapter just on the shakiness of Israel’s economy – or the present financial effects of the worldwide boycott of Israel. PTSD in IDF veterans - the Iron Dome almost ran out of interceptors in 2025 – Those of us who study this shit know that Iran has more missiles than Israel has interceptors so why not put that obvious threat to Israel surviving in this book? Or the HUGE numbers showing up in street protests around the world, or the videos of the public shaming/questioning of paid off political figures in the UK and US? Or the cumulative millions of people who have watched thousands of heartbreaking “Life in Gaza” videos or listened to testimonies of courageous eloquent doctors who worked in Gaza saying what they saw. A lost opportunity. However, I overall really did like this (and every) book of Ilan’s, but would more recommend Ilan’s “Ten Myths”, “Modern Palestine”, “Biggest Prison” “The Idea of Israel” “Lobbying for” and his “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” which each gave me more useable info.
January 11, 2026
Finally finished my first book of 2026! One of my goals for this year is to write a review for every book I read, so let’s hope I stick to that. This one took me a while to read, partly because I was super busy, but also because I found it to be quite slow. I enjoyed the first two parts of the book for the most part. It made me realize that I haven’t read a lot of nonfiction that’s very solution-oriented. I appreciated how timely and relevant this is, and how optimistic Ilan Pappe is. I saw him speak almost a year ago, in Feb 2025 at MIT, and I quickly realized that this book is a continuation of this talk. He’s an amazing speaker and an even better writer, but I think this could have been a bit shorter.
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the final part. For me, the tone shift felt too jarring, and it kind of took me out of the book, although I understand what he was trying to do. Maybe I’m a pessimist, but some parts felt too optimistic to me…but also he spent the first two parts presenting solutions, so it was nice to read about some hope. I would love to live in the world he presents in part three, and I truly hope that we can see it happen, but I wonder a) how quickly the timeline can match up, and b) how realistic the role the US plays in part three is. The American public has become significantly less Zionist, but I don’t think politics have changed for the most part.
This was actually my first Ilan Pappe book, and I’m glad I read it, although I will say that I expected more. But I really appreciate his perspectives and how he has committed his life to the Palestinian cause.
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the final part. For me, the tone shift felt too jarring, and it kind of took me out of the book, although I understand what he was trying to do. Maybe I’m a pessimist, but some parts felt too optimistic to me…but also he spent the first two parts presenting solutions, so it was nice to read about some hope. I would love to live in the world he presents in part three, and I truly hope that we can see it happen, but I wonder a) how quickly the timeline can match up, and b) how realistic the role the US plays in part three is. The American public has become significantly less Zionist, but I don’t think politics have changed for the most part.
This was actually my first Ilan Pappe book, and I’m glad I read it, although I will say that I expected more. But I really appreciate his perspectives and how he has committed his life to the Palestinian cause.
November 19, 2025
Dal principio al crollo del sionismo per arrivare alla visione di un futuro di coabitazione in una Palestina condivisa. Lettura interessante e punto di vista lucido.
October 23, 2025
Ilan Pape provides a much needed, optimistic - yet realistic - perspective on the future of a free Palestine after Israel vanishes from existence.
Israel is really on the brink and its fall is happening faster than we think.
The book discusses eight mini revolutions that need to take place to make the transition from Zionist Israel to a Free Palestine as effective as possible.
These revolutions are related to the Palestinian national movement, restorative justice, the right of return, the future of Jewish settlements, Palestine connection of the Mashreq as a whole, redefining the Jewish collective and redefining politics.
Eye opening and recommended.
Israel is really on the brink and its fall is happening faster than we think.
The book discusses eight mini revolutions that need to take place to make the transition from Zionist Israel to a Free Palestine as effective as possible.
These revolutions are related to the Palestinian national movement, restorative justice, the right of return, the future of Jewish settlements, Palestine connection of the Mashreq as a whole, redefining the Jewish collective and redefining politics.
Eye opening and recommended.
November 14, 2025
Un po' di fiducia e speranza per un mondo più giusto e una Palestina libera. Alcuni passaggi e alcune "mini-rivoluzioni" di cui parla sembrano utopia, ma, come dice lo stesso Pappé, le rivoluzioni sono alimentate dall'immaginazione.
October 29, 2025
An unrealistic fanfic that seems to believe Israelis will just accept the following verdict gratefully. He seems to (to paraphrase Dimi Reider, a non-Zionist writer) regard Israelis as liars, whose parents were liars, whose grandparents are liars, and if Pappe doesn't stop them from lying, he fears they will produce lying children who’ll continue to lie. He continuously says he doesn't care if Israelis are afraid – he openly says Israelis' fear is also a lie. He clearly wants Israelis to flee, or at least to shut up and be grateful they are allowed to stay in the region, preferably while paying penance for their parents’ and grandparents’ sins.
He salivates over a future where Israelis believe that of themselves and thinks its possible. Yes, a nuclear-strengthed country is going to just lay down and commit national suicide? He seriously writes fake diary entries from the future, handwaving any problem with it being "Israeli's fears"
Unlikely.
Even if you hate the country, at least be realistic. The only way to peace includes both sides.
He salivates over a future where Israelis believe that of themselves and thinks its possible. Yes, a nuclear-strengthed country is going to just lay down and commit national suicide? He seriously writes fake diary entries from the future, handwaving any problem with it being "Israeli's fears"
Unlikely.
Even if you hate the country, at least be realistic. The only way to peace includes both sides.
December 26, 2025
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: A renowned Israeli-British historian argues Israel is fracturing, and considers the issues that must be centered for a peaceful future for Palestinians and Jews alike
In this timely book, historian Ilan Pappé argues that with the 2022 election of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli war on Gaza, political fractures inherent in the Jewish state have expanded dangerously—and will potentially lead to Israel's collapse. With the goal of working towards a transition that is as peaceful as possible, Pappé sets out his thoughts about the risks and opportunities emerging from this historical moment.
Eight “mini-revolutions,” he argues, will be necessary for this more hopeful future to emerge, including:
Relocating the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees to the center of the future vision
Establishing a new definition for the Jewish collective in historical Palestine
Finalizing a plan for the future of the Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967, and
Creating a new strategy for a united Palestinian national movement
Pappé concretely envisions a more just future—a democratic decolonized state for both Palestinians and Israelis—and how we might get there.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Ilan Pappé's PALESTINE IN A WORLD ON FIRE (q.v.) contained temperature-taking interviews with many of the world's eminent progressives on the subject of public perception of Palestine. Now there comes via Beacon Press the proposal for a roadmap out of this quagmire.
Considering more West Bank Jewish settlements were approved this week I don't foresee the proposals herein being enacted or taken seriously by Israeli officials.
Considering the state of the world's opinion of Bibi and his gang of thugs, it feels more like we should be preparing for a collapse of the state.
It is a good idea for honest, morally sound people to get their heads around what eminent and practical thinkers propose as the future course of this extremely troubled part of the world. Much disgusting vitriolic hysteria will be spewed as things change, so have the antidote in your head already so as not to add to the chaos that's coming.
The Publisher Says: A renowned Israeli-British historian argues Israel is fracturing, and considers the issues that must be centered for a peaceful future for Palestinians and Jews alike
In this timely book, historian Ilan Pappé argues that with the 2022 election of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli war on Gaza, political fractures inherent in the Jewish state have expanded dangerously—and will potentially lead to Israel's collapse. With the goal of working towards a transition that is as peaceful as possible, Pappé sets out his thoughts about the risks and opportunities emerging from this historical moment.
