Scan barcode
A review by margaret45678
One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse by Ali Abunimah
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I don't think this is a book that will convince everyone but it's definitely a book that everyone should read. A lot has changed since this book was written but I'd like to believe it's not too late for Abunimah's vision to resonate with people, even if they don't agree with every single point.
From what I've seen at recent protests, it seems like a lot of younger activists are pushing back against the 2 state solution, but looking at some of the online discourse I think there is an unrealistic belief that most Israelis hold multiple passports and would leave the country if Palestinians ever gained real political power (comparisons with Algeria are common). As maddening as it is, in practical terms it's hard to get around the fact that most Jewish Israelis are not in that situation, and certainly do not see themselves as colonizers. Even as someone with no personal stakes in this matter, I do find it hard to accept this, maybe because the same could be said of white Americans - on the whole we do not see ourselves as colonizers of the land which is now the United States, nor as participants in various (neo)colonial projects in the rest of the world, but we very much are.
Anyway, my American misgivings aside, I think the comparison with South Africa is a much better model for understanding possible strategies and outcomes for a united Palestine. It's also a good reminder that unjust systems which seemed set in stone only a short time ago can be changed. We can't give up!
From what I've seen at recent protests, it seems like a lot of younger activists are pushing back against the 2 state solution, but looking at some of the online discourse I think there is an unrealistic belief that most Israelis hold multiple passports and would leave the country if Palestinians ever gained real political power (comparisons with Algeria are common). As maddening as it is, in practical terms it's hard to get around the fact that most Jewish Israelis are not in that situation, and certainly do not see themselves as colonizers. Even as someone with no personal stakes in this matter, I do find it hard to accept this, maybe because the same could be said of white Americans - on the whole we do not see ourselves as colonizers of the land which is now the United States, nor as participants in various (neo)colonial projects in the rest of the world, but we very much are.
Anyway, my American misgivings aside, I think the comparison with South Africa is a much better model for understanding possible strategies and outcomes for a united Palestine. It's also a good reminder that unjust systems which seemed set in stone only a short time ago can be changed. We can't give up!