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Out of the Frame: The Struggle for Academic Freedom in Israel
Even before he wrote his bestselling book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine , historian Ilan Pappe was a controversial figure in Israel. In Out of the Frame , he gives a full account of his break with mainstream Israeli scholarship and its consequences.
Here he traces his journey of discovery from the whispers of Palestinian classmates to his realisation that the 'enemy's' narrative of the events of 1948 was correct. After completing his thesis at Oxford University in the early 1980s, he returned to Palestine determined to protect the memory of the Nakbah. For the first time he gives the details of the formidable opposition he faced in Israel, including death threats fed by the media, denunciations by the Knesset and calls for him to be sacked from his post at Haifa university.
This revealing work, written with dignity and humour, highlights Israel's difficulty in facing up to its past and forging a peaceful, inclusive future in Palestine.
Here he traces his journey of discovery from the whispers of Palestinian classmates to his realisation that the 'enemy's' narrative of the events of 1948 was correct. After completing his thesis at Oxford University in the early 1980s, he returned to Palestine determined to protect the memory of the Nakbah. For the first time he gives the details of the formidable opposition he faced in Israel, including death threats fed by the media, denunciations by the Knesset and calls for him to be sacked from his post at Haifa university.
This revealing work, written with dignity and humour, highlights Israel's difficulty in facing up to its past and forging a peaceful, inclusive future in Palestine.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2010
About the author
Ilan Pappé
82 books1,239 followersIlan Pappé is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies, and political activist. He was formerly a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Haifa (1984–2007) and chair of the Emil Touma Institute for Palestinian and Israeli Studies in Haifa (2000–2008).
Pappé is one of Israel's "New Historians" who, since the release of pertinent British and Israeli government documents in the early 1980s, have been rewriting the history of Israel's creation in 1948, and the corresponding expulsion or flight of 700,000 Palestinians in the same year. He has written that the expulsions were not decided on an ad hoc basis, as other historians have argued, but constituted the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, in accordance with Plan Dalet, drawn up in 1947 by Israel's future leaders. He blames the creation of Israel for the lack of peace in the Middle East, arguing that Zionism is more dangerous than Islamic militancy, and has called for an international boycott of Israeli academics.
His work has been both supported and criticized by other historians. Before he left Israel in 2008, he had been condemned in the Knesset, Israel's parliament; a minister of education had called for him to be sacked; his photograph had appeared in a newspaper at the centre of a target; and he had received several death threats.
Pappé is one of Israel's "New Historians" who, since the release of pertinent British and Israeli government documents in the early 1980s, have been rewriting the history of Israel's creation in 1948, and the corresponding expulsion or flight of 700,000 Palestinians in the same year. He has written that the expulsions were not decided on an ad hoc basis, as other historians have argued, but constituted the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, in accordance with Plan Dalet, drawn up in 1947 by Israel's future leaders. He blames the creation of Israel for the lack of peace in the Middle East, arguing that Zionism is more dangerous than Islamic militancy, and has called for an international boycott of Israeli academics.
His work has been both supported and criticized by other historians. Before he left Israel in 2008, he had been condemned in the Knesset, Israel's parliament; a minister of education had called for him to be sacked; his photograph had appeared in a newspaper at the centre of a target; and he had received several death threats.
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August 15, 2024
Ilan says that the moment the Zionist movement chose Palestine as its destination, it was no longer “about rescuing people anymore, it was focused on colonizing and dispossession.” Theodor Herzl, the father of political Zionism who died in 1904, lived in a time where colonialism (committed by Western powers) was not yet tarnished and was still popular. Now of course, colonialism is rightfully synonymous with oppression, expulsion and destruction. Herzl was a proud colonialist who wanted Jews to have a state in one of Europe’s colonies. Early Zionist writings mention Zionism’s clear colonial intent yet note that today “it is unacceptable in Israel to have an academic discussion on Zionism as colonialism.” Ilan says British policy in the 1948 war “was first and foremost anti-Palestinian” and that “Britain played a major role in allowing the Zionist movement to found a state in Palestine through the ethnic cleansing of it indigenous people.”