Eight “mini-revolutions,” he argues, will be necessary for this more hopeful future to emerge, including:
Relocating the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees to the center of the future vision
Establishing a new definition for the Jewish collective in historical Palestine
Finalizing a plan for the future of the Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967, and
Creating a new strategy for a united Palestinian national movement
Pappé concretely envisions a more just future—a democratic decolonized state for both Palestinians and Israelis—and how we might get there.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Ilan Pappé's PALESTINE IN A WORLD ON FIRE (q.v.) contained temperature-taking interviews with many of the world's eminent progressives on the subject of public perception of Palestine. Now there comes via Beacon Press the proposal for a roadmap out of this quagmire.
Considering more West Bank Jewish settlements were approved this week I don't foresee the proposals herein being enacted or taken seriously by Israeli officials.
Considering the state of the world's opinion of Bibi and his gang of thugs, it feels more like we should be preparing for a collapse of the state.
It is a good idea for honest, morally sound people to get their heads around what eminent and practical thinkers propose as the future course of this extremely troubled part of the world. Much disgusting vitriolic hysteria will be spewed as things change, so have the antidote in your head already so as not to add to the chaos that's coming.
Read
January 7, 2026In his latest book, Ilan Pappé argues that the status quo in Israel cannot last, as the peace process has consistently failed to deliver a real resolution. He identifies and examines cracks in the foundations of Zionism which may not lead to an immediate collapse, but are bound to multiply and deepen over time. He points to seven such cracks, including an inevitable economic downturn, the ongoing subjugation of Palestinians, and the fact that many Jews around the world no longer identify with Zionism. He also questions whether the Israeli army is truly invincible, given its repeated failure to contain conflicts.
In the second part of the book, Pappé outlines seven cognitive and political mini-revolutions that he believes must take place so that the transition from a collapsed one-state reality to the emergence of a new one can be as successful as possible.
Redefining politics, he argues, is key to any hopeful future. As part of this, Pappé discusses the balance of power in the international system. While the United States remains a unipolar superpower, he suggests that in Middle Eastern politics it is mainly challenged by a regional power, Iran, whose influence he sees as declining since the fall of Assad in Syria. Even so, he argues that Iran could still play a positive role in shaping not only a new Palestine, but a new Middle East.
In the final part of the book, Pappé imagines a post-Israel Palestine in 2048 through a fictional diary, introducing what he describes as an eighth mini-revolution. He argues that if everyone living in Israel and Palestine, as well as those who wish to return, are to turn more than a century of ethnic cleansing, occupation, and now genocide into a century of hope and reconciliation, we first need to imagine what this new reality might look like.
In the second part of the book, Pappé outlines seven cognitive and political mini-revolutions that he believes must take place so that the transition from a collapsed one-state reality to the emergence of a new one can be as successful as possible.
Redefining politics, he argues, is key to any hopeful future. As part of this, Pappé discusses the balance of power in the international system. While the United States remains a unipolar superpower, he suggests that in Middle Eastern politics it is mainly challenged by a regional power, Iran, whose influence he sees as declining since the fall of Assad in Syria. Even so, he argues that Iran could still play a positive role in shaping not only a new Palestine, but a new Middle East.
In the final part of the book, Pappé imagines a post-Israel Palestine in 2048 through a fictional diary, introducing what he describes as an eighth mini-revolution. He argues that if everyone living in Israel and Palestine, as well as those who wish to return, are to turn more than a century of ethnic cleansing, occupation, and now genocide into a century of hope and reconciliation, we first need to imagine what this new reality might look like.
