Customer Reviews

The New Intifada: Resisting Israel's Apartheid

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

(...) This book is specifically designed to address very topical issues, such as: the causes of the latest uprising against Israeli occupation, what the situation in Palestinian land has been since the uprising began, whether or not the American media has been objective in its reporting of events, what actually happened during the negotiations between Barak and Arafat at Camp David, etc. Detailed maps of what exactly was offered at Camp David are provided - something that you never see in the general, mainstream media.

Why do I give this book five stars? Because it reveals many things that it is simply not possible to learn from reading the NY Times, Washington Post, etc., and because it is very well presented - both well argued and complete. The descriptions of what life is like in the occupied territories is quite stunning, not at all what I was expecting. It is also quite shocking to see what it is that was offered by Barak at Camp David - and what the media so gratiously refer to as a "generous offer." It may very well have been the best offer ever, but it was still a far cry from adequate - a literal swiss cheese, full of holes. And on that point, there are some very objective and scientific studies that explain why it is that so many people refer to the American media as biased.

The arguments made are very strong and very convincing. The book brings together writers of varied backgrounds - Jews, Arabs, and westerners. It may not as some people have correctly pointed out be a complete account of what the entire history of this very old conflict, but that wasn't the point of this book. Its purpose is to address the New Intifada, and it does it extremely well.

As this book succesfully demonstrates: Israel's treatment of the Palestinians has always presented a moral problem to the West, as that treatment has violated every law and moral standard on the books. Some 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes in 1948-1949, and since then scores of thousands more have been pushed out by force, their houses demolished or taken over by Israeli Jews (not Israeli Arabs). Under the supposed "peace process" following the signing of the Oslo Agreement in September 1993, a UN Special Report of November 13, 2000, says that "In the past seven years...Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land and construction of settlements and bypass roads for Jewish settlers has accelerated dramatically in breach of Security Council Resolution 242 and of provisions of the Oslo agreements requiring both parties to respect 'the territorial integrity and unity of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.' Since 1993 the settler population in the West Bank and Gaza has doubled to 200,000 and increased to 170,000 in East Jerusalem." The report also describes and condemns the demolitions of Palestinian houses, the diversion of water to Israeli cities and settlements, the policy of closures that has damaged Palestinian social and economic life, and the "widespread violation of their [Palestinian] economic, social and cultural rights" both within Israel and in the occupied territories. It also assails Israel's use of excessive force against Palestinians and hundreds of Intifada killings, "most of them unarmed demonstrators."

The settlements have been made in territory outside of Israel, technically "occupied" by Israel and subject to international law that clearly prohibits dispossession and settlement by the "belligerent occupying power" (the Palestinians are "protected persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949; violations of that Convention, including dispossession and settlements, are "war crimes"). This systematic violation of international law has been going on for several decades, just as the creation of new "facts on the ground" in brazen violation of Article 31(7) of Oslo has proceeded since 1993, but as the United States does not object, and in fact has supported these law and agreement violations by massive economic and military aid, and by vetoing any hostile UN actions (it has used the veto an estimated 60 times to give Israeli ethnic cleansing and law violations free play), international law is inoperative.

As an American citizen who has been living in Israel since before the 2nd Intifada began, I found this book to be both accurate and insightful. Probably the most important information to be found in this book is the actual maps used in the various Oslo Peace agreements, from Camp David to Taba. These are the maps never shown to either the US or Israeli public. The maps of the "generous" land offers given to the Palestinians. The maps by themselves explain why Arafat had to reject the offer and why the Israeli occupation of Palestine is referred to as apartheid. In addition, other details that were never fully disclosed in the general public include continued full Israeli control over water resources, electric and phone service, and economic expansion. Settlements were to remain along with the system of newly constructed highways (off-limits to Palestinians) which connect the settlements and completely surround all Palestinian controlled areas.

My only disappointment with the book is that I thought there could have been more about the Arab citizens living in Israel. There is one interview with Azmi Bishara, the Arab Knesset MK who is facing trial for exercising his freedom of speech, yet a lot has happened inside Israel since the 2nd Intifada began. The 2nd Intifada has significantly affected relations between Arabs and Jews living inside Israel. It has directly affected unemployment among Arabs and detrimentally affected the economic conditions in Arab Israeli towns and villages. I would have liked to see more about how nothing has happened to the police who killed 13 Arab citizens and wounded hundreds during demonstrations. How hundreds of Arabs were put in jail, including many kids as young as 14, and held without charges while very few Jews were put in jail for firebombing mosques, throwing rocks, and beating Arabs. It would be enlightening, at least for American readers, to see how "democracy" in Israel really works depending on whether you are Jewish or Arab.

