Books to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict better

on May 20, 2021

Books to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict better

With violence escalating between Israel-Palestine right now, here are a few books that shed some light on the decades-long conflict between the two nations. Read these books to educate yourself and to understand the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

01 'In Search of Fatima' by Ghada Karmi

In this acclaimed memoir, Ghada Karmi tells her story living in Palestine in her formative years before fleeing to London. She wrote a follow up book, 'Return', about coming back to Palestine years later.

02 'My Promised Land' by Ari Shavit

In 'My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel', Ari Shavit writes what Israel truly means to Jews.

03 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter' by Ramzy Baroud

Baroud’s tells his father’s story which resonated with many men from his country. It's about a man who was driven out of his village in Palestine to a refugee camp, who then becomes a freedom fighter while trying to balance his life as a husband and a father in a war-struck world.

04 'Arabs and Israelis' by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman, Khalil Shikaki

Written by Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian scholars, the book gives a wider context to the present situation in Gaza, with respect to the Middle Eastern politics.

05 'On Palestine' by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé

'On Palestine' by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé is a detailed account of Palestine's history. The book is a sequel to their work 'Gaza in Crisis'.

06 'In the Presence of Absence' by Mahmoud Darwish

How can one talk about Palestinian literature and not mention the acclaimed poet Mahmoud Darwish? In this book, Darwish reflects on his youth and the unknown journey his life would take him on.

07 'Six Days of War' by Michael B. Oren

The Arab-Israeli war of 1967 lasted for only six days. However in reality, the war between the two countries never ended, reads the book's blurb. In this book, Oren gives a comprehensive history of the war in June 1967 and the making of the modern Middle East.

08 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine' by Ilan Pappé

In this book historian Ilan Pappé writes what led to the formation of the State of Israel. The book also sheds light on the present-day crisis in the Middle East. Source: TOI