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pink_distro's review against another edition
5.0
i definitely see why this is considered an essential Palestinian revolutionary writing. many people rightly emphasize at starting with the Nakba in 1948 to understand Palestine, but going further back to the mid 30s, as Kanafani does here, really shows what processes actually sowed the seeds of the Nakba.
i learned a ton from the extensive analysis of how the British Mandate government led the construction of a settler zionist economy & society — where Palestinian peasants are dispossessed and land transferred to Jewish settlers, where settler Jewish workers are structurally advantaged while Arab workers were fired and saw their wages plummet, where Britain channels investment to settler Jewish corporations and builds infrastructure to defend British and zionist economic interests, etc. He also shows how Britain was essential in raising up and training the zionist militias / terror squads that helped repress the 1936-1939 revolt, and eventually enacted the Nakba and cohered into the IOF.
his analysis of Palestinian resistance, its structural causes, its bases, its powerful cultural/poetic expressions, its traitorous 'part-feudal, part-clerical leadership,' and the Palestine Communist party, was great. it did well to balance focusing on the material conditions while also considering important subjective elements, like organizational talent and the qualities of Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, for example.
this text is short, important reading, and is available free online from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other sites.
i learned a ton from the extensive analysis of how the British Mandate government led the construction of a settler zionist economy & society — where Palestinian peasants are dispossessed and land transferred to Jewish settlers, where settler Jewish workers are structurally advantaged while Arab workers were fired and saw their wages plummet, where Britain channels investment to settler Jewish corporations and builds infrastructure to defend British and zionist economic interests, etc. He also shows how Britain was essential in raising up and training the zionist militias / terror squads that helped repress the 1936-1939 revolt, and eventually enacted the Nakba and cohered into the IOF.
his analysis of Palestinian resistance, its structural causes, its bases, its powerful cultural/poetic expressions, its traitorous 'part-feudal, part-clerical leadership,' and the Palestine Communist party, was great. it did well to balance focusing on the material conditions while also considering important subjective elements, like organizational talent and the qualities of Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, for example.
this text is short, important reading, and is available free online from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other sites.
funeraldancer's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is a critical piece of writing to understand some of the context of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians by Zionist forces.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Murder, Violence, Colonisation, Racism, Death, and War
bjaimes's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This was a brilliant book with some of the best Marxist analysis I’ve ever read. Kanafani expertly maps the main actors in the revolution and their interests. In addition to the workers, the peasants, and the intellectuals we understand the interactions between reactionary Palestinian leaders, the Arab regimes surrounding Palestine, and the alliance between Zionism and imperialism
This book provides necessary context to the period directly predating the creation of Israel. In the 20s and 30s, Palestinians were subject to intense economic marginalization at the hands of British and Zionist capital. These acute inequalities were the driving force behind the Palestinian revolution of 36-39. This revolution (in addition to WWII) accelerated the transition in governance from the British to the Zionists and laid the groundwork for the militarization of Zionist society.
That was more summary than review, BUT this book is worth a read because of its concision and sharp Marxist analysis!!!
This book provides necessary context to the period directly predating the creation of Israel. In the 20s and 30s, Palestinians were subject to intense economic marginalization at the hands of British and Zionist capital. These acute inequalities were the driving force behind the Palestinian revolution of 36-39. This revolution (in addition to WWII) accelerated the transition in governance from the British to the Zionists and laid the groundwork for the militarization of Zionist society.
That was more summary than review, BUT this book is worth a read because of its concision and sharp Marxist analysis!!!