November 2, 2025
Quattro stelle solo perchè l'incredibile ottimismo di Pappé si scontra con il mio pessimismo della razionalità. Ma sono 7 stelle piene (si, due in più) sotto il profilo etico, dell'etica della politica, quella che cerca soluzioni e prefigura mondi anche quando questi si scontrino con il "mainstream" banalizzante. Un riassunto della vicenda storica di Israele (Stato) che non fa sconti e fa nuovamente intravedere a chi visse gli anni '70, le ragioni profonde di quella passione filopalestinese del tempo, purtroppo stemperata e a volte, annullata, dal bombardamento mediatico/politico e dal prevalente benpensante razzismo di fondo che ci fa preferire ciò che è bianco e occidentale (apparentemente) a ciò che è alieno e distante (apparentemente - e 2!). Ma la vera forza del libro è la capacità di immaginare una via di uscita (quella che i filo-Israeliani non sembrano avere, quale che sia) che è ben più che tale, una prospettiva storica di grande respiro che mette le gambe alla parola pace e al modo di sanare i danni accumulati. Una vera e propria architettura della soluzione al conflitto, suffragata dalla realtà dei casi di Rwanda, Balcani, Sudafrica, in una cornice di ripristino del diritto dei popoli e delle genti. Erano decenni che non leggevo "proposte", vere e concrete, possibili, che disegnano un altro futuro (e non solo a proposito del medio oriente).
November 28, 2025
When the negotiations begin after Israel's exhaustion, capitulation and power shift happens then this book and the detailed proposals will be instrumental in creating a lasting peaceful coexistence in the region. Mr Pappé first builds a powerful case for why Israel will ultimately collapse and although my time in Israel was brief I experienced first hand much of what he describes. He makes a compelling case.
Unfortunately despite the author's historically factual arguments, the comprehensive supporting examples and relevant legal agreements, all anchored in international law and international justice, I fear that we are on a path of no surrender and further violence. Additionally while the proposals are difficult to argue with I great that based on current trends a significant portion of the Zionist base will never accept any compromise.
BUT, but, the good news is that if any negotiations begin this book with it's detailed chapters covering right of return, compensation, rebuilding, settlements, etc will be instrumental in increasing the likelihood of success.
Unfortunately despite the author's historically factual arguments, the comprehensive supporting examples and relevant legal agreements, all anchored in international law and international justice, I fear that we are on a path of no surrender and further violence. Additionally while the proposals are difficult to argue with I great that based on current trends a significant portion of the Zionist base will never accept any compromise.
BUT, but, the good news is that if any negotiations begin this book with it's detailed chapters covering right of return, compensation, rebuilding, settlements, etc will be instrumental in increasing the likelihood of success.
November 4, 2025
The basis of this book is very encouraging. Pappé believes that Israel is going to collapse because of the internal conflict between what he calls the State of Israel (secular) and the State of Judea (religious fundamentalists who want to turn Israel into a theocracy). So, given that Israel will not last much longer, Pappe asks, how can Palestinians, Israelis and the world ensure that its decolonisation is done as peacefully as possible, leading to as just and democratic an outcome as possible? While constantly pointing out that decisions must be made by the Palestinians, Pappe suggests answers to questions like how to implement the Right of Return and what to do with the illegal Jewish Settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
I did find myself crying a little while reading the last part, Pappe’s fictional diary set in the years 2027 to 2049, describing a journey to a decolonized Palestine. May it be so!
I did find myself crying a little while reading the last part, Pappe’s fictional diary set in the years 2027 to 2049, describing a journey to a decolonized Palestine. May it be so!
November 11, 2025
It seems most rational and hopeful and one can hope it’s most likely that things will play out somewhat like the events predicted here. Illan Pappe takes stock of where we are with both Zionism and the Palestine liberation movement. He also puts forward a necessary vision for the future, an idea of what needs to happen and the sort of work that needs to be done to bring about a more positive conclusion to the colonial project. Anyone deeply involved in the Palestine struggle is under no illusions that the risk for violence is lessening. But to envision the fall of Zionism from within might be the most peaceful outlook for all involved. The hope here is for a collapse of structures, of ideology, of a toxic consciousness of how others are viewed. The nature of reality and a look at history indicates this collapse is inevitable. But how the vacuum is filled is very much an active process requiring the perseverance of all of us who hope for a better future.
October 24, 2025
Ilan Pappe describes eight different revolutions that could/should occur to have a peaceful coexistence between Jews and Muslims in Israel/Palestine.
