Books The Hundred Years' War on Palestine Book by Rashid Khalidi

"The Hundred Years' War on Palestine" by Rashid Khalidi is a comprehensive historical account that frames the century-long conflict over Palestine (1917–2017) as a prolonged colonial war against the indigenous Palestinian people. Khalidi argues that this conflict is not a symmetrical struggle between two equal national movements but rather a settler-colonial campaign led by Zionist forces, supported first by British imperialism and later by American power, aimed at displacing Palestinians from their homeland.

The book divides the century into six major "declarations of war," beginning with the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which marked the British government's explicit support for a Jewish national home in Palestine while denying Palestinian nationalism and identity. Khalidi uses a wealth of archival material, family histories, and his own experiences to document key episodes, including the 1948 Nakba (the destruction of Palestine), Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and the ongoing peace process, which he views as largely futile.

Khalidi emphasizes the resilience and resistance of Palestinians throughout this period, highlighting the imbalance of power and the role of Western powers in perpetuating the conflict. The book challenges common narratives by centering the Palestinian perspective and exposing the colonial nature of the conflict.

In summary, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine offers an authoritative, deeply personal, and critical examination of a century of dispossession and struggle, shedding light on the roots and ongoing realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

1 BOOK