Learn more about the on-going events and their history with the following resources
Barghouti outlines the BDS movement, which seeks to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian rights. Barghouti, a key figure in the movement, explains that BDS aims to achieve three main goals: 1)Ending the Occupation: This involves ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, which began in 1967. 2)Equal Rights: The movement calls for full equality for Palestinians within Israel. 3)Right of Return: It advocates for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. The book discusses the ethical and political dimensions of the movement, arguing that BDS is a non-violent means of achieving justice and human rights. Barghouti also addresses criticisms and misconceptions about BDS, emphasizing its role in the broader struggle for Palestinian self-determination.
Open ResourceLetter to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi is a reflective and personal letter addressed to a hypothetical Palestinian neighbor. Halevi, an Israeli journalist and author, seeks to address the complex and often painful history between Israelis and Palestinians. The book is a heartfelt attempt to bridge the divide and offer a perspective from the Israeli side. Halevi aims to foster empathy by exploring the Palestinian experience and the impact of the conflict on both societies. The author expresses a desire for peace and a mutual understanding that acknowledges both Israeli and Palestinian narratives.
Open ResourceImage and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict by Norman G. Finkelstein critically examines the narratives and misconceptions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Finkelstein challenges the commonly accepted portrayal of the conflict, particularly the depiction of Israel as a victim of Palestinian aggression. The book aims to debunk myths and provide a more nuanced and critical perspective on the conflict, advocating for a fairer understanding of Palestinian grievances and rights.
Open ResourcePalestine: A Socialist Introduction is a collaborative work edited by Sumaya Awad and Brian Bean, offering a socialist perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book examines the conflict through the lens of anti-colonialism, anti-imperialism, and international solidarity. The authors argue that the struggle for Palestinian liberation is inherently linked to global struggles against capitalism, racism, and oppression. They advocate for a socialist solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict, such as economic inequality and political power imbalances.
Open ResourceThe Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction by Gregory Harms and Todd M. Ferry offers a clear and accessible overview of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aiming to provide readers with a balanced understanding of the complex issues involved. The authors trace the roots of the conflict from the late 19th century, examining the rise of Zionism, the impact of British colonialism, and the events leading to the creation of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent displacement of Palestinians. The book details significant milestones in the conflict, such as the wars of 1948, 1967, and 1973, the Oslo Accords, and the ongoing peace process. It also profiles key leaders and their roles in shaping the conflict.
Open ResourceThis boycott research has been conducted by our own LUMS Student, Mahnoor Naveed. If you want to read detailed text form, you can email (palestineawarenesspakistan@gmail.com) to request a copy. This infographic has been created by LUMS student, Saud Ahmed Babur. For queries, contact: palestineawarenesspakistan@gmail.com
Open ResourceThis book explores the mental health impacts of the ongoing Palestine crisis through the lens of settler-colonialism. It highlights how the systematic violence and oppression faced by Palestinians are not random but part of a larger colonial structure that continually reinforces their suffering. This oppression manifests in various forms of loss—physical, emotional, and cultural—leading to chronic trauma and stress. The book also discusses how the media's biased coverage exacerbates these mental health challenges by downplaying Palestinian suffering and marginalizing their voices. For Muslims and Palestinians, especially in the West, the trauma is compounded by experiences of Islamophobia and disenfranchisement, creating a complex and layered mental health crisis.
Open ResourceThis publication featured in The Foreign Affairs journal critiques Joe Biden's foreign policy approach, which initially aimed to restore America's global leadership after Donald Trump's presidency. While Biden's promise of a return to normalcy was welcomed, the administration has struggled to adapt to a world that has moved beyond U.S. primacy. The challenges include the lingering influence of Trump, global disorder, and the erosion of the rules-based international order. The article argues that Biden's foreign policy must shift away from traditional American primacy and acknowledge the complexities of a changing world, particularly in light of recent events like the Gaza conflict, which have exposed the contradictions in U.S. rhetoric about global leadership and values.
Open Resource"Palestine" by Joe Sacco is a groundbreaking graphic novel that combines journalism and visual storytelling to depict the everyday lives of Palestinians under Israeli occupation during the early 1990s. Through a series of interviews and firsthand observations, Sacco captures the harsh realities of life in the West Bank and Gaza, including the struggles of ordinary people facing military checkpoints, house demolitions, and economic hardship. The book humanizes the Palestinian experience by focusing on individual stories of suffering, resilience, and resistance, while also exploring the broader political and historical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sacco’s work is notable for its detailed, immersive illustrations and its commitment to presenting an unflinching, empathetic portrayal of a complex and often misunderstood situation.
Open ResourceLight in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire" is a collection of essays and personal narratives that provide an in-depth exploration of life in the Gaza Strip, a region often defined by conflict and hardship. The book, edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Michael Merryman-Lotze, brings together the voices of Palestinian writers, scholars, and activists who share their experiences, reflections, and aspirations amid the ongoing blockade and violence in Gaza. The essays cover a range of topics, including the impact of occupation on daily life, the resilience of the Gazan people, and the cultural and political significance of Gaza within the broader Palestinian struggle. The contributors offer a nuanced and deeply human perspective, challenging prevailing narratives and shedding light on the hopes, dreams, and enduring spirit of the people of Gaza. Through these writings, "Light in Gaza" aims to shift the focus from Gaza as merely a site of suffering to a place of rich history, culture, and resistance.
Open Resource"The Question of Palestine and the United Nations" is a comprehensive document that outlines the history of the United Nations' involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The publication traces the evolution of the UN’s role, starting from the partition plan of 1947, which proposed dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, leading to the establishment of Israel and the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Open ResourceThe April 2024 issue of the Economist features a section dedicated to Gaza, titled "War in Gaza", which includes a detailed examination of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the context of the ongoing conflict with Hamas. The article argues that while the IDF is often seen by Israelis as a symbol of national strength and innovation, its recent operations, particularly after the October 7th, 2023 incursion from Gaza, reveal significant shortcomings. Despite some Israelis perceiving the IDF's response as effective, the article highlights the reality of the situation in Gaza, where the military campaign has been marred by an over-reliance on technology, lack of strategic foresight, and political mismanagement.
Open ResourceThe book critically examines U.S. foreign policy towards Palestinians, particularly during the Obama administration, highlighting the failure of the U.S. and the broader international community to resolve the crisis and their complicity in the ongoing oppression. It explores Israeli policy toward Gaza from 2007 onwards, revealing how deliberate actions, supported by the U.S., EU, and certain Arab states, undermined Gaza’s economy and transformed Palestinians from political actors into a humanitarian issue. The analysis tracks the shift from traditional concepts of occupation to annexation and imposed sovereignty, reframing Palestinians as intruders while dismantling Gaza’s economy and using aid as a punitive tool. The book also draws on the author’s personal experiences in Gaza before and during the first Intifada, highlighting forgotten lessons that are crucial today. Additionally, it offers reflections on Gaza’s decline from a Jewish perspective, connecting the author’s history as a child of Holocaust survivors to their evolving views on the repression of Palestinians, Israel’s 2006 assault on Lebanon, the wars on Gaza, and the misuse of anti-Semitism. Altogether, the book provides a comprehensive view of the changing dynamics in Gaza and their implications for the region’s future.
Open ResourceDuring the 1948 war more than 750,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were violently expelled from their homes by Zionist militias. The legacy of the Nakba - which translates to 'disaster' or 'catastrophe' - lays bare the violence of the ongoing Palestinian plight. Voices of the Nakba collects the stories of first-generation Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, documenting a watershed moment in the history of the modern Middle East through the voices of the people who lived through it. The interviews, with commentary from leading scholars of Palestine and the Middle East, offer a vivid journey into the history, politics and culture of Palestine, defining Palestinian popular memory on its own terms in all its plurality and complexity.
Open ResourceThis is the inside story of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), from its beginnings in 1964 to the signing of the Oslo agreement in 1993. For over three decades, the main goal of the PLO was to achieve a just peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and to build a democratic state in Palestine for all its citizens. Shafiq Al-Hout, a high ranking PLO official until his resignation in 1993, provides previously unavailable details on the key events in its history such as its recognition by the UN and the Oslo peace negotiations. Analysing and criticising decisions and individuals, including Yasser Arafat, we are taken right to the heart of the decision making processes; our eyes opened to the personalities and internal politics that shaped the PLO's actions and the Palestinian experience of the twentieth century. An essential piece of history that sheds new light on the significance of the PLO in the Palestinian struggle for justice.
Open ResourceAn evocative history of Palestine, told through the stories of the people who have survived the conflict. Spanning decades and encompassing war, mass exodus, epic migrations and the search for individual and collective identity, The Last Earth tells the story of modern Palestine through the memories of those who have lived it. Ordinary Palestinians have rarely narrated their own history. In this groundbreaking book, acclaimed author Ramzy Baroud draws on dozens of interviews to produce vivid, intimate and beautifully written accounts of Palestinian lives - in villages, refugee camps, prisons and cities, in the lands of their ancestors and in exile. Baroud's empathetic and lyrical approach reveals new human dimensions of the Palestinian saga, telling it as it has never before been told. Against dominant narratives, the last earth reclaims Palestine's past - and present - for all its people.
Open ResourceHatim Kanaaneh is a Palestinian doctor who has struggled for over 35 years to bring medical care to Palestinians in Galilee, against a culture of anti-Arab discrimination. This is the story of how he fought for the human rights of his patients and overcame the Israeli authorities' cruel indifference to their suffering.Kanaaneh is a native of Galilee, born before the creation of Israel. He left to study medicine at Harvard, before returning to work as a public health physician with the intention of helping his own people. He discovered a shocking level of disease and malnutrition in his community and a shameful lack of support from the Israeli authorities. After doing all he could for his patients by working from inside the system, Kanaaneh set up The Galilee Society, an NGO working for equitable health, environmental and socio-economic conditions for Palestinian Arabs in Israel.This is a brilliant memoir that shows how grass roots organisations can loosen the Zionist grip upon Palestinian lives.
Open ResourceA careful and illuminating analysis of the economic dimensions of the Palestine-Israel conflict. Invaluable for students, journalists and activists.The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967 has many important economic aspects that are often overlooked. In this highly original book, Shir Hever shows that understanding the economic dimensions of the occupation is crucial to unravelling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hever rejects the premise that Israel keeps control over Palestinian territories for material gain, and also the premise that Israel is merely defending itself from Palestinian aggression. Instead, he argues that the occupation has reached an impasse, with the Palestinian resistance making exploitation of the Palestinians by Israeli business interests difficult, but the Israeli authorities reluctant to give up control. With traditional economic analysis failing to explain this turn of events, this book will be invaluable for students, activists and journalists struggling to make sense of the complex issues surrounding Israel's occupation.
Open ResourceNew edition of this unique and honest account of the conflict seen through the eyes of a doctor, with personal accounts that bring the trauma to life. The tragedies of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians are never far from the pages of the mainstream press. Yet it is rare to hear about the reality of life on the ground -- and it is rarer still when these voices belong to women. This book records the journey of a Jewish American physician travelling and working within Israel and the Occupied Territories. Alice Rothchild grew up in a family grounded by the traumas of the Holocaust and passionately devoted to Israel. This book recounts her experiences as she grapples with the reality of life in Israel and the hardships of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. The new edition includes a new preface, two chapters on Israeli dissent and a chapter which explores the impact of a Palestinian home demolition and the work of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who have joined together to form Combatants for Peace. Ultimately, the book raises troubling questions regarding US policy and the mainstream Jewish community's insistence on giving unquestioning support to all Israeli policy.
Open ResourceThis book is a personal account of the daily lives of the people of the frontline of the Palestine / Israel conflict, giving us an insight into the deadly, seemingly never-ending rounds of violence. Ramzy Baroud tells his father's fascinating story. Driven out of his village to a refugee camp, he took up arms and fought the occupation at the same time raising a family and trying to do the best for his children. Baroud's vivid and honest account reveals the complex human beings; revolutionaries, great moms and dads, lovers, and comedians that make Gaza so much more than just a disputed territory.
Open ResourceThis book tells the remarkable story of Birzeit University, Palestine's oldest university in the Occupied Territories. Founded against the backdrop of occupation, it is open to all students, regardless of income. Putting the study of democracy and tolerance at the heart of its curriculum, Birzeit continues to produce idealistic young people who can work to bring about a peaceful future. Gabi Baramki explains how the University has survived against shocking odds, including direct attacks where Israeli soldiers have shot unarmed students. Baramki himself has been dragged from his home at night, beaten and arrested. Yet Birzeit continues to thrive, putting peace at the heart of its teaching, and offering Palestinians the opportunities that only education can bring.
Open ResourceAs criticism continues to mount over Israel's violation of Palestinian human rights and of international law, campaigns to silence and repress those who speak out against Israeli apartheid have grown alarmingly. College and university campuses across the United States now find themselves centre stage in this conflict over free speech: targeted by the Israel 'lobby' for the critical content of their scholarship, academics have been turned away from jobs, denied tenure and promotion, rejected for funding, and even expelled from institutions, while student groups like the 'Irvine 11' have faced harassment and sanctions. From establishment figures like Richard Falk and former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, to professors, postgraduates and activist alumni, We Will Not Be Silenced contains thirteen testimonials from those whose struggle to defend their academic freedom has garnered widespread public and international attention.
Open Resource