Ilan in Israeli academia paid a steep price for daring to show any concern for the Palestinian people: he got many death threats, “letters covered in excrement were put in our mailbox, which meant the senders knew our house, and one persistent telephone caller indicated that he knew of my wife and children and threatened to kill them.” “It increased to two or three threats a day.”
Israel’s Motto: “Every action, be it ethnic cleansing, occupation, massacre or destruction, is always portrayed as morally just, as an act of pure self-defense reluctantly perpetrated by Israel in its war against the worst kind of human beings.”
The Tantura Massacre: On May 22nd and 23rd, 1948 the Zionist Haganah (the IDF precursor) massacred 200 unarmed Tantura villagers AFTER the village had surrendered. That showed Palestinians why to NOT surrender to Zionists. Eli Shimoni (a former Senior officer in the Alexandroni Brigade which carried out the massacre) said in 2000, “I have no doubt a massacre took place in Tantura. I did not walk in the streets and shout it. It is not a case for any pride. But once the affair was publicized, one should tell the truth. After 52 years, the state of Israel is strong and mature enough to face its past.”
Israel Facts: Israel is the fifth largest arms exporter in the world. Most of Israel’s weaponry has been asymmetrically battle tested “in the last 35 years mainly against unarmed civilians and guerilla fighters.” Ilan says to think of Israel not as a state w/ an army, but as an army w/ a state. This is also possible because of the complete “militarization of the educational system.”
Israel as a Democracy: If you understand the definition of the word democracy, you quickly realize the only way for Israel to be somewhat democratic (while shamelessly denying Palestinians their rights) is if there is a Jewish majority. Winning this numbers game for Israel involves Israeli upping their fecundity (knock off anal with the missus and maybe dare rape fewer Palestinian prisoners), or either Palestinians having fewer children, or giving up their right to live on the land (forcing the mythical Exodus to really happen to Palestinians) or dying (hopefully in a way that can’t be easily traced back to Israeli actions).
As Ilan says, “Zionism is an ideology that endorses ethnic cleansing, occupation, and massacres.” Meanwhile Israel wants Americans to see all Palestinian actions to appear unrelated to events in the past and disassociated from any ideology or system.” And so, we were all told by the media that October 7th happened in a vacuum – no backstory. Israelis were simply innocently home that day with loved ones spinning dreidels and then Hamas ruthlessly attacked for no reason at all. We were repeatedly reminded on Facebook after the Hamas attack, “Never Forget!” while we somehow must FORGET the real back story behind October 7th - settler-colonialism, denial of rights, decades of military occupation and ethnic cleansing, and the joys of living in an open-air prison while being thought a terrorist, no matter what noble things one actually does.
Most Jews worldwide “oppose the policies done in the name of the state of Israel.” The Jewish heritage is seen in Jews taking “an active role in ending South African apartheid, racism in the US (Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner), dictatorship in South America, imperialism in South-East Asia and neo-colonialism in Africa.” If the Jewish heritage were applied to the Zionist settler-colonial project, Ilan reminds us, it simply would not have happened.
This book was about the journey of a progressive Jew in Israeli academia, where you will be as welcome as a “Ceasefire Now” poster at a Kamala Harris event. You get a front row seat for what Israeli academia would be like for anyone with a modicum of curiosity and still intact morals. Bravo, Ilan. Now I have reviewed every book there by Ilan, including his 2024 Lobby book. On to reviewing more Israel/Palestine books like “Hamas Contained”.
Ilan in Israeli academia paid a steep price for daring to show any concern for the Palestinian people: he got many death threats, “letters covered in excrement were put in our mailbox, which meant the senders knew our house, and one persistent telephone caller indicated that he knew of my wife and children and threatened to kill them.” “It increased to two or three threats a day.”
Israel’s Motto: “Every action, be it ethnic cleansing, occupation, massacre or destruction, is always portrayed as morally just, as an act of pure self-defense reluctantly perpetrated by Israel in its war against the worst kind of human beings.”
The Tantura Massacre: On May 22nd and 23rd, 1948 the Zionist Haganah (the IDF precursor) massacred 200 unarmed Tantura villagers AFTER the village had surrendered. That showed Palestinians why to NOT surrender to Zionists. Eli Shimoni (a former Senior officer in the Alexandroni Brigade which carried out the massacre) said in 2000, “I have no doubt a massacre took place in Tantura. I did not walk in the streets and shout it. It is not a case for any pride. But once the affair was publicized, one should tell the truth. After 52 years, the state of Israel is strong and mature enough to face its past.”
Israel Facts: Israel is the fifth largest arms exporter in the world. Most of Israel’s weaponry has been asymmetrically battle tested “in the last 35 years mainly against unarmed civilians and guerilla fighters.” Ilan says to think of Israel not as a state w/ an army, but as an army w/ a state. This is also possible because of the complete “militarization of the educational system.”
Israel as a Democracy: If you understand the definition of the word democracy, you quickly realize the only way for Israel to be somewhat democratic (while shamelessly denying Palestinians their rights) is if there is a Jewish majority. Winning this numbers game for Israel involves Israeli upping their fecundity (knock off anal with the missus and maybe dare rape fewer Palestinian prisoners), or either Palestinians having fewer children, or giving up their right to live on the land (forcing the mythical Exodus to really happen to Palestinians) or dying (hopefully in a way that can’t be easily traced back to Israeli actions).
As Ilan says, “Zionism is an ideology that endorses ethnic cleansing, occupation, and massacres.” Meanwhile Israel wants Americans to see all Palestinian actions to appear unrelated to events in the past and disassociated from any ideology or system.” And so, we were all told by the media that October 7th happened in a vacuum – no backstory. Israelis were simply innocently home that day with loved ones spinning dreidels and then Hamas ruthlessly attacked for no reason at all. We were repeatedly reminded on Facebook after the Hamas attack, “Never Forget!” while we somehow must FORGET the real back story behind October 7th - settler-colonialism, denial of rights, decades of military occupation and ethnic cleansing, and the joys of living in an open-air prison while being thought a terrorist, no matter what noble things one actually does.
Most Jews worldwide “oppose the policies done in the name of the state of Israel.” The Jewish heritage is seen in Jews taking “an active role in ending South African apartheid, racism in the US (Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner), dictatorship in South America, imperialism in South-East Asia and neo-colonialism in Africa.” If the Jewish heritage were applied to the Zionist settler-colonial project, Ilan reminds us, it simply would not have happened.
This book was about the journey of a progressive Jew in Israeli academia, where you will be as welcome as a “Ceasefire Now” poster at a Kamala Harris event. You get a front row seat for what Israeli academia would be like for anyone with a modicum of curiosity and still intact morals. Bravo, Ilan. Now I have reviewed every book there by Ilan, including his 2024 Lobby book. On to reviewing more Israel/Palestine books like “Hamas Contained”.
June 22, 2011
I have not read the 'Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine' by Dr. Pappe. I started with this one and found it really interesting. First of all, it is really good to know about the insides of a community, which we do not know about. Second, the courage that Dr. Pappe has is beyond what one can imagine. I can not imagine to stand against the current of my country and my friends, talking against a well rooted ideology in the minds of its population and talking about the 'enemies' of Israel as the victims of its policies.
It was very surprising for me to know that Israelis do not know the truth about 1948. As a Palestinian, though never been allowed to go to my home country, what happened in 1948 is a fact that does not need debate. It is well known for every single Palestinian what happened in 1948. Although it was not documented at first in books and researches, it is very well documented in our hearts and minds. All the massacres took place at that time, in Deir Yassin, Tantura and many other villages are realities that I thought the World knows about- at least Palestinians and Israelis- as they live on this land which witnessed these massacres, and these massacres took place 'in order for them to live there'. The destruction of almost 420 villages in Palestine, killing and expulsion are what Israel was built on. All the stories were told by our grand fathers and mothers, they used to speak about it, and live for it. Although I've never been to Palestine, I can recognize every city of it from what I've read and from the photos I try to memorize. Now, these stories and photos are being documented in books, issued by Palestinians and other supporters. These are documented so that 'not to forget', and it will never be forgotten.
We were taught that if we need to solve a problem, we need to find the root cause for it and handle it. This is what this book tries to say. We have to admit that the root cause of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict lies in what happened in 1948 and after (till this moment), and this conflict can never be solved without the recognition of what happened then. Israeli officials used to say, Palestinians were expelled, the old generation who used to live in Palestine died, and the new coming generation will forget all about it. From what I see and feel, the new generation is more determined to end the occupation, to go back to his land and to live with dignity there. Get back what was stolen from their parents is their dream. This will never be solved by a two state solution, and even by a one state solution under the rule of Israel. This will only be achieved when justice is applied on this land..it is one country, it is Palestine!
It was very surprising for me to know that Israelis do not know the truth about 1948. As a Palestinian, though never been allowed to go to my home country, what happened in 1948 is a fact that does not need debate. It is well known for every single Palestinian what happened in 1948. Although it was not documented at first in books and researches, it is very well documented in our hearts and minds. All the massacres took place at that time, in Deir Yassin, Tantura and many other villages are realities that I thought the World knows about- at least Palestinians and Israelis- as they live on this land which witnessed these massacres, and these massacres took place 'in order for them to live there'. The destruction of almost 420 villages in Palestine, killing and expulsion are what Israel was built on. All the stories were told by our grand fathers and mothers, they used to speak about it, and live for it. Although I've never been to Palestine, I can recognize every city of it from what I've read and from the photos I try to memorize. Now, these stories and photos are being documented in books, issued by Palestinians and other supporters. These are documented so that 'not to forget', and it will never be forgotten.
We were taught that if we need to solve a problem, we need to find the root cause for it and handle it. This is what this book tries to say. We have to admit that the root cause of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict lies in what happened in 1948 and after (till this moment), and this conflict can never be solved without the recognition of what happened then. Israeli officials used to say, Palestinians were expelled, the old generation who used to live in Palestine died, and the new coming generation will forget all about it. From what I see and feel, the new generation is more determined to end the occupation, to go back to his land and to live with dignity there. Get back what was stolen from their parents is their dream. This will never be solved by a two state solution, and even by a one state solution under the rule of Israel. This will only be achieved when justice is applied on this land..it is one country, it is Palestine!
December 27, 2023
In the Eye of Controversy: Free Speech and Militarism in the Israeli Academy
Ilan Pappe is a Jewish historian born in Israel who now lives and teaches in the UK. He is one of the most controversial historians of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and, along with others like Chomsky, Finklestein, and Shlaim, one of Israel's harshest critics. In Out of the Frame, Pappe recounts the story of how his research and conclusions regarding Israel's War of Independence from 1947-9 caused his ostracism in the Israeli academic community and greater Israeli society, forcing him to ultimately leave the country. Along the way, Pappe describes what he feels it is about Israeli culture that led to these attacks on academic freedom and what it means for future possibilities of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Given what is currently happening on US campuses with a claimed rise in antisemitism, Pappe's story provides an excellent reference point by bringing free speech issues to the forefront.
Overview of Contents
Out of the Frame is a set of memoirs focused on aspects of Pappe's life centered around his controversial academic career. He recounts early memories of growing up in Israel in the 1950s and ‘60s; his interactions with Palestinian students; his feeling that Israel was trying to be a cheap knockoff (my paraphrase) of Europe; his military service; and his subsequent academic career. He describes the path that led him to become one of Israel's "New Historians."
