Israel on the Brink - by Ilan Pappé (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A renowned historian argues that we are seeing the beginning of the end of the Zionist project, and considers the issues that must be centered for a sustainable and peaceful future for Palestinians and Jews to emerge

In this urgent and timely book, historian Ilan Pappé, argues that the beginning of the end of the Jewish state began in 2022 with the election of the most right-wing government in the nation's history. Long known for his willingness to expose the myths Israeli society has been built upon, Pappé sets out his thoughts about the risks and opportunities emerging from the horrors of this historical moment, and the eight "mini-revolutions" that could pave the way to a better future.

Israel on the Brink begins with a look back, explaining why the so-called peace process of 1967 to today have not only failed, but sown more violence. The second section of the book focuses on just what these indicators of the end of the Zionist project of Israel are, and what they imply.

The last section describes the issues that must be central for anyone involved in bringing an end to the violence and bloodshed and concerned about what will fill the political vacuum created by the demise of Israel. In chapters that embody a mix of hopeful projection and sober analysis, Pappé discusses eight "mini-revolutions" that have to occur for a different, less violent, and more hopeful future to occur including:

• Relocating the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees to the center of the future vision;
• A new definition for the Jewish collective in historical Palestine;
• Finalizing a plan for what will be the future of the Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967; and
• A new strategy for a united Palestinian national movement.

Israel on the Brink is a much-needed antidote to popular dystopic thinking about the conflict, and a glimpse into how Israel and Palestine might look should these mini-revolutions succeed.

Review Quotes

"Ilan Pappé's Israel on the Brink is a tour de force, essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the disintegration of the Zionist project and its consequences. Pappé, one of the foremost scholars on the Israel-Palestine conflict, has authored a series of ground-breaking and important books. This one is no exception."
--Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Middle East bureau chief for the New York Times

"Ilan Pappé supplants slogans for a single democratic state with a detailed program comprising eight mini-revolutions. This is a bold undertaking and offers abundant ground upon which to debate a vision and transform it into a program. Even, and especially, for those in disagreement, Israel on the Brink offers a point of departure to take seriously the work of decolonization."
--Noura Erakat, author of Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine

About the Author

Ilan Pappé is a professor of history at the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK and the director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies. His widely lauded books include The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ten Myths About Israel, and A History of Modern Palestine. He writes for the Guardian, the London Review of Books, and elsewhere.