An Israeli in Palestine
Resisting Dispossession, Redeeming Israel
Jeff Halper(Author)
Pluto Press
Published on 20. February 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-7453-2226-1 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
In this book, the Israeli anthropologist and activist Jeff Halper throws a harsh light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the point of view of a critical insider. While the Zionist founders of Israel created a vibrant society, culture and economy, they did so at a high price: Israel could not maintain its exclusive Jewish character without imposing on the country's Palestinian population policies of ethnic cleansing, occupation and discrimination, expressed most graphically in its ongoing demolition of thousands of Palestinian homes, both inside Israel and in the Occupied Territories."An Israeli in Palestine" records Halper's journey 'beyond the membrane' that shields his people from the harsh realities of Palestinian life to his 'discovery' that he was actually living in another country: Palestine. Without dismissing the legitimacy of his own country, he realises that Israel is defined by its oppressive relationship to the Palestinians. Pleading for a view of Israel as a real, living country which must by necessity evolve and change, Halper asks whether the idea of an ethnically pure 'Jewish State' is still viable.
More to the point, he offers ways in which Israel can redeem itself through a cultural Zionism upon which regional peace and reconciliation are attainable.
More to the point, he offers ways in which Israel can redeem itself through a cultural Zionism upon which regional peace and reconciliation are attainable.
Reviews / Votes
'Jeff Halper's book, like his life's work, is an inspiration. Drawing on his many years of directly challenging Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, he offers one of the most insightful analyses of the occupation I've read. His voice cries out to be heard.'Jonathan Cook, author of Blood and Religion (2006) and Israel and the Clash of Civilisations (2008)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
4 maps
Dimensions
Height: 215 mm
Width: 135 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-7453-2226-1 (9780745322261)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

Book
07/2010
2nd Edition
Pluto Press
€44.60
Article exhausted; check different version
Person
Jeff Halper is Professor of Anthropology at Ben Gurion University. He has been a leading figure within the Israeli peace movement for over thirty years. As the coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions he has worked widely across the Occupied Territories, dealing with issues such as land expropriation, road construction, settlement expansion, economic closure and water allocation. He is a founding member of Amnesty International in
Content
Introduction: Getting It and Going There Part I: Comprehending Oppression1. The Making of a Critical Israeli2. The Message of the Bulldozers Part II: The Sources of Oppression3. The Impossible Dream: Constructing a Jewish Ethnocracy in Palestine 4. Dispossession (Nishul): Ethnocracy's HandmaidenPart III: The Structure of Oppression5. Expanding Dispossession: The Occupation and the Matrix of Control6. Concluding Dispossession: Oslo and Unilateral SeparationPart IV: Overcoming Oppression7. Redeeming Israel8. What About Terrorism? 9. Where Do We Go From Here? AppendicesBibliography Further ResourcesIndex