The articles included in this book include a wide range of subjects, from the Right of Return for Palestinian Refugees, to personal stories of Palestinians, to U.S. complicity of Israel's occupation, dispossession and general oppression of the Palestinians. I'd recommend people read this and also other books on the subject -- and then get involved to stop the atrocities. The Palestinians remain on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which is merely 22% of historical Palestine. Israel is on 78% of what was Palestine, and is refusing to give up the 22%. The U.S. government gives more foreign aid to Israel than to any other country in the world. Thus, people in the U.S. have a responsibility to do something. Inform yourself. Start here.

This is an important book, especially in the United States where the full story of events in the Middle East is lacking. Powerful essays pack this book; they are well-documented, clear, and represent real events mostly left untold in the U.S. If you really want a better understanding of what is happening on the Palestinian side of this issue AND helps explain how those events feed "anti-western" or "anti-U.S." opinions in the Middle East. The essays are fair, and you see that maybe what is at issue in this part of the world is injustice, not some inherent hatred of Jews, the West, and the United States.

Read this book. Everyone should read this book.

A well researched and well written review of events in the troubled land. Works like this should inspire journalists to go to the root cause of issues and take pride in educating the masses about the real truth in world wide issues irrespective of political, cultural or religious bias.
Books like this are not only a gift to those who seek the truth, but is a tribute to humanity.

In The New Intifada editor Roane Carey has brought together an exemplary collection of essays from twenty-one writers on the uprising launched September 2000 in the occupied lands of Palestine. The effects of the Israeli repression and violence against the Palestinians (economic and military violence) are revealed, as is the mainstream media's (mis)representation of the issue. Most powerfully presented is the deconstruction of the myths of the Oslo Accords, revealing that the `peace process' never was a process towards peace, but rather, as Mouin Rabbani proves, "a process that necessarily leads to separation within the occupied territories under continued Israeli hegemony, as opposed to the partition of Palestine through a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In doing so it formalizes arrangements tantamount to apartheid."

The strength of the book is not only in the well-researched studies, but in the inclusion of the voices of the people most affected in this struggle. We hear from "the forgotten people of the camps in Lebanon who do not allow themselves to forget about Palestine," from those in refugee camps in the occupied territories, from students enduring constant bombing in a Palestinian town, and from Palestinians within Israel. And, we hear about one of the critical, though all too often ignored, crux issues: the right of return of the 5 million Palestinian refugees. We also hear from the Israeli peace movement (though there is no mention of how many of those Israeli peace activists support the right of return of Palestinians).

The book ends with a powerful - though all too short - appeal for organized and sustained activism to liberate Palestinians from occupation and apartheid. ...

Unlike most of the mainstream media and punditry, this book actually treats the Palestinians as human beings who deserve respect, dignity and the same human rights as anyone else. For this reason alone it is an important book. I strongly recommend it for anyone interested in the Middle East.

As the bulk of the public's perceptions of the latest intifada have derived from a few substantively similar media organs, _The New Intifada_ is of critical importance to undersanding events and perspectives that have at best gone under-reported. The book's ostensible purpose is just that--providing a much needed alternative to commonly accepted narratives of events. Instead of merely analyzing the current struggle, however, the writers also explore the critical antecedents predicating its inception.

Edward Said, Sara Roy, and Glenn Robinson are just a few of the notable writers/analysts that contributed their insights into the collection. They cover a host of topics: comparisons of Intifada 1987 and Intifada 2000 (Ghassan Andoni), everyday life in the refugee camps (Mayssoun Sukarieh), the fateful Oslo accords' and other "hegemonic peace processes" relevant to the current struggle (Mouin Rabbani; Glenn Robinson), the peace movement of Israeli dissenters (Gila Svirsky), and a number of others. The styles and methodologies vary from Noam Chomsky's jaundiced scrutiny of U.S. power politics to the more level-headed laments of Edward Said; from Sara Roy's intensely researched description of the Palestinian economy since Oslo to Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif's one-week journal of her own journey through West Bank cities and villages during the intifada.

The articles scarcely disappoint. At the same time, perhaps some readers might disagree with conclusions and generalizations that some of the authors draw. It's important to keep in mind, however, that no one is claiming these interpretations to be authoritative; the point is merely that opinions that diverge from the mainstream simply need to be heard in their own right. Americans and, in general, all "outsiders" to the conflict must be given at least THE OPPORTUNITY to evaluate different perspectives on their own; _The New Intifada_ should be of worthwhile assistance to this end. I highly recommend it.

This is a must read if you're interested in any of the following questions:

What sort of moral questions do we need to ask when we encounter Israel?

What sort of attrocities are being committed in our name, with our support by the Israeli military and government against a mostly defenseless population?

What sort of Apartheid are we propagating in Israel?

What sort of justifications are given to marry our national interests to that of Israel?

Why does our government support Israel at all costs no matter what?