The Hundred Years' War on Palestine

The New York Times Bestseller and one of the 'Five Best Books to Understand the Israel-Palestine Conflict', as selected by the Guardian, Rashid Khalidi's work was also shortlisted for the 2020 Cundill History Prize and named a Granta Book of the Year 2023. The book is praised as an essential Palestinian viewpoint, one that captures a significant perspective that has long been overlooked, according to the Guardian. Noam Chomsky describes it as engaging and unique, highlighting its academic depth, personal insights, and understanding of the differing aims and feelings of the parties involved in this deep-rooted conflict. Through "The Hundred Years War on Palestine," Khalidi addresses a century marked by the denial of Palestinian statehood, nationhood, and history. Utilizing personal family archives, he asserts the inherent right of Palestinians to articulate their history in their terms. Starting from the end of the Ottoman period, Khalidi delves into the rise of Palestinian nationalism and the acknowledgment by early Zionists of the colonial aspects of their mission. These themes resonate through various pivotal events like the Nakba – the term Palestinians use for the establishment of Israel, the transfer of the West Bank and Gaza to Jordan and Egypt, the Six-Day War, and the ensuing occupation. Khalidi skillfully blends voices from journalists, poets, and resistance figures with his own childhood experiences as the son of a UN official and as a Beirut resident during the 1982 siege. His narrative provides a stirring depiction of a century-long struggle marked by occupation, dispossession, and colonial pursuits.