Pappe was already skeptical of Israel's official story regarding what happened in 1948 after having written his doctoral thesis at Oxford on British policy towards Israel leading up to their withdrawal in 1948. He recounts how, after returning to Israel, he and others, such as Benny Morris, found evidence in Israel's military archives and elsewhere confirming that Israel had deliberately expelled many Palestinians from their homes in 1948. This debunked Israel's claims that most Palestinians had simply fled when asked to by Arab leaders under the notion that there would be a swift defeat of Israel and they could quickly return.
Pappe describes how the work of the New Historians led to the brief emergence of a "post-Zionist" school of thought in academia in Israel, which spilled over, somewhat, into at least certain parts of the broader culture, such as artists. Pappe writes that "post-Zionism" even looked like it might impact the Israeli delegation negotiating the Oslo Accords, as some came with books showing that they had read the work of the New Historians.
Pappe goes on to recount how neither he nor the Palestinians nor the Israeli government really trusted the Oslo peace process. For Pappe and Palestinians such as Arafat, this was because they saw a refusal of Israel to seriously confront the core issue of Israel's responsibility for the expulsions of 1948. Indeed, Pappe describes this as the main reason for the failure of Camp David in 2000. The Israelis, he writes, had gotten the false idea that Arafat was willing to relinquish the notion of a right to return when, in fact, Arafat had never actually backed away from this desire.
Out of the Frame then describes how the bottom immediately fell out of any sympathy Israel had for the Palestinians and for research and teachings with a post-Zionism slant. A central theme of Pappe's book is that all important aspects of Israel's government, culture, and education system have always been dominated by militarism. Starting with the breakdown of Camp David and the beginning of the second intifada, Pappe argues there is essentially no restraint now, with the situation only getting worse year after year.
For Pappe, personally, this resulted in attempts by Haifa University to censure him, along with a graduate school named Teddy Katz looking into a possible massacre at Tantura in 1948. Pappe describes this incident in detail, noting that although Katz was briefly intimidated into retracting his claims, the same people never dared bring a libel suit against Pappe himself. Pappe says this is because they knew that he would not back down and would, indeed, relish the opportunity to present the case against Israel's actions in 1948.
Pappe wraps up the book by discussing what he thinks can be done about Zionism, Israeli militarism, and Israel's refusal to confront its past.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The book was insightful and engaging, especially considering that the inner workings of academia might not be expected to be the most riveting of subjects going in. Like his other books, Pappe keeps it down to a reasonable length by skillfully deciding the most important events and themes to discuss. He highlights the fundamental flaw with Zionism itself: Although it initially had admirable aims, it lost these when it turned its focus to Israel, where an existing population of people was already living and which it did not go to adequate lengths to work with peacefully. Pappe's description of militarism's permeation into all aspects of Israeli life is particularly valuable and, likely, less well-known to outsiders. Particularly fascinating is Pappe's description of how Israel's military has prepared itself for quick, grand nation-level battles and how this has had disastrous consequences when dealing instead with low-level, long-term urban warfare where civilian and military targets become blurred together.
In terms of weaknesses, there are, unfortunately, some. One is that Pappe does not always provide references to check his most controversial claims. For instance, he claims that the British had made an offer to Zionists to make Britain a safe haven for Jews such that Israel would not be necessary. However, there is no reference to check this, and looking into it further, I found it appeared to be a shaky claim. Similarly, it is generally hard to know just by reading the book in isolation which claims are generally widely accepted and which are not since Pappe rarely bothers to describe the status himself.
An equally significant weakness, in my view, is that in an important sense, and as Pappe acknowledges, the book does not go that far in answering the fundamental question Pappe was seeking an answer to. What was it about his situation that caused him to break from the strong grip Zionism and militarism have on Israeli society? Pappe feels that an important component was spending time outside the country while writing his doctoral dissertation. He hints, however, that this alone is not a sufficient explanation and that the break was actually also due to being raised with true Jewish values regarding a commitment to truth. I would have liked to see Pappe discuss this in more detail. Right now, there is only a sentence. Additionally, in mentioning this book in a recent interview, Pappe noted that he feels that Jewish exceptionalism plays a role in Israel being in denial about its past. Since there is no doubt that Jews are an exceptional group who, perhaps, have contributed more to human achievement than nearly any other of significant size, I would have liked to see how this, perhaps, sometimes comes at the cost of a darker aspect.
Finally, I feel there are likely personality traits, not just his time abroad, which caused Pappe to break from Zionist culture and become one of its leading critics. Examining these would have been interesting and likely helpful to cultural critics in general. Hopefully, Pappe did not simply omit this discussion out of modesty.
Conclusion
In a relatively short book, Pappe does a commendable job of discussing his experiences as one of Israel's New Historians, bringing dark aspects of Israel's history to light. He describes how, after a brief flourish, this movement was essentially crushed in Israeli universities by rising militarism. Very relevant to today is Pappe's recounting of how Israel's playbook has always been to try and silence any criticism of Israel as antisemitic with frequent allusions to the Holocaust, the latter of which Pappe claims is a yardstick that much in Israel is measured against.
Until the epilogue, Pappe's account discouraged me from the prospect of there ever being peace in Israel. In Pappe's ultimate analysis, however, he is hopeful. He thinks there is a strong resemblance with the history of apartheid in South Africa. Along these lines, Pappe thinks Israel is unlikely to change any time soon due solely to internal pressure. Rather, he sees the need for external pressure. He argues for support of the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement in particular. This, of course, would require strong international pressure, and here, Pappe ends optimistically.
Pappe argues that the true history of Israel is getting to be known in the West, and hence, there is growing support to put needed pressure on Israel. (Something we, arguably, see highlighted in the recent pro-Palestinian protests.) At the same time, Pappe acknowledges that Palestinians have had failures on their part, especially in describing what they would like the area to look like post-Zionism and articulating a desire for peace as opposed to revenge.
Ilan Pappe is a Jewish historian born in Israel who now lives and teaches in the UK. He is one of the most controversial historians of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and, along with others like Chomsky, Finklestein, and Shlaim, one of Israel's harshest critics. In Out of the Frame, Pappe recounts the story of how his research and conclusions regarding Israel's War of Independence from 1947-9 caused his ostracism in the Israeli academic community and greater Israeli society, forcing him to ultimately leave the country. Along the way, Pappe describes what he feels it is about Israeli culture that led to these attacks on academic freedom and what it means for future possibilities of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Given what is currently happening on US campuses with a claimed rise in antisemitism, Pappe's story provides an excellent reference point by bringing free speech issues to the forefront.
Overview of Contents
Out of the Frame is a set of memoirs focused on aspects of Pappe's life centered around his controversial academic career. He recounts early memories of growing up in Israel in the 1950s and ‘60s; his interactions with Palestinian students; his feeling that Israel was trying to be a cheap knockoff (my paraphrase) of Europe; his military service; and his subsequent academic career. He describes the path that led him to become one of Israel's "New Historians."
Pappe was already skeptical of Israel's official story regarding what happened in 1948 after having written his doctoral thesis at Oxford on British policy towards Israel leading up to their withdrawal in 1948. He recounts how, after returning to Israel, he and others, such as Benny Morris, found evidence in Israel's military archives and elsewhere confirming that Israel had deliberately expelled many Palestinians from their homes in 1948. This debunked Israel's claims that most Palestinians had simply fled when asked to by Arab leaders under the notion that there would be a swift defeat of Israel and they could quickly return.
Pappe describes how the work of the New Historians led to the brief emergence of a "post-Zionist" school of thought in academia in Israel, which spilled over, somewhat, into at least certain parts of the broader culture, such as artists. Pappe writes that "post-Zionism" even looked like it might impact the Israeli delegation negotiating the Oslo Accords, as some came with books showing that they had read the work of the New Historians.
Pappe goes on to recount how neither he nor the Palestinians nor the Israeli government really trusted the Oslo peace process. For Pappe and Palestinians such as Arafat, this was because they saw a refusal of Israel to seriously confront the core issue of Israel's responsibility for the expulsions of 1948. Indeed, Pappe describes this as the main reason for the failure of Camp David in 2000. The Israelis, he writes, had gotten the false idea that Arafat was willing to relinquish the notion of a right to return when, in fact, Arafat had never actually backed away from this desire.
Out of the Frame then describes how the bottom immediately fell out of any sympathy Israel had for the Palestinians and for research and teachings with a post-Zionism slant. A central theme of Pappe's book is that all important aspects of Israel's government, culture, and education system have always been dominated by militarism. Starting with the breakdown of Camp David and the beginning of the second intifada, Pappe argues there is essentially no restraint now, with the situation only getting worse year after year.
For Pappe, personally, this resulted in attempts by Haifa University to censure him, along with a graduate school named Teddy Katz looking into a possible massacre at Tantura in 1948. Pappe describes this incident in detail, noting that although Katz was briefly intimidated into retracting his claims, the same people never dared bring a libel suit against Pappe himself. Pappe says this is because they knew that he would not back down and would, indeed, relish the opportunity to present the case against Israel's actions in 1948.
Pappe wraps up the book by discussing what he thinks can be done about Zionism, Israeli militarism, and Israel's refusal to confront its past.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The book was insightful and engaging, especially considering that the inner workings of academia might not be expected to be the most riveting of subjects going in. Like his other books, Pappe keeps it down to a reasonable length by skillfully deciding the most important events and themes to discuss. He highlights the fundamental flaw with Zionism itself: Although it initially had admirable aims, it lost these when it turned its focus to Israel, where an existing population of people was already living and which it did not go to adequate lengths to work with peacefully. Pappe's description of militarism's permeation into all aspects of Israeli life is particularly valuable and, likely, less well-known to outsiders. Particularly fascinating is Pappe's description of how Israel's military has prepared itself for quick, grand nation-level battles and how this has had disastrous consequences when dealing instead with low-level, long-term urban warfare where civilian and military targets become blurred together.
In terms of weaknesses, there are, unfortunately, some. One is that Pappe does not always provide references to check his most controversial claims. For instance, he claims that the British had made an offer to Zionists to make Britain a safe haven for Jews such that Israel would not be necessary. However, there is no reference to check this, and looking into it further, I found it appeared to be a shaky claim. Similarly, it is generally hard to know just by reading the book in isolation which claims are generally widely accepted and which are not since Pappe rarely bothers to describe the status himself.
An equally significant weakness, in my view, is that in an important sense, and as Pappe acknowledges, the book does not go that far in answering the fundamental question Pappe was seeking an answer to. What was it about his situation that caused him to break from the strong grip Zionism and militarism have on Israeli society? Pappe feels that an important component was spending time outside the country while writing his doctoral dissertation. He hints, however, that this alone is not a sufficient explanation and that the break was actually also due to being raised with true Jewish values regarding a commitment to truth. I would have liked to see Pappe discuss this in more detail. Right now, there is only a sentence. Additionally, in mentioning this book in a recent interview, Pappe noted that he feels that Jewish exceptionalism plays a role in Israel being in denial about its past. Since there is no doubt that Jews are an exceptional group who, perhaps, have contributed more to human achievement than nearly any other of significant size, I would have liked to see how this, perhaps, sometimes comes at the cost of a darker aspect.
Finally, I feel there are likely personality traits, not just his time abroad, which caused Pappe to break from Zionist culture and become one of its leading critics. Examining these would have been interesting and likely helpful to cultural critics in general. Hopefully, Pappe did not simply omit this discussion out of modesty.
Conclusion
In a relatively short book, Pappe does a commendable job of discussing his experiences as one of Israel's New Historians, bringing dark aspects of Israel's history to light. He describes how, after a brief flourish, this movement was essentially crushed in Israeli universities by rising militarism. Very relevant to today is Pappe's recounting of how Israel's playbook has always been to try and silence any criticism of Israel as antisemitic with frequent allusions to the Holocaust, the latter of which Pappe claims is a yardstick that much in Israel is measured against.
Until the epilogue, Pappe's account discouraged me from the prospect of there ever being peace in Israel. In Pappe's ultimate analysis, however, he is hopeful. He thinks there is a strong resemblance with the history of apartheid in South Africa. Along these lines, Pappe thinks Israel is unlikely to change any time soon due solely to internal pressure. Rather, he sees the need for external pressure. He argues for support of the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement in particular. This, of course, would require strong international pressure, and here, Pappe ends optimistically.
Pappe argues that the true history of Israel is getting to be known in the West, and hence, there is growing support to put needed pressure on Israel. (Something we, arguably, see highlighted in the recent pro-Palestinian protests.) At the same time, Pappe acknowledges that Palestinians have had failures on their part, especially in describing what they would like the area to look like post-Zionism and articulating a desire for peace as opposed to revenge.
December 6, 2023
A fascinating look into the Israeli war propaganda machine, Dr. Pappe's expertise and personal experience make him an ideal candidate for educating the public on how intense trauma, threats to safety (both real and perceived), rampant nationalism, relative isolation, excessive militarization and very little international oversight have shaped Israeli narratives about their own identity. I admire his compassion and steadfast dedication to the truth in the face of threats ranging from social exclusion to outright violence. Israel is of course not the only place subjected to such propaganda and Dr. Pappe's analysis is informative when applied to other countries that struggle to acknowledge historical atrocities, including the US.
February 27, 2024
eye opening discussion of zionism by an israeli historian who writes clearly and effectively. will read more by him.
June 16, 2024
Ilan Pappe and his struggle with the so called “only democracy in middle east” and the freedom of speech
July 29, 2011
I almost missed this book. It's basically Israeli historian Ilan Pappe's autobiography, explaining how he came to be so critical of Israel's actions in Palestine and of the official narrative of 1948. That is, as a historian, he became fully aware of the reality of the Nakbah and its importance for understanding what is going on in Palestine today. He also describes the abuse, hatred and downright Orwellian and Kafkaesque treatment he received from fellow academics and anonymous stalkers. The book is enlightening, exquisitely written, and a perfect antidote to the myth of the Middle East's "only democracy". Pappe puts them to shame and exposes Israel for what it really is (to use Desmond Tutu's words): worse than Apartheid.
May 21, 2024
There’s a lot to say about this book. This is my first Pappe, so Im sure as I read through his work it will maybe move down the list. But I really enjoyed it, and think that it may be a good place to start with him, as you get his background, world view, dedication to the cause, and work as a historian. It’s an obviously timely read, and I can’t help but draw massive parallels to the current state of Israel/Palestine. Everything he states about the first intifada, second, first Lebanon war, etc. is exactly the way things are unfolding right now.
I could keep going, but Pappe is a great discovery, one I wish I had made sooner.
I could keep going, but Pappe is a great discovery, one I wish I had made sooner.
August 20, 2012
Was honestly expecting a lot more from Illan Pappe on this one. The issue of academic freedom has been somewhat of a taboo topic in Israel and i thought "who else would be better to explore the topic than the writer of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine". What i got instead was a largely fragmented personal account of Pappe's own struggles in the area of Israel academia. Was interesting but not one of his best.
July 1, 2014
Like every other book that Pappe has written....his documentation is superb (usually mostly archival) and this one is more personal perspectives than previous titles.
December 17, 2013
I do not like his views at all, he is a self-hating Jew and I totally feel sorry for him to falsely proud of his Israeli identity.
November 15, 2014
Amazing book. Read about the freedom of academia in the Israeli society by an Israeli.
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May 7, 2018Questo libretto è la risposta alla domanda: «Ma perché il BDS coinvolge anche gli ambienti accademici? Cosa c’entrano con le politiche di Israele?».
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