All the prescriptions make sense, but they are very Muslim-centric rather and in my opinion go too far in the opposite direction in the one-state solution paradigm where present-day Israel is entirely dismantled. It is true the theocracy needs to be dismantled but not to the degree Pappe suggests.
For each of these, they are also a pipe dream; which is an overstatement but not too far from sincerity. This work loses a star for me because of that although each revolution was described and presented very well and I learned a lot.
All the prescriptions make sense, but they are very Muslim-centric rather and in my opinion go too far in the opposite direction in the one-state solution paradigm where present-day Israel is entirely dismantled. It is true the theocracy needs to be dismantled but not to the degree Pappe suggests.
For each of these, they are also a pipe dream; which is an overstatement but not too far from sincerity. This work loses a star for me because of that although each revolution was described and presented very well and I learned a lot.
November 2, 2025
Finito.
Illuminante.
Espone con rigore la storia del territorio della Palestina storica dal 1917 a oggi, con un finale ambientato nel 2048.
È una critica puntuale a un sionismo razzista e colonialista basato su una visione ottimistica che immagina un unico paese, la Palestina, in cui arabi, ebrei, cristiani e tutte le altre comunità storicamente presenti lì vivano in pace, tutti con pari diritti e pari dignità. Lo consiglio a chi interessi l’argomento.
Illuminante.
Espone con rigore la storia del territorio della Palestina storica dal 1917 a oggi, con un finale ambientato nel 2048.
È una critica puntuale a un sionismo razzista e colonialista basato su una visione ottimistica che immagina un unico paese, la Palestina, in cui arabi, ebrei, cristiani e tutte le altre comunità storicamente presenti lì vivano in pace, tutti con pari diritti e pari dignità. Lo consiglio a chi interessi l’argomento.
January 5, 2026
thought provoking and, more than that, thought reshaping. Ilan Pappé is really in a league of his own on the topic of zionism, which makes his humility and deference to Palestinians so meaningful.
the ending is an academic trying to write a prose fiction. beautiful and convincing (minus a VERY optimistic change in american foreign policy) and as clunky as you'd expect.
and yet and yet and yet
🥲🍉
the ending is an academic trying to write a prose fiction. beautiful and convincing (minus a VERY optimistic change in american foreign policy) and as clunky as you'd expect.
and yet and yet and yet
🥲🍉
December 1, 2025
لم أكمل الكتاب، قرأته حتى انتصفت ثم توقفت عن القراءة. الكتاب بدأ بتحليل واقع الدولة الاسرائيلية والانقسامات المجتمعية فيها ثم واصل بتفصيل كيف يمكن أن يكون مستقبل الدولة بوجود دولة تشمل اليهود والفلسطينيين. لم أكمل قرائته لأنه لم يشدني الموضوع وليس لسبب آخر. قد أرجع له بالمستقبل.
October 23, 2025
Visionario e ambizioso, su basi molto concrete. lo consiglio
November 21, 2025
Attempting to find a positive way forward in a horrible situation.
November 25, 2025
Molto bella la prima parte con l’analisi storica.
Un po’ prolissa la parte centrale che descrive i possibili avvenimenti.
Decisamente inutile la terza parte immaginata nel futuro.
Un po’ prolissa la parte centrale che descrive i possibili avvenimenti.
Decisamente inutile la terza parte immaginata nel futuro.
December 11, 2025
Great, hopeful book about the future of Israel. Especially the last part (the diary) entries is very intriguing and hopeful.
December 21, 2025
Un resoconto accurato dello stato attuale di Israele e delle prospettive future.
December 29, 2025
Pappe asks readers think about the possibility of a post-Israel Palestine.
January 4, 2026
actual rating: 3.5
January 12, 2026
“Possa il prossimo anno essere il primo anno noioso nella storia della Palestina.”
January 13, 2026
While I admire Pappe’s idealism and conviction, his contention felt far too utopian.
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