The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
The book that is providing a storm of controversy, from ‘Israel’s bravest historian’ (John Pilger). Renowned Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe's groundbreaking work on the formation of the State of Israel. *** 'Along with the late Edward Said, Ilan Pappe is the most eloquent writer of Palestinian history.' NEW STATESMAN *** Between 1947 and 1949, over 400 Palestinian villages were deliberately destroyed, civilians were massacred and around a million men, women, and children were expelled from their homes at gunpoint. Denied for almost six decades, had it happened today it could only have been called 'ethnic cleansing'. Decisively debunking the myth that the Palestinian population left of their own accord in the course of this war, Ilan Pappe offers impressive archival evidence to demonstrate that, from its very inception, a central plank in Israel’s founding ideology was the forcible removal of the indigenous population. Indispensable for anyone interested in the current crisis in the Middle East. *** 'Ilan Pappe is Israel's bravest, most principled, most incisive historian.' JOHN PILGER *** 'Pappe has opened up an important new line of inquiry into the vast and fateful subject of the Palestinian refugees. His book is rewarding in other ways. It has at times an elegiac, even sentimental, character, recalling the lost, obliterated life of the Palestinian Arabs and imagining or regretting what Pappe believes could have been a better land of Palestine.'TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *** 'A major intervention in an argument that will, and must, continue. There's no hope of lasting Middle East peace while the ghosts of 1948 still walk.' INDEPENDENT
Unveiling a Controversial History
Ilan Pappe's "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" is a highly controversial book that has sparked heated debates and passionate responses. This review aims to provide a critical analysis of the book, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses while avoiding unnecessary subjectivity or emotional charged language.
A Groundbreaking Examination:
Pappe, a renowned Israeli historian, tackles the sensitive topic of the 1948 Palestinian exodus, offering a compelling argument that the events constituted "ethnic cleansing." He meticulously presents archival evidence, including newly declassified documents, to support his claim that the displacement of Palestinians was a deliberate and systematic policy implemented by Zionist forces. This groundbreaking work challenges the long-held "clean break" narrative that portrays the events as a spontaneous conflict with unintentional consequences.
Strengths:
- Extensive Research: Pappe's comprehensive research provides a detailed and well-documented account of the historical events, offering a compelling counter-narrative to dominant historical perspectives.
- Accessibility: Despite the complex subject matter, Pappe's writing is clear and engaging, making the book accessible to a wider audience interested in understanding the historical roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Focus on Palestinian Perspective: The book centers the experiences and narratives of the Palestinian people, giving voice to their suffering and displacement. This shift in perspective is crucial for a more nuanced understanding of the conflict's origins and ongoing consequences.
- Challenging Dominant Narratives: Pappe's work prompts critical reflection and challenges the often-unquestioned narratives surrounding the 1948 war and its aftermath. This critical examination is vital for fostering a more informed and balanced understanding of the conflict.
Weaknesses:
- Limited Scope: Although the book focuses extensively on the 1948 events, it offers less detailed analysis of the subsequent decades and the evolving dynamics of the conflict.
- Emotional Tone: While acknowledging the tragic experiences of the Palestinian people is essential, the book's emphasis on emotional narratives may overshadow the more analytical aspects of the historical investigation.
- Objectivity: Some readers may question Pappe's objectivity due to his strong personal views on the conflict. While his evidence supports his arguments, his interpretation of historical events can be contested.
Overall Impression:
Despite its limitations, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" remains a significant contribution to understanding the complex history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pappe's meticulous research, clear writing, and focus on the Palestinian perspective offer valuable insights into the origins of the displacement and its ongoing impact. While the book may spark controversy due to its challenging of established narratives, it is a crucial read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this critical historical episode and its ramifications for the present day.
Recommendation: Highly recommended for readers interested in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the issue of ethnic cleansing, and alternative perspectives on historical events. The book invites deeper reflection and encourages further research into this complex and ongoing issue.
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Ilan Pappe, Author 
Ilan Pappé, born on November 7, 1954, is an Israeli historian and political scientist known for his controversial views on the history of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His full name is spelled Ilan Pappé in English, and in Hebrew, it is אילן פפה, pronounced [iˈlan paˈpe].
Early Life and Education: Ilan Pappé was born in Haifa, Israel, to German-Jewish parents who had fled Nazi persecution in the 1930s. At the age of 18, Pappé was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served in the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. In 1978, he graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
Pappé then moved to England to pursue further studies. He undertook his doctoral studies at the University of Oxford, where he completed a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1984. His doctoral thesis, titled "British foreign policy towards the Middle East, 1948-1951: Britain and the Arab-Israeli conflict," became the basis for his first book, "Britain and the Arab-Israeli Conflict."
Academic Career: Pappé held academic positions at the University of Haifa, where he was a senior lecturer in political science from 1984 to 2007. During his time at the university, he also served as the chair of the Emil Touma Institute for Palestinian and Israeli Studies in Haifa from 2000 to 2008.
In 1993, Pappé became the Academic Director of the Research Institute for Peace at Givat Haviva, a position he held until 2000. He continued his involvement in academia and research while being an influential figure in the field of Middle Eastern history and politics.
Controversial Views and Activism: Ilan Pappé is associated with the group of historians known as the "New Historians," who, starting in the early 1980s, challenged traditional narratives about the founding of Israel. His work, particularly "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" published in 2006, contends that the events surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948 amounted to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. This perspective has sparked intense debates and criticism from some historians, including accusations of inaccuracies and fabrication.
Pappé is known for his support of the academic boycott of Israeli institutions. His political activism extends to supporting the one-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, which envisions a single, democratic state in the region. These views have made him a controversial figure in Israel, leading to condemnations in the Knesset, threats, and calls for his resignation.
In 2007, Pappé left Israel and took up an appointment at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. He became a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies, and he is the director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies. Pappé has continued to be a vocal advocate for his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, contributing to academic discourse and participating in public debates.
Published Works: Ilan Pappé is the author of several books, including:
- "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" (2006)
- "The Modern Middle East" (2005)
- "A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples" (2003)
- "Britain and the Arab-Israeli Conflict" (1988)
His writings cover topics ranging from the history of the Middle East to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the broader geopolitical context.
Controversies: Pappé has faced criticism for his endorsement of Teddy Katz's M.A. thesis on the Tantura massacre, a claim that was later retracted by Katz. Critics argue that Pappé's stance on certain historical events lacks credibility and objectivity.
Personal Life: Ilan Pappé's personal life details are less widely known, as the focus has primarily been on his academic career, controversial views, and activism.
Ilan Pappé's life and work continue to be subjects of debate and discussion in academic, political, and public spheres, reflecting the ongoing complexity and sensitivity of the issues surrounding the history of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Not made as some other books are
I have been directly involved with this conflict for well over half a century now, it is an extremely old and complex situation. Begin to explain one vantage point, before you can finish, you are deemed an enemy with the other side.
Ilan Pappé attempts to answer this question in "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine," which is, without a doubt, the most controversial book I have read in my life. In it, Pappé presents the controversial thesis that Palestine has been subject to a systematic ethnic cleansing policy pre-dating Israel's Independence Day on May 14, 1948. This policy, Pappé argues, continues up to the present day.
For this review, it is important to note, and Pappé clarifies right off the bat, that he is not using the phrase ethnic cleansing in the colloquial sense in which it is a synonym for genocide. Instead, Pappé refers to formal definitions in which ethnic cleansing's goal is to rid a geographical area of people of a specific, often ethnic, group. This contrasts with genocide, in which the goal is to wipe them out of existence. Pappé notes that although the goal of ethnic cleansing is different, it is also generally accompanied by massacres to scare the population into fleeing. Pappé argues this is precisely what happened in Israel/Palestine during the 1947-8 War. Indeed, in the epigraphs preceding most chapters, there is a running comparison to Serbian ethnic cleansing in the 1990s.
A Cleansing Plan Pre-Dating the 1947 UN Partition Resolution?
