Description

In 1896, a Jewish state was a pipe dream. Today the overwhelming majority of Jews identify as Zionists. How did this happen?

Ilan Pappe unveils how over a century of aggressive lobbying changed the map of the Middle East. Pro-Israel lobbies convinced British and American policymakers to condone Israel’s flagrant breaches of international law, grant Israel unprecedented military aid and deny Palestinians rights. Anyone who questioned unconditional support for Israel, even in the mildest terms, became the target of relentless smear campaigns. Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic shows us how an unassailable consensus was built – and how it might be dismantled.

About the author(s)

Ilan Pappe is an Israeli historian and socialist activist. He is a professor of history at the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies. He is also the author of the bestselling The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Oneworld), A History of Modern Palestine (Cambridge), The Modern Middle East (Routledge), The Israel/Palestine Question (Routledge), The Forgotten Palestinians: A History of the Palestinians in Israel (Yale), The Idea of Israel: A History of Power and Knowledge (Verso) and with Noam Chomsky, Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War Against the Palestinians (Penguin). He writes for, among others, the Guardian and the London Review of Books.

Reviews

'A tour de force, comprehensive, authoritative and fair-minded, unveiling the lobby's politically and ethically dubious methods that have ensured unparalleled amounts of Western military aid and a shield of diplomatic immunity for the Israeli state’s apartheid-like policies for seventy-five years, as well as Zionist control of the global narrative about Palestine.' Peter Shambrook, author of Policy of Deceit

'A magisterial study of the secret weapon of Zionist success in the arena of world politics — the lobby. Deeply researched and forcefully argued, this is a major contribution to the literature on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.' Avi Shlaim, author of Three Worlds

‘Ilan Pappe is Israel’s bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.’

John Pilger

'All the renowned qualities of Ilan Pappe’s scholarship and craft as a historian are in evidence here: his comprehensiveness, his utter dedication, his command of the range of sources and material, his integrity and his humanism. Above all, this latest work on lobbying demonstrates Ilan’s lifelong commitment to establishing the truths necessary to enlighten citizens across the world – so that they can change it to a more just one.' Professor Karma Nabulsi

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