On Palestine is a collection of interviews, talks and lectures of Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe about Israel-Palestine conflict. The discussion and talks are on various aspects of the conflicts which gives the readers a new insight and perspective on the illegal occupation and land grab of Israel. Also providing some possible solutions to a century long ongoing conflict.
Chomsky and Ilan dwells on variety of topics and try to provide the genesis of the conflict and how it aggravated over the years. There are discussions and debate about two nation theory which advocates two separate nation for Israel and Palestine as per UN and one democratic state where both Arabs and Jews live together. A brief history of conflict and the role of US, some interesting facts there. there are insights on how people in Israel, especially the Zionist think about the whole thing and what is their approach. Also, what is the stand of United States about the occupation of Israel and what is the reason of their stand. Why almost always United States supports Israel. They both give you a stark reality of continuous Israeli occupation of Gaza and the atrocities by the Israeli authorities, be it military, economic or psychological. One would get to know as opposed to what is present in the mainstream western media that the reality is far from it.
“At least 57 percent of Gaza households are food insecure and about 80 percent are now aid recipients – Gilbert reports. Food insecurity and rising poverty also means that most residents cannot meet their daily caloric requirements, while over 90 percent of the water has been deemed unfit for human consumption”, a situation that is becoming even worse as Israel again attacks water and sewage system, leaving 1.2 million people with even more severe disruption of the barest necessity of life.”
Also the biased coverage of the western media and how that helped create a perception for the outside world which is most of the times is not true.
“The dehumanization in Iraq and Syria is widespread and terrifying, as it is in Gaza. But there is one crucial difference between these cases and the Israeli brutality: the former are condemned as barbarous and inhuman worldwide, while those committed by Israel are still publicly licensed and approved by the president of the United States, the leaders of European Union, and Israel’s other friends in the world.”
The book is a treat to read as it provides a lot of information and insight into the complex Israel-Palestine conflict. If you have some basic understanding of the conflict and have interest in subject, you will surely enjoy the book. For others who have not read before about the Israel-Palestine conflict and have no interest in politics might find it a difficult read. Overall a great book to read !!
About The Authors
Ilan Pappé (born 1954) is an expatriate Israeli historian and socialist activist. He is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, director of the university’s European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies.
Noam Chomsky is the bestselling author of over 100 influential political books, including Hegemony or Survival, Imperial Ambitions, Failed States, Interventions, What We Say Goes, Hopes and Prospects, Making the Future, On Anarchism, Masters of Mankind and Who Rules the World. He has also been the subject of numerous books of biography and interviews and has collaborated with journalists on books such as Perilous Power, Gaza in Crisis, and On Palestine.
Our Verdict
A must read for anyone who is interested to know more about the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine