Subtitle: A History of the Palestinians in Israel
A meticulous account of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the years immediately following the establishment of Israel in 1948. Pappé is a meticulous historian who made use of recently released archival material (such as notes and journals of some of the main actors and leaders of the time) to determine the exact nature of the policy towards Palestinians and Palestinian villages post 1948, and also to catalogue forced removals, destruction of villages, massacres and rapes as noted in these sources. It turns out these archival sources corroborate many of the actions and events Palestinians have claimed for decades.
His style is not hysterical or hostile; he maintains a historian's tone for most of the book. There are occasional glimpses of he feeling and reactions as he discovers the truth behind the propaganda and myths he has been fed growing up in Israel and passing through the education system.
There are interesting quotes at the beginning of chapters mostly taken from statements, descriptions and international reactions to what went on in Bosnia - these stand in stark contrast to the west's and UN's statements and reactions to the events that occured in Palestine. They also serve to back up his conclusion that the Palestinians were subjected to ethnic cleansing, given the similarities between the two conflicts.
A very important book because of who he is and his profession as a historian. A difficult read, but not brutal - there are very few graphic details. It's just the endless repetitive nature of the actions against the Palestinian villages over a period of years.
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