Before the late 1980s, there was a notion in much of the West that the answer to the question of where all the Palestinian refugees came from was that they were told to flee their homes around the time Israel's Arab neighbors invaded on the very day of Israel's independence. Pappé is one of Israel's "new historians" who was granted some access to the IDF's archives from the 1947-8 War and began to challenge the notion that those fleeing generally did so voluntarily at the request of Arab leaders. Some more moderate historians, like Benny Morris, found evidence of massacres of Palestinians by Jewish force but did not feel there was a systematic plan behind them and the forced expulsions. Pappé, by contrast, disagrees. Pappé concluded that there was a systematic plan centering around Plan Dalet by considering other sources such as the diaries of key Israeli leaders, interviews, and other oral history.
According to Pappé's research, Zionist leaders, especially Ben-Gurion, had decided well before 1947 that they should try to capture much more of Mandatory Palestine than was likely to be offered. Pappé describes how the planning included detailed Jewish intelligence on every village following the 1936 uprising in preparation for this effort.
The Zionists' main fear, Pappé writes, was having too small a majority in Israel to protect Jewish interests. This was because, at the time of the 1947 resolution, the Jewish state had about 60% Jews, while nearly all the rest were Arabs. Pappé quotes Ben-Gurion saying that 80% Jews was needed for stability. Pappé further argues that while Ben-Gurion publically accepted the UN partition plan, he only did so knowing Arabs would reject it. This, he realized, would allow Israeli leaders to not recognize Palestinian land as other than "disputed."
Pappé further recounts how Ben-Gurion felt it was a problem that Arabs did not react violently enough to the 1947 partition plan. Indeed, they just resigned themselves to living under another "foreign" ruler as they had adapted to others for centuries before. According to Pappé, Ben-Gurion and a cabal called "The Consultancy" worked to increase provocations against Arabs, hoping for reactions that could be used as pretexts for attacks, expulsions, and inevitable massacres. Pappé portrays this as not having the success hoped for initially, thus leading Israeli forces to become increasingly aggressive in their strategies and tactics, often deliberately crossing the line into war crimes.
My Evaluation
Evaluating this book is, unfortunately, rather difficult. The two main reasons are:
1. There is disagreement between Pappé and fellow new historian Benny Morris as to the proper historical methodology. Pappé criticizes Morris for confining his conclusions to IDF archives and treating them as gospel (or, perhaps, rather, Tanakh?) Morris, in turn, criticizes Pappé for over-reliance on oral history. Since Pappé, unfortunately, does not dive deeply into the methodological questions, it is hard for a non-professional to weigh the merits and detriments of the different approaches.
2. Much of Pappé's source material is not readily available, at least to non-professionals. This is either because it is IDF archival material, books that no longer appear to be in print or interviews.
Fortunately, there is much that Pappé and Morris, who draws more conservative conclusions, agree on. The main points are:
1. Many Palestinians only left their homes involuntarily in 1947-8; Israeli forces were definitely pushing many of them out
2. Jewish forces did commit war crimes
One thing Pappé and Morris disagree on significantly is the number of Palestinians massacred. Morris puts the figure around 800, whereas Pappé has it around a few thousand. Even more significant, however, is whether it was all part of a systematic plan or not. Pappé's quotes, especially from Ben-Gurion's diary, do seem compelling, however. With regard to the massacres, Pappé admits there is no smoking gun in official documents regarding a central directive. Instead, he argues that it was implicitly understood that they would be tolerated and necessary in the case of stubborn resistance. Pappé points out how those involved were generally careful not to leave a paper trail behind.
Is a Systematic Plan Believable?
I do believe that Pappé makes a compelling case that there was a systematic plan. Pappé's discussion of how Palestinians were treated after the war adds to the believability of his argument. Much of this post-war treatment is more open to verification. Remaining Palestinians were moved from their homes; the property of those who had fled was confiscated through some extraordinary legal machinations; those of Arab descent did not receive equal treatment under Israeli law; Palestinian history was systematically erased.
However, even if things were not part of a Zionist grand strategy to permanently claim 80% of Mandatory Palestine, it is remarkable that they worked out, in practice, as if that were the plan all along. Sympathizers of Israel will argue that Israel simply wanted to live in peace, but their Arab neighbors kept attacking them unprovoked for no good reason. After reading this book, however, especially the parts most open to verification, and considering Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and denial of their right to return (or, if no longer practical, monetary compensation in lieu of it), the credibility of Israeli claims regarding history fell into even greater doubt for me.
The Book's Style and Weaknesses
A little over two-thirds of the book is highly engaging reading. Nevertheless, the book took me about twice as long to read as expected. Part of the reason this is a difficult book to read is that it is a very somber subject. Nor is it so far removed from the present as to provide the usual degree of detachment that studying more distant history allows. That contribution to making the book difficult is inevitable, given the subject.
However, some of Pappé's choices made the book difficult and were not inevitable. For instance:
- The Jews seemed very concerned about Arab aggression, given what happened in 1936. Pappé does not detail 1936 enough to understand why they were worried.
- Too many massacres are detailed even once one gets the gist of what happened overall. Likely, Pappé is trying to ensure that the victims are not forgotten. Still, unfortunately, it leads to an emotional numbing and time spent here that could have been better spent on issues such as what happened in 1936 and discussing the debate over methodology.
Finally, Pappé is clearly biased. For instance, he correctly states that Palestinians objected to Israel being given the majority of the land in the 1947 resolution, even though they were only one-third of the population. What Pappé omits is the Jewish position that they needed more land because of the large number of immigrants into Israel expected. Pappé also, although he does not omit it altogether, spends scant time discussing massacres by Arabs, for example, as retaliation for Deir Yassin.
Conclusion
Given the current war in Gaza, this book is vital reading to understand how we got to this point and what may lie ahead. Readers will be better able to evaluate whether the accusations of ethnic cleansing, genocide, and apartheid leveled against Israel are fair. At the same time, however, it is essential to check what sources Pappé uses, compare with others, and look up contrary interpretations of history, such as Benny Morris's.
Mistakes were made on both sides but it is time for the Palestinians to be responsible for themselves and stop allowing Hamas to manipulate them by using resources for war instead of building homes.
Excellent description of the ethnic cleansing done by European and Russian-Asian Jews against the native people actually living in Palestine. Events closely match what I have heard from my Palestinian neighbors, friends, and colleagues.
I have nothing against the idea of a Jewish homeland. God knows, they've been through enough. (I'd rather my country take in these Jews, most of whom I'd welcome as neighbors, and leave the Palestinians alone to sort themselves out.)
But their treatment of the natives, Zionist nationalism, theft, imprisonment, racism, and murder, WHICH CONTINUE TODAY is totally unacceptable. So are the ongoing lies and covering up of actions that are very similar to what the Nazis did to them. One would expect much, much better from the Israelis, but it seems that the self-proclaimed "God's Chosen People" chose vicious nationalism instead of compassion.
And we Americans continue to blindly support this evil with $5 billion per year. That's about $130 million per day that goes to welfare in a foreign country that we could spend on our own hospitals, schools, and national debt. Who pays for this ethnic cleansing? The USA does. My involuntary tax money pays for it.
What is most shocking is many peoples' resistance to abandoning the Zionist fairy tales of saintliness and victimhood.
We all know about the self-defeating idiocy of American PC-ism, keeping people from discussing contentious issues or challenging the official view. This topic, however, seems to cause even more painful cognitive dissonance when someone encounters really obvious and simple challenges to the Zionist narrative than anything else I've experienced.
I cannot believe that people actually buy these dehumanizing myths:
- that there never were a Palestinian people (yes, they are the non-Jewish natives, mostly Sunni, who were dispossessed by the Jewish European colonists and who did not accept their new rulers)
- that the natives never belonged there (yes, they have been there for many centuries.)
- that Jews were the original inhabitants of the region and therefore the land belongs to them (nonsense, the ancient Israelites, following the Exodus, murdered, raped, destroyed, and "cleansed" the region of the inhabitants - much like ISIS does today. This is all quite clear in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.)
- the natives just up and left, giving the land to the Jewish colonists (read Pappe and learn about Jewish mobs driving out the natives at gunpoint, putting them in camps, and even poisoning water supplies with typhus)
America needs to cut ties to this fascist country and extricate itself from Arab oil. After the blood and dust settle we will find ourselves in a safer and more ethical, albeit still imperfect, world.
It is important to read and understand this book as well as to know where our tax money is going as we are also culpable of these ongoing crimes against humanity.
