The 1948 Palestine War is known to Israelis as 'the War of Independence'. But for Palestinians, the war is forever the Nakba, the 'catastrophe'. The war led to the creation of the State of Israel and the destruction of much of Palestininan society by the Zionist forces. For all Palestinians, the Nakba has become central to history, memory and identity. This book focuses on Palestinian internal refugees in Israel and internally displaced Palestinians across the Green LIne. It uses oral history and interviews to examine Palestinian identity and memory, indigenous rights, international protection, the 'right of return', and a just solution in Palestine/Israel. Contributors include several distinguished authors and scholars such as William Dalrymple, Prof. Naseer Aruri, Dr. Ilan Pappe, Prof. Isma'il Abu Sa'ad and Dr. Nur Masalha.

The Palestinian experience of displacement within Israel, told through oral history and memory

About the Author
Dr Nur Masalha is a senior lecturer and director of the Holy Land Research Project, St.Mary's College, University of Surrey. His books include: Imperial Israel and the Palestinians (2000) and The Politics of Denial (2003).

Reviews
'In this remarkable book, twelve writers brilliantly evoke the spirit of Edward Said to tell the unvarnished truth about Palestine and Israel.' John Pilger 'This is a work of enormous significance by distinguished scholars of singular courage and integrity. The spirit and legacy of Edward Said are embodied in these papers that seek to rectify grave historical omissions and distortions pertaining to the plight and rights of the Palestinians, particularly in their displacement and exile.' Hanan Ashrawi 'A valuable source to construct a clearer picture of what actually happened to the Palestinian people in the chaotic years of 1947-9.' Political Studies Review 'A wide-ranging collection of invariably interesting essays... the lesson of Catastrophe Remembered is that no two-state solution will be enough to give Palestinians in Israel the dignity denied to them for so long.' Tom Hill, Tribune 'An excellent reader on the subject, bringing together as it does a wide range of essays... Israel's arguments against its critics often include the claim that it is the Middle East's only democracy. This book illustrates why that claim is so shallow, based as it is on a situation which denies full rights to a significant portion of Israeli citizens, denying them everything from adequate water supplies to the validity of their memories and history.' Peace News 'Catastrophe Remembered makes a timely and useful contribution to an important and unfinished discussion.' Neil Caplan, Midwest Jewish Studies Association



Book Information
ISBN 9781842776230
Author Nur Masalha
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Zed Books Ltd
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC