By Minna Zhou, Peter Rachleff, Chris Sanders, Kristyn Seo Taff
VIEW PRINTABLE VERSION
In light of the ongoing Palestinian genocide, ESFL has compiled a list of books, online readings, and relevant community resources, to help support community learning. Our intention is to help individuals and groups gain a better understanding of the historical context surrounding Palestinian struggle, offering a more nuanced look at what has variously been referred to as the “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” or the “Arab/Israeli Conflict.” These texts hone in on the specifics of Israeli settler colonialism, Palestinian indigeneity, Israeli apartheid, Zionism, Hamas, the US-Israel-Palestine relationship, and more.
This document is organized into three parts: 1) Books, 2) Online Resources, and 3) Twin Cities Organizations. Use the navigation pane or the outline below to jump to your section of interest.
We also invite folks to visit the library and check out our Palestine Resource book display, which features all 13 books curated here. The East Side Freedom Library is located at 1105 Greenbrier St, St. Paul, MN 55106.
BOOKS (accessible at ESFL)
- The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017, by Rashid Khalidi
- The Question of Palestine, by Edward W. Saïd
- The Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel and The Palestinians, by Noam Chomsky
- Palestinian Society in Gaza, West Bank and Arab Jerusalem: A Survey of Living Conditions, by Marianna Heiberg and Geir Øvensen
- Apartheid Israel: The Politics of an Analogy, by Jon Soske and Sean Jacobs
- Hamas: A Beginner’s Guide, by Khaled Hroub
- The Arab World and Israel, by Ahmad El Kodsy and Eli Lobel
- The Transformation of Palestine: Essays on the Origin and Development of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Edited by Ibrahim Abu-Lughod
- Let Me Stand Alone: The Journals of Rachel Corrie, Edited by the Corrie family
- An American Feminist in Palestine: The Intifada Years, by Sherna Berger Gluck
- One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse, by Ali Abunimah
- The Hidden History of Zionism, by Ralph Schoenman
- Jews Against Zionism: The American Council for Judaism, 1942-1948, by Thomas A. Kolsky
- History
- Analyses
- Videos
- Tools for liberation
- Fact checks
- Arts orgs
- Anti-war orgs
- Jewish orgs
- Muslim orgs
- Student orgs
BOOKS
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017
by Rashid Khalidi
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine details the history of Palestine, focusing on six key turning points between 1917-2017. Author Rashid Khalidi uses archival records and reports from generations of family members to illustrate the colonial nature of the ongoing wars in the region and to highlight Palestinian resistance. See ESFL in conversation with Khalidi here.
The Question of Palestine
by Edward W. Saïd
The Question of Palestine provides a thorough examination of Palestinian struggle. Written by highly influential critic and “father of postcolonialism” Edward W. Saïd, the book lays out and analyzes the history of the region. He touches on topics including the spread of Zionism, the origins of the Palestinian nationalist movement, the creation of Israel in 1948, and the Gulf War.
The Fateful Triangle
by Noam Chomsky
The Fateful Triangle is Noam Chomsky’s seminal text on the “special relationship” between the US, Israel, and Palestine. The book gives a comprehensive survey of all the actors in the region and explains the complicated policies, military operations, and media portrayals that have affected everyday Arabs and Jews.
Via Bookshop
Via Publisher (At time of publication, Haymarket is running a 30% discount.)
Free PDF
Palestinian Society in Gaza, West Bank and Arab Jerusalem: A Survey of Living Conditions
by Marianna Heiberg and Geir Øvensen
Palestinian Society in Gaza, West Bank and Arab Jerusalem is a statistical and field-based survey of Palestinian social and economic life under Israeli occupation. The study is based on interviews of a representative sample of the Palestinian population, from 1992. It addresses many underlying issues in the debate surrounding Palestine’s future.
Apartheid Israel: The Politics of an Analogy
by Jon Soske and Sean Jacobs
Apartheid Israel comprises the work of twenty scholars of Africa and its diaspora, as they reflect on the similarities and differences between apartheid-era South Africa and contemporary Israel. The anthology aims to strengthen and broaden the movement for justice in Palestine.
Via Bookshop
Via Publisher (At time of publication, Haymarket is running a 30% discount.)
Hamas: A Beginner’s Guid
by Khaled Hroub
Hamas: A Beginner’s Guide is written by Al-Jazeera journalist and professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Arab Media Studies, Khaled Hroub. This book provides a concise overview of Hamas’s history, key beliefs, and its political agenda. Its question-and-answer format makes for an accessible read.
The Arab World and Israel
by Ahmad El Kodsy and Eli Lobel
The Arab World and Israel offers two essays that analyze the social conflicts in the Middle East from a Marxist point of view. Kodsy provides a brief analysis of the historical development of the Arab world, both prior to and in the aftermath of Western imperialism. Lobel explores the relationship between the Palestinian and Jewish peoples, outlining the effects of Zionist colonization and foreign aid to Israel.
The Transformation of Palestine: Essays on the Origin and Development of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
by Edited by Ibrahim Abu-Lughod
The Transformation of Palestine is a collection of essays from scholars in the fields of political science, history, sociology, and law, discussing the history and development of Palestine. The writing focuses on issues underlying the Arab-Israeli conflict, primarily during the British Mandate period (1922-1948).
Via AbeBooks
This books is not as widely available
Let Me Stand Alone: The Journals of Rachel Corrie
Edited by the Corrie Family
Let Me Stand Alone is a collection of writings from Rachel Corrie, an American activist and member of the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement. The book recounts Corrie’s personal story and details her time in Gaza, where she fought for Palestinian liberation before she was killed in 2003 by an armored bulldozer. Published posthumously, the collection includes diary entries, poems, letters, and drawings.
An American Feminist in Palestine: The Intifada Years
by Sherna Berger Gluck
An American Feminist in Palestine details Sherna Berger Gluck’s visits to the Israeli occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the First Intifada (Palestinian uprising). Gluck raises critical questions about the occupation while documenting Palestinian struggles and aspirations, particularly those of Palestinian women.
One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse
by Ali Abunimah
One Country disrupts the commonplace idea that the only way to end the violence between Israel and Palestine is to divide the territory in two. Ali Abunimah instead argues that because the two are so geographically and economically intertwined, that the only mutually beneficial solution is for them to become one state shared by two peoples.
The Hidden History of Zionism
by Ralph Schoenman
This Hidden History of Zionism challenges four myths of Zionism as they relate to the state of Israel: 1) the slogan “a land without a people for a people without a land”; 2) Israeli democracy; 3) “security” as the force behind Israeli policy; and 4) the perception of Zionists as moral representatives of Jews. It discusses a series of massacres enacted by the Zionist movement and ends with a strategy for change.
Jews Against Zionism: The American Council for Judaism, 1942-1948
by Thomas A. Kolsky
Jews Against Zionism, by professor and historian Thomas A. Kolsky, examines the neglected phenomenon of Jewish anti-Zionism. Where much has been written on the Zionist movement, much less has been written on the Jewish opposition. This book documents the opposition’s roots and its outcomes during the 1940s.
Via AbeBooks
This books is not as widely available
ONLINE RESOURCES
History:
“What’s the Israel-Palestine conflict about? A brief history”: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/9/whats-the-israel-palestine-conflict-about-a-simple-guide
Timeline of Palestine’s history: https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/timeline_main.html
Timeline of Al Nakba: https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/al-nakba.html#/17
Analyses:
“Palestine: From Accord to Apartheid”
In the lead story from New Internationalist’s May-June 2023 issue, journalist Zoe Holman looks at how the so-called ‘peace process’ has allowed Israel to deepen its colonial project and regime of control over Palestinian lives.
The Middle East Report: Settler Colonialism’s Enduring Entanglements (Spring 2022)
The Spring 2022 issue of the Middle East Reports “brings together a wide range of geographic and disciplinary perspectives on settler colonialism from the Middle East, North Africa, and the metropole.” The magazine presents a series of smartly-written analyses by professors from around the world.
“Israel’s Kristallknacht”
This piece draws parallels between the Kristallnacht of November 1938, in which Nazis massacred scores of Jews, and the Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2023.
Videos:
Conversation with Rashid Khalidi, presented by and in dialogue with East Side Freedom Library: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEc6YNCilro
“Settler Colonialism and Palestine: A Conversation,” presented by the Brooklyn Public Library: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJVybInwI6k
Tools for liberation:
“3 key insights for building a powerful and loving movement against oppression in Palestine-Israel”: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2023/10/building-powerful-loving-movement-against-oppression-palestine-israel/
Free Palestine resources compiled by several Twin Cities zinesters: https://bit.ly/FreePalestine-TC2023
Fact checking:
Associated Press Fact Check; updated daily with fact-checks addressing misinformation: Ap-fact-check
TWIN CITIES ORGANIZATIONS
Arts organizations
- Mizna–platform for contemporary SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) literature, film, and art
Anti-war organizations
- Women Against Military Madness–nonviolent, anti-war feminist organization
- MN Anti-War Committee–committee organizing against imperialism, political repression, and US aid to Israel
Jewish organizations
- IfNotNow–a movement of American Jews organizing against US support of Israeli apartheid
- Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities–leftist Jewish anti-Zionist organizing in solidarity with Palestinian liberation
- Jewish Community Action–Jewish organization working toward economic and racial justice for all
- Jewish Community Relations Council–Jewish organization addressing public affairs affecting Jewish communities
Muslim organizations
- CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations)–the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in the US
- Islamic Research Group of MN–Muslim organization focused on increasing understanding between Muslim Americans and the broader community
- American Muslims for Palestine (MN chapter)–grassroots nonprofit advocating for Palestinian rights
Student organizations
- Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Minnesota–student group organizing around human rights, liberation, & self-determination for the Palestinian people